Bryants Disco Ball

Was looking at Schwarber's game log. Was his good season really all done in about 12 games? ETA: Basically asking if he really has changed much as a hitter as I didn't follow him this season.

Something weird has happened. First, I've become much less intense about sports, which I blame on the country and the world going to horsefeathers. Second, I have felt for sometime now that the Cubs' core had gotten stale and wasn't going anywhere. Third, I don't get attached to players because I just don't have that type of fandom. All that said, in the past day, as I see Rizzo, Javy and KB in other uniforms and doing interviews and hitting home runs, I feel sort of bad. It's like breaking up with a girlfriend you no longer are in love with, but seeing them with somebody else somehow makes you really jealous. Yet, if all three of them came back tomorrow, I'd be over them again right away because the offense with them as the centerpieces would go right back to being horsefeathers. Hell, we got Big Dick Nick at the deadline in 2019, he went on to perform like Babe Ruth, and yet our offense still sucked. Basically what I'm saying is, while I don't really care about having any of the guys that got traded, I also don't want any other teams to have them.

Are we sure he wasn't crying because he was happy?

Man, the chances of winning the division got a little bit more difficult today.

Yeah, feel free to get nostalgic about the World Series team and the coolness of some of the players you like, but also try not to forget this team has horsefeathering blown for a while with all of these guys as the core parts.

Man, just one year ago it would have been crazy to think about reactions in here of "the Cubs better have gotten a ton," etc with how much Kimbrel's value had gone to zero.

The Brewers have a big enough lead that they are going to be able to back off their starters for a bit by September if they want.

Given the fact that no NL Central team really tried to win the offseason -- Cards got Nolan, yes -- and that many had/have mediocre rosters, who would have thought the Brewers would have the division locked up before July is even over? It helps to have three No. 1 pitchers in the rotation, I suppose, which is even more important since their star offensive player has slugged like a light-hitting shortstop since 2020.

Willing to give Tom $1,500 if the Cubs win the division if he will give me $100 if they don't.

Beginning to think the Cubs aren't going to win the division. Damn you Tom for getting our hopes up.

Your sarcasm actually makes you sound more sensible.

We respect you and will check back for updates at some point.

Nah, more reason for that than the zero to believe the Brewers locked up the division before the season was half done. Like that’s equally if not more irrational considering that the Brewers, by the standards of the moment, are trash I didn't say the Brewers have it locked up. What I am saying is that the Cubs aren't going to be the one to win it.

Couldn’t care less about inspiration, the rest of the division is trash as are most other teams in the league. As far as I’m concerned those are just the facts. Whether the Cubs want to take advantage of that is up in the air, but 100% they should Hey, man, I support you believing all you want. But there is zero reason to believe this Cubs team is going to spot anybody nine games and fight back into the race when that team is going to add at the deadline and the Cubs aren't. You can try to speak it into existence like trading for a Lindor, but you are wasting your time.

I feel like the Duke 2.0 shtick isn't very inspiring. Pretty sure the Cubs suck and won't be/have interest in getting back into a race no matter how many games are left.

Not sure I'm informed enough to have an opinion, but Jesus, how embarrassing. A few observations 1. Everyone has to play the same teams for the most part, but this year specifically the sequence of the June/early July sked for the Brewers and Cubs was so pivotal because of the Cubs' big potential to be sellers. The Brewers playing the Pirates, D-Backs, Rockies....checks.....D-Backs and Rockies again and then the Pirates again after the Cubs while the Cubs played all good teams for the most part......did not break well. Props to the Brewers for winning a good number of those games, but hot damn, that really was nice for them. I'd have liked the Cubs to have that sked and build a six-game lead and try to hold on rather than play an easier sked now but be sort of buried trying to play catch up considering they just aren't that good and now aren't going to be looking to add. 2. Kris Bryant has a fragile body. Too bad. He's awesome when he's not dinged up but his body just doesn't allow him to be the 100 percent he seems to need to be to perform at a high level. Wish him the best of luck with where ever he ends up at the deadline provided it's not the Brewers. I don't care much anymore but would still pick the Brewers not winning it all if I had my choice. KB had a great Cubs career, but it just ended up not being as great as it seemed it would be after 2016. But, I suppose, that's the story of this entire era. Still a heck of an era. Would take it again.

Curious to see with the unknown of what the next CBA will contain if teams will want to take on existing contracts, etc, when it could be sort of a different set of rules they are playing under next season or whenever baseball comes back.

Trade them all if you get legit offers, then sign them back in the offseason. It worked for the Yankees.

Correction: They know he isn't going to re-sign with them for what they will be willing to offer. I'm confident he would re-sign with them if it was a good one.

I was going to say the same exact thing. You play the 10th and 11th and if still tied, you get a tie. I hate the idea of a tie just as much, if not more, than putting a runner on second base. But why not compromise... if the game is still tied after the 12th, go ahead and put a runner on second base. Still not ideal, but it allows 3 extra innings for a "true" finish, while also all but eliminating the possibility of a 16-17 inning marathon. That's a really solid idea.

I was going to say the same exact thing. You play the 10th and 11th and if still tied, you get a tie.

I'd think you want to see KB stay healthy this season before extending him. It's been a great month with health, but I'd want to see multiple ones.

Reading this thread now, and many of the posts on the second page here have not aged well, except for the Sofa one right above this.

Curious how they have to or will treat Burnes' innings this season. Combined between the minors and majors, the most innings he's pitched since 2018 is 116 and the most he's ever thrown is 145. Is that setting up for future injury if they keep him in the rotation the entire season and they make the playoffs or is that not really how it works?

Ah, I see this just happens to be the game where the Cubs continue to score most of their runs via home runs but at least not the solo kind.