Baseball can be an exceedingly cruel game. The best hitters are defined as the ones that fail merely 60% of the time they come to the plate. Throwing the ball means always being a pitch away from the disabled list and an uncertain future. The path to success is littered with the failures of near-identical men and the smell of burnt rubber in a forgotten town, pitching in front of 2,000 indifferent fans only there for dollar hot dog night.
Dillon Maples was drafted with 429th pick of the 2011 June amateur draft. The reason he wasn't taken in the first round wasn't talent; he had as much talent as anyone drafted that year. In fact, Dillon Maples was among the best baseball players the state of North Carolina has EVER produced: a cannon for an arm, throwing 96 mph with a highly projectable curve mixed in. He was taken in the 14th round and he took $2.5 million to sign only because he was already betrothed to UNC, a college baseball powerhouse that had produced a 1st round in the draft that year (Levi Michael), the year before (Matt Harvey), and two the year before that (Dustin Ackley and Alex White). Furthermore, he was also a FOOTBALL standout, planning to play both sports in the collegiate ranks. Of course, nobody is undraftable, just unsignable, and the Cubs worked out a deal with Maples back when draft money was essentially infinite.
The ceiling was sky-high for Maples, but the problems were evident immediately. There was no tertiary offering; he'd need to develop one or he'd quickly have to become a reliever. The delivery was violent; most 97mph pitches are. His inverted-W arm movement practically guaranteed problems. Most importantly, he couldn't repeat his delivery with any regularity. This is a common problem with high school pitchers – many of them are so talented, so much better than their peers, with coaches so ill-equipped to teach the finer points of where your foot strikes the mound – that it is nearly inevitable. This is exactly the type of problem that followed Jake Arrieta around for the first 4 years of his professional career. He'd get out of sync with himself, and it would take 6-10 pitches to find it. Arrieta has a unique, cross-body throwing motion, one that lends itself to unique problems for a pitching coach. Maples had some similar issues – not with a crossbody throwing motion per se – but with a weird tilt towards 3rd base during his delivery that made release points extremely inconsistent.
Maples would get his first taste of action in 2012, with a stop in Rookie ball. He faced 50 batters; he walked 10 of them and hit 3 others. He threw 6 wild pitches. He hurt his forearm.
Traditionally, the 14th round is where organizations start to draft filler guys. Someone has to be the 4th guy out of the bullpen for Tennessee, and for every roster spot, there are dozens of strapping young men with a slider and a dream willing to work for below minimum wage. Guys that are drafted in the 14th round with xFIPs above 6 and sore forearms generally don't return to baseball the next year – unless, of course, you are a 7-figure investment with the organization's best curveball in the minor leagues. Dillon would rehab and be promoted to Kane County to start 2013. The promotion was aggressive, and it showed. The walks came back: 31 in 34.2 innings pitched. Hit-luck masked his earlier minor league stop- this time, he paid the piper and allowed a staggering 8 runs per 9. Consistency continued to be an issue. Again, I have to stress that if the Cubs didn't have over 2 million reasons to keep Maples, there is almost no chance they would have. They decided to demote him to Boise. He would look considerably better in this extended tour of duty: 42 innings pitched, 41 strikeouts, a 2.14 ERA back by a 3.29 FIP. Most importantly, some of the wildness associated with his delivery had abated. He was ready on track to hopefully regain some confidence in 2014.
That didn't happen. Maples broke a rib, and with it broke any momentum he may have had. He walked more batters than he struck out. He had a wild pitch for every 6 baserunners he allowed, a number that is frankly obscene. Maples would have tied for 2nd in the majors that year in wild pitches for a starter, but while pitcher he would shared that spot with had faced 901 batters (Trevor Cahill, improbably enough), he faced only 151.
For the last time, I can't stress this enough: this is where the story is supposed to end. Talented but wildly inconsistent high-school pitcher flames out due to a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness. In Maples' case, he probably goes back to college and plays WR for a Division II school. In Maples' case, he'd get one more shot – this time, as a reliever who took a few mph OFF his fastball in the hopes of quieting his delivery and refining his command.
