OSS: Cubs out-weird the Jays in extras while blowing and retaking the lead.
Three up:
-
The tenth inning of this game had, between both teams,
– An error on a routine throw back to the pitcher by Alex Avila
– Three walks, one with the bases loaded
– A run scored on a wild pitch
– Not one but two batters reaching on dropped third strikes by Jays catcher Raffy Lopez
Maybe not great baseball, but certainly fun baseball. - Alex Avila was the clear leader in WPA, thanks to his walkoff bases loaded single to end the game in the tenth. Lucky for him that everything else overshadowed that bizarre throwing error.
-
Albert Almora also had a pretty good game at the plate, driving in the Cubs first three runs and going 2-4.
3b. Almora came up short on a nearly spectacular play against the wall in center early in the game, showing respect for the ridiculous brick wall in the OF. Jays CF Kevin Pilar had no such fear and made a spectacular and probably painful catch of a KB blast to dead center.
Three down:
- I wasn't too worried by the early poor performance by Justin Wilson after the Cubs picked him up. After all, Mike Montgomery had several shitty outings after he was picked up too, before he turned into the resonably reliable swingman we now know. Wilson though, sheesh. Today he issued two walks, one with the bases loaded. In six of his eight outings as a Cub, he has had a run charged to him. In the other two, he allowed two inherited baserunners to score and in the other he put two men on before Duensing and Strop bailed him out of further damage. He was pretty good with the Tigers but it's safe to say his debut here has been pretty awful.
- Koji Uehara also did not have a great day, but at least he had the excuse of just having come off the DL.
- The Cubs had a chance to win it in the ninth after getting two men on with nobody out, but did not manage to get a run across the plate.
Next up: The Cubs have an off day, then head to GABP for a three game set against the Reds. John Lackey takes on Homer Bailey in the opener, so it should be a good day for fans in the bleachers.
Comments
The Giants are the first team to get eliminated in their division.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Just like we all expected going into the season.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
The loss of even-year magic made the odd-year curse return with a vengeance.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
So I understood the bunt in the 9th. I just thought it was super shitty execution. Also, WTF with the at-bats after that?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I was annoyed at the time, but it may not have been a bad call. A good bunt is almost break-even, and there’s always a possibility of a misplay or a bunt hit (as we saw with Hendricks).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I think the fact they only needed 1 run made the bunt defensible. Jay just bunted in the wrong spot and then nobody could put the ball in play. It was stupid and thankfully the Jays out-stupided the Cubs.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Cardinals lose.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Cubs have the second best record since the ASB, trailing only the Dodgers (who need to find a higher difficulty setting).
PerkinsQuote Reply
I seriously wonder if Justin Wilson is injured.
MylesQuote Reply
I don’t care about the eclipse. I guess I care enough to voice my lack of caring, so I could probably care less than I do right now. Either way, my care of it is quite low.
EdwinQuote Reply
I was too lazy to remember to buy glasses, and I am vindicated by the fact that it’s too cloudy to see anything anyway.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Myles,
I was wondering that yesterday.
I also couldn’t care less about the eclipse. I was starting to think I was the only one who didn’t care.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
We have a 10 yr old. She cares. So we do.
BVSQuote Reply
dmick89,
I was able to take a look at our 80% here thanks to a coworker’s glasses – it could see right through the clouds.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I think the bunt was pretty dumb. Over the years I’ve begun to hate the bunt more and more. Jay hasbeen a good hitter. Why do you sacrifice him? Especially with no outs.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I didn’t hate the bunt there, but I’m generally in favor of swinging away unless it’s a pitcher. I’d actually prefer most pitchers swing away. I understand the bunt has to be used enough by players to keep the defense honest. I think it’s something more players should do, especially with these extreme shifts, but as a means to move a player over, I’m not a big fan.
dmick89Quote Reply
Winning run on 2nd, no outs, I thi k you take as many shots as possible, not give them an out and potentially set up double play. Except, as you say, with a pitcher, Rene Rivera, or Ian Stewart.
