NLCS Game 2 Thread

In Game Threads, Uncategorized by berselius297 Comments

game-thread2-e1434663087453

To-day's base ball squadrons

 

Cubs

  • Fowler
  • Scwharber
  • Bryant
  • Rizzo
  • Castro
  • Coghlan
  • Montero
  • Baez
  • Arrieta

Metropolitans

  • Granderson
  • Wright
  • Murphy
  • Cespedes
  • Duda
  • d'Arnaud
  • Conforto
  • Flores
  • Thor

Sadly, I am going to be at 39,000 feet for the start of this game. 

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Comments

  9. Perkins

    dmick89: Confirmed.

    Had a comment awaiting moderation, which I hadn’t seen before. I thought this place had been discredited, but that seems pretty sophisticated. (dying laughing)

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  10. Perkins

    Have to hope that the combo of pitching in relief and warming up several times the other night hurts Syndegaard’s chances of pitching deep into this one.

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  50. Smokestack Lightning

    Sucks to come this far just to take a big wet shit in the NLCS.

    Gut check time, motherfuckers. I know I don’t got the abs for it. Maybe y’all do.

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  53. cerulean

    Really—the goat was named “Murphy”!?

    Dear superstitious assholes and the announcers that parrot their inane observations—go fuck yourselves.

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  54. JonKneeV

    Why is a Arrieta throwing that curve so much in the playoffs. He was at his best this season leaning in the hard stuff.

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  68. Smokestack Lightning

    Perkins:
    Not sure why I was happy the Cubs would be facing the Mets.

    I was a bit mystified by the confidence level around here too.

    But then that’s not saying much, I felt terrible about both options.

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  69. Perkins

    Smokestack Lightning: I was a bit mystified by the confidence level around here too.

    But then that’s not saying much, I felt terrible about both options.

    Yeah, Dodgers had two CY candidates and a better offense, but the Mets’ pitching is deeper. Shit sandwich either way.

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  70. Smokestack Lightning

    No, fuck you, BABIP gods. One single line-out to Starlin Castro does not even this shit out.

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  76. Rizzo the Rat

    Even if they get swept, this will have been the most successful Cubs team in my (or my father’s) lifetime. That said, this isn’t fun at all.

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  91. Perkins

    It’s okay! The Cubs just have to win the next two games with their 3 and 4 starters pitching! And then not fuck up against Harvey and Syndergaard (again). That’s totally doable, right?

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  92. Perkins

    So it looks like Joe isn’t trying to save Arrieta for Wednesday. Not sure why, given that he looks like ass tonight.

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  94. Smokestack Lightning

    Perkins:
    It’s okay! The Cubs just have to win the next two games with their 3 and 4 starters pitching! And then not fuck up against Harvey and Syndergaard (again). That’s totally doable, right?

    It’s you bastards that did this. Picking the Cubs in five. Smh

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  102. Rizzo the Rat

    As long as Jake is getting his strikeouts, I’m not worried about him. Everyone gets roughed up occasionally.

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  106. Smokestack Lightning

    cerulean:
    The story is better if they pull one out against the odds.

    I don’t want a good story. I want a super shitty, super boring story where the Cubs never lose and everybody stops caring because they’re so good that nobody wants baseball and the game goes away forever. That’s what I want.

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  115. cerulean

    Perkins:
    If the Cubs don’t score here, they’re boned.

    You really think the Cubs facing Niese and/or Colon totally are screwed? Syndergaard is nearing 100 pitches. He will be coming out soon (unless he keeps getting those fucking pitches called for strikes).

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  117. Perkins

    cerulean: You really think the Cubs facing Niese and/or Colon totally are screwed? Syndergaard is nearing 100 pitches. He will be coming out soon (unless he keeps getting those fucking pitches called for strikes).

    I’m thinking more about the lineup after Bryant and Rizzo.

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  138. Smokestack Lightning

    dmick89:
    It’s up to Hendricks and Hammel to save this series.

    Not optimistic.

    Me neither, but the postseason’s called a crapshoot for a reason.

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  146. Perkins

    cerulean:
    72º and 73º for Tuesday and Wednesday in Chicago. That should get the bats going.

    They’ll need to, with Hendricks and Hammel on the mound.

