IST:Cubs@Phillies

[JimJohnson]

When the Cubs win again, will you bless us with that in depth analysis?

When they win on the road again, I might consider it.

 

[Parade_Rain]

you don't need anyone to scream at them. you just got to make these guys feel not as comfortable.

LOL. This isn't football. As much as I like Maddon, I don't see him getting re-signed. This is a veteran club. They are very used to the way Joe operates. It appears a different voice is needed. If I'm the Cubs, I'm grabbing a guy like Girardi for next season.

 

[CSF77]

Ugly game. Cole's mechanics have been off since returning from the DL. But his velocity has been down by a MPH on all of his pitches and he said that the ball is not coming out of his hand feeling right.

That is all fine and dandy but last year he was hitting 95 when he came over. This year when right 92 MPH. So he has lost 3 MPH as is and really has become a change up guy.

I'm glad that Theo just popped his opt and didn't hand him a extension. Last thing they need is two older lefties trying to find their inner Jimmy Moyer.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Ugly game. Cole's mechanics have been off since returning from the DL. But his velocity has been down by a MPH on all of his pitches and he said that the ball is not coming out of his hand feeling right.

That is all fine and dandy but last year he was hitting 95 when he came over. This year when right 92 MPH. So he has lost 3 MPH as is and really has become a change up guy.

I'm glad that Theo just popped his opt and didn't hand him a extension. Last thing they need is two older lefties trying to find their inner Jimmy Moyer.

Jimmy Moyer?

 

[CSF77]

As far as the O is concerned. Nola is nasty. This result is expected against MLB ace quality talent. That doesn't change the fact that the O shuts down on the road as a whole.

 

[SilenceS]

LOL. This isn't football. As much as I like Maddon, I don't see him getting re-signed. This is a veteran club. They are very used to the way Joe operates. It appears a different voice is needed. If I'm the Cubs, I'm grabbing a guy like Girardi for next season.

Well, I dont agree on the different voice. I think that over states things but Theo sure isnt going to fire himself so I can see him not being re signed if a lot of heat is coming down.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Well, I dont agree on the different voice. I think that over states things but Theo sure isnt going to fire himself so I can see him not being re signed if a lot of heat is coming down.

Perhaps you haven’t coached long enough to know when a team has tuned out the boss. Joe has no buttons he can push or minds he can refresh this year. And there doesn’t even have to be “a lot of heat is coming down”.

 

[SilenceS]

Perhaps you haven’t coached long enough to know when a team has tuned out the boss. Joe has no buttons he can push or minds he can refresh this year. And there doesn’t even have to be “a lot of heat is coming down”.

Yea, they only tune in to him during home stands.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Yea, they only tune in to him during home stands.

Sure. Or they tuned in to being home and it has nothing to do with the manager.

 

[Parade_Rain]

Ugly game. Cole's mechanics have been off since returning from the DL. But his velocity has been down by a MPH on all of his pitches and he said that the ball is not coming out of his hand feeling right.

That is all fine and dandy but last year he was hitting 95 when he came over. This year when right 92 MPH. So he has lost 3 MPH as is and really has become a change up guy.

I'm glad that Theo just popped his opt and didn't hand him a extension. Last thing they need is two older lefties trying to find their inner Jimmy Moyer.

Yes. FB was hitting 90 mph last night. Something is off with him.

 

[DB012031]

LOL. This isn't football. As much as I like Maddon, I don't see him getting re-signed. This is a veteran club. They are very used to the way Joe operates. It appears a different voice is needed. If I'm the Cubs, I'm grabbing a guy like Girardi for next season.

I have been saying the same thing for a long time now. Joe Maddon, for all purposes, is done in Chicago. There is a reason he doesn't have a contract extension in place, but what I cannot figure out is why not just let him go now and let Loretta take the team over the last 40 games. I mean, it really cannot get any worse and perhaps not making the playoffs would be best for this team. Dive deep into Joe's career and don't just look at Win/Lose: This is a habit with him..He is great with very young teams, teams that just called up their best from the minors BUT he has always struggled once that team turned into "Vets". This is where we are today, we are a Veteran team, albeit a younger vet team.

We got the shit kicked out of us, again, and yes we could just throw it all on CH, but that game was just a reflection of the season as a whole. We are out game-planned, out smarted on an almost nightly basis. Hell, Kapler was fucking bunting in the right situations while up 5 runs...Joe wouldn't know what a bunt is if it bit him in the ass. The constant line-up shuffling, especially when guys are starting to get hot (game 1 in St. Louis last week was a perfect example) and leaving in SP's way longer when its clear they just don't have it. Our bullpen isn't the best but come on, we currently have 3 Long men in the pen (Chatwood, Mills and Norwood), he can go to the pen earlier if needs be and get 3+ innings out of them. He also waits way to long to call the mound visit when our starters are getting pummeled. Its like basketball for pete's sake, call the damn time out (mound visit) when momentum is going the wrong way.

We have the shift played against us more than any other team in baseball and Baez (who never has a shift played against him) is the only one that can consistently hit the ball the other way...Teams have adjusted to what we do and we have not adjusted back, that's on Joe and no one else.

