*****Official Cubs 2024 Thread 🪦*****
- Thread starter QChawks
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If I figured right, the game lasted only 1 hour and 49 minutes.
Cubs clinch a winning record.
Let’s build on this and not shit the bed in 25.
We absolutely need 1 superstar signing - whether position or pitcher, I will leave it up to the smart guys.
6 years without a playoff appearance is too long with the Cubs assets and playing in that division.
****, June is still pissing me off.
Let’s build on this and not shit the bed in 25.
We absolutely need 1 superstar signing - whether position or pitcher, I will leave it up to the smart guys.
6 years without a playoff appearance is too long with the Cubs assets and playing in that division.
****, June is still pissing me off.
Some good names in the lineup back in 2001. Deion playing for the Reds. Coomer batting cleanup for the Cubs. And Sarge's son in CF!
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just think of what could of happened without that terrible bullpen and that 4 week cold stretch were the Cubs could hit water
If I am reading the mlb stats correctly, the Cubs converted 37 of 63 save opportunities this year. Ugh. What could have been.
Indeed, but I am at the acceptance stage for 2024 right now, and I'm trying to take away the positives. It looks like we have an impact late inning arm in Hodge. It looks like PCA belongs. Busch has upside. Amaya made a huge improvement mid-season on. I still want another catcher, but you need to acknowledge Amaya improved. Lot's of guys got better.
I’ve been told by the smartest of baseball people that he’s terrible and has to go.
The only thing I ask about blown saves though, is take them in context. A pitcher gets a blown save if he comes in with a 3-run or less lead starting in the 6th. That pure number shows 26 blown saves. I think the Cubs won 10 of those games. Then others were blown in the 6th, 7th or 8th innings before the “closer” was in play. I don’t say this to defend anyone, but rather to put context on it. An elite closer doesn’t just make this a 100-win team. More bullpen depth (which they’ve had since late June), however would help a great deal.
Also, Assad held his own, Shota showed out and Steele continued top level work. Additionally, if he can be healthy, Ben Brown showed very real MLB talent and the Cubs showed a strong ability to pick up quality pen arms by working hard on the waiver wire.
I’m pulling a bit from memory, but I have talked about this on the pod. If you want to look at losses the CLOSER blew, you have Adbert with 5 early. Neris blew 4 (he has 5 BS, IIRC, but 1 was in the 8th when Adbert was still closing). Brewer/Smyly had 1 and Hodge has had 1. That’s 11 of the 26 blown saves. Again, I only bring this up so that we all understand the actual problems we’re trying to solve. 11 leads blown in the 8th/9th vs the “closer” certainly isn’t a positive. Just trying to scope the problem appropriately.
Exactly. A blown save does not equate to a loss. In fact, 2 blown saves in a single game or more could still equate to a win.
The Cubs offensive woes, where they might go 2-3 games without even hitting a line drive, probably cost them more games than the bullpen failures. Of course a BS in the 9th inning or later carries a lot more weight.
I'd like to know what the Cubs record was/is in 1 run games. I'd look but I'm to lazy.
23-28 in one run games for the Cubs this year.
2024 Chicago Cubs Schedule | Baseball-Reference.com
View the 2024 Chicago Cubs Schedule on Baseball-Reference.com. Including home and away games, results, and more.
www.baseball-reference.com
I’ll have to refresh the number, but at one point in early September or late August with about a month to play, the Cubs had scored fewer than 3 runs like 42 times (they did so only 38 times all last season) and in those games they were something like 3-39 in those games. Not being able to tack on insurance runs puts a lot of pressure on a bullpen. Obviously yesterday added another such game, but they were able to win that one thanks to the wind and some tremendous pitching.
I decided to refresh the count:
Cubs have been shutout 15 times (0-15), scored 1 run 14 times (3-11) and 2 runs 20 times (2-18).
So put all together, that’s 49 games (out of 160 so far) where the Cubs scored fewer than 3 runs and in those games, the Cubs are 5-44. Nine of those losses were 1-run losses and another 6 were 2-run losses. A little more offense would have gone a long, long way. Think back on all those 2-on, no out situations where the Cubs couldn’t manufacture a run. Those things matter.
Last weekend of the season for the Cubs and Cards tied at 82 -78. The Cubs out spent the Cards by 50 some million and started the season with the 7th highest payroll in MLB. Cards had a -51 run scoring differential while the Cubs were +67. Thanks to the 3rd best bullpen in baseball and the best closer, Ryan Helsley the Cards have won the close ones. Guess I'll pull for the Padres and Mike Shildt, who the Cards should have never fired, after averaging 91 wins/year...
They gave a crazy stat during one of the games this week. Pat Hughes said the Cubs scored 10 or more runs approximately 1/4 games since the beginning of August. Before that, not so much. Like half that number for the bulk of he season. The number of shutouts and 1 run performances did the team in.
I still won't extend love to Hector Neris, or to Jed for failing to shore up the bullpen. I remain convinced that Alzolay was injured going into the season and the team and Alzolay knew it, but crossed their fingers.
I agree with you on Adbert. We saw them play guys through injury all season. Dansby with the knee, Nico with the broken hand and Belli with the rib fractures.
With 7 shutout innings today, Hendricks has his ERA below 6.00, at 5.94. I didn't know if we would see that this year or not but he has looked like his old self today.
Kyle went out like we will want to remember him.
csb
What do you think you'll do with your extra $50M?
Certainly not sniffle out tears about what to do with it in the Cardinals thread.
