soccer10k

And he's 12th among active players in career WAR. https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/WAR_active.shtml [tweet] [/tweet] [tweet] [/tweet]

I don't think using Chapman in Game 6 was bad, it was not having anyone ready to go when the Cubs put the game out of reach in the 9th that was the problem. Overall, I haven't had many problems with Joe and his bullpen management. When pitchers don't do their jobs, it's always going to reflect poorly on the manager. The Cubs are going to win about 390 games in his first 3 seasons as Cubs manager, not sure I'd trade him for anyone in baseball. Game 7 opened the door for Cubs fans to kill Joe for everything that goes wrong now though. Yeah, it was the fact that it took him a few minutes to get somebody warming when Rizzo homered, and really, even before that. Two on and Lindor up in a five-run game? I get it. You don't want to give Cleveland hope. Since he's already in, you don't want to burn him for 1 batter and 4-5-6 is coming up? Fine by me. He got through 1 1/3 in only 15 pitches. But someone should have been warming for the ninth regardless. It's a five-run game (at least), 7-8-9 is coming up, the pen is rested (off day the day before) and you've only used Monty. Send out whoever and if the Indians get a runner or two on, you can play matchups with the heart of the order. Even if you don't feel 100% comfortable with a five-run lead, you have to think with Dex-Schwarber-KB coming up, that there's a decent chance you add to that lead. And maybe Chapman is just gassed in Game 7 regardless. We'll never know. It was only five pitches (plus the few warmups). But those few could have been the difference between a sharper Chapman and what we got. Thankfully it worked out for us and we didn't have to see Chapman on the mound for the last out.

I'm sure pretty much everyone had a similar feeling but because of the camera work, the Kipnis foul ball almost gave me a heart attack.

Sorry to burst your doom boner but you know those crappy teams the Cubs beat up on the last couple weeks? Well, outside Arizona next weekend those types of teams make up the entirety of the schedule the rest of the way. The Cubs have 52 games left. They have 16 games against teams that are terrible (Cincy, SF, Philly), 10 games against teams that are bad (Atl, Tor, NYM), 23 games against teams that are mediocre (Pitt, StL, Mil, Tampa) and 3 against teams that are good (Ari).

LOL.

Seriously, Joe. How many times do you need to see Edwards horsefeathers these situations up before you stop pitching him in them?

Yeah, walk the bases loaded for a guy who has control problems. This will end well.

Well this isn't good. Murphy up to rip our hearts out.

Over/under for this game was 9 1/2. Halfway there in the first inning.

Got to love Wilmer Difo (.628 OPS vs. righties this year, .644 for his career) batting second while Murphy and Rendon are 5th and 6th. I know one of their 4 big hitters has to bat fifth unless they were 1-4 (like Dusty would ever bat one of those guys leadoff) but there's no reason for Difo to be 2nd.

Oh good, it's the walk machine against the heart of the order. This should end well.

horsefeathers Daniel Murphy.

Everyone in the bleachers is going to get a home run ball.

It's the Paul Goldschmidt game.

Come on, Jay. At least give me a sac fly.

It's the Willson Contreras game which means he's definitely hitting a walkoff.

Well this isn't going very well.

I love how he says that DeJong is the far superior bat to Russell based off 200 PAs. I bet that guy would have take Diaz over Russell last year also.

Only 6 games back of the Nats now.

This is amazing. You're batting a career .659 OPS hitter third (.619 this year) who doesn't hit lefties all that well (.717 career and .752 this year) ahead of Paul Goldschmidt and JD Martinez. And it's not something dumb that a lot of managers do like batting a fast slappy hitter first because he's the prototypical leadoff man. It's the horsefeathering 3 spot. Imagine if Joe batted Almora 3rd and KB and Rizzo 4 and 5.

Nats picked up Kintzler from the Twins.

As much as I'd like to say yes, they were already crumbling last year. They were 30-42 after the break (68 win pace). Ohh, so close to being nice. I thought about just saying it was a 69 win pace, even though it's not. Probably should have just done it. Oh well. We all have regrets in life.

Counterpoint: He's got a chance to win a ring.

As much as I'd like to say yes, they were already crumbling last year. They were 30-42 after the break (68 win pace).