Bottom line is the message/voice of Joe is NOT getting it done anymore. It is time to move on.

 

[SilenceS]

I have been saying the same thing for a long time now. Joe Maddon, for all purposes, is done in Chicago. There is a reason he doesn't have a contract extension in place, but what I cannot figure out is why not just let him go now and let Loretta take the team over the last 40 games. I mean, it really cannot get any worse and perhaps not making the playoffs would be best for this team. Dive deep into Joe's career and don't just look at Win/Lose: This is a habit with him..He is great with very young teams, teams that just called up their best from the minors BUT he has always struggled once that team turned into "Vets". This is where we are today, we are a Veteran team, albeit a younger vet team.

We got the shit kicked out of us, again, and yes we could just throw it all on CH, but that game was just a reflection of the season as a whole. We are out game-planned, out smarted on an almost nightly basis. Hell, Kapler was fucking bunting in the right situations while up 5 runs...Joe wouldn't know what a bunt is if it bit him in the ass. The constant line-up shuffling, especially when guys are starting to get hot (game 1 in St. Louis last week was a perfect example) and leaving in SP's way longer when its clear they just don't have it. Our bullpen isn't the best but come on, we currently have 3 Long men in the pen (Chatwood, Mills and Norwood), he can go to the pen earlier if needs be and get 3+ innings out of them. He also waits way to long to call the mound visit when our starters are getting pummeled. Its like basketball for pete's sake, call the damn time out (mound visit) when momentum is going the wrong way.

We have the shift played against us more than any other team in baseball and Baez (who never has a shift played against him) is the only one that can consistently hit the ball the other way...Teams have adjusted to what we do and we have not adjusted back, that's on Joe and no one else.

Bottom line is the message/voice of Joe is NOT getting it done anymore. It is time to move on.

 

[CSF77]

Yes. FB was hitting 90 mph last night. Something is off with him.

"It's just understanding why I'm getting these types of results out there, why the pitches are coming out the way that they are, and then just really correcting it," Hamels said. "Things just don't feel right. It's just getting back to the right type of extension and release point, and everything will kind of follow."

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

LOL. This isn't football. As much as I like Maddon, I don't see him getting re-signed. This is a veteran club. They are very used to the way Joe operates. It appears a different voice is needed. If I'm the Cubs, I'm grabbing a guy like Girardi for next season.

Why would they keep him dangling. If they wanted to keep him he'd have an extension already. Only thing that would save him is a WS win and that ain't happening. I like J G for his replacement also.

 

[CSF77]

Why would they keep him dangling. If they wanted to keep him he'd have an extension already. Only thing that would save him is a WS win and that ain't happening. I like J G for his replacement also.

I agree with this.

Joe has done nothing wrong with this group but they have not progressed as intended. And to be honest this is a team that is stuck with the pack vs leading it.

Part of this falls on Theo for trading away talent. He could have made other choices and held talent. He could have use those high picks to Target pitching also vs dive deep into the same pool over and over.

So I believe that they have made the decision to go after Girardi already. It was up to Madden to change their mindset and he did somewhat with him getting more active on the coaching front.

But IMO they need to do more than just switch managers. They need to change the roster also.

They have too much of the same typecast. Wait and uppercut. That makes a pitchers job easy. Pitch high and blow them away.

Just looking over the team they could go internal here. Bump up Nico in S/T for 2B and move Happ to RF Keep Heyward at CF and resign Castellino to play left.

And run a line up of

Heyward CF
Bryant 3B
Rizzo 1B
Baez SS
Castellino LF
Happ RF
Contreras C
Pitcher
Nico 2B

When Nico adjust to MLB then bump every one down one and make him lead off.

Now I like Nick hitting #2 but he pretty much is getting a hit every game and you really want to have him and Baez behind Bryant and Rizzo who both hover around .400 OBA.

They should trade Russell and Schwarber. Get pitching in return because of the turn over pending in the pen.

But my main issue with Madden is he is too laid back. The whole oh I know he will be back business really doesn't need to be said. All he needed to say is bad game and we will work on doing what it takes to improve on his next performance. These are paid adults doing a job. Not 5 year olds.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

I wouldn't anoint Happ for anything yet. He needs show the mental errors won't be regular and his hitting since being back up is too small of a sample size.

 

[greg23]

I'd package Russell and Maples for Buehler or Verlander.

 

[CSF77]

I'd package Russell and Maples for Buehler or Verlander.

Russell + Maples to the Astros = Ryan Pressly (Maybe)

That is why I said Schwarber + Russell + Maples might get you a few MLB ready arms that don't have high leverage in trades. They really don't need a savior. They need talent. And Maples has the profile that the Astros have worked with in the past and have been able to make it work. We have seen that team take under performing players and max out their talent too many times to think other wise.

 

[Omeletpants]

You have become the Pam Zeckman of the Cubs Forum

 

[CSF77]

Looking over the Astros I would try to get Kyle Tucker if anyone. He is another Yelch type.