IST: Cubs @ Pirates

[chibears55]

Looks like we be watching Bulls tonight...

Defense looks bad
Lester getting hit hard
Bats can't do anything against a pitcher who was trying to give them the game

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[Globetrotter]

Why are they sending Heyward? Wtf

 

[chibears55]

Seriously???
Down 4 runs and Heyward trying to steal

9 baserunners first 15 hitters and managed only 1 run via HBP..

Glasnow trying to give them runs

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[chibears55]

Maybe Schwarber can't hit in April
Have to wait til it gets hot out and in October

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[chibears55]

Why didn't they challenge that
Tag was at waist, foot looked to be on plate...


Cubs getting good offensive production from RF and CF
be nice if LF was hitting

Schwarber the new Heyward

Cubs blowing Chances this game

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[Globetrotter]

Besides the ump's BS calls in the first, they've just killed their own momentum all game.

I thought that play at home was pretty bang bang, too. They failed to even show a good replay. More interested in Lester patting the ump on the back.

I find Cervelli annoying demonstrative.

 

[beckdawg]

Why didn't they challenge that
Tag was at waist, foot looked to be on plate...


Cubs getting good offensive production from RF and CF
be nice if LF was hitting

Schwarber the new Heyward

Cubs blowing Chances this game

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Schwarber is hitting .215/.354/.380. Granted you'd like to see that BA more like .280-.290 which would push his slugging up to the .445-.455 range. You'd also probably like him to slug more in the .500ish range but point here being he's not *that* far off. He's getting on base at a pretty good clip and his 15.6% walk rate is stellar. I wouldn't exactly call him "the new Heyward."

His K rate is up this year(28.1%) but I'm guessing that's more to do with him seeing a lot more pitches out of the lead off role. He's currently #5 in the majors at 4.42 per plate appearance. #1 is Granderson, #2 is Ryan Schmpf, #3 is Anthony Rendon, #4 is Matt Carpenter. Not trying to shine him up or anything but he's largely doing what you want out of a lead off hitter. He's getting on base and racking up pitches. Presumably the hits will come sooner or later.

 

[chibears55]

Schwarber is hitting .215/.354/.380. Granted you'd like to see that BA more like .280-.290 which would push his slugging up to the .445-.455 range. You'd also probably like him to slug more in the .500ish range but point here being he's not *that* far off. He's getting on base at a pretty good clip and his 15.6% walk rate is stellar. I wouldn't exactly call him "the new Heyward."

His K rate is up this year(28.1%) but I'm guessing that's more to do with him seeing a lot more pitches out of the lead off role. He's currently #5 in the majors at 4.42 per plate appearance. #1 is Granderson, #2 is Ryan Schmpf, #3 is Anthony Rendon, #4 is Matt Carpenter. Not trying to shine him up or anything but he's largely doing what you want out of a lead off hitter. He's getting on base and racking up pitches. Presumably the hits will come sooner or later.

He reached base 11 times last 40 PA
5 BB 6 Hits
Not exactly been getting on base much lately either..

My point saying Heyward is Schwarber been coming up with a lot of opportunities with guys on base and either striking out or making weak outs...

Let's be realistic with Schwarber and put his playoff numbers aside, he hasn't hit much in regular season since his hot start in 2015..

I get it's only 27 games into his first long stint since injury and I hope he can get it going soon, but until he does I'm not ready to say this guy an untouchable or great player yet.

No matter how much Epstein loves him..


I'd actually consider sitting him a game or two in Boston..
Play Jay in LF Almora in CF and DH Zobrist

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[beckdawg]

He reached base 11 times last 40 PA
5 BB 6 Hits
Not exactly been getting on base much lately either..

My point saying Heyward is Schwarber been coming up with a lot of opportunities with guys on base and either striking out or making weak outs...

Let's be realistic with Schwarber and put his playoff numbers aside, he hasn't hit much in regular season since his hot start in 2015..

I get it's only 27 games into his first long stint since injury and I hope he can get it going soon, but until he does I'm not ready to say this guy an untouchable or great player yet.

No matter how much Epstein loves him..


I'd actually consider sitting him a game or two in Boston..
Play Jay in LF Almora in CF and DH Zobrist

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I mean look I get where you're coming from but as you mention it's early and to be fair Schwarber it's not like he had all last year to adjust to the majors. He's had a long time off even if he was great in the WS. I don't see the point in sitting him vs Boston given the DH. If you're gonna sit him do it in an NL game because in your example you're starting Baez over Schwarber who's hitting .214/.274/.357. Overall though, I wouldn't worry too much. If the "bad" of Schwarber is a .351 OBP you can live with him.

I'm far more concerned with the pitching at the moment than any of that. The starters coming into tonight had a 3.85/4.01 ERA/FIP. I'm not on the ledge about it but that's why they are losing games more so than their hitting.

