IST: Chicago Cubs (5-3) hosting San Diego Padres (6-4)

CSF77

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As far as the game: Like what Fowler brought to the table. I'm a fan of the guy and I hope he becomes a long term player. For what it's worth I would rather have them start to trade out guys like Almora etc to bring in TOR. They need a mix of youth/Vets vs flood gating the team with more adjustments. That is why I was glad that Baez went to AAA. Dude was not making contact. And to be honest Russell is ahead of him now. I see him ending up as trade bait. Some team will look at his raw power and want to gamble.
 

beckdawg

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I don't see the Leon thing to be honest here. What I see is super sub that can give some power on occasion but a lesser player than Russell.

Well it legit comes down to how he hits/gets on base. I mean it's clear he has 15-20 HR power and 30+ SB speed. He's done both in the minors. That's why I view this strong walk start as such a good thing. Prior I wasn't sure his 2013 AA was legit because it was kind of an abnormal blip. If I'm right about him being a 10-11% walk guy in his career that means the barrier to hit is lower on him. I can't tell you if he'll hit .200 or .270 or perhaps higher. I can tell you that a 10% walk rate grants you about 100 points of OBP. SO to get into that sort of Durham range only requires a .250ish hitter.
 

beckdawg

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One last thought about Alcantara. The name people often associate with him in Zobrist because of the super sub thing. Know what he hit from 25-27? 530 PAs, .222/.279/.370 with 15 HRs and 7 SB. Since then he's hit .270/.364/.438 with 100 HRs and 95 SB in 3987 PAs. I can't guarantee Alcantara will be anything but I see a guy with 15-20 HR/30+ SB potential. There's not that many of those type of players around. I see a guy who looks very good defensively. And I see a guy who thus far has walked better. If he hits at all he's got a chance to be a very good player.
 

TC in Mississippi

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Today's game was one they should have won. Left guys on after 2nd & 3rd w one out. Too many K's. They need to understand it is CRITICAL to stop striking out in those situations. Too many ABs wasted.
They're young. They'll learn. Maddon needs to reinforce this. It will be better as sesson goes along.

I agree with you but oddly I think it is mostly a good thing that they lost. Earlier this team won two games they should have lost and that was rightly heralded as the mark of a good team, the thing is you learn from failure and I have no doubt they will learn from this game. This is a young developing team as long as they don't lose too many games like that you chalk it up to a learning experience.
 

TC in Mississippi

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Did you watch the game? Shields was dealing.

Absolutely he was, that changeup was deadly but there were opportunities and chinks in Shields' armor and a more experienced team takes advantage. Again I'm not upset by the loss, I think they'll learn from it, but when you're facing that good a pitcher, when he has one of his best pitches working like that, you have to take advantage of the other stuff he throws. The fastball was hittable at times and right in the middle of the strike zone. Maddon will point that out. This is how a young team learns.
 

Parade_Rain

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Absolutely he was, that changeup was deadly but there were opportunities and chinks in Shields' armor and a more experienced team takes advantage. Again I'm not upset by the loss, I think they'll learn from it, but when you're facing that good a pitcher, when he has one of his best pitches working like that, you have to take advantage of the other stuff he throws. The fastball was hittable at times and right in the middle of the strike zone. Maddon will point that out. This is how a young team learns.
Even the WS winner loses games against good pitching during the season. I expect a decent K count when pitchers like Shields are on the mound. That's the way it works at every level.
 

TC in Mississippi

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Even the WS winner loses games against good pitching during the season. I expect a decent K count when pitchers like Shields are on the mound. That's the way it works at every level.

Of course, but you learn to win some of those too. I was by no means implying that you could win every one.
 

Parade_Rain

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Of course, but you learn to win some of those too. I was by no means implying that you could win every one.
Sure. It's early in the year. Hitters are still getting squared away. That's why the change was so briliant. I would like a different result the next time the Cubs face Shields, but they scored 4 runs against him. Most teams aren't going to get that much more off of him no matter the time of year. The conversation would be completely different right now, if 1) PU would have called strike 3 properly (2X) and 2) the pitcher would have executed the next pitch in a proper location.
 

Parade_Rain

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What did everyone think of Castillo's catching yesterday?
 

chibears55

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I agree with you but oddly I think it is mostly a good thing that they lost. Earlier this team won two games they should have lost and that was rightly heralded as the mark of a good team, the thing is you learn from failure and I have no doubt they will learn from this game. This is a young developing team as long as they don't lose too many games like that you chalk it up to a learning experience.
Just curious as to what they would have learned from this particular game that they wouldn't of already known as a team?

