Banks-Williams

Terrible decision!! Cubs management needs to be replaced. We don’t need cheaters on the Northside team. Just compare Bregman’s stats ftom the 2017-19 Astros cheating years to those post cheating revelation. And listen to what Bellinger said about them. I doubt Bellinger would ever play for the Cubs with Bregman on the team since the Astros stole the 2017 World Series from the Dodgers.

Fits perfectly into their clubhouse??? Since when do cheaters fit in perfect with the Cubs team? Bregman was on the Astros 2017-18 team, which got caught stealing signs. The sign stealing scandal did not break until late 2019 — so they were likely doing it that year as well. The MLB investigated the cheating, determined it was indeed being done but didn’t issue a report until January 2020. Cody Bellinger said the Dodgers suspected the cheating then since the Astros batted so much better in Houston during the 2017 World Series. Not only did Bregman et al. steal the World Seties ftom the Dodgers 4-3, but they also which stole the ALCS from the Yankees 4-3. Bellinger also accused Altuve of stealing Judges MVP. Take a look at Bergman’s stats. He had his best performances during those years by far. Never to be repeated post cheating revelation. In 2017-19, Bregman batted 284, 286, and 296, respectively (but not respefully). Those numbers were never repeated. Following the cheating revelation, he only batted 242-273. Further, in 2018-19 he hit 31 and 41 homers, but never came close to such numbers again. The Cubs have made a huge blunder by signing this cheater. He doesn’t deserve to be on any major league team, especially the Cubs whose fans are top notch. We do not want to be associated with cheating EVER!!! I will heckle Bregman at every chance at 3rd until he leaves the Northside.

Evidently Counsell didn’t read this article, he’s otherwise not informed, or he is informed and doesn’t care if the top of line-up gets to see him 3 times. Counsell’s lack of common sense (based on his starter decisions for games 1 and 2) would indicate that Shota will be starting after Drew deals with the top of the order. If it is Shota over Rea, Counsell should get some counseling.

I don’t know what “cringiest” means or if it is even a word … but what I wrote is factual. Not only does Counsell have terrible judgment, but he also lacks honesty. He takes no responsibility for his poor decisions on games 1 and 2 but instead blames the players. He says they need more hits, and that they’ve got to put pressure on the Brew’s defense.

I said I would have started Brown on game 4 or 5. I would not have started Imanaga. Either he or Soroka would have been pulled ftom the roster. I would have started Assad game 1.

I already showed the data: Assad was pitching better than Boyd heading into the NLDS. Plus, he was fully rested (5 days). Nobody can predict the future, but you can estimate it. I said game was going to be a disaster. It was, I also wrote here that game 2 was going to be a disaster. It was. I further wrote that the Cubs should win game 3 since Counsell didn’t have the opportunity to pick. They won. I’m batting 1000. Counsell is batting 0. And I haven’t spent my lifetime in baseball. Counsell has done so, but he still gets it wrong. That tells you, he has bad judgment because it is not for experience lacking. You can’t teach good judgment. It is genetic, deep in the brain. In short, Counsell can’t be fixed. He has to go.

Assad, Rae, Taillon, Boyd, and Brown were all pitching better than Imanaga heading into the NLDS. And Assad, Rae, Taillon, and Brown were doing better than Boyd then too. And Assad was fully rested and ready to go for game 1. Why use the guy who is not fully rested and not pitching well? That’s crazy risk taking.

Heading into the NLDS, Assad was pitching better than Boyd. So too were Rae and Taillon. Assad also was fully rested. If you are willing to look at data going back a full year, why not go back 2 or 3 years? Assume you own two cars, the first one has been running fine for the past year but is now giving you troubles. You have a second car that you’ve started to drive and it is running real good, plus nobody else has driven it in recently, whereas others have been driving the first in the past 3 days. Both you and Counsell would take the first car on the cross country trip. In fact, you’d take the first car even after knowing it would break down. In contrast, I’d opt for the second car and I’d probably do much better than you in my trip across the country.

You’re ignoring the fact that Shota is a/the leader in HRs/innings pitched among starters. I would not have started someone with that record in the NLDS. He was pitching great in 2024 and early 2025, but that’s not happening now. They should have figured out how to fix the problem before starting him in a post season game. Too much is st stake. No need to rely on “hope” when you’ve got other very good starters.

I never said they’d win if Assad pitches. And I never “ranted about things that can’t be proven”. I only spoke of two very poor decisions, both of which created two losses for the Cubs. You really need to work on your reading comprehension my friend.

It is an obvious choice to use the league’s leading cookie thrower to start a NLDS game? Well … looks like you got what you wanted: a loss from two home runs. Imanaga had not been pitching good at all heading into the post season. Get real.

I don’t/didn’t use it. Just stated facts and outcomes. Both were in line. Face it: Counsell made terrible choices that cost the Cubs the first two games of the NLDS.

So you think using Boyd on 3 days rest was a good choice? And letting the league-leading HR tosser start was a good choice too? The reason you curtly say “nonsense” only without any reasoning is because what I wrote is sensical.

Yes that’s not good production, but it only takes one run to win the game. In the playoffs, you’re up against teams that have excellent pitching. You can’t expect a lot of runs. Therefore you will not win if you make bad pitching choices for your starters. Counsell made two terrible choices, and all the players and fans have suffered for it.

Just telling it like it is …. Counsell blew both games. The writing was on the wall, but sadly he can’t read or see.