BVSQuote Reply
So the umps are wearing white armbands to protest Ian Kinsler saying Angel Hernandez should get a new job after a game last week. They say that the abuse of umps from olayers has been escalating. I read that both teams were upset with the strike zone all day.
Not sure if there really has been an escalation of rhetoric, but a union drawing the line in the sand to protect one of their worst members is not helping itself. Could be worse I guess, if it were Joe West or CB Bucknor.
BVSQuote Reply
In the ump’s defense, Ian Kinsler has always seemed like a weapons-grade asshole.
MylesQuote Reply
“Don’t give away an out” is not a good argument against bunts. Even on straight sacrifice attempts, the bunter reaches occasionally (it happened earlier with Hendricks).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
MGL is fond of pointing out that if the defense is playing optimally, i.e., they come in to defend against the bunt possibility, but not too far in, the batter should not be able to gain an advantage by either swinging away or bunting. In other words, it doesn’t matter whether he swings away or bunts. This doesn’t apply to hitters/situations where bunting is always wrong and the defense ought to play all the way back, but I suspect that most bunt attempts are at least defensible. If sac bunts were wrong, the best defensive strategy would be to play back to defend against the swing and be happy if your opponent bunts.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I think most defenses are plenty happy when the other team bunts. “If they’re going to give you the out, just take it” doesn’t come from years of despising the other team bunting.
I get what you’re saying and I agree to some extent, but there’s no way I’m bunting there. As I said, I don’t think it was a bad decision, but it’s not what I’d have done. About the only time I like the bunt is when it’s a surprise.
dmick89Quote Reply
They should play back further, then. Their opponents would bunt more!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Bunting isn’t the only factor in how far back a defense plays.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It’s the main reason they play in as far as they do in bunt situations. If they weren’t worried at all about the bunt they would play farther back, no?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Who said they weren’t worried about the bunt? I think I said that most defenses are happy for teams to bunt, but part of that happiness is that they can more easily defend the bunt than they can a line drive double down the line or a 475 foot home run. The bunt is easier to defend than the walk or a triple. Defenses are thrilled when teams lay down sac bunts because even if the player reaches, it’s still not as bad as the many other things that could have happened. Defenses play in so that they can convert the bunt into an out because why be happy if the team is bunting if you’re not ready for it? Ask any defense in that situation yesterday if they’d take a bunt or Jay swinging away. Every single one of them will agree they’d prefer the bunt. I know I’d sure as hell prefer a team the Cubs are playing to bunt in that situation. You can defend the bunt. You can’t defend the line drive up the middle.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
This
BVSQuote Reply
That was my initial thought too. Kinsler said something in the at bat that got him ejected immediately, but the umps cited his after-game comments instead. I heard those, they were pretty meh.
Even so, drawing your line to defend one of your 3 worst union members makes your org look bad. It’s like the musicians union defending Milli Vanilli or the Screen Actors Guild defending Nicholas Cage.
BVSQuote Reply
The Dodgers put an end to their one-game losing skid.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
You’re treating the decision to defend against the bunt as an either/or thing. Let me try again:
1. Defenses play in more in a bunt situation than they normally would. This only makes sense if their opponents’ Win Expectancy for bunting is higher than their Win Expectancy for swinging (otherwise, the defense would play normally and take a bunt as a gift).
2. The further in the defense plays, the higher the WE for swinging is and the lower the WE for bunting is.
3. The optimal defensive strategy is one where the offense cannot gain an advantage by either bunting or swinging, i.e., not too far in or too far back.
4. If the defense is happy the opposing team is swinging away, they should back off a bit, simultaneously lowering the WE of swinging and increasing the chances of a bunt.