    On the plus side, Hendricks has looked good for the past month, and deGrom looked pretty hittable against the Dodgers the other night. Maybe the Cubs get a few breaks.

    Winning the series isn’t likely at this point, but it’s certainly possible.

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  147. dmick89

    Smokestack Lightning:
    Again, BABIP gods, go fist-fuck yourselves. That line-out does not keep things even.

    True, but on the other hand, they seemed to have popout out about 60 times the last 2 days. It was either hit at hard at someone, strikeout or popout.

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  149. dmick89

    I’d consider starting Schwarber behind the plate so the Cubs can get some more offense in the game. Plus, I’d still like to see him catch and may as well start doing it now.

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  151. cerulean

    Perkins,

    It’s certainly possible. Unlikely happens all the time. I saw the Cubs have some bad luck and the Mets have some good luck. You need bounces to go your way, as they have been going for the Cubs till now. They have not been as dominated as it may seem. So I still feel good about the Cubs chances, because crazy shit happens in baseball.

    And I will feel good as good as I have this postseason until the Hope-Monster tears my heart out through my chest in defeat, and even then I won’t feel much more awful than normal.

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  153. dmick89

    Arrieta has 17 strikeouts and 4 walks over his last 2 starts. He hasn’t pitched badly, but the results aren’t good. I’d expect better results next time out. Just not sure he’ll get a chance to do it in a game 6.

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  155. Perkins

    cerulean,

    No matter what happens, this season has been an unqualified success. It would still be disappointing to make it this far and lose to the fucking Mets, though.

    Here’s hoping the bats warm up in Chicago.

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  157. Author
    berselius

    Perkins:
    cerulean,

    No matter what happens, this season has been an unqualified success. It would still be disappointing to make it this far and lose to the fucking Mets, though.

    Here’s hoping the bats warm up in Chicago.

    I don’t even care that they’re losing to the Mets, who are pretty good. It’s getting owned by whoever the fuck Murphy that pisses me off (dying laughing).

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  158. Perkins

    berselius: I don’t even care that they’re losing to the Mets, who are pretty good. It’s getting owned by whoever the fuck Murphy that pisses me off (dying laughing).

    Too goddamn many Murphys in this league. (dying laughing)

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  160. Smokestack Lightning

    For fun I went through all the LCS series where a team has come back from down 0-2… and, well, I didn’t find all that many so I stopped after a while.

    Don’t you all feel better now? #Letsgo

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  162. Smokestack Lightning

    Josh:
    Smokestack Lightning,

    But you found at least one, right? RIGHT?

    If some dude on BN comment board is right then in the last 30 years it’s only been the 1985 Royals, ’85 Cardinals, and 2004 Red Sox who have come back in the LCS down at least 0-2.

    Red Sox blew a whole ‘nother game before doing that thing they did.

    Needless to say, the odds seem to be against the Cubs at this point.

    The good (and bad) news is, the teams that did and didn’t do it have no direct bearing on what this team might do. Historically speaking it hasn’t happened often, but that’s about all we can say, other than winning 4 out of 5 against any team is difficult regardless of circumstances.

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  167. Perkins

    Smokestack Lightning: If some dude on BN comment board is right then in the last 30 years it’s only been the 1985 Royals, ’85 Cardinals, and 2004 Red Sox who have come back in the LCS down at least 0-2.

    Red Sox blew a whole ‘nother game before doing that thing they did.

    Needless to say, the odds seem to be against the Cubs at this point.

    The good (and bad) news is, the teams that did and didn’t do it have no direct bearing on what this team might do. Historically speaking it hasn’t happened often, but that’s about all we can say, other than winning 4 out of 5 against any team is difficult regardless of circumstances.

    Let’s not forget the 1984 Padres, now.

    Though that’s more than 30 years ago. No dinner for me.

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  169. Author
    berselius

    Perkins: Let’s not forget the 1984 Padres, now.

    Though that’s more than 30 years ago. No dinner for me.

    Did you know that everyone in SD is awful because someone was rude to me once 30 years ago? It’s true!

    /Yellon.

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  172. Smokestack Lightning

    Perkins: Let’s not forget the 1984 Padres, now.

