JudasIscariotTheBird

Yeah, I think something like this makes sense. I'd start the game with Almora in right and bat him 8th or 9th. See how the game is flowing (or see if Almora would have a high-leverage AB) and put Schwarber in whenever it makes sense...and pinch-run/replace him with Heyward whenever, again, it makes the most sense. Still lots of PH options, and Zobrist just hops around from left to right. I'm not sure why you wouldn't start Soler in RF. You've got wind blowing out, a SP that give up 1.86 HR/FB and reverse splits that favor him. After 2 ABs, if the Cubs are ahead, he's out and Heyward or Almora comes in. Schwarber, Monty, and Ross are available to PH with Heyward and Almora available to run/play D late. If you start Almora, you've given up a couple ABs with a power hitter in favor of a pretty low upside hitter and you've wasted a defensive replacement. You basically can't take him out without making 2 switches to get back to the same level of defense (Heyward). If you don't start Soler, you start Heyward and hope he gets lucky against a pretty weak SP and otherwise just take the stud defense all game long. In my scenario, Almora might well get zero ABs, but you get 2-3 innings of defense from him. If you want to swap out Soler for Schwarber in my above statement for rational reasons, fine, but that simply isn't as sexy. Schwarber defies all logic and physical constraints.

Since we have the last at bat, by starting a more defensive minded player you can maximize his innings on defense while minimizing his abs. Also, in theory, we won't need the defense as much later in the game, because our relievers strike out batters at a higher rate, but since we'll have the lead we can bring in the other defensive stud. But you can do that at any point in the game. You can start with a guy like Soler in RF, who isn't great but isn't Schwarber (who may be inhuman as a hitter, but how many fly balls has he taken since spring training?). As the game progresses, if the need arises, you can insert Schwarber in a double switch or straight up for Soler to maximize the importance of his 1-2 ABs, then if the Cubs have the lead late, you take him out for Heyward or Almora. With that strategy, you have 1 or 0 ABs by a guy like Heyward that's been sucking out loud. And you have at least some potential for donging with Soler getting a couple ABs early in the game. If we get out to a nice lead, you don't bring in Kyle but go straight to Heyward in the middle innings. We have the flexibility in our roster to do that and I think you start the game assuming you're not PH for Hendricks until at least bottom of the 6th. Again, this assumes he's medically cleared for the OF. But if he hasn't been taking fly balls since spring training, I can't see how you put him in the OF with a guy that pitches to weak contact like Hendricks. Get the lead off the Indians crappy SP, play good defense, and let Scwharber PH in a key spot if you need it - that'd be my plan for Game 3. Yeah, I think something like this makes sense. I'd start the game with Almora in right and bat him 8th or 9th. See how the game is flowing (or see if Almora would have a high-leverage AB) and put Schwarber in whenever it makes sense...and pinch-run/replace him with Heyward whenever, again, it makes the most sense. Still lots of PH options, and Zobrist just hops around from left to right.

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http://www.stpaulsteinbach.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/doubting_thomas.jpg

Davis, Coco, and Guyer due up...

Hey, don't diss Stoney. I learned *some* baseball listening to him. I'll never get why *anyone* slides into first on a close play, for example. :-) One can only hear "slider low and away gets him here" so many times before one just snaps.

That's the beautiful thing about Smoltz, he just creates whatever narrative suits him. He's worse than Steve Stone. A lot worse.

I just heard some douches doing a "whoawhoawhoawhoa" hand on mouth indian sound thingy that I remember 3rd grader kids doing in the 80s. I seriously think its been since 1989 that I've heard that.

Smoltz is of the opinion that the Cubs are doing things right when they score, and wrong when they don't, and throws in words like "approach" to fill time when he has no idea how it makes the Cubs good, or what it actually means.

Andrew Miller reincarnation. I didn't even know Andrew Miller was sick.

Heyward couldn't buy a vowel on Wheel of Fortune. ...Buck jumped the gun on the "what a play" call there. Too bad!

It was probably only here in Denver, but they were playing a local ad over the first two pitches.

What in the...hell...they just cut off two pitches from the broadcast!?

I want beautiful approach Baez back.

He's still progressing, though. He'll get there. Thankfully, we have an insane amount of team depth to do exactly that next year. He should still be staring 5 times a week, regardless.

Man. Was too busy at work to look up anything about the game today. Get home at 5:50 mountain, do a few chores and sit down for what I think will be the first pitch...bottom of the second?! THE SCHWARBS!!!!!

Quick, lock Baez into a room with that machine for 13,000 pitches over the off-season Just make sure you put a number on it. http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g246/sey115/sey115105/10.jpg_zpsliydj9vo.gif

Why is Soler on this roster?

What are you?!

Cogs is not the issue, dude.

The Cubs have absolutely no chance of winning this game if the zone continues to be called like this.

...so this ump seriously is supposed to have one of the smaller zones in baseball?!

That was a strike.

http://www.theonion.com/article/cubs-fan-ready-get-completely-drunk-again-only-2-d-54528

40-1 odds that he hits the first homer in the series. Tempted to put some money down on that. Those odds seem ridiculously high. Prop bets are usually sucker bets because odds are rarely good. That almost seems like a mistake. I would've guessed 10-1 tops. Doubt you can still bet those odds. On ESPN 1000, Tom Waddle just made a $100 bet on that prop. Wow. Soft line. [bbvideo=560,315] [/bbvideo]