Shota should be invited to Arizona in the Spring. He’s certainly entitled to a second chance. He’s a good pitcher when he’s got his stuff. I would not, however, invite Counsel back. He’s the guy who Imanaga to the lions. Game 2 wasn’t Shota’s fault. Everyone knew he became too hit-able.

Yes it is a fireable offense. He alone blew the first two games of the NLDS with his completely crazy decisions Assad was pitching better than Boyd, and he was fully rested (5 days). It was pure lunacy to have the guy who isn’t pitching as well start the game on only 3 days rest. Further, he used up much of the bullpen, and then started the cookie tosser for game 2. The Cubs should win Wednesday’s game, but they’ll likely lose game 4 if Boyd pitches. The Brewers have already seen him, and they’ll be ready. Rotation should have been Assad (1), Boyd (2), Taillon (3), Rae and Brown (4) or (5) you pick. Five solid starters, fully rested with only a couple at-bats per hitter. Baseball may not be my occupation, but I can do math. And I can see. Like Counsel, I watched all 162 games this year and last.

On Wednesday the Cubbies will have a much better opportunity to win because the starting pitcher is a given: Jameson Taillon. Good thing Craig Counsel did not have much of a choice in the matter or he might arrive at the crazy idea of pitching Boyd on three days rest. While that notion was averted for game 3, the loss at game one cannot the undone. Nor can his decision to take Assad off the roster, in favor of the leading cookie tosser, Shota Imanaga, be undone. I know I’m using tough talk here, but it is not from hindsight. And it was crazy to think Boyd on three-days-rest could pitch better than Assad on five. In fact, he probably wouldn’t pitch better than Assad on 5 days rest. When Boyd pitched 4 1/3 innings on 9/30, he gave up one run and 4 hits while walking one and striking out only two. In contrast, Assad on 9/28, pitched 5 1/3 innings against the same team, struck out 6, walked only one, and gave up 0 runs with 3 hits. Looking at these numbers, who should be your starter on 10/4? The better pitcher with 5 days rest, or the guy who’s not throwing as well with 3 days rest? Counsel choose the latter, Then for an encore, he takes the guy who is pitching good and who is rested OFF THE ROSTER! And he has the top HR man start game 2. And what happens? Two home runs in 2 2/3 innings. Hello McFly? Good thing Counsel does not have a choice for the game 3 starter. The Cubs thus will have a good opportunity to win.

There actually were four good pitchers going into the NLDS: Rea, Taillon, Assad, and Brown. Counsel took the worst of all options, opting to go with Boyd (who was starting to exhibit troubles) on only 3 days rest. I said that would be a disaster and it was. Then Counsel started his worst starter at the time, Imanaga, who I also said would be a disaster, and it was. Using Boyd and Imanaga was a decision based on HOPE. You don’t speculate during the NLDS. You do that during the regular season. The NLDS is not an experiment. Funny that little ol’ me can see the wrong thing but Counsel cannot. As I’ve said, the NLDS rotation should have been Assad - Boyd - Rae - Taillion - Brown. You’d have fully rested pitchers only being seen by the Brew hitters once or two at bats, maybe three. And you wouldn’t exhaust much of the bullpen in 2-3 games.

Craig Counsel should be fired. His decisions to pitch Boyd on game 1 with 3 days rest and to pitch Imanaga on game 2 with inoperative breaking balls have both been disasters. These decisions will likely cost the franchise the NLDS. Any one with any measurable degree of good judgement and attention skills knew the outcomes here. As I said before, a fully-rested Assad is better than a 3-day rested Boyd any day of the week and twice on Sundays. With respect to Imanaga, his recent outings have all been terrible. The media has been talking about it excessively, but even then Counsel still couldn’t see that there is something wrong with Imanaga. The NDLS is NOT the time to experiment or assess your players. Imanaga or Soroka should have been cut from the roster, not Assad. The NLDS starting pitching rotation should have been Assad - Boyd - Rea - Taillion - Brown. This way, the Brew would never see the same starter twice, and everyone would have been fully rested. Counsel could even have given Brown game 2. And Counsel never should have been playing the same position players thoughout July and August. The men got too tired in the summer heat; it cost them first place. Durocher made the same mistake in ‘69. Counsel was too focused on himself, dying his hair and giving legions of meaningless interviews.

Why has Colin Rea not pitched? The Cubs have played four games and he hasn’t made a single appearance. His last two starts he has around twenty strikeouts he’s been good as of late so I don’t know why Craig Counsell hasn’t pitched him once. I really don’t get his logic.

Need a fast guy for lead off. PCA would be great if he could stop swinging at everything. I’ll never forget when he swung at a pitch that hit him.

If Imanaga goes bad, do you think Counsel will accept responsibility? I think not. I’ve never seen him do it. In fact, he never once mentioned that his decision to play his starters thoughout July and August had anything to do with the Cubs losing so many games they dropped deeply into second place.

Yes it is a skill. It is called “keeping your cool under pressure”.

I like what you say. Just to be clear, I wasn’t saying Taillion should pitch today. I was saying all three of those should pitch before Shota. He’s giving up too many runs now; lots of back-to-back hits. Assad is the best (in nearly the whole MLB in fact) at keeping runs from scoring with men on base. And if there is one thing the Brew is good at, it is “putting men on base”. Counsel’s decision to take his most-rested starter off the roster is going to haunt him throughout this series. He needs to spend less time dying his hair and giving interviews and more watching his players. He played tired men too much post All Star break.