*****Official Cubs 2019 thread*****

[mstp1992]

Did you see the bench when Rizzo homered? Or, when they rallied for 3 runs in the ninth? Weirdly, teams look happy when doing well, and not so happy when it is not going well. Human nature.

Maybe they need another voice to listen to. Maybe a shakeup in the locker room. Maybe a visit from the zoo again.

When the season is over, we will find out what the plan is. For now, I am interested to see if they can pull this off. As a Cubs fan for many years, I assume it may not happen. But, I will be watching to see if it does because I woudn't miss it for the world.

Oh, I'll still watch just as much as I can. I've been a fan since the late 60's and have been through worse. But, they need some changes in their attitudes. Many of the players just don't appear to be mentally tough or have a real good baseball IQ.

 

[33hawkfan]

If this team really cared, they would be undefeated now.

 

[mstp1992]

If this team really cared, they would be undefeated now.

At least they wouldn't be making the mental mistakes they have all season long.

 

[HawkRugged17]

Oh, I'll still watch just as much as I can. I've been a fan since the late 60's and have been through worse. But, they need some changes in their attitudes. Many of the players just don't appear to be mentally tough or have a real good baseball IQ.

I won't question their toughness. Rizzo got a cortisone shot to play yesterday. Bryant got one earlier to come back. They players are trying, but it doesn't always work out.

Now, baseball IQ ... they have had the most runners thrown out on the bases this year. That needs to change to be more successful.

 

[HawkRugged17]

At least they wouldn't be making the mental mistakes they have all season long.

Happens to the best of them ... I will take any opportunity to post this.

 

[33hawkfan]

At least they wouldn't be making the mental mistakes they have all season long.

Why would they ever lose if they really cared?

 

[HawkRugged17]

Why would they ever lose if they really cared?

 

[mstp1992]

I won't question their toughness. Rizzo got a cortisone shot to play yesterday. Bryant got one earlier to come back. They players are trying, but it doesn't always work out.

Now, baseball IQ ... they have had the most runners thrown out on the bases this year. That needs to change to be more successful.

Again, there's a difference between physical toughness and mental toughness.

I won't question any of the players' physical toughness.

No doubt, Rizzo, Bryant, Castellanos demonstrate both physical and mental fortitude. Some of the players, however, fold under pressure, especially a lot of the relievers. I think as talented as Contrares is, he tends to make a lot of mental errors.

 

[eihawk]

MSTP1992, you are the biggest dumbass in this thread and that's saying something with good old Mitch throwing in his 2 cents that nobody gives a flying f about all the time. Its baseball and it's not over yet. You have 6 left with the cards and 3 with the pirates. And this is coming from a cardinals fan.

 

[mstp1992]

MSTP1992, you are the biggest dumbass in this thread and that's saying something with good old Mitch throwing in his 2 cents that nobody gives a flying f about all the time. Its baseball and it's not over yet. You have 6 left with the cards and 3 with the pirates. And this is coming from a cardinals fan.

I'm just being honest about the Cubs.

 

[HawkRugged17]

Again, there's a difference between physical toughness and mental toughness.

I won't question any of the players' physical toughness.

No doubt, Rizzo, Bryant, Castellanos demonstrate both physical and mental fortitude. Some of the players, however, fold under pressure, especially a lot of the relievers. I think as talented as Contrares is, he tends to make a lot of mental errors.

Wilson Contreras has made some mental errors. Do you think he doesn't care? Is it a mental error when you hit it back to the pitcher instead of a fly ball with a runner on 3rd with one out? Again, the pitcher is trying too.

Folding under pressure doesn't mean you don't care. You didn't execute.

Did Dennis Eckersley not care? Or, did he leave a pitch in the zone that Kirk Gibson could hit out of the park?

Or, the greatest closer ever when he gave up a blooper to lose the WS?

 

[Joes Place]

Cubs have to go 5-1 vs the Cards now for any playoffs chances IMO. They blew a golden chance last night to sneak up a game.

4-2 might get them into the WC, but I'd bank on the Brewers doing 4-2 or better vs. the Pirates and Rockies.

Brew Crew recent surge is no fluke: they are getting lots of their main pitchers back off injury late in the season. Their healthy SPs and main relievers can match up with about anyone right now, and that's literally why they've started winning - they were down to about 1 quality starter for a couple of months there.

