frozenrope9190
- Aurora, IL
Yes, this. Arrieta will be fine come playoff time.
Chicago Cubs 2016 Season
Yes, this. Arrieta will be fine come playoff time.
[ T ]
Somewhere, Bud Selig is smiling.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Apparently some Cubs players (namely Montero and Arrieta) are grumbling about the "Spring Training Atmosphere" surrounding the last couple of weeks of the season and how Maddon is running the team down the stretch. I wonder what exactly the players were expecting.
[ W ]
102-57-1
102-57-1
Rondon's playoff roster spot in jeopardy?
He's been injured and/or awful for the past two months.
He's been injured and/or awful for the past two months.
What a season! Cubs come back against the Reds to finish the season 103-58-1.
Playoffs start Friday.
Let's go Cubs!
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Playoffs start Friday.
Let's go Cubs!
[ W ]
OrangeJacket
- North and Ashland
Great to see that rally in the last inning to end the regular season on a high note. Let's pick up right where we left off on Friday!
Jonesing for baseball. Here's a look at what Theo and crew were left with upon taking the reigns 5 years ago that contributed to this year's team:
Arguably, the best thing the Cubs had going for them as of October 2011 was Chris Bosio. Still the team's pitching coach and widely considered one of the best in the game. He meshes so well with Theo's/Maddon's approach to baseball that it's easy to forget that he came in with the Hendry regime.
Tim Wilken was widely considered to be one of the best scouts in baseball. He stuck with the team when Theo took over and stayed until the end of the 2015 season. He's now with the Diamondbacks. He was a big help to Theo and Jed in terms of learning about the existing assets the Cubs had in their system.
Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, Matt Szczur and Felix Pena were all in the Cubs minors when Epstein took over. Obviously those first two were big contributors this year and appear to be major pieces of the Cubs' plan going forward.
Then there are the trade chips: Andrew Cashner, Jeff Samardzija, Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Sean Marshall, Reed Johnson, Arismendy Alcantara, Steve Clevenger, Kyung-Min Na, Dan Vogelbach, and Starlin Castro were turned into Russell, Hendricks, Edwards, Grimm, Wood, LaStella, Arrieta, Rizzo, Montgomery, Fowler, Coghlan and Chapman. Which is all kind of mind-blowing considering how little the collective former contributed to their trade destinations compared to how much the collective latter have contributed to the Cubs.
Arguably, the best thing the Cubs had going for them as of October 2011 was Chris Bosio. Still the team's pitching coach and widely considered one of the best in the game. He meshes so well with Theo's/Maddon's approach to baseball that it's easy to forget that he came in with the Hendry regime.
Tim Wilken was widely considered to be one of the best scouts in baseball. He stuck with the team when Theo took over and stayed until the end of the 2015 season. He's now with the Diamondbacks. He was a big help to Theo and Jed in terms of learning about the existing assets the Cubs had in their system.
Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, Matt Szczur and Felix Pena were all in the Cubs minors when Epstein took over. Obviously those first two were big contributors this year and appear to be major pieces of the Cubs' plan going forward.
Then there are the trade chips: Andrew Cashner, Jeff Samardzija, Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Sean Marshall, Reed Johnson, Arismendy Alcantara, Steve Clevenger, Kyung-Min Na, Dan Vogelbach, and Starlin Castro were turned into Russell, Hendricks, Edwards, Grimm, Wood, LaStella, Arrieta, Rizzo, Montgomery, Fowler, Coghlan and Chapman. Which is all kind of mind-blowing considering how little the collective former contributed to their trade destinations compared to how much the collective latter have contributed to the Cubs.
Minor note, you'd have to throw Gleyber Torres in there as well.
I was just talking about assets that were there when Theo took over. Torres was signed as an amateur free agent by Theo and crew in 2013. He was only 14 years old when Hendry was fired. (Which makes me feel really, really old.)
The Blue Jays have 4 ex-Cubs on their roster - Josh Donaldson, Darwin Barney, Dioner Navarro and Scott Feldman. They also have Russell Martin whom the Cubs really tried to get in free agency. When he signed with the Jays, the Cubs traded for Montero.
The Orioles only have two former Cubs. Ryan Flaherty was a first round pick who was eventually exposed to the Rule 5 draft and has been with the Orioles ever since. They also have Tommy Hunter who was on the team for about 5 minutes last year. Mark Trumbo isn't a former Cub, but the Orioles traded former Cub Steve Clevenger to Seattle to get him.
The Orioles only have two former Cubs. Ryan Flaherty was a first round pick who was eventually exposed to the Rule 5 draft and has been with the Orioles ever since. They also have Tommy Hunter who was on the team for about 5 minutes last year. Mark Trumbo isn't a former Cub, but the Orioles traded former Cub Steve Clevenger to Seattle to get him.
Maddon announced the NLDS rotation tonight: 1) Lester, 2) Hendricks, 3) Arrieta, 4) Lackey (if necessary), 5) Lester (if necessary).
Love it.
Just as a pure baseball fan, there are some great storylines in the Wild Card and Division Series.
1. Blue Jays/Orioles has been a dogfight, topped off with a bush league fan throwing a beverage toward the left fielder while trying to catch a fly ball. 2-2 in extras right now. Toronto is LOUD.
2. Bumgarner vs. Syndergaard tomorrow night.
3. Kershaw vs. Scherzer to open the NLDS.
October baseball!
Love it.
Just as a pure baseball fan, there are some great storylines in the Wild Card and Division Series.
1. Blue Jays/Orioles has been a dogfight, topped off with a bush league fan throwing a beverage toward the left fielder while trying to catch a fly ball. 2-2 in extras right now. Toronto is LOUD.
2. Bumgarner vs. Syndergaard tomorrow night.
3. Kershaw vs. Scherzer to open the NLDS.
October baseball!
This may read as hyperbole, but Buck Schowalter using Ubaldo Jimenez over Zach Britton was the worst postseason bullpen decision I've ever seen.
It would have been questionable even if Ubaldo Jimenez had just stepped off a time machine from 2010. How do you play a one and out game without ever using your best pitcher? Never leave bullets in the chamber!
:thumb: Thats akin to Maddon sending Hammel out with Chapman warming up in the pen. I was even shocked when Schowalter went with O'Day in the 9th.
In other news, great game going on tonight. Giants and Mets knotted up at 0 in the 5th. Hoping it goes 18 innings.
Bring on the Giants.
Cubs won the season series 4-3 (3-1 home, 1-2 away), 23 runs scored, 17 allowed.
See you Friday!
Cubs won the season series 4-3 (3-1 home, 1-2 away), 23 runs scored, 17 allowed.
See you Friday!
Well we shouldn't have to face Bumgarner until game 3!
Versus Arrieta. I love it. Should be a dandy.
Deleted member 16340
D
Guest
If that's the Monday night game in SF, I'll be there in the bleachers in cf. I'll be the one wearing Cubbie Blue!
ChiCityHoops34
- DeKalb IL
Cueto vs. Lester
Smardzija vs. Hendricks
Bum vs. Jake
Electric.
Smardzija vs. Hendricks
Bum vs. Jake
Electric.
trevdv
- Champaign