Do you disagree with any of these points?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(Incidentally, Cleveland faced the identical situation in the bottom of the ninth as the Cubs did today. The bunt got the winning run in from second thanks to a throwing error by the pitcher. That’s just as bad as the worst case scenario from a swing.)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Brewers lose
PerkinsQuote Reply
2.5 game lead, 4 in the loss column.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
No, I knew we were in agreement because more often than not you and I agree in whether or not a specific bunt was a good decision (like in he case we’ve been talking about). I think the only disagreement we may have is that while I don’t think that bunt was a bad decision and may even have been a good one, I’d have let Jay swing away. I probably felt differently with the team last year. They always seemed to come through, but this team seems to find ways to fuck up.
dmick89Quote Reply
RynoQuote Reply
THIS BUNT ARGUMENT IS TEARING US APART YOU GUYS
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
“there are good people on both sides of this bunt argument.” – donnie t
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
I think I’ll stick with the “defensible idea, horrible execution” side of the debate since we have to consider all sides.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Jay
LF Schwarber
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
2B Zobrist
C Avila
RF Heyward
SS Baez
P Lackey
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Zobrist is scratched (traffic).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Lackey’s getting squeezed.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I hate Billy Hamilton.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Do the Cubs know they’re facing an awful pitcher?
dmick89Quote Reply
When was the last time Heyward hit the ball hard?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone commit to his swings as early as Javy.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bad send.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Terrible send.
dmick89Quote Reply
Looking at replay, I think better of the send now. It wasn’t as routine a play as I first thought.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Goddamnit.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Eat a dick, Billy Hamilton.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Beautiful 3-2 strike to Votto. Too bad Avila didn’t frame it well.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rondon hit triple digits a few times, according to gameday.
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
Javy!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Javy!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Baez!!
dmick89Quote Reply
Zobrist!!!!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Zobrist!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
Zobrist!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(My feed seems to have a slight delay.)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Erds bullpen!
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
Avila’s (lack of) framing cost another strikeout.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing) this is funny.
dmick89Quote Reply
Conga line!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I love the Reds.
PerkinsQuote Reply
wow, this must be how fans of other teams feel when their team faces the cubs pen
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Padres are winning bigly in St. Louis.
PerkinsQuote Reply
These HBP intentional? Seems unlikely but Storen is has been around awhile.
Will Pena respond with a HBP?
BVSQuote Reply
Joe making a lot of fantasy baseball managers happy
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to log in,
My league requires 5 G at each position. But I start Rizzo at 2b.
Note: Zobrist has 1700+ innings at short. Happ could have come in to 2b, shift Zo and Baez one spot left. Put Rizzo in RF and Heyward in CF.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
But I have no problem with having a little fun…
BVSQuote Reply
M^{-1}
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
That was another satisfyingly crazy game
BVSQuote Reply
Bryant X-rays negative. Dude is a cyborg.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Maybe next time there’s a blowout, Bryant and Rizzo won’t crowd the plate so much?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Sucks too be stuck with an autodraft roster.
SKQuote Reply
Why the fuck did Rizzo play third base?
SKQuote Reply
(dying laughing) there’s an article on Cubs.com that lured me in to explain it, but nope.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
I thought they’d stick Rizzo in OF, but I guess they preferred him at 3B since he’s proven a capable 2B.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Thom Brennaman complained about Rizzo playing third base as the Cubs showing up the Reds and it was glorious.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I tuned into the game on the radio right as they were talking about the pitcher looking injured and having a checkered health past. I was disappointed when I found out they were talking about Bailey and not Lackey.
TheVanQuote Reply
If we still had a shop, I would totally buy a Brennaman’s Tears coffee mug.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
The difference between a total eclipse and a partial eclipse (especially where totality is possible) is the difference between being projected to win the World Series and actually winning it.
The velocity by which you go from strange light to twilight defies natural experience and expectation—it is not the image of the eclipse itself. That’s what people mean when they say it’s unbelievable and magical. (When they say it’s ineffable, they just aren’t very good at words.)