    Though that’s more than 30 years ago. No dinner for me.

    Also best of 5. I was sticking with best of 7. Although, if that’s what I’m doing I should include the WS as well.

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  175. Smokestack Lightning

    The thing about it is the Cubs were pretty heavy longshots to take one of the first two anyway, which means this series has heavily favored the Mets from the start. Harvey 2.23 ERA at home. Syndergaard 2.46. Mets have a .600 winning percentage at home. Add in the cold, which the Cubs seem unable to hit in, a raucous, fired-up Mets crowd… it never looked all that good. Which again highlights the stupidity that is the Mets homefield advantage. They should never have had it.

    But each series is its own insanity. Cubs are equally good at home as the Mets are. Mets are a .500 team on the road. As good as deGrom is overall, he’s a bit less immortal on the road. Hendricks is much better at home. Mets have been pedestrian against RHP overall (haven’t found the splits against RHP since Cespedes… and I don’t want to), though they do hit better on the road. Cubs will obviously have to enter outlier territory to win this series, but if we’re going off just history they were going to have to do that anyway. Cubs in the playoffs is an outlier to begin with.

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  177. dmick89

    Most of the teams that did come back from 0-2 probably did so against the weaker starting pitching the other team had, but the Cubs are facing their best starter in game 3. They also have their weakest starters going for them. Despite playing at home, the Cubs probably have about a 40% chance of winning game 3. It’s probably 50-55% for game 4, but that’s only if you think Hammel is closer to projection than his late-season performance.

    Honestly, I don’t know what value is added by pointing out how many teams have come back from 0-2. Not many, but it is possible. If they can somehow get it back to 2-2 (unlikely) then they’ve certainly got a shot with Lester and Arrieta scheduled.

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  180. Smokestack Lightning

    dmick89,

    Yeah, all hope is connected to “chaos” occurring at this point. Hendricks somehow outdueling—or at least maintaining against—the vastly superior deGrom. Hammel + pen being just good enough to beat the very good Matz and co. And then Lester giving the Cubs the kind of start they had in mind when they forked over 150+MM, and figuring out Harvey a little more (which I thought they just about did in game 1). And then, (dying laughing), somehow beating one of Syndergaard and deGrom in NY with a clearly gassed Arrieta or Hendricks again. Or, if they only take 2 of 3 at Wrigley, beating both Syndergaard and deGrom.

    Which is why the scariest team for me was always the Mets. Their pitching is exactly what you want in a short series.

    Again, I comfort myself with the knowledge that the end of the road was most likely to be here to begin with. If they’d drawn the Dodgers they would’ve likely had to beat Kershaw and Greinke twice anyway, and there’s no guarantee they would’ve outhit the very good offense of the Dodgers on the days those two didn’t pitch either. As good as the Cardinals were in the regular season they were a shell of themselves once the playoffs rolled around. Cubs were the clearly superior team at that point and outside of the Cardinals voodoo and general Cubs fan superstition there was little rational reason to expect the Cubs to actually lose that series.

    LCS-wise just can’t say the same. The Mets are very, very good and stronger where it matters most. Something for the Cubs to address this offseason and I think they will.

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  181. Millertime

    Smokestack Lightning,

    I didn’t think the Mets were so bad a matchup. Cubs have 2 ace level pitchers, and solid #3/#4 options, and I figured their bats would be enough of an equalizer to make it an even series. I think the main advantage tipping the scales towards the Mets was home field advantage. Otherwise, it’s really a toss up.

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  182. cerulean

    Why is the record for 0–2 teams so awful? Because the teams themselves are often vastly inferior to the team that won the first two. I don’t think that is the case here. The Cubs have been so good because they have minimized losing streaks kept winning streaks going. It is certainly true that they could get swept, but if they win one game, they can win four straight. I expect Maddon to help these guys forget the situation and just get them to play.

    And if we are looking at coming back from 0–2, doing that in a best of 5 should be counted, as should 1–3 in a 7-game series.

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  183. Millertime

    cerulean,

    I’d say it’s awful because that’s just how baseball works. When it comes to the playoffs, I don’t think you typically get two teams playing where one is vastly inferior to another. Baseball is pretty close talent wise as is, and playoff teams are probably on average closer than most matchups. So giving any team a 2 game head start in a race to 4 in the playoffs means the odds are tough.

