Chicago Cubs 2024

#928      
bdutts
champaignchris said:
Tough question as to whose post-Cubs career has been sadder, Javy or Bryant.

Bryant has at least had some spurts of solid play during some brief moments of good health. Baez has been just plain bad.
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His numbers with the Mets were good in just under 200 PA. I'm kind of surprised the Mets didn't try to work something with him so he could play with his bud.
 
#929      
Emerson Bigguns
champaignchris said:
Tough question as to whose post-Cubs career has been sadder, Javy or Bryant.

Bryant has at least had some spurts of solid play during some brief moments of good health. Baez has been just plain bad.
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KB is definitely sadder. Javy has played. His issues are at least somewhat under his control. He is, at his core, still the same player he always was. A flashy, sometimes spectacular, but ultimately unreliable player.
KB’s career is turning into a great “what if” story. He was basically everything you could ask for. His body just won’t cooperate.
 
#930      
DeonThomas
Emerson Bigguns said:
KB is definitely sadder. Javy has played. His issues are at least somewhat under his control. He is, at his core, still the same player he always was. A flashy, sometimes spectacular, but ultimately unreliable player.
KB’s career is turning into a great “what if” story. He was basically everything you could ask for. His body just won’t cooperate.
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Breaking up the World Series squad is perhaps Hoyer's #1 accomplishment during his tenure in charge. Beyond Javy and Bryant, you can also throw Addison Russell, Zobrist, Fowler, Rizzo, Chapman and Lester into the equation. Each was jettisoned at the right time.

Schwarber is the one exception, but no one could ever have guessed which ONE guy from that Championship roster was going to elevate his game/career.

Bravo Jed!
 
#931      
Emerson Bigguns
DeonThomas said:
Breaking up the World Series squad is perhaps Hoyer's #1 accomplishment during his tenure in charge. Beyond Javy and Bryant, you can also throw Addison Russell, Zobrist, Fowler, Rizzo, Chapman and Lester into the equation. Each was jettisoned at the right time.

Schwarber is the one exception, but no one could ever have guessed which ONE guy from that Championship roster was going to elevate his game/career.

Bravo Jed!
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I'm not sure Kyle has elevated his career all that much. His on-base and slugging in PHI are pretty much in line with his tenure as a Cub. He's been a bit healthier the last few seasons, so the totals are higher. The Cubs didn't have the option of using him as a full time DH, which is what he is now.

He's this decade's Adam Dunn. No defense, a lot of walks, a lot of HRs, and a whole lot of K's.
 
#932      
IanKEvans2
Emerson Bigguns said:
KB is definitely sadder. Javy has played. His issues are at least somewhat under his control. He is, at his core, still the same player he always was. A flashy, sometimes spectacular, but ultimately unreliable player.
KB’s career is turning into a great “what if” story. He was basically everything you could ask for. His body just won’t cooperate.
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Bryant is this generation of Cub fan's Mark Prior.
 
#933      
champaignchris
Heading into the Cleveland series, I thought the Cubs needed to go 13-8 over the next 21 to be in the WC race. They’ve gone 3-5 in the first 8, scoring 1, 1, 0 and 2 in the last 4 losses.

10-3 is certainly possible over the next 13, given the schedule, but I don’t think it’s likely. The offense just isn’t consistent enough.
 
#934      
Greensboro
champaignchris said:
Heading into the Cleveland series, I thought the Cubs needed to go 13-8 over the next 21 to be in the WC race. They’ve gone 3-5 in the first 8, scoring 1, 1, 0 and 2 in the last 4 losses.

10-3 is certainly possible over the next 13, given the schedule, but I don’t think it’s likely. The offense just isn’t consistent enough.
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fyi...just some rough Math; ; NL last wildcard is Braves 67-59 - .532 - Braves are on 86 win pace. Cubs are 62-65 > 24 more wins out of 35 remaining games =>69% winning % to just catch the Braves pace

AL race would be higher bar right now, but with several teams in front of the Cubs & several of those trying to improve for a stretch run, maybe the NL bar moves closer to AL bar ; Twins are 71-56 -.559 for last AL wildcard spot & on pace to 91 wins; =>35 games left 29 wins needed =>finish on an 83% win rate to catch the Twins AL pace;

Conclusion: It is definitely a long shot, add in the inconsistency you mention & it looks like a very long shot
 
#937      
Emerson Bigguns
Me trying to watch this team consistently since the end of June:
He Man Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 
#944      
Illiniaaron
champaignchris said:
Seems like we can say it once a week with this team, but you just can’t lose that game today.

How many games this year have gone exactly like the one today? Quality start, sub-.200 BA w/ RISP, bullpen gets shelled. Seems like they have 30-40 games like that this year.
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It's been a long shot to get back in it for a long time now, but they are just not capable of running off a 9 or 10 game win streak since every third game or so is an offensive clunker.
 
#946      
Mr. Tibbs
they will finally win 6-7 in a row , maybe 5 another time , and end up 1 game short of the last wild card spot .

doesn’t matter tho. they would get killed in the playoffs anyway
 
#947      
ChiefKingfisher
Mr. Tibbs said:
they will finally win 6-7 in a row , maybe 5 another time , and end up 1 game short of the last wild card spot .

doesn’t matter tho. they would get killed in the playoffs anyway
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Baseball is the one sport where anything can happen in the playoffs. Just look at last year. That being said, I’m not at all hopeful the Cubs make it. They have to stay hot and hope Atlanta chokes down the stretch, which they’re not showing any signs of doing.
 
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