I dont get it when fans say a lost is a good thing , it never good to lose as a team...


I get it if they showed up as a team and played lazy and felt like they were gonna win no matter what and it served as a wake up call to always play hard but other then that i never see a lost a good thing for a team..

Individual mistakes costing the team is on the individual , or poor execution by certain players is on them..
Those aren't good reasons for a whole team to suffer a lost and learn from cause individuals made mistakes or didn't execute.

Most of that stuff are already things they know they need to do every game, but just a matter of doing it...


Again, curious ss to what you felt was a good reason for them to lose and what they needed to learn from it..
 

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Didn't get the game here in Iowa which really pisses me off but I'll save that for another time. Obviously heard Bryant's line and in no way am I even slightly concerned. Between the ridiculous amount of pressure and the fact that his first ABs were against Shields, it was kind of expected imo. Any level headed Cubs fan knows there will be some bumps in the road but he'll get there. Game will be on CSN here in Iowa today but I have to be at work at 3. Between missing half the Cubs game and NBA/NHL playoffs, I really fucking hate having adult responsibilities and shit.
 

beckdawg

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So I was thinking about the trade deadline. Overall, the team is more complete than I would have expected when thinking about it prior to the season. By that I mean I expected there would be more obvious holes to fill where you could make a smaller trade to improve on someone who's below average. However, outside of C(a younger long term solution), and maybe a #3 pitcher most of the moves feel like they might be marginal increases unless they go balls to the wall to land a superstar. I left 2B out here because I'd frankly be shocked if they traded for a 2B with Russell and Baez in the minors and obviously I like Alcantara a lot myself.

Looking at the present standings your worst 10 teams are presently MIL(2-8), SF(3-9), MIA(3-8), PHI(3-8), SEA(3-7), CLE(3-6), CHW(3-6), HOU(4-6), PIT(4-6), NYY(4-6) and MIN(4-6). Just looking through these teams names that pop out to me as making sense for trades in general are Mat Latos(2016 FA), Cole Hamels, Hisashi Iwakuma(2016 FA), Jeff Samardzija(2016 FA), and Francisco Liriano(2017 FA). Of that list I'm kind of most interested in Latos frankly. Hamels is probably the best pitcher but given where the Phillies have started I doubt they come down enough to make it much of a deal and given Hamels is likely to be the best available pitcher someone will probably pay them close to what they want. Latos is 27 and while not your typical "ace" he would sit well in the #2/3 role with Arrieta. You could possibly argue Shark in this conversation too but I kinda feel like that ship sailed last year.

Outside of that situation I'm not really seeing an obvious move unless someone unexpected becomes available. Sonny Gray perhaps? Never count out Beane. Jose Fernandez? Never count out the Marlins going crazy. The nationals trading Strasburg/Zimmerman for a missing part? Tampa making Archer available? In terms of positional players that are super stars no one strikes me as likely to be available. McCutchen would clearly be worth getting but he's not a FA until 2018. Puig maybe if the Dodgers soured on him enough but given they dealt Kemp I doubt Puig goes. The rest of the higher tier players seem like either a poor fit positional, are past their prime and a poor fit age wise, or just aren't really worth making a move.
 

chibears55

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Just read that Angels may look into buying out Hamilton or trade..
He 33 LH signed thru 2017.. Interested for LF ?

Soler, Rizzo, Bryant, Hamilton 2-5 and good protection for bryant

Id only be interested if Angels buy him out and then cubs could come to a reasonable deal for 2 yrs. .
 

chibears55

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Ill take that error as a good sign to him having a good day with bat..
Oppo of yesterday. .

Lol
 

JimJohnson

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Alcantara is a joke. Anyone defending this guy needs their head examined. Beckdawg called Alcantara a "monumental success" story in another thread. LMAO
 

ijustposthere

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Damn, I forgot today was an early start.
 

ijustposthere

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Alcantara is a joke. Anyone defending this guy needs their head examined. Beckdawg called Alcantara a "monumental success" story in another thread. LMAO

I think Alcantara is a bench utility player at best.
 

chibears55

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Ill take that error as a good sign to him having a good day with bat..
Oppo of yesterday. .

Lol
I knew that error was a good omen towards his AB today

4 great AB 3 walks and a single. .

Figured once he started laying off the junk hed be ok
 

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