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  184. Millertime

    The one thing I’m counting on is that while the Mets clearly have the starting pitcher advantage in 2/4 games, (and then I’d say it’s a push in the Lester/Arreita games), I think the Cubs clearly have the position player advantage in all games played.

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  185. Smokestack Lightning

    cerulean: And if we are looking at coming back from 0–2, doing that in a best of 5 should be counted, as should 1–3 in a 7-game series.

    Honestly, I looked at the 0-2 thing as an illustration of how difficult of a road the Cubs have in front of them not as something to be seriously analyzed and broken down. Without even looking I can say that 1-3 and 0-2 in any context is very difficult. What the Cubs have to do will be very hard. Doable? Sure. But the odds are not strong with them at this point and the matchups are not favorable.

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  188. dmick89

    Another thing that might favor the Cubs is that if there’s any team that can out-Cub the Cubs when it comes to fucking up, it’s the Mets. This series could end up going 7 games and the 7th could end up going 134 innings. David Ross could be the winning pitcher with 118 innings pitched, 247 hits and 324 runs allowed.

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  189. Akabari

    Well, luckily, we made that big splash at the deadline and got a pitcher who could show up big for us in the playoffs.
    Or show up at all.
    Seriously, was the Haren trade like some Make A Wish shit?

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  190. Myles

    If you think the teams are evenly matched, the probability the Cubs win the series is .5^4 + (4!/(3!*1!))*.5^5 = .1875 = 18.75%.

    For you enterprising young statisticians, you can plug p in for the Cubs’ expected winning percentage into this formula:

    (p)^4 + (p)^4*(1-p)*(4) = P(4 wins before the Mets win 2)

    If you think we are 60% to win any individual game, we are still 2:1 dogs (33.7%).

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  191. Millertime

    Akabari,

    “They didn’t give up anything” was the most strongly repeated phrase I kept hearing at the time.

    Apparently it was either trade for Dan Haren, or trading the entire farm system away and dooming the Cubs for the next 10 years just like Hendry did, and something about Soriano’s contract and being ahead of schedule.

    Plus they also added Tommy Hunter, so I’m not sure how much more they could have added anyways.

    Not that I’m bitter about how the trade deadline went down.

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  194. cerulean

    Millertime,

    Tough indeed, but not impossible, as you say. Maybe this is the Cubs’ ill-timed losing streak, but my point is that the Cubs did not look beaten, just unlucky. Many good teams will nonetheless look beaten in a matchup, and I just don’t see that here.

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  195. dmick89

    cerulean,

    I agree with this, but the best chances the Cubs had for a win are behind them.

    I have no idea how this series ends. I know I’ll be watching until the end. The Cubs don’t play in October frequently enough to not watch (and enjoy) whenever they get the opportunity. I hope your optimism pays off.

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  196. cerulean

    Millertime:
    Akabari,

    Apparently it was either trade for Dan Haren, or trading the entire farm system away and dooming the Cubs for the next 10 years just like Hendry did, and something about Soriano’s contract and being ahead of schedule.

    To be accurate, Hendry would have traded for Chase Utley instead of Cole Hamels.

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  197. Millertime

    cerulean,

    Definetly. The Cubs certainly haven’t played poorly, and if the ever waxing and waning moon of fate shines their way, they could still take it.

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  199. dmick89

    I don’t know. Henrdry went for it. He traded for Ramirez and Lofton, Nomar, Rich Harden. When the team was in contention, he went after top talent. He wouldn’t have fucked around with acquiring Dan Haren at the deadline. He’d have done it prior to the season and given up too much. If Hendry was in charge, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d have traded for David Price.

    To be clear, none of this is to say I’d favor Hendry over the current front office. I would not. Not at all, but Hendry would have done more for this team at the deadline. He’d have done less for the team in the long-term.

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  200. JonKneeV

    Something to maybe cheer you up…

    The Cubs need to win one of the next two games. If they do, they will have Lester and Arrieta in games 5 & 6.

    I think either they kept swept, or it goes to 7 games. It could go either way.

