2016 sucked for a lot of reasons, but at least there was one extremely bright spot. The Cubs are currently on pace to win every World Series until the heat death of the universe. Enjoy it while it lasts. Or don't. We can't tell you what to do.
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This is the “Kris Bryant” ornament I got for xmas.
Something seems off here
berseliusQuote Reply
Well, his eyes sparkle, so there’s that.
AlbaloneyQuote Reply
If you thought 2016 was bad, the Cubs haven’t even won a championship this year.
They’re actually tied for last place.
This year sucks.
Can we just agree to do 2016 over?
ceruleanQuote Reply
That seems like it belongs in 2017. I hear blackface is making a comeback.
ceruleanQuote Reply
berselius,
I know it’s the coloring that’s off, but it doesn’t look like Kris Bryant anyway.
When I try to see a Cub face in it, all I get is a faint glimmer of Lou Piniella.
SKQuote Reply
Also, I hope you had a happy Chrimble, and a very New Year.
SKQuote Reply
Merry Happy folks. Onward and upward, or at least onward.
URKQuote Reply
Really bummed about Sam Miller leaving Effectively Wild. That the last episode was just a KG interview was salt in the wound.
GWQuote Reply
Big, if true.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
SK,
berselius,
Those Flintstones vitamins bin bery bery good to him.
BVSQuote Reply
Maybe it’s Mallex Smith. He wore 17 for the Braves last season.
Shows what happens when people order from the Chinese outlets on ebay.
BVSQuote Reply
Or Amazon
BVSQuote Reply
Or the world wide web.
My son wanted the same winter Cubs hat that Joe Maddon wore during the WS. None of the normal outlets had it (figured out later it was the 2015 model), so I ordered it from some rando site that turned out to be Chinese and a scam. So, a black Kris Bryant ornament is better than a non-existent Chinese hat.
SKQuote Reply
berselius,
but why does he have the weird jester shoes/collar? i guess to go along with the blackface theme? at least it’s consistent? so many questions about this.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
It’s Kris Bryant the Christmas basball elf.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
17, eh? That’s obviously Mark Grace.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Albaloney,
That is terrible.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
That’s the worst tree I’ve ever seen.
EdwinQuote Reply
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/816313895421878276
I would seriously quit the 49ers.
RynoQuote Reply
So, Bears fans, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with one of the two best players in this draft in Myles Garrett and Jon Allen.
RynoQuote Reply
Woof, pouring bleach on my brain after being dumb enough to read the comments on a Sosa HOF thread. Mark Grace was really the player who was putting butts in the seats in the 90s, you guys.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Your brain is bad.
SKQuote Reply
berselius,
(dying laughing) That’s about as dumb a statement as it gets.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
I don’t think I knew who Mark Grace was until he became a Diamondback.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
It’s not that surprising, the guy was a class act on and off the field. Definitely a role model that we should point to for all of our children.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Did you know that he had the most hits in the 90s? He also holds the record for the most sac flies while Jupiter is in Venus’s seventh house.
berseliusQuote Reply
http://huggingharoldreynolds.blogspot.com/2009/09/dc-bureau-exclusive-special.html
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
*Tumbleweed*
EdwinQuote Reply
Munenori Kawasaki is officially a Cubs (farm hand) again.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
2017 World Series —–> done deal, sealed
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rice in limbo,
I thought we already filled out the old lovable clown veteran roster spot with Jon Jay?
EdwinQuote Reply
Nope. Jon Jay fills the clubhouse leadership and mediator role. I hear he has a judicious personality.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
berseliusQuote Reply
For some reason, all the posts before this one are showing no comments; is that happening for anyone else?
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
yes.
apparently, jay johnstone is going to be at the cubs convention. i wonder if he’d sign this card for me.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
If not you should ask Jon Jay to sign it.
SKQuote Reply
I know not everyone here will agree, but here is a column from Tom Verducci about his HOF voting process I just now enjoyed.
BVSQuote Reply
SK,
Over under on how soon we run these jokes into the ground?
Now if only we’d sign Cletus Philpott too.
BVSQuote Reply
Perkins,
Should be fixed.
dmick89Quote Reply
Is Deshaun Watson a decent NFL qb prospect?
EdwinQuote Reply
I saw some post(s?) at BN today that seemed to imply that Jay and Almora will get most of the playing time in CF, with no mention at all of Heyward. Has Maddon or the FO commented on any of this? It seems pretty surprising that they would cut into Baez’s playing time after the end of last season. Joe mixes and matches but I am guessing the most frequent OF alignment is War Bear, Heyward, Zobrist
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I guess I assumed when they signed Jay that they intended to use the platoon in CF. I’m not sure anything has been said, but given Heyward’s issues at the plate in 2016, I’d be surprised if the Cubs ask him to play regularly in CF. I think they want him to be as comfortable as possible and that’s going to be in RF. I hope you’re right though.
dmick89Quote Reply
SKQuote Reply
SK,
(dying laughing), we just reached Peak Alvin. It’s all downhill from here.
berseliusQuote Reply
Ryno, are there any late round DBs that you could see the Packers taking?
berseliusQuote Reply
Opening Day’s base ball squadron? (per Maddon)
War Bear
Bryant
Rizzo
Zobrist
Russell
Heyward
Willson
Lester
Jay
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I can cope.
