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*****Official Cubs 2023 thread*****

The bullpen is toast. Injuries, overuse, mismanagement, all of it. They held on for a long time this year, but it has caught up to us at the worst possible time.
 
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10 games left. Any bold predictions on what it's going to take to guarantee winning the 3rd WC spot? Given that they don't have the tie breakers, I think they better win 7 of those 10.

It's hard to predict given that we don't know what the other teams are going to do. I think SF is pretty much out of it and the D'backs schedules includes 3 games each at NYY and CWS before closing with 3 home against Houston. Given that, they should win the 2nd WC spot, so it comes down to CHI, CIN, and MIA for the last spot. Hopefully those 2 don't close strong and the Cubs can outlast them.

So, we shall see as the blind man said.😬
 
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10 games left. Any bold predictions on what it's going to take to guarantee winning the 3rd WC spot? Given that they don't have the tie breakers, I think they better win 7 of those 10.

It's hard to predict given that we don't know what the other teams are going to do. I think SF is pretty much out of it and the D'backs schedules includes 3 games each at NYY and CWS before closing with 3 home against Houston. Given that, they should win the 2nd WC spot, so it comes down to CHI, CIN, and MIA for the last spot. Hopefully those 2 don't close strong and the Cubs can outlast them.

So, we shall see as the blind man said.😬
Brewers have 3 @Miami this weekend with their top pitchers scheduled. They should be locked into the 3 seed w nothing on the line the last series v Cubs
 
The bullpen is toast. Injuries, overuse, mismanagement, all of it. They held on for a long time this year, but it has caught up to us at the worst possible time.
Alzolay and Fulmer on the IL, Leiter can't throw his splitter anymore.
 
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Weird random thing, Nelson Velasquez has hit 12 homers since he was traded to the Royals. Lots of things that go into all of that, but as Tauchman cratered, it's too bad NV never got his shot.
 
It’s unreal, even by Cubs standards, how bad they are shitting the bed being right at the point where they were on the brink of an amazing run that got them into playoffs. Compete collapse into their worst stretch all season. I mean they had to just play 500 ball against nothing to special teams and they are just trash.
 
It’s unreal, even by Cubs standards, how bad they are shitting the bed being on the brink of an amazing run that got them into playoffs. Compete collapse into their worst stretch all season.
It's disappointing, but the slide that got them 10 games under .500 was the low point of the year.
 
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Weird random thing, Nelson Velasquez has hit 12 homers since he was traded to the Royals. Lots of things that go into all of that, but as Tauchman cratered, it's too bad NV never got his shot.
He was never going to get a chance with David Ross and his boys Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki around. Just like PCA, Canario, Caissie, and others will get screwed over by Ross because they aren’t apart of his good old boys club.
The best thing that can happen is Tom Ricketts gives Ross and Hoyer the boot in October.
 
Davis Ross and Jed Hoyer need to be fired if they miss the playoffs.

May was a joke.

September has been a joke.
 
Ross completely ruined Dansby Swanson. Ross needs to go tonight. He’d rather be yucking it up in Florida or Arizona with retired baseball players.
 
I guess Ross decided to save some of the bullpen and keep Merriweather out there. Now he replaces him after the game is already gone.
 
This is where you have to ask the question of whether you would choose the Red Pill or Blue Pill

The Red Pill is Cubs suck and by two weeks after All Star Break are 20 games out and no chance of playoffs. You check out, stop watching and have zero clue or cares on trades and young players called up. You focus on football and job and family and rankem posts on HORT.

The Blue Pill is Cubs mount comeback, play incredible ball leading into All Star break and it continues. Go from looking as non contenders 10 plus games under 500 to making legit run at the division and seem a lock for Wild Card 10 games plus over 500. Through it all, you watch dozens of great and joyful wins with new trade additions and new call ups from minors. And then, well they completely jizz all over themselves and collapse and miss playoffs.

For me, give me the got dam Red Pill.
 
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tenor.gif
 
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10 games left. Any bold predictions on what it's going to take to guarantee winning the 3rd WC spot? Given that they don't have the tie breakers, I think they better win 7 of those 10.

It's hard to predict given that we don't know what the other teams are going to do. I think SF is pretty much out of it and the D'backs schedules includes 3 games each at NYY and CWS before closing with 3 home against Houston. Given that, they should win the 2nd WC spot, so it comes down to CHI, CIN, and MIA for the last spot. Hopefully those 2 don't close strong and the Cubs can outlast them.