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  201. cerulean

    dmick89:
    cerulean,

    I agree with this, but the best chances the Cubs had for a win are behind them.

    I have no idea how this series ends. I know I’ll be watching until the end. The Cubs don’t play in October frequently enough to not watch (and enjoy) whenever they get the opportunity. I hope your optimism pays off.

    It’s not optimism, just knowledge that randomness cuts both ways. The Cubs odds of making the series are still better than they were on the final day of the season.

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  202. dmick89

    Lester is very beatable this year. He’s pitched in some tough luck, but if you’re personal catcher is someone who can barely hit better than the worst hitting pitcher in baseball, you’re going to pitch in tough luck a lot. I’d think of all people, Jon Lester would want the best hitting catcher right now.

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  204. cerulean

    JonKneeV:
    Something to maybe cheer you up…

    The Cubs need to win one of the next two games. If they do, they will have Lester and Arrieta in games 5 & 6.

    I think either they kept swept, or it goes to 7 games. It could go either way.

    I approve this message ????????

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  205. Millertime

    umbra:
    So we intentionally walk Daniel Murphy every time he comes to bat, yes?

    That would work, if we ever figure out which Murphy to walk, and which to pitch to.

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  207. Author
    berselius

    At least it is supposed to be warmer in Chicago this week. Given how many HRs the Cubs slugged in the first series it is not surprising that the offense struggled when plunged into 40 degree weather.

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  208. cerulean

    berselius:
    At least it is supposed to be warmer in Chicago this week. Given how many HRs the Cubs slugged in the first series it is not surprising that the offense struggled when plunged into 40 degree weather.

    After 70° for game 3 & 4, the rest of the series looks to be around 60° in Chicago and New York.

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  209. Akabari

    Millertime,

    Yeah, I love how those are the outcomes. Below replacement level or David Price.
    There is no other team that had a pitcher we could have used, nope.

    Whatever, we’ll pay for David Price with our banked Carlos Silva money in a few months, I guess.

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  210. JonKneeV

    Akabari:
    Millertime,

    Yeah, I love how those are the outcomes. Below replacement level or David Price.
    There is no other team that had a pitcher we could have used, nope.

    Whatever, we’ll pay for David Price with our banked Carlos Silva money in a few months, I guess.

    Hey @dmick89, I think we’ve got a new (old) resident optimist.

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  211. WaLi

    Whats the best way to head to Wrigley tomorrow from Warrenville? I’m up here for work and going to head to the game tomorrow

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  213. cerulean

    Akabari:
    Millertime,

    Yeah, I love how those are the outcomes. Below replacement level or David Price.
    There is no other team that had a pitcher we could have used, nope.

    You are either for or against us.

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  214. Akabari

    JonKneeV,

    I mean, hey.
    If you combine Carlos Silva and Tanaka money, we could probably just buy the Dodgers and field some kind of Monstars-style team of mutants.

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  215. cerulean

    WaLi,

    Download several wayfinding apps that take into account traffic and current travel times—because it will vary by the time of day. However, you’ll probably end up going inbound on 290, which will probably suck, but it should suck much less than outbound at that hour. It has been a while since I made such a trip, so maybe traffic is far less of a problem than it used to be.

    And if you believe that one, the Cubs are going to win the World Series. (dying laughing)

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  216. Josh

    WaLi,

    Honestly, though, if it was me, I’d come in on the interstate until I got to a blue line station, take that to downton and the red line to Wrigley. Otherwise, I guess just drive straight in and hope for the best.

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  218. Myles

    For Game 5, I’m just taking the southshore to the red line to the stadium. There isn’t any way I’m driving there unless I can be assured of not being blocked in.

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  221. Suburban kid

    You’d really have to be a complete moron or my brother to drive to Wrigleyville, no matter where you’re coming from.

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  222. Perkins

    dmick89:
    Lester is very beatable this year. He’s pitched in some tough luck, but if you’re personal catcher is someone who can barely hit better than the worst hitting pitcher in baseball, you’re going to pitch in tough luck a lot. I’d think of all people, Jon Lester would want the best hitting catcher right now.

    In Maddon’s shoes, I’d probably tell him he gets Montero or Schwarber. This is no time for caution.

