Billy62
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Everything posted by Billy62
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Well Matt, as usual you are pretty spot on. Of course the front office will want to use the injuries as a reason for the teams poor performance as of late. Folks, it is poor performance, we just dropped three of four to the Pirates at home. But this spring we were reassured by this same front office that we had all this depth. Now, we are seeing that we may have bodies to fill voids in the line-up, it is not true depth, because we cannot go forward with them. Our starting pitching has truly been our saving grace. It has been one of the best rotations, if not the best rotation in the major leagues. It has kept us in ballgames that we otherwise would not be in, and enable us to win a few ballgames in the 11th hour. However, offensively, defensively and surely in the bullpen we are suffering greatly. Of course we were told back in February not to worry. But as the calendar is now closing in on June, I think we are seeing signs that maybe we should worry. The bullpen has some bright spots, Brown, Wesneski, Leiter Jr. have all performed well. The jury is still out on Almonte and even more on Nerris. While Cuas and some others are showing the need for us to move in another direction. I believe we have Carl Edwards Jr. signed to a minor league deal. This spring he wasn't getting knocked all over the park. Bringing him up for a look is a no-brainer for me. If he comes up and gets knocked around and doesn't clear waivers on the way back down, what have you really lost? Madrigal and Mastrobuoni are showing their liabilities in the field. An out has to be an out as David Ross once said. Major league teams can't be given extra outs during an inning. It will almost always come back to haunt you. I think the reality with Matt Mervis is starting to sink in. He just has trouble with Major-League pitching. We have seen it, but sadly so has everybody else, and now his trade value has been compromised because of it. This team is still pretty good. But hard decisions are going to have to be made if this team wishes to contend into October. The starting nine, Hoerner, Happ (?), Bellinger, Morel, Busch, Swanson (?), Suzuki, Gomes/Amaya appear to be mostly adequate. Another big bopper with a little more consistency would be nice to have, and maybe a few more at-bats for Wisdom. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been a pleasant watch so far, and there are still bats that are deserving of a look in the minors. This team is not dead in the water, far from it, but it probably needs a few turns of the screwdriver. What is the status of Bote?
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And the Mervis saga continues. It has been an interesting watch so far. I classify Mervis currently as a AAAA prospect. Meaning he absolutely crushes pitching at the AAA level, but struggles mightily against major league pitchers. For the most part, major leaguers would be in the same class, maybe a bit better, than the elite AAA. I would be curious to see what numbers Mervis has against the AAA elite. That said though, experience means a lot, and maybe last year the pie was not quite done. I would just hate to see the Cubs give up on him, trade him away, and see him crack 35 and drive in 100 for somebody else. As a longtime Cub fan, that would be just our luck. Then that brings us to another issue. What if he starts thumping away? Then we have Busch and Mervis at the same spot. Do you DH one? Or do you try them in different spots? But where? Happ, Bellinger and Suzuki are a solid outfield. Do you close your eyes and hope for the best and deal one of them? Good problems to have of course, but you still need a good supply of Tums. Still, it's shaping up to be an exciting ball club during an exciting season. I am 63 and been a fan since I was 7. I don't know how many of these seasons I have left. So, I am just going to relish this one. 🙂 See you at the park boys! 🙂
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Interesting week from the perspective that this team is not in the same place that it was just a couple of years ago. It is a contender now and almost everything about it seems to be scrutinized. Have they changed the hot dogs at the park? Its not a sprint to the finish line, its a marathon. Players will go down and come back from injury, hitters will get red hot and in turn have periods when they are ice cold. Pitchers will have periods when they throw the ball well, and also periods when they don't. The problem is when does it become a problem? And when is it just a normal ebb and flow of the game? I was a little encouraged by the performance of Hendricks. Outside of that absolute monster blast that he surrendered early in the ballgame, he really wasn't hammered around the ballpark as he had been. A lot of weak contact, seeing-eye singles, and bad luck saw him give up a few more runs than you would like. But overall he threw the ball a bit better. More movement, and was pretty good at moving the ball in and out of the zone. Alzolay has definitely had some trouble closing out ball games. Is this a temporary setback? Or is this the beginning of something else. Personally, I think it is just a setback. Support he gets from the team (especially loved the phone call from Swanson), and even support from the fans is essential into getting his head back in the game. The bullpen needs some work. I'd be lying if I said that Nerris does not make me a bit nervous. But, its still early, and he does have his moments, so maybe he can work through his inconsistency. Look, we didn't spend much on our bullpen this winter. We were banking on this crop of youngsters to right the ship from last year. Merriweather going down was a big blow. Some of these kids are throwing the ball quite well, Brown for instance has been a joy to watch. A couple are struggling, but it is early. But we are a contender, and the logic of not being able to win a pennant in April, but being able to lose one claws at your soul. Bellinger is starting to heat up, and so is Morel. We got some time before we can expect Suzuki back. Still we are 13-9 out of the gate, I have seen a myriad of north side teams in worse shape at this point in the season. In our division everybody is playing good to decent ball and it looks like it is going to be a dogfight all season. So, do we worry? Or just stick to the plan? I honestly don't know. I feel in my stomach like the team is going to be ok, but I don't know it for certain, and that makes me like all of you, a bit nervous.