The Nats might still stumble out of the picture here, since Cleveland is fighting for a WC spot as well and Philly isn't a slouch even though they're likely out. 4-2 for the Cubs vs. the Cards might pull them ahead of Washington.

So, we might not know the WC picture until those last series' of the season: Cubs/Cards & Nats/Indians. It very well could turn into Cubs at Brewers for the WC play-in, but it'd be even more fantastic if the Cubs pulled off a WC miracle and made it a Cubs/Cards WC play-in after playing 2 series' at the end of the season to set that up....

Who has the better head-head record for the Cubs/Cards right now? I think Milwaukee went 17-17 vs the two of them (9-8 & 8-9) from some blurb I saw last week.

 

[HawkRugged17]

Cubs have to go 5-1 vs the Cards now for any playoffs chances IMO. They blew a golden chance last night to sneak up a game.

4-2 might get them into the WC, but I'd bank on the Brewers doing 4-2 or better vs. the Pirates and Rockies.

Brew Crew recent surge is no fluke: they are getting lots of their main pitchers back off injury late in the season. Their healthy SPs and main relievers can match up with about anyone right now, and that's literally why they've started winning - they were down to about 1 quality starter for a couple of months there.

The Nats might still stumble out of the picture here, since Cleveland is fighting for a WC spot as well and Philly isn't a slouch even though they're likely out. 4-2 for the Cubs vs. the Cards might pull them ahead of Washington.

So, we might not know the WC picture until those last series' of the season: Cubs/Cards & Nats/Indians. It very well could turn into Cubs at Brewers for the WC play-in, but it'd be even more fantastic if the Cubs pulled off a WC miracle and made it a Cubs/Cards WC play-in after playing 2 series' at the end of the season to set that up....

Who has the better head-head record for the Cubs/Cards right now? I think Milwaukee went 17-17 vs the two of them (9-8 & 8-9) from some blurb I saw last week.

Brewers have been impressive ... when Yelich went down, no one expected them to continue to battle and win. But, here they are. Baseball ... you never know.

 

[dgordo]

Joe Maddon, Chicago Cubs
The biggest surprise in Chicago this winter will be if David Ross is not named their next manager by Thanksgiving.

The Cubs have been preparing Ross, who helped lead them to the 2016 World Series championship and four consecutive division titles, to the heir apparent, and although bench coach Mark Loretta can’t be completely ruled out, they believe Ross will be the perfect fit.

Joe Maddon's contract with the Cubs is up after the season. (Photo: Jon Durr, USA TODAY Sports)

And just in case there was any lingering doubt where Maddon stands, Cubs president Theo Epstein took to the airwaves last week on his radio show and threw shade at Maddon.

“Honestly, we’ve been essentially a .500 team for months now ...,’’ Epstein told 670 The Score, the Cubs’ flagship station. “If you go back 12, 13 months, it’s just been marked by underachievement and uninspired play.’’

The biggest question no longer is whether Maddon will be back in Chicago, but where will he end up?

The Phillies? Mets? Padres?

He’ll be managing again in 2020, but it just won’t be in Chicago.

 

[hawkifann]

Disagree. Playing bad baseball (lousy baserunning, not getting runners home from 3rd, bullpen issues etc.) is different than a player ready for the season to be over. They just need to play better.

Look no further than the Pirates ... talk about a team that was ready for the season to be over. Slow pitch softball has better pitching.

Anyway, not looking good, but I don't think the players aren't trying. They just are not executing the small things that make a difference in winning games. Doesn't mean I won't root for them. It's been 50 years and it's just part of being a baseball fan, and more importantly, a Cubs fan.

If they didn't care and didn't want to be there, they'd have rolled over in the 9th and not erased a 3-run deficit.

 

[rk#5]

And, I expect better from them.

If the Cubs had .500 talent, that's one thing. They don't, however. So many of their losses are because they can't do the little things; moving the runner along the bases, hitting the fly ball with a man on 3rd and less than 2 outs, holding leads. Those are all mental things that should not be happening with this team.

Wait, so are you trying to say that they aren't trying to move the runners over or hit a sac fly with a guy on third? You do realize that there is a pitcher trying to prevent that, right? It isn't just the Cubs players playing the game, the other team tries to prevent that. Obviously the Cubs do have .500 talent. Maybe not .500 in the hitting aspect, but probably pitching.