Dillon would start the year in Eugene for 3 appearances. The first was middling, and the second was atrocious- 2 hit batters in 7 batters faced, and 4 runs allowed. After an encouraging 3rd appearance, he was promoted to South Bend – Maples can't waste time because he doesn't have time left. For nearly any prospect, being 23, in single-A, and striking out 5.64 batters per 9 would be a soul-crushing experience. For Maples, it was irrelevant. He was healthy enough to finish the season, and for the first time his entire professional career, he walked fewer than 4 per 9 innings. South Bend had proved that the tools were there to be a complete pitcher – definitely not as a starter, but as a relief pitcher that would could at least eat innings. That was something. The addition of a slider was something else.
Maples made his bones in high school as a pitcher that threw 97 mph and had a genuine ++ curveball. He walked a ton of guys, but he was essentially playing catch the pitcher at the high school level – nobody swinging a high school bat could touch him. That didn't work in the minor leagues, and the story usually ends there. Maples lost 3 mph and stopped throwing his best pitch (mostly because the organization told him to lean on his fastball), learning a slider on the fly in Eugene, Oregon. This is a story that you could plausibly make into a movie.
It almost didn't work.
Maples floundered in Hi-A, and was eventually set back down to A ball. A ball, where he pitched in 2013 as a Top-5 prospect in the organization (and forecasted as a potential ace pitcher). A ball, where he pitched as a 2015, where he reinvented himself as a crafty reliever just trying to stop walking so many damn batters. If he struggled here, it was all over. Hell, if he did well here, it still might be.
Maples barely pitched well enough to stay in the organization. There may have been $2.5 million invested in him, but it was half a dozen years ago. Maples wasn't even drafted by Jed Hoyer; he was drafted by the man Jed Hoyer replaced, a man fired in large part for drafting pitchers like Hayden Simpson instead of pitchers like Noah Syndergaard.
Maples reported to Hi-A Myrtle Beach, and immediately walked 3 of the first 7 batters he faced in his first appearance. Like the adage goes, the only consistency about Maples is his inconsistency. There isn't a person in the world who wouldn't doubt himself after that first appearance. All the credit in the world to Maples for persisting. He wouldn't just hang on after that outing; he would dominate.
2017, Hi-A: 128 batters faced, 44 strikeouts, 15 walks, 1 HBP, 21 hits (.188/.289/.295 line against)
Maples was unreal. For the first time in his career, he was dominating. He struck out 12.64 per 9. The walks were there but manageable: 4.31 per 9. Turns out you can get away with walking people if they can't hit the ball off you otherwise. He would be promoted to Tennessee, the first time he would ever reach AA.
2017, AA: 65 batters faced, 28 strikeouts, 11 walks, 1 HBP, 11 hits (.212/.354/.269 line against)
[Short aside: you may look at that OBP and think that Dillon Maples got hit around. That is not the case. There are two things that are required for a pitcher to be bad; he needs to allow base-runners (give the opponent opportunities to score) and allow strong contact (give the opponent opportunities to allow those runners to actually score). Most pitchers allow strong enough contact for only the first thing to be relevant. Dillon Maples didn’t: even though he had a .440 BABIP, he only allowed 3 doubles, no triples, and not a single HR.]
Tennessee was the first time he ever dominated a level after being promoted. People started to talk about Maples again. Dillon now had 3 pitches that he could throw for strikes. His fastball recovered it's speed, now with interest. The breaking pitches had come back. At one point, Maples recorded 14 consecutive outs by way of strikeout. He was promoted to Iowa.
2017, AAA: 81 batters faced, 28 strikeouts, 11 walks, 12 hits (.185/.333/.246 line against)
This year, Dillon Maples has faced 274 batters. He has struck out 100 of them. 6 of them have doubled. 2 have tripled, 3 have hit a home run. 37 have walked. He has travelled back in time; he started as Carlos Marmol, 2012 and ended up as Carlos Marmol, 2007.
And like Carlos Marmol, 2007, he is now on the Cubs.
Today is the first day of the expanded rosters.
Mike Freeman will be called up; Addison Russell has had a setback with his plantar fascitis and needs time to recover.
Victor Caratini will be called up; he is good, and young, and deserved the reward of being called up.
Justin Grimm will be called up; he is no longer hiding on the disabled list.