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- adbert alzolay
- nico hoerner
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All good things must come to an end. In the past Kyle Hendricks was a dependable starter. He ate up innings, and even though he did not throw hard, he mixed up the location of his pitches well and kept hitters off balance. As a result they didn't square him up so much and he wasn't hit very hard. All of this is out the window as of late. There is not much movement on his pitches, and when they cross the plate they tend to be up in the zone. Even the sinker has not been sinking out of the zone for the most part. It's not gone totally. Kyle still does execute the perfect pitches some of the time. The other side of the coin though shows him getting lit up like a Christmas tree. If your hoping for the team to contend, you just can't be giving away ballgames just because you love a guy. Lets face it, we love Kyle. If he has a legitimate injury that is preventing him to be what he has been, so be it. Put him on the IR for however long it takes, fix him, and bring him back to us. If not, and this is the end, let us let him retire with dignity or if he wishes, continue on with somebody else. But this Kyle right now, is not helping our ball club.
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- kyle hendricks
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Pretty good analysis Matt! Just one observation on my part. Good teams win these kind of ball games. Meaning that when it comes time to shut the door and get that key hit, or when you need a pitcher to shut down a team that you feel may not have the stuff, sometimes they will all come thru for you in a pinch. For the second game in a row, I sat on the edge of my seat and watched somewhat precariously as a good team took care of business. My health requires that I show some confidence in this team, at least as much as they show in themselves. Outside of that, I will just bask in the afterglow of the victory and shout out CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN! 🙂
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Well Matt, I think this injury or at least I am hoping will be a short stint on the IL. Maybe even just the 10 games. A loss to be certain, but not something the team can't overcome. With Canario coming up and Busch absolutely on fire as of late, I remain hopefully optimistic for the next week and a half. If Bellinger starts to heat up and Morel and Happ start swinging a little better. Suzuki's spot in the lineup might not be missed short term. It's still a hard loss since he was swinging the bat so well. But if it remains just short-term, we should be okay.
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How could you not just love this kid? His love for the game, his infectious smile and love for other players, umpires, hell maybe even the hot dog vendor. You get all this and a potential team leader as well. If this kid gets 550-575 major league at-bats this season, your looking at a player who could potentially drive 35 or more balls out of the park. And, he is not striking out as much. His defense at 3rd is improving, and promises to only get better. Lets just sign him for thirty years and big money. 🙂 When he gets done playing we can bring him in as a team ambassador. As you can tell, I love this kid. 🙂
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The early returns are in. Shota has been nothing short of outstanding!
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Well Brandon, I think we are starting to see one of the things we worried about from this team back during spring training, lack of true bullpen depth. So far during the start of the season it really has not been a major issue because the team is scoring runs......almost at an precedented pace. But, sooner or later that will stabilize and we will have to look to our pen. Its a glass half full-half empty thing. With Merriwether on the shelf for the foreseeable future, steady arms seem to be in short supply. We know what we are getting with Alzolay, Leiter, and maybe a couple of others, but after them it is plug and play, and some guys are not up to the challenge. Neris has stumbled a bit out of the gate, yet Almonte has been kind of encouraging. Maybe Edwards should be given a regular season look. I think taking a look at all we got early is the way to go. The if a DFA or deal has to be made down the road, at least we know.