 

[HawkRugged17]

Wait, so are you trying to say that they aren't trying to move the runners over or hit a sac fly with a guy on third? You do realize that there is a pitcher trying to prevent that, right? It isn't just the Cubs players playing the game, the other team tries to prevent that. Obviously the Cubs do have .500 talent. Maybe not .500 in the hitting aspect, but probably pitching.

It seems as though the Cardinals are not trying this month ...

 

[Joes Place]

Brewers have been impressive ... when Yelich went down, no one expected them to continue to battle and win. But, here they are. Baseball ... you never know.

Yelich was a huge loss for them, but their real problem wasn't scoring a few runs so much as giving them up in bunches with patchwork pitching. Their pitching and run differential has been abysmal, but that's what happens when you have 3-4 frontline starters out.

They also have some completely under-the-radar frontline guys stepping up. Houser looks like a 1 or 2 right now. The guy they got from PIT was a 5+ ERA, and has been pitching lights out at around a 2.x ERA. Woodruff was an AS and is back 100% for short stints. And Anderson was giving up 2 runs a start until a blowout vs WSH. Throw in the quality relievers they have and it's getting to the formula they had last year.

With Yelich, those guys had a chance at playing in the NLCS, and might have snuck into the WS.

W/o him, they have an outside shot to play in the NLCS but I doubt they could beat ATL and LAD in back to back series'. I think their pitching - if it keeps up what it's doing, could beat one of them (probably ATL), but that only happens if they sneak into winning the Central.

The WC winner will face the Dodgers starting out, and I do not see any of the potential WC prospects (WSH/MIL/CHI/STL) beating the Dodgers this year. It'd be a heckuvan upset.

 

[dgordo]

the Cubs have .500 talent.

this

 

[Joes Place]

It seems as though the Cardinals are not trying this month ...

View embedded media

 

[HawkRugged17]

Yelich was a huge loss for them, but their real problem wasn't scoring a few runs so much as giving them up in bunches with patchwork pitching. Their pitching and run differential has been abysmal, but that's what happens when you have 3-4 frontline starters out.

They also have some completely under-the-radar frontline guys stepping up. Houser looks like a 1 or 2 right now. The guy they got from PIT was a 5+ ERA, and has been pitching lights out at around a 2.x ERA. Woodruff was an AS and is back 100% for short stints. And Anderson was giving up 2 runs a start until a blowout vs WSH. Throw in the quality relievers they have and it's getting to the formula they had last year.

With Yelich, those guys had a chance at playing in the NLCS, and might have snuck into the WS.

W/o him, they have an outside shot to play in the NLCS but I doubt they could beat ATL and LAD in back to back series'. I think their pitching - if it keeps up what it's doing, could beat one of them (probably ATL), but that only happens if they sneak into winning the Central.

The WC winner will face the Dodgers starting out, and I do not see any of the potential WC prospects (WSH/MIL/CHI/STL) beating the Dodgers this year. It'd be a heckuvan upset.

All true ... but weird things happen in baseball. Brewers played the Dodgers last year in the playoffs and it was a fun matchup. If their pitching can hold up, it's a crap shoot. Of course, that's pretty much the case with all MLB playoff teams. And, as usual, I will still boo Ryan Braun.

 

[Joes Place]

All true ... but weird things happen in baseball. Brewers played the Dodgers last year in the playoffs and it was a fun matchup. If their pitching can hold up, it's a crap shoot. Of course, that's pretty much the case with all MLB playoff teams. And, as usual, I will still boo Ryan Braun.

I'm always savin' extra Boos for Manny Machado. Thankfully, none will be needed for him for the playoffs.

 

[mstp1992]

If they didn't care and didn't want to be there, they'd have rolled over in the 9th and not erased a 3-run deficit.

I'm just not sold that the whole team is mentally prepared each and every pitch, at bat, inning, game. There's something missing from this year's team that the past few years have had; some sort of intangible. Instead of expecting them to find a way to win, I find myself thinking "how are they gonna blow this game?" Even when they do make a comeback, while fun to watch I still don't trust them to hold on. I was really excited when the Cubs were able to get Castellanos. I thought he was just the 'mojo' they needed to take over the division.

Maybe expectations have worn on some of the players.

Maybe Maddon's motivational techniques don't work as well as previously.

Making the same mistakes over and over again is awfully frustrating to watch.

Maybe my expectations have been too high for them.

I sure hope I'm wrong, but I can easily see the Cubs tanking this weekend.

