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2019 Chicago Cubs Thread


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2 hours ago, JimmyHoffa said:

 

He will always be remembered fondly for 2016 and I feel bad for him he never got into the rotation long term but this sounded like it needed to be done for all parties involved:

 

I was referring in particular to his parting message to the Cubs and Cubs fans, which was very classy but unfortunately got omitted when I C&P'ed the photo.  Hadn't heard about the trade request, teammates getting down on him, etc., and that's unfortunate, but it's clear at this point that it's all water under the bridge as far as both sides are concerned.  He'll always get props from me for coming in and throwing two excellent curve balls in a very high pressure situation in that Game 7, and getting that final out when it looked like the Tribe still had life. 

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He had 19 starts last year, pitched at least 6 innings in 8 of those starts and 5 innings 5 starts. Gave up more than 3 runs 5 times, and 2 runs or less 12 times (though 1 of those was a short start). He deserved a chance to start full time and pitched well most of the time. Hope he is able to make the most of it in KC. 

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2 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

I was referring in particular to his parting message to the Cubs and Cubs fans, which was very classy but unfortunately got omitted when I C&P'ed the photo.  Hadn't heard about the trade request, teammates getting down on him, etc., and that's unfortunate, but it's clear at this point that it's all water under the bridge as far as both sides are concerned.  He'll always get props from me for coming in and throwing two excellent curve balls in a very high pressure situation in that Game 7, and getting that final out when it looked like the Tribe still had life. 

 

1000%. Balls of steel to come in in that situation. 

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our bullpen continues to strike fear into the hearts of Cubs fans everywhere. i'd rather is sign a bullpen arm or two more than another SP in all honesty. is Liam Hendricks available? I ask because he's an older guy having a career year so he might be cheaper than some younger arms. 

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14 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

And the headcase that is Pedro Strop strikes again.  His descent into shittiness is probably even more disappointing than Edwards, Jr.

I'd like to take a flamethrower to the majority of this shittastic bullpen. 

 

 

I love Joe but him bringing back Carl and putting him directly into a high leverage, very little room for error situation was idiotic. Just as continuing to use Strop in the 8th when he clearly isn't 100%.

I understand if Carl gets an out it builds his confidence but to do that and then send him right back down makes no fucking sense. Strop is a different case as he isn't 100% healthy and his stuff isn't anywhere close to where it is when he is healthy. 

The only logical explanation is he is doing it on purpose to say "See, look assholes we need bullpen help". Hell that's probably also why he keeps using Descalso to hit weak ground balls to 2nd when he pinch hits. Who in his last 30 appearances is hitting .114 (5 for 44 all singles) 

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19 minutes ago, JimmyHoffa said:

 

I love Joe but him bringing back Carl and putting him directly into a high leverage, very little room for error situation was idiotic. Just as continuing to use Strop in the 8th when he clearly isn't 100%.

I understand if Carl gets an out it builds his confidence but to do that and then send him right back down makes no fucking sense. Strop is a different case as he isn't 100% healthy and his stuff isn't anywhere close to where it is when he is healthy. 

The only logical explanation is he is doing it on purpose to say "See, look assholes we need bullpen help". Hell that's probably also why he keeps using Descalso to hit weak ground balls to 2nd when he pinch hits. Who in his last 30 appearances is hitting .114 (5 for 44 all singles) 

I think overall Joe is a very good manager, but some of his decisions drive me crazy.  I will argue to the cows come home that the Cubs don't win the '16 WS without him . . . and that they won game 7 despite him.

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23 minutes ago, JimmyHoffa said:

 

I love Joe but him bringing back Carl and putting him directly into a high leverage, very little room for error situation was idiotic. Just as continuing to use Strop in the 8th when he clearly isn't 100%.

I understand if Carl gets an out it builds his confidence but to do that and then send him right back down makes no fucking sense. Strop is a different case as he isn't 100% healthy and his stuff isn't anywhere close to where it is when he is healthy. 

The only logical explanation is he is doing it on purpose to say "See, look assholes we need bullpen help". Hell that's probably also why he keeps using Descalso to hit weak ground balls to 2nd when he pinch hits. Who in his last 30 appearances is hitting .114 (5 for 44 all singles) 

And we basically traded La Stella to make room for Descalso. 

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2 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

I think overall Joe is a very good manager, but some of his decisions drive me crazy.  I will argue to the cows come home that the Cubs don't win the '16 WS without him . . . and that they won game 7 despite him.

All of this, and why I am open to replacing and keeping him. 

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3 minutes ago, JimmyHoffa said:

 

I love La Stella but nobody could have see this year coming for him. Although if they released Russell like they should have they could have kept him......

LaStella was always a really good hitter with a very low K rate. Why the FO wanted Descalso to begin with is beyond me.

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Quote

The Chicago Cubs sent down struggling second baseman Addison Russell in a flurry of moves before Wednesday's game against the San Francisco Giants.

The team also activated All-Star catcher Willson Contreras from the injured list and scratched left-hander Jon Lester from his scheduled start because of an illness. Russell was sent to Triple-A Iowa to make room for Contreras.

On Monday, Russell admitted he has to play better after being called out by his manager over the weekend.

Russell, 25, had a day to forget on Saturday, as he missed two popups, got thrown out at home on a ground ball, didn't advance to third on a potential wild pitch and subsequently got doubled off second base. It's his issues running the bases that concern Joe Maddon the most.

"He has to straighten some things out," the Cubs manager said Saturday. "He has to. There's no question. We've talked about his baserunning in the past."

Going into Monday's game at San Francisco, Russell had made an out on the bases (not including pickoffs, caught stealing or forceouts) in one of every 41.5 plate appearances. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, that's the second-worst ratio of any player with at least 100 plate appearances this season.

Russell had only two plate appearances in the first two games of the Giants series. He has a .733 OPS this season in 55 games after serving the final 28 games of a 40-game suspension issued last season for violating the league's domestic violence policy.

It has been a steep fall for Russell. Once the Cubs' shortstop of the future, he hit 21 homers and drove in 95 runs during the 2016 title year. But his stats have declined each year since, as his off-field problems have mounted. He lost his shortstop job to Javier Baez, who has become an All-Star.

Contreras had been on the 10-day IL since July 14 because of a right foot strain. He will start at catcher and bat fifth in his return to Chicago's lineup.

Contreras, 27, is batting .286 with 19 home runs and 55 RBIs this season.

Right-hander Tyler Chatwood, who has pitched just two innings since June 27, will replace Lester as Chicago's starter.

Lester, 35, is 9-6 with a 3.87 ERA in 19 starts this season.

 

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And then after this we get to go to St. Louis?  Joy, its pathetic how bad they are on the road, bullpen woes and Joe doesnt know what to do. If I followed right, we had a guy in the pen with a scoreless streak and Joe went with a guy he had used maybe too often as of late? Even so, we get leads back only to see the pen blow it over and over again. Setting records bad, with no end in sight. 

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4 minutes ago, spystud13 said:

You were saying? 

 

 

Its not bad for the Cubs, but the rest of the league as a whole there haven't been any big moves. The Nomar trade was still the most exciting I can remember, though I am sure I am forgetting something. 

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