So, we shall see as the blind man said.😬
I think the 3rd WC will get in with 84-86 wins. I think 86 will get in for sure, below that it gets dicey. Cubs are gassed. They weren’t deep enough to start with and they didn’t use the depth they have enough to keep their key guys fresh enough down the stretch. Cubs played great ball for 2+ months, but they ran 4 guys in the pen so hard that 2 are on the shelf during this key stretch and the other has lost command of his magic pitch.
 
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This is where you have to ask the question of whether you would choose the Red Pill or Blue Pill

The Red Pill is Cubs suck and by two weeks after All Star Break are 20 games out and no chance of playoffs. You check out, stop watching and have zero clue or cares on trades and young players called up. You focus on football and job and family and rankem posts on HORT.

The Blue Pill is Cubs mount comeback, play incredible ball leading into All Star break and it continues. Go from looking as non contenders 10 plus games under 500 to making legit run at the division and seem a lock for Wild Card 10 games plus over 500. Through it all, you watch dozens of great and joyful wins with new trade additions and new call ups from minors. And then, well they completely jizz all over themselves and collapse and miss playoffs.

For me, give me the got dam Red Pill.
Blue pill every GD time.
 
How the Cubs seem to be feeling about this playoff chase bullshit after that great week of taking 3 of 4 from the Reds and 2 of 3 from the Braves,

simpsons-bart-simpson.gif
 
I”m just going to put this out there. Last year, the Phillies were in control of the 3rd WC when the Cubs swept them Sept. 27-29. With 3 games left, the Cubs had erased the Phillies lead. The Phillies bounced back and the Brewers choked out.

It ain’t looking good right now, but there are 9 games left and the Cubs are fighting it out with other teams that have been completely unable to create any separation.
 
I think the 3rd WC will get in with 84-86 wins. I think 86 will get in for sure, below that it gets dicey. Cubs are gassed. They weren’t deep enough to start with and they didn’t use the depth they have enough to keep their key guys fresh enough down the stretch. Cubs played great ball for 2+ months, but they ran 4 guys in the pen so hard that 2 are on the shelf during this key stretch and the other has lost command of his magic pitch.
I heard somewhere that Swanson told Ross 3-4 weeks ago that he wanted to play all of the remaining games. He sure looks like he could have used a day off although he rallied late tonight.

Still 9 games to go. Anything is possible, but any kind of momentum would be great to have at this point. Just too many key injuries down the stretch.
 
I heard somewhere that Swanson told Ross 3-4 weeks ago that he wanted to play all of the remaining games. He sure looks like he could have used a day off although he rallied late tonight.

Still 9 games to go. Anything is possible, but any kind of momentum would be great to have at this point. Just too many key injuries down the stretch.
Swanson came into the season saying he wanted to play 162. A manager’s job is to do what’s right for the team. I respect that Dansby will go out there and battle, but there’s a reason why most teams don’t literally play their best players 162 times. The problem wasn’t all season - the problem is now, when you really DON’T want to sit your star, but he’s not entirely himself.

Everyone loves to sh1t on Mastrobuoni, but he played really well when Dansby & Madrigal were out in July and he’s 5-8 this week with 3 runs scored. He couldn’t have taken a couple of those Dansby 0-5 days over the past 6-8 weeks?
 
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He was throwing to left base. JFC, he’s terrible on D.
The kid is 21. And maybe has 40 games of pro ball OF experience before being thrown into a MLB starting RF position . The organization set him up to struggle. Walker before this year had played 3B. Put him in RF because he has a strong arm seems to be the only reason why he is there.
 
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Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, the concession workers at Wrigley have voted to authorize a strike. LOL

Sounds like it is justified though.

Also, I see the Rockies' scheduled SPs for the first 2 games have ERAs of about 9.50 and 7.20. That hasn't worked out very well lately, though.
 
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Welp, the Big League club continues to struggle, and is currently out of the postseason (losing tie-breaker to Miami), but the Tennessee Smokies have advanced to the Southern League Championship Series, thanks largely to a 3-run bomb from K. Alcantara.

Game 1 at home Sunday, then Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) at Pensacola Tue & Wed.

The Big Boys gotta figure this out. 4-9 with 4 straight losing series since sweeping the Giants, including 2-4 against two teams that are a combined 49 games under .500. Get your heads out, boys.
 
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