 

[dgordo]

I can easily see the Cubs tanking this weekend.

cubs will get swept

 

[HawkRugged17]

I'm just not sold that the whole team is mentally prepared each and every pitch, at bat, inning, game. There's something missing from this year's team that the past few years have had; some sort of intangible. Instead of expecting them to find a way to win, I find myself thinking "how are they gonna blow this game?" Even when they do make a comeback, while fun to watch I still don't trust them to hold on. I was really excited when the Cubs were able to get Castellanos. I thought he was just the 'mojo' they needed to take over the division.

Maybe expectations have worn on some of the players.

Maybe Maddon's motivational techniques don't work as well as previously.

Making the same mistakes over and over again is awfully frustrating to watch.

Maybe my expectations have been too high for them.

I sure hope I'm wrong, but I can easily see the Cubs tanking this weekend.

It happens ... even to Roy Hobbs.

 

[hawkifann]

Some of the players, however, fold under pressure, especially a lot of the relievers.

Let's also look at the bullpen for what it is (and this blame goes to Theo). On paper, the Cubs came into the season expecting this bullpen: Morrow (eventually), Strop, Edwards, Cishek, Kintzler, Brach, Montgomery, Chatwood and Rosario. It looked like Strop would close until Morrow came back (we all knew Morrow wouldn't be back). With Cishek, Kintzler and Edwards the primary setup guys with Monty as the swing man and Chatwood out there to eat innings periodically and Brach to do whatever Brach does.

The only guys out of that group that haven't been disappointing are Kintzler and Chatwood (and that might only be because I had a low bar of expectation for them coming in). Cishek has been ok, but he's been hurt a couple times and just hasn't been consistent. Morrow never came back. Strop lost his fastball. Edwards lost his confidence. Brach & Rosario got DFA'd. Monty got pissy over not starting and got exiled to KC.

Early in the season, the Cubs lost too many games because Strop/Edwards/Cishek/Brach weren't effective. I'm willing to go along with Edwards and Brach folding, but Strop's problem wasn't mental fortitude, it was the loss of his fastball. Ditto Cishek, he didn't just forget how to pitch in the clutch, he just hasn't been right and wasn't effective.

As the Cubs cleared the deck, the pen has been better in the 2nd half (still not good enough). I'm excited about the emergence of Wick. I think Chatwood could be a really good bullpen arm next year if he doesn't win Hamels' rotation spot. Wieck is interesting. Kyle Ryan has been a pleasant surprise.

We also have to acknowledge that part of losing close games is failure of the offense to add insurance runs. In the Cubs last 30 games, they are 16-13 overall. In games decided by 2 runs or fewer, the Cubs are 3-7 and in those 7 losses, the Cubs are scoring just over 3 runs per game.

The Cubs don't necessarily need to overhaul the roster and they're not heading into a 5-year rebuild or anything, but they seriously need to re-tool their approach. If the bullpen, the defense and offensive consistency improved by even 3-5%, the Cubs would be cruising into the playoffs.

 

[rk#5]

cubs will get swept

I know your probably being a smartass to him, but not a chance with Wacha on the mound today. He gets rocked its seems like every damn time by the Cubs.

 

[dgordo]

I know your probably being a smartass

not at all, mills will be lucky to get through 2 innings.

 

[dgordo]

The Cubs don't necessarily need to overhaul the roster

this but many changes are needed

 

[hawkifann]

I'm just not sold that the whole team is mentally prepared each and every pitch, at bat, inning, game. There's something missing from this year's team that the past few years have had; some sort of intangible. Instead of expecting them to find a way to win, I find myself thinking "how are they gonna blow this game?" Even when they do make a comeback, while fun to watch I still don't trust them to hold on. I was really excited when the Cubs were able to get Castellanos. I thought he was just the 'mojo' they needed to take over the division.

Maybe expectations have worn on some of the players.

Maybe Maddon's motivational techniques don't work as well as previously.

Making the same mistakes over and over again is awfully frustrating to watch.

Maybe my expectations have been too high for them.

I sure hope I'm wrong, but I can easily see the Cubs tanking this weekend.

There's been some erosion in terms of "glue" guys in the club house...those long-time vets who have been through the wars and maintain calm, but it's not like they're out of them. Lester, Hamels and Heyward have been there all year. Cishek and Kimbrell have certainly been around. Rizzo is becoming one of those guys. I think they really missed Zobrist and his consistent approach at the plate.