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So while the early returns on this club remain positive for the most part, there is one thing that has me raising a skeptical eyebrow. Its early, but this team has already blown two big leads. One against the Rockies who came back from an 8-3 deficit in the 8th inning to tie the game. The Cubs pushed one across in the bottom of the inning and Alzolay shut the door to secure a 9-8 win. So, ok, that was nerve wracking, but in the end we won the ballgame, so we shook it off as no big deal. But last night we were up 8-0, and the Padres came all the way back to win the game 9-8. I remember years ago I think it was Whitey Herzog being interviewed and he broke the season down to 42 games. His logic was that everybody is going to win at least 60 games, and everybody is going to lose at least 60 games. Which of course leaves a balance of 42 games. I would pretty much assume that last night was one of the 42 games, meaning if you use Herzog's logic, that we now are going to lose at least 61 ball games. Its early but this is cumulative, this might be an issue among our bullpen staff, and might require a harsher look. Our starting pitching has been solid, our hitting has been solid. Defense has been a little of both. The bullpen might be our weakest link.......again. If it is, we need to fix it early and not wait until we are out of the race. Until tonight friends crossed fingers. 🙂
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Got to love this start if your a Cubs fan. This is exactly what good teams do, they hold serve against the top teams and dominate the second division. So yeah, its pretty exciting. Our pitching depth is going to be tested now, but I remain optimistic. The team is hitting pretty good, especially this early in the season.
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- shota imanaga
- cody bellinger
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Of course it has not been substantiated and I hope it is just someone's pipe dream. But the gist of it was, and of course they claimed it was already a done deal. Pete Alonso was coming to the Cubs in exchange for Jordan Wicks, Michael Busch, and Alexander Canario. First of all Alonso is in the final year of his contract and probably would enter into free agency at the end of the season. While the team has control over the other players at least for the immediate future. With the signing of Bellinger, I really don't see the need. Don't get me wrong, Alonso would look good in Cubbie blue, I just don't think the Cubs should pay that kind of price for a 1-year rental.
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Sure, the disappointment is real if you don't make the cut. I think that is the rub for the Cubs management. They are believing that some of the kids are going to make the cut and emerge as solid major leaguers. If that happens, then this team could be the odds on favorite to win the division. If not, they slug it out and remain at least competitive and we might see a repeat of last year. Good, but not good enough and bow to maybe the Reds. This is the trap with young talent. You just don't know. In the past you did this carrying two or three youngsters to gradually replace the veterans. Here, its like a quarter of the roster. But, I remain optimistic. I think this group of youngsters is far more talented than the norm, and will soon show us this on the field.
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Yeah Matt, I would be in agreement that the Cubs overall winter was decent. I was looking for a bigger splash in the free agent market, if only from the fact that we came so close to a post-season spot last season, that they would want to solidify their post-season chances with some big name talent. While I think that might have been the more popular and more expensive option for the team, maybe it might not have been the smartest. Perhaps Jed knew this. Sill, I wouldn't squawk at the addition of a couple of proven veteran arms, but then I ask myself the question of "would I be willing to trade winning a title today or tomorrow, over winning maybe several titles over the next several seasons. I know part of being a Cubs fan in January thru March, is the rationalization that all things are possible. But, we have seen the other side of the coin as well. Who remembers our trip down free-agent land with Danny Jackson? Baseball is full of intangibles. I remember after the thrilling ride in 84, the entire starting rotation going on the IR shelf in 85. Then expecting the AAA guys to duplicate the previous season. Then again the youngsters might not pan out, or worse pan out for someone else after we have given up on them. The answer? I simply do not know. Its like a poker player holding a pair of aces. Do I bet this hand or is my opponent holding three kings? Nope for this I am taking the coward's way out and say that Jed knows better and we will let it sit with him. After all, I am going to love this team either way. I always have, and something inside me says this is going to be a good year. I hope it is not just indigestion. 🙂
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- michael busch
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Well Rcal, I think the business side of our game really hurts those of us that really love the game. It is really all about the money to them, and understandably so. We are talking millions these days. We just signed Bellinger for three years and it cost us 80 million. Remember back to the late 70's-early 80's. Bill Buckner brought us to our feet for right around 300k a year. I remember sitting in terrace reserved seats for about $4.00. The TV money made both sides greedy, and even though they said it wouldn't effect seat prices, last time I checked, I think the terrace reserved seat was going a little bit north of 60 bucks. So in answer to your question, yes that might work. But, we were sitting on pins and needles hoping the numbers could work. It seems to have worked out this time.