April 8, 2024, a solar eclipse is going through a place that suffered two partial eclipses in the last year: Cleveland, OH. I suggest making it to totality for that one the same way I suggest having your childhood team win the WS for the first time in your memory. The former is actually going to happen.
ceruleanQuote Reply
So last night was Trump off his meds, right? Dude is fucked up.
dmick89Quote Reply
Fucked. Up.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Or on his meds. Could go either way.
SKQuote Reply
dmick89,
Did he really do anything out of character for him, though? Take away the dates, it’s basically the same as every other campaign rally he’s done.
He loves a crowd. He loves to say crazy shit for reactions, to get the spotlight on him. He’s an attention merchant.
EdwinQuote Reply
I think it’s strange he wants credit for remembering to tick off the boxes of which hate groups to condemn.
EdwinQuote Reply
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/08/22/listen-jason-goff-takes-chuck-in-st-charles-to-task/
I bet Chuck is a Trump voter.
EdwinQuote Reply
It felt different to me, but the rhetoric was basically the same.
dmick89Quote Reply
And he conveniently omitted his own statement that there was blame “on many sides.” I’m pretty sure the wealth he inherited has allowed him to live in his own reality for an extended period of time, and he gets angry whenever reality asserts itself (e.g., you don’t get credit for doing the bare minimum your job requires, and you especially don’t get credit when you fall short of that).
I really wish reality had asserted itself more forcefully in 2016, but maybe reality is that a lot of Americans are almost as big of pieces of shit as he is. They just don’t have money or fame.
PerkinsQuote Reply
There is no medication that can help Trump.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Truth serum?
BerseliusQuote Reply
It’s ridiculous, but I find myself rooting for a coup and about the last people I want running this country is the fucking military. At the bottom of the list of people/groups that I want running this country is the following: the intelligence community, the military, Donald Trump, Mike Pence. That is it. The only person or group that I’d rather not be president is the motherfucking vice president.
dmick89Quote Reply
cerulean,
Cocaine?
EdwinQuote Reply
dmick89,
Theo would be an interesting President, but I’m a little worried about his rebuilding strategy.
EdwinQuote Reply
I’d consider it a win for the country if the Manson Family moved into the White House. Fewer people would die.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I’ve never cared for his music that much.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
He hasn’t had access to a decent studio in a long time.
dmick89Quote Reply
Imagine the number of assets we could get for New York and Silicon Valley alone. Los Angeles is way passed its prime, but there are some desperate countries that may give up a lot for just that part. I am opposed to sending the Grand Canyon off, but Yellowstone might blow up at any second, and it would be a relief to know that it wouldn’t happen here.
I am worried, however, about fielding too many scrappy white people, though. Most of the world has cottoned on to the fact that marginal grit really doesn’t move the needle much, and the makework grit and pass-the-buck culture that comes out of many of these places is itself a national cancer.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Yikes.
MylesQuote Reply
Hemlock
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Recent evidence points to high-velocity transcortical lead therapy being more humane. Can’t say I am a fan of either.
ceruleanQuote Reply
big, if true
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Myles,
Heh. The ignorance is strong with that one.
That guy’s accent screams millrat, and his sentiment is one I am unfortunately very familiar with. I remember when my uncle would talk about “niggers” being all the lazy people at the mill—black had nothing to do with it. Funny thing, though, only the black people were “niggers”, maybe some Mexicans too. My Fox-News-Trump-voting brother also shares this view—though “nigger” includes “sand-nigger”, which applies to Arabs and people from the Indian subcontinent because they are obviously not ignorant of the fact that these are very different places.