Dillon Maples will be calle dup; he is a resurrected reliever with a 99mph fastball, a wipeout curveball, a +++ slider, and otherwordly mental fortitude.
Cheer for him.
Comments
TL:DR
EdwinQuote Reply
Can we turn him back into a starter, like Carlos Marmol 6/28/2006 against the Brewers?
EdwinQuote Reply
Just to be clear, this isn’t a Benjamin Button thing, where he’s going to keep turning into Cubs pitchers of the past?
EdwinQuote Reply
Don’t tell me what to do.
Seriously though, great writing, myles. Here’s hoping he has a long and successful MLB career.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I thought about saying “please cheer for him,” but that evoked Jeb! a little too strongly.
mylesQuote Reply
I’m excited to see what he can do.
EdwinQuote Reply
False.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
who’s to say whether or not that was the right choice
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
If Hayden Simpson would have put up the same numbers in MLB as he did in college he would have been a star.
EdwinQuote Reply
Baez is so fun to watch.
MylesQuote Reply
Cheer pressure.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Somebody botched the box score—it says *John Lackey* went seven shutout innings, but they must have traded him for some other veteran pitcher because that’s unpossible.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Cubs -> Win
mylesQuote Reply
Michael Fulmer——>Dr. James Andrews
That was a non-trade I recently enjoyed.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’m assuming that Maples is going to have a very, very long career if he’s figured out how to travel through time.
dmick89Quote Reply
For all we’ve been making fun of the Cubs being “back,” they’ve been really damn good since the All-Star break.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
New magic number:
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Really good write-up, and hoping he can continue his recent success with the big club.
Earlier this week Rick Sutcliffe was on the radio talking about the Cubs. When asked about Maples, he paused and said he wished the host had emailed him 30 minutes earlier as all of his minor leaguer notes were upstairs in another room. That was his insight on Maples. So thankful we have sites like OV to provide real insight, even if you guys are discredited.
North Side PatQuote Reply
Stupid Nats. Hit better.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
North Side Pat,
Shit, this may have re-undiscredited us. I need to whip up a post about the Cubs trading for Nolasco or something.
berseliusQuote Reply
Stupid Giants bullpen.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Good stuff Myles. Where’d you get the scouting info?
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Baseball America, perfect game, few other places that had video of his delivery in high school/2013/2015. Read some interviews also.
MylesQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
The Cardinals are 6 games out. I’m not too worried about them. If the Cubs lose the division to the Cardinals, it’s their own fault. I’d like to put the Brewers away, but it doesn’t seem to matter that they’ve been playing some good teams.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
That series against the Brewers next weekend is big. If the Cubs can put another game between themselves and MIL before then and win that series, it’ll be nearly impossible for the Brewers to overcome with fewer than 20 games to play.
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89,
I suppose. And I guess Cubs fans should be the last people to complain about a Giants bullpen implosion.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Jay
Schwarber
Bryant
Rizzo
Zobrist
Baez
Heyward
Rivera
Lester
berseliusQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Is there something wrong with Avila? I don’t understand how Rivera keeps getting starts against righties.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
For what little it is worth, this SP has a reverse platoon split.
berseliusQuote Reply
Apparently the Brewers are butthurt about the 7:05 start time next Friday.
http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/brewers-fuming-after-cubs-get-friday-night-game-wrigley-field
PerkinsQuote Reply
Jay is probably too slow to play center.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Whew.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Thank god for Suzuki’s awful pitch framing.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
No reason for Rivera to hit here.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Shut me right up.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Joe is a genius (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Lo(dying laughing)ol
MylesQuote Reply
Shut you right up.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Damn it, Lester. Pitch better.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Jesus fuck, Lester.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Lester is broken.
dmick89Quote Reply
Sigh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Fly balls are really traveling today.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Terrible at-bat by Bryant.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Tony!!!!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Great at-bat by Rizzo.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Nice outing by Rondon.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Not nice outing by Wilson.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m greedy. I’d like to see the Cubs add a couple more games to their lead and give the Brewers almost no chance of catching them without taking at least 5 of the 7 the two teams have left. They’d probably need 6 of 7.
dmick89Quote Reply
Wiilson’s shitty again.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Stupid fucking bullpen
dmick89Quote Reply
Uehara has been next to useless for awhile.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I’d certainly be happy with that. I’d love to see them step hard on the Brewers’ necks with a sweep and have the opportunity to rest some guys in the last couple of weeks.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Throw Goddamn strikes.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Pena is getting squeezed a bit, but he has to throw some goddamn strikes.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Now Edwards is getting squeezed.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
This strike zone is awfully tight.