SKQuote Reply
Joe is playing around with the word “authenticity” as part of his annual team slogan/mission statement. It’s kind of a trendy word lately. I think it originally comes from the art world, where the thought goes that “authenticity is more important than originality”. I agree with that idea, but I’d rather he came up with something else for the base ball squadron. It does not really apply in this context nor does it roll off the tongue.
SKQuote Reply
berselius,
I don’t know. We apparently reached Peak TV a few years ago even though the number of tv shows continues to rise. So I’m thinking Peak Alvin has at least a 5 year window. 8 years of Trump could really drive the man mad so maybe that will be the only good thing that could come from the next 4-8 years.
dmick89Quote Reply
SK,
It’s sure better than my idea of “Whip Inflation Now!”
EdwinQuote Reply
8 comments in one day??? slow down, jabronis!
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Edwin,
That’s cause I’m old, right?
SKQuote Reply
dmick89,
It occurred to me this morning that yes, I’ll probably still be making fun of Alvin when I’m what used to be considered retirement age (I expect him to outlive us all).
SKQuote Reply
SK,
I hope the Cubs win the World Series every year the rest of my life and then I hope they go another 108 years without one so Alvin can actually live through 108 years without a championship. I figure he’ll write two books about that team.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Maybe after their 5th consecutive WS win Al will lose interest.
BVSQuote Reply
SK,
Also it’s just a failed old slogan which I find to be funny.
EdwinQuote Reply
i am curious to see what happens with people like yellon and his ilk. i think a huge number of them will lose all interest now that “tortured cubs fan” is no longer a valid archetype with which they can identify.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Agree. Probably will slink away grumbling about how the Cubs way isn’t pure anymore and the Johnny come lately fans are ruining everything.
BVSQuote Reply
Here Joe Posnanski talks about Larry Walker’s HOF case. But the fun part is the comment by Marco about 8th down, where he reports on one of the OV cons:
Which one of you had that great idea?
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
That’s a fun story, probably one of the few perks of sitting in the bleachers.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Tyson Ross ——————–> Rangers
David Ross ——————–> Cubs (Special Assistant to
the Regional ManagerBaseball Ops)This concludes all Ross-related transactions for the day.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I sat in the bleachers for a game in 1999 against the Cardinals. JD Drew was playing CF (or RF, I can’t remember). One drunk old guy started yelling “Drew! Drew! Drew!” for every inning he was out there, over and over again, until Drew finally turned around after a few innings and yelled “WHAT?!” Everybody within hearing distance immediately shut up and waited for the old guy’s response. The old guy yelled back “You hillbilly!” There was a moment of silence as I think everybody was trying to process WTF just happened and then started laughing hysterically. That was what they guy was dying to yell at him? It was so absurd and dumb that it is my favorite experience in the bleachers.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Does Al have children?
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
yes and he has a fabulous haircut.
dmick89Quote Reply
this is an excellent story and i plan on stealing it.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
So the Cubs are apparently having a contest for fans to get the chance to present a World Series ring to one of the players during the ring ceremony on April 12th.
While I’m sure there will be many examples of grown-ass adults debasing themselves for this, I’m especially keen to see Alvin’s entry. I’m betting there’s no way he’d let something like this pass him by.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Is it technically possible for Al to debase himself though?
SKQuote Reply
I only just noticed that Cubs Con was this weekend (dying laughing). No dinner tonight.
berseliusQuote Reply
motherfucker i just got another yellon book as a late Christmas gift
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
i just downvoted my own shitty comment because of how angry i am
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
SK,
Probably not. He’s already a walking caricature of all the worst traits of Cubs fans, so I guess one more thing wouldn’t be any worse.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Cubs top prospects list is up at BP http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=30977
berseliusQuote Reply
Haven’t started watching QBs yet, so I’m not sure. At first glance, he has a chance. Flashes good arm strength, pocket presence and can create outside structure, Questionable decisions at times.
RynoQuote Reply
I’ve only watched Tabor at this point (who’s REALLY good, btw), so I don’t have any names at the moment. I do know this is a really good draft for DBS (maybe the best in a decade), so it’s a good year to need one or two.
The CB pairs from Florida, Ohio State, Michigan and Washington all look good at first glance. At least a handful of intriguing S options also.
RynoQuote Reply
Meanwhile the 49ers are about to get dissed by Josh McDaniels, leaving them a 50-50 chance of having Tom Cable as a coach next year. And if they hire cable, I’ll totally turn my back on them like I did the Cubs until last season.