Fuck those ignorant assholes. I wish they were irrelevant so I could just ignore them. My own willful ignorance, therefore, has been part of the problem. Now I look to demean them and make them uncomfortable at every possible turn.
ceruleanQuote Reply
How do you deal with this considering he’s your brother? I’ve had a great relationship with my brother in my life and there’s no way I’d be willing to throw that away over politics (fortunately he thinks Trump is a dumbass).
dmick89Quote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Jay
LF Schwarber
2B Zobrist
1B Rizzo
C Avila
3B La Stella
RF Heyward
SS Baez
P Montgomery
berseliusQuote Reply
Go Giants.
dmick89Quote Reply
Brewers lose.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Brewers lose.
dmick89Quote Reply
La Stella!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Nice play by Baez.
dmick89Quote Reply
I wish Monty didn’t reach for that one.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I wish the zone portion of the Pitchcast for Cubs games was larger. Of all the broadcasts that have something similar, the Cubs is the worst in my opinion. I don’t need to see the front of the batter’s box.
dmick89Quote Reply
Heyward again!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Goddamn Billy goddamn Hamilton again.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Javy!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I didn’t think there was any way of turning two.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
You really don’t like Hamilton, do you?
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m a big fan of 3-run home runs. The Cubs should hit more of them.
dmick89Quote Reply
War Bear!
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
The Dodgers could win their 100th game on September 2nd.
dmick89Quote Reply
That Happ interview with Schwarber looked awesome.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I probably shouldn’t let his inexplicable success against the Cubs bother me, since the Reds usually lose by six runs anyway. But still, ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Seven strikeouts in four innings smh. This offense will never put things together at this rate.
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
dmick89,
I was wondering that too. Even scrolled back to see if “in-law” was there.
Sympathies to you Cerulean.
BVSQuote Reply
Perkins,
Arsenic, like Napoleon?
BVSQuote Reply
what are your thoughts on 4-run home runs
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Rally killer.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rich Hill is doing a thing.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Logan Forsythe is fucking part of it up.
dmick89Quote Reply
Poor Rich Hill.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Shades of Harvey Haddix.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Hill should have intentionally walked the first batter of the inning and then balked him home. Who cares if the Dodgers lose at this point?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Joe needs to move Rizzo to shortstop. The Brennaman reaction would be priceless.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Why is Almora banging into the wall with a nine-run lead?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Jesus.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
He must be a Cubs fan.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
That’s going to knock the hell out of Rondon’s FIP.
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
He was always a selfish asshole. Basically, I came to see him for what he is. I can be cordial as fuck and get along with anyone, but in this case, I think it is better to make a scene than to allow him to think there are no consequences for all the rot he ejaculates from the back of his neck. I used to try reasoning with him. Used to.
It’s not a big loss because I have other brothers that aren’t complete assholes. I mean, this is the guy how used to hold his hand over my face, sit on my head, and fart—holding me there until I was forced to breathe through my nose. In other words, he is Donald Trump without all the gaudy charisma.
ceruleanQuote Reply
By the way, I can argue with bad politics. That’s simple. It’s the blatant racism and misogyny I cannot tolerate.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I get along better with my in-laws than my wife does. They genuinely try to be good people, even if they are part of an evangelical cult. At least they believe in evolution and enjoy science fiction and fantasy. It could be so much worse.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Because he knows what this bullpen is capable of.
dmick89Quote Reply
cerulean,
That sucks.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I wish it only sucked for me personally, like I thought it did during the Obama years. But the truth is it sucks for all of us.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Parents in law here. We almost canceled going home for Xmas last year, but ended up just taking a much shorter trip because we had ailing grandparents to see.
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
This confuses me. I have never enjoyed science fiction and fantasy, but I’m secular af.
SKQuote Reply
I’m religious and I enjoy both Science Fiction and Fantasy. I don’t like candy corn.
EdwinQuote Reply
cerulean,
I thought a 10,000 year old earth was a requirement for evangelicals?
Hope your brother has a low sperm count.
BVSQuote Reply
Would anyone be against trading Addison Russell and giving Javy SS next season? I’d imagine Javy at SS would produce 4+ fWAR with better offense and just as good defense. Then you can put Happ/Zobrist/La Stella at 2B
JonKneeVQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
I’d be against it. I think Russell has better offensive upside, and plays better defense. I’m not convinced Baez has the bat to stick as a starter.
