IST: Cubs at Brewers

[Ari Bear]

Knock'em down Rondon!

 

[CSF77]

I would like to see (after Montero gets back and they finally do the right thing an promote Baez)

CF: Fowler (Finally getting it together) Back up: Denorfia & Coghlan. Test Baez here some.
LF Schwarber Full time no platoons.
3B Bryant Keep him here. I would rather see him go through ups and downs vs jumbling the line up. Back up Baez and Coghlan
1B Rizzo. Really doen't need days off at 1B.
RF: Soler. He is starting to come around., Back up Denorfia and Coghlan
C Montero back up Ross. Get rid of the personal catcher BS. Just go with a strait platoon here. No Schwarber. His skill set sucks still.
SS Castro Back up Russell and Baez For now. I still think they should test him on the waver wire.
P
2B Russell back up Baez and Coghlan

Staff looks solid. Pen got a boost. Team should be stable for the ride. See if some teams flame out. Cubs will have solid depth going on so they shouldn't go through the dog days.

 

[CuttyMarsh2012forOffice]

I also wonder how rondon lost the closer role?

Can't believe Motte pitches blind and is better than average

 

[Ari Bear]

 

[chibears55]

Was your post serious? I never know on this site.

Russell has been doing well post-ASB. I think Castro will finish hot now that the trade rumors are all dead. He seems like the type of player that would let that get to his head

Half serious. .

Obviously Castro got to go on a hitting rage the last 2 months to raise his Avg. 32 points..

But

I have more faith in Castro doing that because i know and seen him go on a tear at the major league level and he can do it again ..

Then

Knowing if Russell able to turn it on and maintain it the final 2 months because he has no history to fall back on at major league level..

 

[CSF77]

Half serious. .

Obviously Castro got to go on a hitting rage the last 2 months to raise his Avg. 32 points..

But

I have more faith in Castro doing that because i know and seen him go on a tear at the major league level and he can do it again ..

Then

Knowing if Russell able to turn it on and maintain it the final 2 months because he has no history to fall back on at major league level..

I look at if they are having quality AB's or not. That tells if they are reading the pitch coming out of the pitchers hand or not. It is all about mastering the strike zone and accepting your walks. Castro has never been this guy. He has/had a knack of being able to hit "balls" into the gap vs taking that pitch.

So just talking raw tool set Russell is the type of player I prefer. He already has a 8% BB% early into his career. That bodes well going forward. Now all he has to figue is to lay off of pitcher's pitches.

 

[JZsportsfan]

Half serious. .

Obviously Castro got to go on a hitting rage the last 2 months to raise his Avg. 32 points..

But

I have more faith in Castro doing that because i know and seen him go on a tear at the major league level and he can do it again ..

Then

Knowing if Russell able to turn it on and maintain it the final 2 months because he has no history to fall back on at major league level..

Fair enough. For what it's worth Russell has raised his BA .015 since the ASB
Pretty big jump he is approaching 300 ABs

Bottom line though, every hitter outside of Rizzo needs to step it up if this team is going to make the postseason

 

[FrankieLyrical]

We have 60 more games to go. If we play .500 baseball and win 85 games (playoffs or not) this season will have been successful for me. I thought we'd win anywhere from 80-84 games so that would meet my expectations

 

[JZsportsfan]

Meh, for the season to be a success for me, we need to make the playoffs. I'm greedy now, I want to sniff some October action. If you told me in April we would win 85 games, I would have been happy. But I know what this team is capable of. I'll be bummed if the Cubs don't play at least 1 playoff game this season. But I suppose I would consider 85 seasons a win

 

[CSF77]

You have to learn how to walk before you can start to run.

The core of the team is in a learning process. If they get into the play offs they are bound to get knocked out early.

I doubt they get passed Pitt in the 1 game.

The fact is they are going up against teams that have been there. That is why the Giants are the only team that has a shot to beat Pitt in the 1 game.

Experience.

That said it would be a good learning experience if they put themselves into that situation.

 

[Boobaby1]

You have to learn how to walk before you can start to run.

The core of the team is in a learning process. If they get into the play offs they are bound to get knocked out early.

I doubt they get passed Pitt in the 1 game.

The fact is they are going up against teams that have been there. That is why the Giants are the only team that has a shot to beat Pitt in the 1 game.

Experience.

That said it would be a good learning experience if they put themselves into that situation.

