Cubs (11-17) vs. Atlanta Braves (18-11) 5/7-5/9 Series Discussion Thread

[dabynsky]

A little more than a week from now the Cubs play the White Sox. This is actually going to be an important series for our side for once assuming they don't go 0-for in between

I ask before Dewey does, but how is it going to be an important series for us?

 

[Rice Cube]

I ask before Dewey does, but how is it going to be an important series for us?

Cubs are now 13-18. 7 games before White Sox series. Cubs could potentially be 20-18 or hovering around .500 at least. White Sox series will determine whether they stay there or not (this assumes the Cubs don't suck in the interim).

No tribalism or rivalry crap, just pure baseball.

 

[dabynsky]

Cubs are now 13-18. 7 games before White Sox series. Cubs could potentially be 20-18 or hovering around .500 at least. White Sox series will determine whether they stay there or not (this assumes the Cubs don't suck in the interim).

No tribalism or rivalry crap, just pure baseball.

The best I think we can realisticly hope for is the Cubs to keep playing at their win or draw each series pace. That would put them at 17-21 heading into the White Sox series. That would make them realitively in it by terms of the standings, but I don't really think a good series against the White Sox would put them in contention for a second wildcard.

but...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXesMkAYh44[/ame]

 

[Jntg4]

LOL, did dabynsky just use "them" meaning "Cubs" and "contention" in the same sentence?!? :rofl::cum:

 

[dabynsky]

LOL, did dabynsky just use "them" meaning "Cubs" and "contention" in the same sentence?!? :rofl::cum:

Can I play FT or RS and complain about your reading comprehension now?

 

[DewsSox79]

sox vs cubs=meaningless/overrated/overhyped/dumb fans come out

 

[DewsSox79]

i care the same if it is a W or a L whether its the cubs or the A's. I dont get anything out of a W vs the cubs. just another game.

The only positive is the fact that the sox will be playing NL teams and they usually fair well against NL teams.

I hope Ventura uses his head and puts Dunn in LF

 

[Rice Cube]

Yeah, a win is a win.

 

[dabynsky]

Yeah, a win is a win.

But do wins really matter this year for the Cubs? I mean I want to hold out hope as much as the next guy, but I can't shake the feeling that each victory like today is merely pyrrhic. I am not going to feel bad for enjoying watching my team win, but it does seem a bit of a wasted exercise if this team is able to scrap itself above .500 after the Sox series.

 

[Rice Cube]

But do wins really matter this year for the Cubs? I mean I want to hold out hope as much as the next guy, but I can't shake the feeling that each victory like today is merely pyrrhic. I am not going to feel bad for enjoying watching my team win, but it does seem a bit of a wasted exercise if this team is able to scrap itself above .500 after the Sox series.

This is sort of the same argument as whether an Aramis Ramirez April homer is worth as much as one in September. The manager and the players are there to win as many games as possible and the front office will not discourage that. If they are meant to tank, they are not going to do it overtly. So I will reaffirm that a win is a win and whatever draft position (or postseason seed) they end up with is what it is.

 

[dabynsky]

This is sort of the same argument as whether an Aramis Ramirez April homer is worth as much as one in September. The manager and the players are there to win as many games as possible and the front office will not discourage that. If they are meant to tank, they are not going to do it overtly. So I will reaffirm that a win is a win and whatever draft position (or postseason seed) they end up with is what it is.

I totally agree with how the front office, manager, coaches, and players need to approach these games. I was merely talking about how we view these events. Whether wins really matter if the team has a 99% chance of missing the postseason for the fourth straight season? Whether a series that gets this team over .500 is really important or not?

 

[Rice Cube]

I totally agree with how the front office, manager, coaches, and players need to approach these games. I was merely talking about how we view these events. Whether wins really matter if the team has a 99% chance of missing the postseason for the fourth straight season? Whether a series that gets this team over .500 is really important or not?

I guess that depends on your point of view. In my post I was saying that the series is important anyway, but it becomes more intriguing if the Cubs are at or near .500...otherwise it doesn't hold as much urgency because we expect the team to suck anyway.

The thing with this team is that they have the ability to greatly overachieve and surprise but they are, at their core, a bad team. The good news is that the new front office didn't overpay for marginal wins, so it's not like taking, say, 2009's team and missing out on the postseason while also forfeiting a top 10 pick while ALSO wasting $150MM or whatever they spent. Wins this season will come at a significant discount and even if it drops the team out of the protected pick range, I'm okay with that because I don't think they were planning to spend on the compensation-level free agents anyway. I could be mistaken though and often am.

 

[dabynsky]

I guess that depends on your point of view. In my post I was saying that the series is important anyway, but it becomes more intriguing if the Cubs are at or near .500...otherwise it doesn't hold as much urgency because we expect the team to suck anyway.

The thing with this team is that they have the ability to greatly overachieve and surprise but they are, at their core, a bad team. The good news is that the new front office didn't overpay for marginal wins, so it's not like taking, say, 2009's team and missing out on the postseason while also forfeiting a top 10 pick while ALSO wasting $150MM or whatever they spent. Wins this season will come at a significant discount and even if it drops the team out of the protected pick range, I'm okay with that because I don't think they were planning to spend on the compensation-level free agents anyway. I could be mistaken though and often am.

I hope you are because I will open admit to daydreaming about Cole Hamels at the top of the Cubs rotation next year.

*Yes I realize the odds are low that he hits free agency, that the Cubs would be interested in that contract, and that Hamels would sign with this team over any other interested team.

 

[Rice Cube]

Coughing up that first round draft pick during a retooling period is probably going to be a major deterrent to signing Hamels or the like, unfortunately.

 

[Rice Cube]

Cubs pull off an oddity: a win with only 26 plate appearances | HardballTalk

Imagine if they hadn't just given away outs like they were candy.

 

[X]

Dolis w/ another save.

Do you all think he's long-term closer material? Or just a flash in the pan that other teams haven't had enough tape on? I've read he can throw several pitches, but nothing about him is power.

 

[Rice Cube]

Dolis w/ another save.

Do you all think he's long-term closer material? Or just a flash in the pan that other teams haven't had enough tape on? I've read he can throw several pitches, but nothing about him is power.

He's got good velocity on his fastball. The problem is that he's not getting a lot of strikeouts and walks too many guys. If nobody is swinging and missing at your stuff, you'd better hope the location is good. So I think he's got some work to do.

 

[daddies3angels]

Coughing up that first round draft pick during a retooling period is probably going to be a major deterrent to signing Hamels or the like, unfortunately.

If cubs finish where we expect them to they wont lose 1st RD pick for him. They would lose 2nd

 

[daddies3angels]

I hope you are because I will open admit to daydreaming about Cole Hamels at the top of the Cubs rotation next year.

*Yes I realize the odds are low that he hits free agency, that the Cubs would be interested in that contract, and that Hamels would sign with this team over any other interested team.

Be kind of stupid to go trade Garza then go sign Hamels. The idea to me would be keep Garza as a great number 2 and add an ACE like Hamels. Shark being 3 be nice front 1-3. But again Cubs can get all the pitching in the world but until they start getting some hitters it wont matter. The best teams in teh league can hit and hit.

 

[X]

Be kind of stupid to go trade Garza then go sign Hamels. The idea to me would be keep Garza as a great number 2 and add an ACE like Hamels. Shark being 3 be nice front 1-3. But again Cubs can get all the pitching in the world but until they start getting some hitters it wont matter. The best teams in teh league can hit and hit.

Well, Rizzo and Jackson should help when they're called up...but honestly, things will start to improve whenever Soriano is replaced with an above average LFer.