PerkinsQuote Reply
dmick89Quote Reply
I wish Jay had been removed for defense.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m almost surprised the umpire called that curveball a strike.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward!!!!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Ugh. Zo and Tony were way too casual on that play.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I don’t care if the Cubs lead by a thousand, you may as well start the 9th with Davis because he’s sure as shit going to be needed anyway.
dmick89Quote Reply
Oh. My. God.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89Quote Reply
Frustrating win.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Lance Lynn has a one-hitter going, and it’s about the least dominant one I can remember.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Didn’t Edwin Jackson walk 8 in his no-hitter?
dmick89Quote Reply
Cardinals lose.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
He did. In Lynn’s case, I was thinking since he had walked four and only struck out one to that point.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
IIRC he had 0 Ks through the first six innings, when I checked in on the game.
berseliusQuote Reply
Scherzer is hurt and the right side of the Nats’ infield is bad at defense.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
4.5 game lead
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Half a game off the five back rule.
berseliusQuote Reply
Hopefully Conan makes another appearance tomorrow.
berseliusQuote Reply
I listened to Eucker’s call of the last inning the the Brewers game. The last play damn near gave me a heart attack.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Just as we all predicted, the Dodgers got swept in a double header by the Padres.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
These Cubs are having a hell of a time breaking triple digits in RS-RA.
ceruleanQuote Reply
To day’s base ball squadron:
Zobrist
Almora
Bryant
Rizzo
Baez
Happ (LF)
Heyward
Rivera
Montgomery
PerkinsQuote Reply
Late to this, but nice article, Myles.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Stop hitting the ball back to the pitcher.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Lining out to the shortstop isn’t ideal, either, but nice try.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
HAPP
berseliusQuote Reply
Fuck
dmick89Quote Reply
Ugh. We can’t afford to lose Javy.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Freeman proves he is no Javy.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Freeman sucks.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
If Russell can even stand, we need him.
dmick89Quote Reply
Freddie Freeman is probably a better shortstop than Mike.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Yeah, mike sucks.
dmick89Quote Reply
The strategy of hitting it back to the pitcher finally paid off!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
#MikeTag
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Can someone have a quiet word with Zobrist about that walk up music.
SKQuote Reply
Felix Pena sucks.
PerkinsQuote Reply
My least favorite thing about the 2016 Cubs season was that music.
MylesQuote Reply
Dodger are getting beat again.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
They stink.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
So, Maples made an appearance. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, looking—though it looks like a somewhat generous call.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
No, it was swinging.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
If Javy has to miss time, Joe should play #Bryzzo and short and third. Because MVPs.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I guess he was called out on strikes after he swing through it. Thanks gameday.
EDIT: I bet they highlighted the wrong pitch in the sequence as the third strike.
EDIT EDIT: Nope, user error. I scrolled to the wrong spot in the feed. I am a terrible person. I will go directly to bed with no dinner.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I might have been willing to do so, but you forgot the “and here’s why” in the title.
As it stands, without it, I did not feel properly compelled to read every word. Therefore, I have nothing to say about this baseball sports player.
What’s his name again? Dolan Marbles?
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
At least last year he mixed it up with that other song. But this year — yeesh, torture.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
I’ve often wondered if other guys in the clubhouse give him crap for using his wife’s songs as walkup music. I have to assume that Lackey does, even if he’s the only one.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Other than Kris Bryant and Starlin Castro, I couldn’t tell you who has what walk up song. I know Zobrist uses songs his wife does and she’s does christian music.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Hendricks uses “Sweet Emotion” and Rondon has a club remix version of some Venezuelan song that’s kind of amazing.
Last year at NLCS 1 when he came out to pitch the ninth and the whole place was fired up, I shouted to my wife “I don’t know what this song is, but I fucking love it!” Good times.