Mostly, this team has blown games in the margins. While this team has basically been a .500 team since May, it's not like the Cubs are miles from being a really good baseball team again. They need someone to be even an average lead-off man at the top of the order so that Rizzo can drop back to an RBI spot. You can rebuild a bullpen pretty quickly in an offseason and the Cubs need to be a little bit better on defense.

 

[MitchLL]

MSTP1992, you are the biggest dumbass in this thread and that's saying something with good old Mitch throwing in his 2 cents that nobody gives a flying f about all the time. Its baseball and it's not over yet. You have 6 left with the cards and 3 with the pirates. And this is coming from a cardinals fan.

Actually, good old Mitch just reopens wounds that were self inflicted by Cub fans. Up to about the middle of July, few were willing to acknowledge all the deficiencies of this team. Many kept saying how the Cubs just needed a few tweaks or just a couple of bullpen arms.

The problem all season was the construction of the team by mgmt. No help available from AAA. Bad signings. And the list goes on.

Even if the team somehow squeaks into the WC...they're not going far.

But one thing I do agree with... David Ross could be Aaron Boone... straight from the broadcast booth to the dugout.

 

[hawkifann]

this but many changes are needed

Agreed, but a lot of changes are taking care of themselves with expiring contracts and the like. I think it's likely that there's a new manager. Morrow, Strop, Kintzler, Hamels, Zobrist, Cishek and Kintzler are all likely gone. Lester is $7M cheaper next year. I think it's likely that the Cubs pick up Quintana's $10.5M option, maybe the $1M option on Phelps and possibly the $3M option on Kendall Graveman since the Cubs paid him to rehab this year. There is a chance that Yu Darvish uses his opt-out, but I doubt it....if he does, add another $22M to the almost $70M in luxury tax space being cleared out by the departing.

Outside of the arb and pre-arb guys, the only bullpen spots currently locked in are Kimbrel and Chatwood (assuming Chatwood doesn't earn a rotation spot).

I think it's going to be a really active off-season. I expect them to do almost anything to lock in Javy and I think they'll be busy on the trade market. I'd love to see them find the room to keep Castellanos, but they definitely need to find a lead-off man.

 

[mstp1992]

There's been some erosion in terms of "glue" guys in the club house...those long-time vets who have been through the wars and maintain calm, but it's not like they're out of them. Lester, Hamels and Heyward have been there all year. Cishek and Kimbrell have certainly been around. Rizzo is becoming one of those guys. I think they really missed Zobrist and his consistent approach at the plate.

Mostly, this team has blown games in the margins. While this team has basically been a .500 team since May, it's not like the Cubs are miles from being a really good baseball team again. They need someone to be even an average lead-off man at the top of the order so that Rizzo can drop back to an RBI spot. You can rebuild a bullpen pretty quickly in an offseason and the Cubs need to be a little bit better on defense.

I also think Addison Russell was a distraction to the team, not to mention he was never fully "there" when he was playing.

 

[MuscoHawk]

Bote starting over Zobrist.

Now’s not the time for Joe to be getting cute with matchups. We need the best 8 hitters in the lineup, period.

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

Greetings from the NASCAR bar in Charlotte Airport.

Why didn’t they challenge that?

 

[Im4Iowa]

Greetings from the NASCAR bar in Charlotte Airport.

Why didn’t they challenge that?

No kidding. That didn’t hit him.

 

[lucas80]

So, I took today off before the wife and I leave town for the weekend. I care enough to look at this thread, but I'm watching episode 7 of season 6 of GoT instead of the Cubs game.

 

[MuscoHawk]

So, I took today off before the wife and I leave town for the weekend. I care enough to look at this thread, but I'm watching episode 7 of season 6 of GoT instead of the Cubs game.

Excellent choice. The last 2 episodes of season 6 are the GOAT.

Seasons 7 and 8 are a lot like how the Cubs are playing. Complete sh*t.

 

[MuscoHawk]

I told myself I wasn’t going to listen to this game.

Couldn’t take it... turned on the radio... literally the first thing I hear is the Cubs getting doubled off.

DONE.

 

[hawkifann]

I told myself I wasn’t going to listen to this game.

Couldn’t take it... turned on the radio... literally the first thing I hear is the Cubs getting doubled off.

DONE.

In fairness, Castellanos smoked a liner right at SS and Rizzo got caught. Castellanos is hitting into a lot of bad luck in this series. He took 2 yesterday to the track into heavy wind that would likely have been gone on other days.