Exactly. This is their "turn the corner year" and it will bode well to be in a playoff run, especially with as many young kids getting their first shot, and quite possibly, Baez getting thrown back into the mix to see how he has adjusted.

Other teams like the Royals, Pirates, and now Astro's were a couple of years ahead of the Cubs in their rebuild, and the Cubs have rebuilt their team very quickly if you ask me compared to other franchises.

I don't recall anyone around here stating that the Cubs would win the division.

The over and under for team wins in Vegas was 81-1/2.

They are way ahead of that as I took them over.

Lets see what happens from here on out.

 

[FrankieLyrical]

Meh, for the season to be a success for me, we need to make the playoffs. I'm greedy now, I want to sniff some October action. If you told me in April we would win 85 games, I would have been happy. But I know what this team is capable of. I'll be bummed if the Cubs don't play at least 1 playoff game this season. But I suppose I would consider 85 seasons a win

Don't get me wrong, I have a bit of greed myself but I have to be realistic as well so I don't end up disappointed.

 

[chibears55]

You have to learn how to walk before you can start to run.

The core of the team is in a learning process. If they get into the play offs they are bound to get knocked out early.

I doubt they get passed Pitt in the 1 game.

The fact is they are going up against teams that have been there. That is why the Giants are the only team that has a shot to beat Pitt in the 1 game.

Experience.

That said it would be a good learning experience if they put themselves into that situation.

I agree with everything but the 1 game playoff doubt..

I give that a 50/50 possibility, only because in 1 game anything can happen to favor the cubs ..
lester or Arrieta can pitch a gem
Somebody has clutch game with bat
Pirates make a key error
Etc. Etc.

Look at the other night, everyone thought easy win for sox with Sales on mound ..streak continues. . They lost


So, 1 game.. anything possible

 

[Diehardfan]

You have to learn how to walk before you can start to run.

The core of the team is in a learning process. If they get into the play offs they are bound to get knocked out early.

I doubt they get passed Pitt in the 1 game.

The fact is they are going up against teams that have been there. That is why the Giants are the only team that has a shot to beat Pitt in the 1 game.

Experience.

That said it would be a good learning experience if they put themselves into that situation.

Experience can be an odd thing. The reality of it is that the term means that they have been here before and in the Pirate's case....failed. With few exceptions, these Cubs have never been there and also have never failed.....sometimes ignorance is bliss.

 

[JZsportsfan]

You have to learn how to walk before you can start to run.

The core of the team is in a learning process. If they get into the play offs they are bound to get knocked out early.

I doubt they get passed Pitt in the 1 game.

The fact is they are going up against teams that have been there. That is why the Giants are the only team that has a shot to beat Pitt in the 1 game.

Experience.

That said it would be a good learning experience if they put themselves into that situation.

Because a lack of experience hurt the Royals so much last year

 

[Grizzly]

You have to learn how to walk before you can start to run.

The core of the team is in a learning process. If they get into the play offs they are bound to get knocked out early.

I doubt they get passed Pitt in the 1 game.

The fact is they are going up against teams that have been there. That is why the Giants are the only team that has a shot to beat Pitt in the 1 game.

Experience.

That said it would be a good learning experience if they put themselves into that situation.

That's really a crazy statement to make. What if the playoff game matches up Lester against Cole? Who has the experience there? In a one game playoff anybody can take it. So far the Cubs are 6-4 against Pittsburgh this season. In fact Lester and the Cubs have beaten Cole and the Pirates 4-1 this year. Does that mean the Cubs win? NO, In a one game playoff it means nothing. That's why they play the game.

 

[SilenceS]

Pirates and Cardinals are much better teams. I mean one game anything can happen but they are much better teams.

 

[chibears55]

Pirates and Cardinals are much better teams. I mean one game anything can happen but they are much better teams.

Nobody disputing their better teams, just the fact you cant 100% guarentee they will win in a 1 game playoff. .

9th inning , game on bases and 2 outs..
Looper to RF and polanco slips and falls..[emoji6] [emoji51] [emoji3]

Anything can happen

 

[FrankieLyrical]

When was Schwarber projected to be in the bigs? Surely not this early. Wasn't 2017 supposed to be his year?

 

[FrankieLyrical]

Good contact by KB there, as long as he's not whiffing at those fastballs down the middle I'm fine