PerkinsQuote Reply
She does a cover of Benny and the Jets that makes you wish you could turn your ability to hear on and off.
MylesQuote Reply
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201610220.shtml
When they played sweet emotion as Kyle walked to the dugout in the 8th I teared up a little bit.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
David Ross using Forever Young >>>>>>>> all other walkup music.
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Jay
LF War Bear
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
2B Zobrist
C Avila
RF Heyward
SS Freeman
P Jay Carrieta
Pretty cool that the Cubs were able to trade for Freddie Freeman and convince him to play SS, you guys. I don’t know why he is batting eighth though.
berseliusQuote Reply
Myles,
Also awesome from that game: “In the Air Tonight” minutes before the start, and “Lose Yourself” entering the 9th.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Myles,
Good god, I forgot how dominant Cyle was in that start.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
It felt like once the Cubs got that 2-0 lead it was over.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Reds are up 4-1 over the Brewers in the 7th.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Reds will blow it since they don’t know when to be happy that they got a good start out of Bailey.
dmick89Quote Reply
4-4
dmick89Quote Reply
Stupid Reds bullpen.
PerkinsQuote Reply
https://mobile.twitter.com/davelozo/status/904732103098675200/photo/1
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
(dying laughing)
PerkinsQuote Reply
WTF, now I like Billy Hamilton.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Billy Hamilton hit an outside the park home run to win the game.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Was Jon Lester secretly pitching for the Brewers?
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
I hate Josh Bell so much.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Settle down, Jake.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’m out. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Jesus, Jake.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Terrible send there.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Perkins,
Well, the pitcher was on deck.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Jake is taking a lot of third strikes.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Everything is awful.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
crap x2
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
There is every chance that Arrieta has just thrown his last pitch as a Chicago Cub.
MylesQuote Reply
Len and JD told you everything you needed to know about how serious this injury is.
MylesQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Stupid umpire. That should have been a double play.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
What happened to Arrieta?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Landed funny on a pitch and came up lame. Might be a hamstring injury.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
I thought Willson’s injury was going to be season ending so maybe Jake can get back in time for the playoffs. If the Cubs can’t hold off the Brewers without Jake they don’t deserve to be there anyway. Besides, I’m not really sure how much worse the Cubs odds of winning it all are with Jake gone. Obviously they are worse, but they don’t have very good odds to get through a whole bunch of teams that are superior to them anyway. Sucks that he is injured, but maybe if anything it will prevent the front office from trying to re-sign him.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
It sounds like Willson might be back in the next week.
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Sun Times is reporting that Jake has died as a result of his injuries.
MylesQuote Reply
After seeing 965 players have to get treatment for cramps this past weekend, maybe Jake was just jealous they were getting all the attention.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles,
Still better than Matt Harvey’s tear in the testicle wall. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles,
RIP
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
dmick89,
I saw another headline today that the Mets are going to start him on short rest and wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not (dying laughing).
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Schwarber got screwed badly there.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow, Schwarber got hosed there.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Not that it means anything, but Jake’s injury looked a lot less severe than Willson’s.
dmick89Quote Reply
A lot of lineouts today.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Dillon Maples sighting.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo’s walk up music is Taylor Swift, We Are Never Getting Back Together. It’s the only one I know in the lineup because it combines my 10 y.o. daughter’s favorite singer with her favorite player. But she liked Rizzo before she knew his walkup song, so there’s that.
(2 days late to the convo)
BVSQuote Reply
Not looking great.
MylesQuote Reply
…and his control problems
BVSQuote Reply
That slider looks like it could be incredible, though.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
We’ll have to rely on Zo to start the 6 run come back.
BVSQuote Reply
He kept missing arm-side. Wonder if he was just too tentative and was afraid of getting it over the plate.
MylesQuote Reply
BVSQuote Reply
MLB.com say Leonis has a 90-ish fastball and a 76mph Change. Two way player alert!
BVSQuote Reply
Ugly, ugly game.
PerkinsQuote Reply
So Avila goes to the mound and says, “Ditch the heater Leonis. Rodriguez can’t handle the change.”?
BVSQuote Reply
Perkins,
We were probably due to be on the other end of a football score soon anyway, since we’d been doling them out.