EdwinQuote Reply
JonKneeV, I would be assuming it's a fair deal for the Cubs. My only concern is that while Baez is having a pretty good season so far, he would seem a pretty good candidate to take a big step back. He also offers more upside than Russell.
dmick89Quote Reply
Edwin,
Interesting. I just don’t see the offensive upside between these two being comparable and I’ve always been very down on Baez’s future.
dmick89Quote Reply
If this is true, the Cubs should definitely be selling high on Baez this offseason.
dmick89Quote Reply
BVS,
Three kids, and they are completely unlike him. All the Trump boosting he does will backfire as soon as they are old enough to understand what a douchebag Trump is.
And it’s 6022 years. Anything beyond that is blasphemy.
ceruleanQuote Reply
For some reason I thought Russell has been better on offense than he’s actually shown so far. I still like Russell’s defense over Baez, but now that I look at it, maybe Baez actually does have more potential.
I officially flip flop my answer. Keep Baez, trade Russell.
EdwinQuote Reply
The big problem is that I think Russell has been injured for a long time this year. I think he was probably better offensively and defensively than Baez, but losing essentially this entire season (as he has played hurt) gives me pause as to if he will be healthy going forward. Pair that with the fact that he is (allegedly) a wife beater and I just don’t want him figuring into the Cubs’ long-term plans. I’m not sure it’s coincidence that the Cubs started kicking ass as soon as he left the team.
That probably means getting 50 cents on the dollar for him, though.
MylesQuote Reply
I’m not sure of a lot, but this seems unlikely. In 2015 people credited Russell’s emergence (and Castro’s move to 2nd) as the reason the Cubs became so dominant. Hard to believe that two years later he’s the reason they were mediocre.
If Russell’s presence was the reason the entire pitching staff sucked ass even though Russell is an elite defender then I’d say the Cubs need new pitchers.
dmick89Quote Reply
Did you guys realize that Kris Bryant is probably better than he was last year, when he won the NL MVP? Pretty wild.
MylesQuote Reply
dmick89,
I’m going with the “clubhouse cancer” trope here.
MylesQuote Reply
How many innings did that Jays-Cubs game go, and what was the score?
SKQuote Reply
wait what? is there a correlation between people that are religious and people that like scifi? i would not think there would be any correlation here whatsoever.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Myles,
Especially considering how dinged up he’s been over the course of the season. Dude probably could use an ice bath and a long nap.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Not that I know of. Although religion or religious themes are normally a popular topic in Science Fiction and fantasy writing.
EdwinQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Cerulean hints that certain very religious types are against that sort of malarkey. I don’t keep up with that kind of religion — all my relatives have no religion or are lapsed Catholics, Jews or Episcopalians.
SKQuote Reply
I’m a devout believer in our corner infielders, and that’s about it.
MylesQuote Reply
SK,
I can see some religous people feeling that fantasy or science fiction novels might promote a belief in false idols, but that’s probably more on a personal basis than actual religious instruction. Similar to how churches didn’t like rock music or dancing until Kevin Bacon changed the world by dancing and it was cool. I belong to one of the more conservative church’s in the nation, (which makes being a liberal feel pretty lonely at get togethers), and I know plenty of people who love science fiction and fantasy works.
EdwinQuote Reply
Myles,
I haven’t looked at his numbers lately, but I don’t think that’s true. He has definitely had a better approach at the plate and seems to be walking more. I wouldn’t be surprised if the strikeouts are down. The power (at least the home runs anyway) is down and I don’t think his fielding has been nearly as good as last year. I think he’s still been great and the plate approach thing is what gives me the most hope going forward. If he can hit for the kind of power he did last year with this approach, he’s going to win at least one or two more MVP awards.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Westboro Baptist Church? I hate those fucking people.
dmick89Quote Reply
Robothal ——> The Athletic
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Zobrist
Schwarber
Bryant
Rizzo
Happ
Baez
Heyward
Rivera
Arrieta
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
His walk rate is up 3.5% and his strikeout rate is down 3.5%. His BABIP is down 13 points which is basically the difference between his SLG from last year and this. More importantly, he is no longer an extreme pull hitter.