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  225. cerulean

    Rizzo the Rat:
    Yeah, I’m not panicking about Arrieta.

    :caught in moderation purgatory—let’s try this again:

    I like the link to Murphy’s homerun—which I thought was really lucky and Cameron tells just how lucky it was. 91mph off the bat, barely 350 feet, just ridiculous.

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  227. Rizzo the Rat

    cerulean: :caught in moderation purgatory—let’s try this again:

    I like the link to Murphy’s homerun—which I thought was really lucky and Cameron tells just how lucky it was. 91mph off the bat, barely 350 feet, just ridiculous.

    Confirmed: the baseball gods hate the Cubs.

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  234. cerulean

    Also, to be that guy—it’s *triceps* people, always. Every announcer and journalist seems to have forgotten lately.

    But whatever, language is as language does. Data is singular for me. And none is not singular.

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  237. cerulean

    Both Cueto and Price have rather awful postseason stats for their careers—I wonder if that will have any measurable affect on their market value, especially with the surfeit of top tier starters hitting free agency.

    I like Grienke even though he is older because I feel like he will age pretty well and he’s good with the bat—which does negatively impact Price.

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  244. Perkins

    dmick89:
    http://www.outsports.com/2015/10/20/9572885/new-york-mets-star-daniel-murphy-disagrees-with-gay-lifestyle

    I’m always amused at people who term it a “lifestyle” or that they “disagree with the lifestyle.” It’s like saying “I disagree with tree leaves’ being green” or some inane shit like that. Biology is indifferent to religion.

    Though I like how the author turns that on its head and points out that religion is in fact a lifestyle choice. I’m also curious how Murphy uses his lifestyle to help others or to be a light. Kershaw is a pretty big bible thumper as I understand it, but he does a hell of a lot of charity work and stuff that enriches the lives of those less spectacularly fortunate than himself.

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  245. dmick89

    Yeah, I’m not the least bit religious (I’m an atheist), and I try to respect religious people, but sometimes they make it so fucking hard to do it. Some of them (most of them probably) are really good people. Some of them are more progressive-thinking, but I don’t get how anyone can twist religion in a way that alienates and demeans others.

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  248. Josh

    dmick89,

    I’m an atheist too, but my parents are ministers. SSS notwithstanding, in my experience, most religioun people are just like every other human being. Some are nice. Some are nice unless you look different. Some are asshats. Some hate change. Some don’t. In my experience a majority were neither particularly progressive-thinking nor very generous – unless you were family.

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  249. Perkins

    Josh:
    dmick89,

    I’m an atheist too, but my parents are ministers. SSS notwithstanding, in my experience, most religioun people are just like every other human being. Some are nice. Some are nice unless you look different. Some are asshats. Some hate change. Some don’t. In my experience a majority were neither particularly progressive-thinking nor very generous – unless you were family.

    Sounds about right. I feel like this is the case for any sufficiently large group of humans. No matter how one segments the population, they’ll generally have similar overall behavior.

    I was raised Catholic, but have never felt any pull toward any religious denomination. At this point, I’m either a basic theist or Deist and try to hold a “live and let live” policy toward people of religion.

    That said, I hate when people of religion decide not to hold to the “let live” part of that philosophy and try to impose their will on others (like that POS Kim Davis). That shit don’t fly.

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  250. Ryno

    dmick89,

    Same old. You?

    I had to see what this place was like with the Cubs eliminating the Cardinals. What’s up with the world? But I’m not buying this whole “Cubs might be OK” thing.

    Hey, assholes, I’m not falling for your shit! So you can go ahead and stop pretending like you’re going to ever do anything right! Now finish getting swept so the world can move on.

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  251. dmick89

    Ryno: Same old. You?

    Not much. Trying to write more around here than I had been, but right now I don’t know whether to look ahead to the offseason or act as though the Cubs have much of a shot at getting to the World Series.

    Good to see you around here. Hope you stick around. The forest gif still lives on.

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  252. Ryno

    dmick89,

    Offseason. Or you could predict how they’re going to break all the fans hearts. You know they won’t just get swept. They’ll probably come back and then blow it.

    Good to be back. I’ll probably provide my usual worthless content in smaller doses.