And yesterday was football travel day.
BVSQuote Reply
I wish Zastryzny was still pitching so he could bat against Dovydas Neverauskas. And that Harry was still alive to announce it.
BVSQuote Reply
Inverted Γ
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bears play Steelers in three weeks. Using Cubs/Pirates blowout scores, I think a 12-0 Pittsburgh win is more likely than a 17-3 Bears win.
BVSQuote Reply
At least the Brewers lost.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Why do you think that?
Mike GlennonQuote Reply
Welcome to the big leagues, Dillon.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Never ask you what?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Sounds like Jake is optimistic.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
The way he described it, it did not sound like a cramp, but the injury didn’t look that bad to me.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Dodgers, who are always trying to outdo the Cubs, lost 13–0. They are now 1–9 in their last ten.
I expected a cooling off about a month ago, but this is whitewalker-level cold.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
It’d be great if they continue to muddle around into October.
PerkinsQuote Reply
This new Martin relief pitcher the Cubs traded for sucks.
EdwinQuote Reply
Yeah, once they traded Montero the quality of their relievers has really gone downhill.
MylesQuote Reply
Mike Glennon,
You’re a quarterback who was sick the day they taught throwing at school.
RynoQuote Reply
Taylor Davis -> Cubs
Jacob Hannemann -> DFA, claimed by SEA
MylesQuote Reply
http://deadspin.com/why-your-team-sucks-2017-green-bay-packers-1798699021
berseliusQuote Reply
Day off for Tony.
berseliusQuote Reply
Boston stealing signs from Yankees using Apple Watches, also known as the best evidence ever that our world is a computer simulation that is currently malfunctioning and spitting out mad-libs results
MylesQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Butts stealing Farts from Yankees using FartWatches, also farting as the best fart ever that our fart is a butt simulation that is currently pooping and farting out mad-libs farts
EdwinQuote Reply
When should we get back to talking about Dillon Maples?
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
When his K-BB% is better than -10%.
dmick89Quote Reply
Myles, I really liked the article you wrote. I think I forgot to mention that. It’s a great story, but the only thing I’d caution people about is that I’m not really sure the Marmol comparison is fair to Marmol. Marmol switched from catcher to pitcher and made his debut about on time with what you’d hope for a pitching prospect (22 or 23 years old). He was also a starting pitcher and had better walk rates than Maples had as a reliever. The strikeout rates are comparable as relievers, but I think we’ll be lucky if Maples has as good a walk rate as Marmol had. Even that walk rate wasn’t really good enough without a low BABIP. I think the best case scenario is that Maples somehow figures out how to throw a strike like Samardzija did, but that seems unlikely to me. I expect Maples to be way too wild to succeed at the MLB level, but I’ll enjoy watching his 99 mph fastball while I can.
dmick89Quote Reply
Offense, please.
dmick89Quote Reply
Happ!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Where did all of KB’s home runs go? I miss them.
dmick89Quote Reply
The Brewers struck out three straight times with the bases loaded.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
When his overall batting line is this good, why carp?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I don’t like Hendricks hitting here, even with a tired bullpen.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Happ hurries way too much.
dmick89Quote Reply
Too bad that McCutchen single came after he’d already struck out looking.
PerkinsQuote Reply
This is a good game if you hate strikeouts.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Ugh. Leadoff walk.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m out.
dmick89Quote Reply
Goddamnit.
PerkinsQuote Reply
That shit was predictable.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs are going to get swept.
dmick89Quote Reply
Fucking eighth inning.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
The first three sucked offensively. They should have scored more.
dmick89Quote Reply
Edwards got bitten by the BABIP dragon a bit, but his wildness was also a big problem.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Man, this team has looked like a shit sandwich lately.
I blame Dillon Maples.
MylesQuote Reply
As an aside, I can’t believe the Pirates started this season with Tony Watson as their closer.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Reds leading the Brewers 7-1 late.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
It’s like 2007 again. At least the Brewers lost.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
The Brewers have been spoiled lately by playing weak opponents like the Nationals and Dodgers.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
New Shit
http://obstructedview.net/cubs-3-pirates-4-952017/
mylesQuote Reply