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I think the Mervis watch this spring is the real deal. He is of course not that old, but the team is possibly wrestling with the concept of "is this guy a major-leaguer or one of those AAAA guys, meaning he can overachieve in Iowa, but can't be effective in Chicago. So this spring could be make the team or bust for Matt Mervis. I agree with you though, the thought of him going elsewhere and the light switch popping on and him drilling the ball all over the field would be disheartening to all Cub fans, because unfortunately we have seen it play out before. So, I am pulling for the kid!
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Oh yes Brandon, Most definitely! To see this team playing meaningful games in September would be quite a sight for these old eyes. A playoff berth, and dare I say a series appearance would be golden. I can't even think of the next step without my meds. In my lifetime I have only seen the Cubs in the series just once. Albeit, it was a championship season. However, there is room in my heart for a couple more. So boys, don't hold back on my account. 🙂 I think of my mom and dad, both gone now, lived their entire lives as Cub fans, and never saw a championship, especially my mom, always wearing the swag, remember "the Cubs coming out of hibernation t-shirt"? She wouldn't part with it. Maybe through me, she gets to cheer one more time.
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- cody bellinger
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Well Brandon, just like most Cub fans (of course not all), I am pretty excited that the Cubs were finally able to work out a deal to ink Bellinger. I feel that the Cody we saw last year was the real Cody, and I hope and expect more of the same this season. That said though, this is why they play the games. I think that even without Cody this team was going to be competitive. Offensively before the signing, it looked like the team had just about held serve over the 2023 team. However, I think they did a pretty good job with the pitching staff, starters and relievers. I take issue with the projected numbers of our starters. (Steele: 11-7, Taillon: 9-8, Imanaga: 7-5*, Assad: 5-4, and Hendricks: 8-9) I think the numbers will be a little bit better, at least I hope. I think I am in total agreement with you about the roster spot for Cody. I think this definitely makes Wisdom expendable. Sad, because he is a nice guy and I was rooting for him to make a bigger splash, but like Cody, when it comes to Patrick, I think he is who he is. He definitely has pop in his bat, but just too much swing and miss. The new kids coming up excite me and make me nervous at the same time. They all have potential, but its the realization part that hasn't clicked in yet. This ball club should be improved over last year, and the division will probably be easier to win. Of course then we get to the question of what then, but you crawl before you walk, and lets just get there first. The Dodgers looked to me like they were trying to recreate the "27" Yankees. The Braves just have that Midas touch where everything turns golden. In the division, I see maybe a little bit of a changing of the guard. I see the Brewers relinquishing their hold on the division, and letting the Cubs, Reds, and Pirates slug it out for the top spot. I didn't think the Cardinals did too much to change their fortunes, maybe a moderate improvement. Bottom line it just gets me excited for this upcoming season, and at 63, not really sure how many more I have left. Still, been attached to this team for about 56 years now, and it still burns strong within me........so lets go boys, I am ready. 🙂
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- cody bellinger
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So where could I be at on not only Christopher Morel, but the entire Cubs spring so far? I don't think it has been a bust, but no pun intended, I don't think the administration has hit the ball out of the park either. Of course the status of Cody Bellinger has loomed so big over the entire winter, the moves that have been made have kind of been overshadowed, maybe even ignored, definitely placed on the back burner. Christopher Morel is an interesting subject. Yes he hits under .250, yes he strikes out a lot, and yes defensively he has shown some growing pains. That said, he is so electric. His power cannot be ignored. Given a full season at the plate, he has the potential to hit 30-35 homeruns. It puts him into a whole different class of offensive Cub players, and makes him a bat you want in the line-up. It seems the Cubs have gone all-in on their youth movement. This can be very good, and it can also be very bad, and only time will tell us which one it is. I think offensively as a team they have not really improved or hurt themselves so far. Yes, a lot of unproven or unrealized talent in the mix. Once again, the Bellinger status raises its expensive head again. If the Cubs do sign him and stick him at first base, then this is an improved offense, and gives the defense a kick too. Pitching, I think the Cubs have really improved here, not just for the immediate season either. I think they have signed some talent for the future and maybe even a few faces for this summer. I know being a Cub fan always makes you optimistic in the spring and mostly regretful in the summer. This year though I am cautiously optimistic. Are we talking rings? I don't feel that yet, but it would be nice. But if the youngsters progress like we hope, this team could be playoff caliber. Will they get there though? That is the real question.