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  254. Ryno

    Mucker,

    What a fine segue from reintroduction to my old ways. (dying laughing)

    Using the first-pick.com draft sim, I picked Cal QB Jared Goff in the first round. I think Miss. OT Laremy Tunsil is more likely at the moment, though.

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  258. JonKneeV

    Ryno,

    I yearn for the days of the Ryno gifs and images that would pop up every morning like clockwork. And, of course, the football commentary.

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  260. Josh

    Perkins,

    Reasons my dad has been asked to leave churches:

    – Reaching out to the surrounding community
    – Lending comfort to the weary
    – Giving money to the poor
    – Welcoming ex-prisoners into the church
    – Trying to encourage college students to attend the church

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  263. cerulean

    Ryno:
    dmick89,

    Hey, assholes, I’m not falling for your shit! So you can go ahead and stop pretending like you’re going to ever do anything right! Now finish getting swept so the world can move on.

    This is the most inspirational thing I have ever read.

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  265. Author
    berselius

    Ryno:
    Mucker,

    What a fine segue from reintroduction to my old ways. (dying laughing)

    Using the first-pick.com draft sim, I picked Cal QB Jared Goff in the first round. I think Miss. OT Laremy Tunsil is more likely at the moment, though.

    What’s your feelings on Kaepernick these days?

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  267. Author
    berselius

    Josh:
    Perkins,

    Reasons my dad has been asked to leave churches:

    – Reaching out to the surrounding community
    – Lending comfort to the weary
    – Giving money to the poor
    – Welcoming ex-prisoners into the church
    – Trying to encourage college students to attend the church

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  271. cerulean

    Does anyone else did it to be curious that homophobia made it into the Pentateuch? And that raises an interesting question—why?

    I think it has to do with people who have strong convictions (those whose version of reality is so stark that they believe it must be the reality) not being able to imagine themselves in anothers shoes to the point that they can understand their actions and motivations. Instead, this hypothetical person of great conviction will be in those shoes only long enough to be utterly repulsed by the situation. To put it in concrete terms, when I was a younger man, upon hearing so and so is a gay man, I would immediately think of (homosexual) sex, not the default train of thought when meeting a heterosexual couple. Only meeting gay and trans people in college started to shift that initial thinking. Being defined by what you do in the bedroom is part of the problem, but as more and more decent human being come out, that default line of thinking disappears. At least in my experience.

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  272. Josh

    cerulean,

    Studies have shown that actually knowing people (black, gay, Hispanic, or whatever) makes you less likely to dislike and to support rights and stuff like that. A lot of people never step out of their comfort zones long enough to get past the initial squickiness that many experience.

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  273. myles

    Josh:
    cerulean,

    Studies have shown that actually knowing people (black, gay, Hispanic, or whatever) makes you less likely to dislike and to support rights and stuff like that. A lot of people never step out of their comfort zones long enough to get past the initial squickiness that many experience.

    Unfortunately, the very popular study that asserted this was proven to be statistically unfounded. The people who made that study simply made up the data. This isn’t proof that this ISN’T the case, just that there is no real proof that it IS the case.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-high-profile-same-sex-marriage-study-was-found-to-be-suspect/2015/05/20/04609b58-ff1c-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html

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  276. Author
    berselius

    myles:
    You know what’s awesome? Trevor Cahill has a $13M team option this offseason.

    (dying laughing)

    Too bad Ed Lynch isn’t running the Astros anymore, The Cubs could have gotten Springer for him.

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  277. EnricoPallazzo

    Josh:
    Perkins,

    Reasons my dad has been asked to leave churches:

    – Reaching out to the surrounding community
    – Lending comfort to the weary
    – Giving money to the poor
    – Welcoming ex-prisoners into the church
    – Trying to encourage college students to attend the church

    he’s history’s greatest monster!

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  279. EnricoPallazzo

    Rizzo the Rat:
    berselius,

    Not the first person to confuse the two:
    https://twitter.com/AmznMovieRevws/status/503318334667259905

    this is kind of amazing:

    “No doubt trying to win over those who are opposed to the radical gay agenda. Now that DOMA is overturned the gay rights lobby (of which Amazon is definitely a part) has already announced its stated goal of ramming gay marriage down the throats of all 50 states. Even with slick marketing techniques like pushing “Moneyball” as a quasi-religious movie that will never happen.”

    on a per word basis, i’m not sure i’ve ever seen something with this many inaccuracies in it. well done.