RynoQuote Reply
If Kyle Shanahan “bows out” of the search too…
What does it say when two offensive coordinators say “Thanks but no thanks” to your head coaching job?
RynoQuote Reply
Your organization is wonderful and I am not worthy of it?
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Danny Duffy ——> 5/$65MM extension from the Royals
I’d have been interested to see the Cubs make a push for him if he’d hit free agency.
PerkinsQuote Reply
cubs at the white house is really good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehDF6U3tYpo
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
It got a little dusty in here when I saw that Fergie Jenkins was a part of the Cubs cadre
berseliusQuote Reply
Wenningtons Gorilla Cock,
That’s better than what I thought. I’ll go with that.
RynoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
First and last time I ever watched the WH.gov video channel
SKQuote Reply
I still haven’t watched him closely yet, but I did want to give my current opinion on him…
I scouted Dak last year and saw flashes of what he was this season for Dallas. He also looked undraftable at times. I think what made him successful (besides having a top OL and the best rushing attack to lean on) is football instincts. I know it’s a vague-sounding quality, but it covers how quickly he picked up the DAL offense and how intelligently he plays QB. That and the fact that the DAL coaches worked a miracle on his mechanics.
Anyway, I feel like Watson has that quality also. I think he makes more questionable decisions at times, but he seems to know what he needs to do to make his team successful. I also think he has a better arm than Dak.
So in limited viewing, I still think Watson is the top QB in this draft and I’d probably take him over anyone in last year’s draft also. We’ll see if that holds up after a closer look.
I’m also really interested in seeing more of Kizer. I only watched him play against Texas, but the anticipation he showed was unbelievable. Add in the measurables and he looked like the best QB prospect in a few years. Apparently that’s the only time he looked like that this year, though.
RynoQuote Reply
I feel like I’m in an episode of The West Wing, but something has gone horribly wrong, and President Bartlett lost his re-election campaign:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-team-considers-moving-press-corps-alarming-reporters/ar-AAlTtFz
EdwinQuote Reply
After 10:00 it’s 18 and over, as programming gets a little blue.
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
SK,
I hear for the new season they’re really embracing the whole “dystopian future” thing.
EdwinQuote Reply
Ryno,
Sounds like they are going to offer Shanahan.
Wasn’t Cable a disaster in Oakland, or am I misremembering?
berseliusQuote Reply
There’s still time for ownership to fuck it up, but I’m optimistic. He was, I think, the best available coaching candidate. I like the GM options reported as well.
I think Cable was pretty much a disaster as a coach and a human being.
RynoQuote Reply
Bags, Rock, Pudge –> HOF
Rice CubeQuote Reply
this was the last year on the ballot for raines and lee smith. why did raines only get 10 years on the ballot while smith got 15?
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
The maximum time on the ballot was changed a few years back from 15 to 10. Anyone already on the ballot for 10 or more years got grandfathered, but people with less than 10 on the ballot at that point were subject to the new rule.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I think Jonah Keri’s boner can be seen from space
berseliusQuote Reply
Tim Raines got into the HoF, and now we’re all gonna die.
SKQuote Reply
Did Sosa get enough votes to stay on the list, or is he donezo?
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
He’s still on, but only around 9%.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
eh even if you remove PEDs, corked bat, etc from the equation, i still don’t think the case for sosa is all that strong. i could be convinced either way but i also don’t really give a fuck about the HOF anymore.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
What if I told you he’s my favorite player, and I really really really really really really really think he should be in?
EdwinQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Seriously though, I understand the case for him not being in. As a player who ended up being mostly a Bat First corner OF, his bat probably wasn’t good enough, compared to his peers. But I feel like the one thing he has going in his favor is that he did reach 600+ career HR, and is (I think) the only player to hit 60+ HR in a season 3 times. I know that steroids or some other substance might have played a part, but since I find it impossible to know how much of an impact it actually made, I tend to just accept everyone’s numbers as they are.
EdwinQuote Reply
So it sounds like SF asked CHI if they could try to bring Vic Fangio back as DC.
It’s also been reported that Adam Gase agreed to replace Harbauch as SF’s coach in 2015, but apparently he backed out when SF’s owner told him Tomsula would replace Fangio as DC.
I keep telling myself that this kind of thing happens when your team’s owner is 5 years old and that things will get better when he grows up.
RynoQuote Reply
Edwin,
I’m okay with Sammy not being in HOF, but feel his number should be retired regardless.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Same here, though I don’t really care about the HOF anymore anyway. I’d much rather see him at Wrigley Field.
berseliusQuote Reply
Yordano Ventura was killed in a car accident. Very sad.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
Andy Marte also died in a separate car accident not too far away. The driverless car cannot come soon enough.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Behold! New Shit!
http://obstructedview.net/happy-23rd-birthday-addison-russell/
mylesQuote Reply