MylesQuote Reply
Someone retweeted Hillary Clinton into my timeline saying “Correct”. about a quoted post and I was like damn, what’s next? “False”? “(dying laughing)”?
SKQuote Reply
Correct!
MylesQuote Reply
Nice snark.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Could go either way.
dmick89Quote Reply
Could go many ways. Many ways.
dmick89Quote Reply
Shut me right up.
berseliusQuote Reply
SK,
I can’t remember for sure since there were so many of them, but didn’t he used to say “Wrong”? Trump stole that from Yellon.
dmick89Quote Reply
big if true
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Correct.
SKQuote Reply
dmick89,
Even Yellon would make a better president than Trump. I’d gladly eat baloney sandwiches every day if it meant not having this ass clown representing us to the world.
PerkinsQuote Reply
You should tell him that.
dmick89Quote Reply
Jay Karrieta
ceruleanQuote Reply
Happ!!
dmick89Quote Reply
On sci-fi and fantasy—I don’t know if there is a correlation between their enjoyment and religious belief—I just know that it makes my social gatherings easier.
HAPP!!!
ceruleanQuote Reply
I think Arrieta is going yard tonight.
dmick89Quote Reply
I would, but I was banned during the blog wars of 06-08. I can browse, but I can’t participate. (dying laughing)
PerkinsQuote Reply
What happened to all the Cubs fans in Cincinnati? I was there in September of 2007 and 2008 against the Cubs. The ballpark was packed with Cubs fans at all six games I attended.
dmick89Quote Reply
They ate skyline chili and died.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
(dying laughing)
Berselius is too lazy to log inQuote Reply
What the hell was that?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward has to get that.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I didn’t think they had a chance to throw Cozart out.
dmick89Quote Reply
Jake has nothing left.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
It would have been nice if Joe took him out before he made a huge mess.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Whew.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
What is that tattoo that Lorenzen has?
dmick89Quote Reply
Heyward!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Strop doesn’t get enough strikeouts these days.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Here comes a wild pitch.
dmick89Quote Reply
Why didn’t Joe get Almora in the outfield?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I don’t know if Almora gets that, but there’s no excuse not to have the best outfield defense out there.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I think Joe checked out after last season.
dmick89Quote Reply
Two batters later, but that wild pitch was still just as predictable.
dmick89Quote Reply
Here comes a grand slam.
dmick89Quote Reply
WHY WAS JAY RUNNING????????
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That was some stupid fucking base running.
dmick89Quote Reply
THE TYING RUN WAS AT BAT. OH MY GOD THAT WAS STUPID.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
To be fair, if Jay is safe, the Cubs’ winning chances go up by about 0.5%. It’s hard to pass up an opportunity like that.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
If you make a list of dumb plays made by Cubs players, this one is going to be near the top.
dmick89Quote Reply
I can’t wait for Maddon’s post-game interview where he tries to put a positive spin on that.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
And no one will ask about why Almora wasn’t playing CF late because no one ever questions Joe’s decisions.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cardinals lose.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Anyway, here are the numbers on that Jay steal attempt from here: https://gregstoll.dyndns.org/~gregstoll/baseball/stats.html#V.2.9.2.1
Jay stays at first: WE = 6.7%
Jay steals second: WE = 7.7%
Jay gets caught stealing: WE = .77%
So, basically, a chance at a 1% gain against a risk of a 6% loss.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Unless Jay can teleport himself to 2nd base, he should have stayed.
dmick89Quote Reply
http://obstructedview.net/series-preview-chicago-cubs-68-58-at-philadelphia-phillies-46-80/
berseliusQuote Reply