 

[chibears55]

I mean look I get where you're coming from but as you mention it's early and to be fair Schwarber it's not like he had all last year to adjust to the majors. He's had a long time off even if he was great in the WS. I don't see the point in sitting him vs Boston given the DH. If you're gonna sit him do it in an NL game because in your example you're starting Baez over Schwarber who's hitting .214/.274/.357. Overall though, I wouldn't worry too much. If the "bad" of Schwarber is a .351 OBP you can live with him.

I'm far more concerned with the pitching at the moment than any of that. The starters coming into tonight had a 3.85/4.01 ERA/FIP. I'm not on the ledge about it but that's why they are losing games more so than their hitting.

Starting Baez over Schwarber would be more about playing a better defense over what the two are hitting (both struggling bad)...


Schwarber current .351 OBP is more because of his start and getting walked a lot early on...

he has dropped from a .390 OBP to his current
.350 , because over his last 40+ PA his OBP is around .250 ...

So, the bad Schwarber isn't a .350 OBP, its a 100 points worse then that now.

But like I said, hopefully its just a bad start because he still adjusting after missing a year and he will get it going again soon.

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[fatbeard]

It's shaping up to be a long 2017 if I'm going to keep having to wade through metric tons of chibears55's daily cunting over every mistake just so I can read beckdawg's posts.

 

[beckdawg]

Starting Baez over Schwarber would be more about playing a better defense over what the two are hitting (both struggling bad)...

But it's not even like you have to expose Schwarber defensively in Boston. Point here being if you want to start someone on the bench be it Jay or Szczur you can sit Baez, move Zobrist to 2B and LF Jay or Szczur. Now I don't think Maddon is going to sit either Baez or Schwarber but my point is if you're going to live with Baez in the line up why wouldn't you live with Schwarber. Him DH should basically be guaranteed in any AL IL game because he's not costing you defensively. If you simply must sit him you do it when you get back to NL games.

 

[chibears55]

But it's not even like you have to expose Schwarber defensively in Boston. Point here being if you want to start someone on the bench be it Jay or Szczur you can sit Baez, move Zobrist to 2B and LF Jay or Szczur. Now I don't think Maddon is going to sit either Baez or Schwarber but my point is if you're going to live with Baez in the line up why wouldn't you live with Schwarber. Him DH should basically be guaranteed in any AL IL game because he's not costing you defensively. If you simply must sit him you do it when you get back to NL games.

Because Baez is a much better 2B then Zobrist...

Point is , this could be a good opportunity to give Schwarber a day off, play Jay or Szczur in LF and let Zobrist DH.

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[TC in Mississippi]

Because Baez is a much better 2B then Zobrist...

Point is , this could be a good opportunity to give Schwarber a day off, play Jay or Szczur in LF and let Zobrist DH.

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Schwarber is a young hitter that has to develop. Yes he's in a slump, .224/.345/.327 in his last 13 games, but he's in that development period of pitchers adjusting to him and having him adjust back. He's never had that adjustment period before as you're still talking about a kid with only 375 PA in MLB. The last thing you want to do is sit him right now, especially in an AL park. His problem is he's not elevating the ball and he's going to have to work that out on his own. I like Baez but he's not the special kind of hitter that Schwarber should become, it it's a choice to sit one or the other I sit Baez every time.

 

[chibears55]

Schwarber is a young hitter that has to develop. Yes he's in a slump, .224/.345/.327 in his last 13 games, but he's in that development period of pitchers adjusting to him and having him adjust back. He's never had that adjustment period before as you're still talking about a kid with only 375 PA in MLB. The last thing you want to do is sit him right now, especially in an AL park. His problem is he's not elevating the ball and he's going to have to work that out on his own. I like Baez but he's not the special kind of hitter that Schwarber should become, it it's a choice to sit one or the other I sit Baez every time.

I agree...

But with the possibility of facing 2 lefties this series, him struggling, why not give him a day off..

He is eventually going to get a day off, he not going to play all 162

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[TC in Mississippi]

I agree...

But with the possibility of facing 2 lefties this series, him struggling, why not give him a day off..

He is eventually going to get a day off, he not going to play all 162

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They haven't announced a starter for Sunday but he'll be facing a righty in Pomeranz and a knuckleballer in Wright on Sat so I'm not sure about the two lefties you mention. Still I'm not sitting him in an AL park. I'll sit him against an NL team to keep his legs fresh. He's not a veteran who you sit to get their mind right, he needs the AB for his development. He's going to struggle, it's part of the process.

 

[CSF77]

I've said before but he seems to be focusing too much on walking vs waiting for a pitch to drive. In other words he is a passive hitter vs a aggressive or opertunist hitter. Now I did like that he did lay down a bunt when the shift was on and he should try to use left field more as he develops.

But as a passive hitter his break down is:

97 PA
BABIP: .286. Pretty close to league avg.
BB: 15. SO: 28. Just under 2:1 ratio.

So 44% of his PA's have ended up either a walk or a strike out. 56% have been put into play with a .286 BABIP.

So this is pushing his BA down and his OBA up.

He needs to start looking to pick his pitch to drive earlier into the count vs going deep all of the time. His BABIP doesn't support that approach. He would have to have a .350 to have success with that low of a contact rate.