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  280. cerulean

    myles: Unfortunately, the very popular study that asserted this was proven to be statistically unfounded. The people who made that study simply made up the data. This isn’t proof that this ISN’T the case, just that there is no real proof that it IS the case.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-high-profile-same-sex-marriage-study-was-found-to-be-suspect/2015/05/20/04609b58-ff1c-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html

    I have to laugh at the irony of fitting data to a preconceived notion that normal people fit data to a preconceived notion—and that they can be dissuaded when the presumed lack of results couldn’t dissuade the author of the study.

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  281. Perkins

    Josh:
    Perkins,

    Reasons my dad has been asked to leave churches:

    – Reaching out to the surrounding community
    – Lending comfort to the weary
    – Giving money to the poor
    – Welcoming ex-prisoners into the church
    – Trying to encourage college students to attend the church

    I don’t know how to embed pictures, but berselius’s facepalm picture and gif sum up my feelings accurately.

    It’s been awhile since I’ve been to church, but seem to remember that all of those are supposed to be exactly the results (among others) of practicing faith.

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  287. Author
    berselius

    Perkins: I don’t know how to embed pictures, but berselius’s facepalm picture and gif sum up my feelings accurately.

    It’s been awhile since I’ve been to church, but seem to remember that all of those are supposed to be exactly the results (among others) of practicing faith.

    I went to church growing up to humor my mother, who was pretty involved with our church, but never felt particularly religious, I was a huge fan of the pastor that my mom helped bring in when I was in middle school or so because he was super not judgy about my feeling that organized religion was not for me and was generally a nice guy. Any religious feeling I might have had left (and probably my mother’s too) disappeared when the whole church turned their backs on him after he confessed to having an affair. So much for Christian forgiveness.

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  288. uncle dave

    berselius,

    One of the most jarring experiences I’ve ever had in my life was on a Southwest flight where an older lady sitting in seat 1C stood up, turned to the cabin, leaned back against the bulkhead, and proceeded to slowly eat an entire footlong tuna sandwich from Subway with an eerily blank look on her face. It was indescribably creepy. (And as it’s been noted, the in-flight entertainment is much better on the legacy carriers.)

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  290. dmick89

    berselius,

    I’ve never gone to church. My mom and dad consider themselves religious, but there was no chance we’d ever be involved with church. The church my mom’s mother went to abandoned her and treated her like complete shit after her husband (my grandpa, I guess) left her alone with 3 children to raise so he could drink and do drugs. My grandma rightly divorced his pathetic ass and the church turned their back on her because divorce was still against church practice at that time.

    I heard that story when I was a kid. I probably heard it before my parents really wanted me, but I’ve never wanted to have anything at all to do with church for as long as I can remember. If they can treat an abandoned woman left to raise 3 sons by herself like shit, fuck them. My grandma was a grade school teacher and after that bastard left her, she had to get a second job just so my mom and her brothers could eat.

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  292. uncle dave

    I guess I feel like churches are social institutions at their core, so it’s pretty easy for the membership to get wrapped up in the small town politics shit that you guys are describing. Apart from the fact that I don’t really believe in God, the whole reinforcement of the social order thing (down to racial and class divides) pretty much ended my involvement. I don’t even go for my folks anymore.

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  293. Millertime

    I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with my church, but I understand how experiances like the ones mentioned above can have a profoundly negative view of organized religion.

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  294. myles

    My thoughts on religion are basically my thoughts on everything: do/believe whatever the fuck you want as long as you don’t tell me what to do/believe and you aren’t hurting anyone else. I don’t believe in anything but caring about what other people believe has to be one of the more fruitless exercises there is.

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  295. Author
    berselius

    myles:
    My thoughts on religion are basically my thoughts on everything: do/believe whatever the fuck you want as long as you don’t tell me what to do/believe and you aren’t hurting anyone else. I don’t believe in anything but caring about what other people believe has to be one of the more fruitless exercises there is.

    Don’t tell me what to do/not do.

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