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I heard a saying once, I don't even think it was baseball related, but it was something like this. "Every nickel that I spend today, comes back to us dressed up as a dollar". That said, I don't wish to see the Cubs out there spending like a drunken sailor. But I think they need to be realistic. Standing pat, while the Dodgers for one are really improving their armor is sort of foolish. If your end game is to get into the playoffs, and then you find yourself squared off with that sort of team, what was the point in getting to the playoffs in the first place. I think the team needs a consistent power bat or two in the lineup, and last year showed that the bullpen really needed to be strengthened. Now, I know we are looking to farm system to address some of those needs. If last season wasn't an indicator, that there not just quite ready yet, I'm not sure what more needs to be shown. Perhaps some of these youngsters turn the corner this spring.......that would be beautiful. I'd love to have a Mervis or Canario thumping the ball all over the park, and putting a few on the streets. But, what if they are not ready or even worse, never will be? The pitching. Some guys are going to be alright....and some guys aren't. It needs to be fixed so that the team can compete and not just repeat the fade job they did last season. Especially if we are not going to have the services of Stroman going forward. That spot in the rotation needs to be filled with a quality starter. So watching every other team improve itself while at the same time watching this club taking a step backwards, has been frustrating to watch. I can only hope that the club has an end game in their sights and that come this spring all the "doubt and worry" will be for naught.
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Article: The Cubs and the Vice of Patience
Billy62 replied to Brandon Glick's topic in North Side Baseball Front Page News
After the managerial change here, I just have to believe there is an end game strategy. I admit watching the Dodgers and their attempt to recreate the "27" Yankees has been a bit frustrating. As it sits right now, our line-up is a south of what it was at the close of last season. Do they suspect that some of our younger players will be ready for prime time when the camp breaks this spring?, or does the club have its sights locked in on some people? I think they are serious about improving this team, just getting a little impatient I guess.- 55 replies
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- chicago cubs
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Pretty interesting read Matt! Lots of variables that will have to play out before they lace on the spikes, but you acknowledge that in your post. I think the Wisdom/Madrigal saga will continue to play out on which Wisdom we are looking at. If he is zoned in and squaring up the ball, he should be getting the lions share of play at either 3B or DH. Although if he is in the tank hitting about .190 and swinging like a rusty gate, on the bench is where he will be.. That is of course, as long as the Cubs didn't pick up his option to use him as part of a deal for a bigger fish. Lets hope there is some action to improve this team. If we go through the winter standing pat and turn in a team below .500 or even just above, the fans are going to be truly disappointed.
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Yeah Matt, Pretty much in agreement here. Would Ohtani have looked good in a Cubs uniform......absolutely. But, at some point you have to do the math and examine the cost. $700 Million is a whopping bunch of coin to dole out for a single ballplayer. Does this put the Dodgers in the drivers seat for a WS ring? I don't think so. It definitely helps in that direction, but there are too many variables. But, the Dodgers have been doing enough smaller deals to make one believe that they will field a pretty formidable team in 2024. The Cubs now can concentrate on improving the ball club. Not emptying the cookie jar for Ohtani, lets them improve some other positions on the club. I would hope that this would help grease the wheels a bit for Bellinger's return. As well as adding a good starting pitcher or two, along with shoring up the bullpen. I am hoping that the Cub silence so far this winter is more because of a wait and see attitude, than just plain inaction. There are still plenty of names out there that can improve this club into contender status. I think not betting the ranch on Ohtani was a good move, now hopefully, the team can move forward and add a couple big fish into our tank.
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I think what we saw from Bellinger this season was the real Cody Bellinger. I know he is going to be expensive, but if you want to build a winner, it will be a short list of people you want to build around. I don't want to see the Cubs get wrapped up in another bank-breaking long-term deal like they did with Soriano. But three-four years might be an option. I would hate to just lose a player of this caliber to a higher bidder.
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I know every year there are surprises. But then there are sometimes surprises that leave you speechless. This is a front office masterstroke. As a fan, I feel like we won the lottery.
