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* Our first of the year. Enjoy.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 8:46 am
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Previous Post: A Tobacco 21 goal: “Remove the 18-year-old supplier from the high schools”
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When does Bears training camp open?
Comment by Bogey Golfer Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 8:51 am
To my fellow Cubs fans: chill out. It’s April 8.
Comment by Token Conservative Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:06 am
Very rare to see the Cubs and Sox playing home day games at the same time on a weekday. Looks like a decent day for it, for April.
In nine games, the Cubs have already scored ten or more runs four times — and they lost two of those games.
I don’t want to see anymore bullpen dance parties until those guys can figure out how to hold a lead.
Rodon, Anderson, Moncada and Abreu are off to nice starts for the Sox.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:07 am
let’s Go Cubbies
Comment by f Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:11 am
f is me
Comment by Flynn's Mom Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:11 am
For Cubs fans the first week has been a very long season. But with a sunny 70 degrees forecast for the first pitch, if you’re not happy you don’t have a heart.
Comment by Reality Check Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:14 am
Seeing these cubs fan freak out is great!!! Sipping on a nice cold beer watching this.
Go Sox!
Comment by Gohawks123 Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:19 am
Cub fans’ freakout isn’t entirely irrational.
Digging a hole this early in the season does matter some.
fangraphs’ playoff odds has the Cubs at 41.1% and the Brewers at 49.5%, despite forecasting the Cubs to win 53% of their remaining games and the Brewers 50%.
Comment by Robert the Bruce Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:26 am
Adam Wainwright looked tough yesterday. If he keeps that up, as well as mentoring the young arms, Cards may be in for a pretty good season.
Comment by Steve Rogers Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:30 am
Theo and Jed told Joe this was the team, there will be no Craig Kimbral or anyone else. Win with this group or you’re fired.
The Cubs will either play hard for Maddon or they won’t. At this rate, he’ll be gone before May ends.
The Ricketts spent all of their money ruining Wrigleyville. Epstein hasn’t replaced Fowler or Chapman from the WS team. Unless Maddon can find someone to bat leadoff and someone else to close, there’s no reason to think this year will be much different than last year.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:35 am
“The Ricketts spent all of their money ruining Wrigleyville.”
Shouldn’t the neighborhood be renamed Rosemont Southeast?
#FlyTheL
Comment by Cubs Hater Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:41 am
I’m still guessing the Cubs will spend to add a couple of pitchers. Darvish has been a disaster of course, but they really should have moved to get an innings-eater #2 or #3 at the start of 2017 - the division was clearly going to be down the next couple of years and the big danger was overworking their arms (especially having gone deep into the post-season). Let’s get real: they’ve got the money.
And yes, Wrigleyville is a disaster - the Gallagher Way addition was nice and I don’t begrudge the Cubs buying up the rooftops, but did they have to make Hotel Zachary as tall as Wrigley, making it the dominant thing you see as you approach from a mile away? And the sterile, yuppie, absent of any baseball character “Addison & Clark” - just ugh.
The park itself looks beautiful though.
Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:43 am
Went to the Sox game yesterday. The “crowd” appeared to be under 10,000 on a warm April day, albeit with a few sprinkles.
Nova took 6-8 minutes between each pitch with runners on base before he was yanked. (Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but not much.). It was one of the most boring games I’ve ever attended.
I didn’t see much cause for optimism,
Comment by Keyrock Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:47 am
Daniel Palka 0 for 21. Carson Fulmer brough back to help the bullpen. Gonna be a long year for the White Sox, I need some Malort.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:55 am
–The Ricketts spent all of their money ruining Wrigleyville.–
The Darvish/Chatwood fiasco ($32.5 million this year) forced the Cubs to pick up Hamels option for ($20 million).
The Cubs are spending a fortune on some very dodgy pitching right now (outside of Lester, who is a bull).
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 9:58 am
===The Cubs are spending a fortune on some very dodgy pitching===
Yep, but it’s Maddon’s job on the line. Go figure.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:00 am
Some people forget what a dominant pitching staff the Cubs had from 2015 - 2017, especially the 2016 staff. Contrast that to this years staff and it is day and night.
Offense comes and goes and is very streaky and is full of ups and downs, but if you can pitch and defend you are in every game.
Many teams in baseball today have a lot of power arms of guys who throw in the mid to upper 90’s. The Cubs do not have any power pitchers among the starters or relievers. Hence the Cubs pitcher have to work the corners of the plate. Finesse pitchers are susceptible to walks and paying for mistakes i.e. home runs. Going to be a long year pitching wise on the north side.
Lastly Kris Bryant. I never drank the Bryant Kool aid and think he is overrated. He is a good baseball player but is not an elite player. In his 2016 MVP a good chunk of his HR and RBI stats came against a terrible Reds staff. And Bryant has NEVER been a “pressure/clutch” player.
While I understand Keyrock’s pessimism I think the White Sox will be a dangerous team in a couple of years. There is still a lot of talent in the minors and Jimenez and Moncada will only get better. Much like everyone else in a league with too many teams and diluted pitching quality, the question is pitching.
Comment by Big Jer Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:06 am
–Yep, but it’s Maddon’s job on the line. Go figure.–
Meh, I was done with Crazy Uncle Joe during Game 7 against Cleveland. Everything he touched that game turned to stuff.
All his goofy lineups during the season haven’t had the Cubs fresh and ready-to-go for the playoffs the last two years, which is their stated objective.
At least he doesn’t have Ian Happ to goof around with anymore.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:08 am
“In nine games, the Cubs have already scored ten or more runs four times — and they lost two of those games.”
Always remember, the Cubs are the team that scored 22 runs…and lost.
Comment by Skeptic Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:12 am
Milwaukee looks formidable, but the team’s starting pitching is suspect. If Counsell can go to the bullpen with a lead, opponents are in trouble. The Brewers need to score plenty of runs because their starters are not going to pitch shutouts.
Comment by Practical Politics Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:18 am
After the sudden end of Coach Q, Maddon is likely on the bubble. He can be gone in mid-season if Cubs continue to flounder, and after the season if they don’t go deep in the playoffs, like at least into the World Series.
Comment by VerySmallRocks Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:25 am
Cub fans have been rather uppity over the past couple of years. They now seem to be returning to normal.
Comment by owl Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:30 am
Bote’s five-year extension leads me to believe that Russell is not long for the Cubs. Baez is a better shortstop, anyway.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:37 am
Went to the Sox game on Saturday. Have to say that Giolito hasn’t seemed to be able to translate the development he made in Spring Training to the season. He looked like he has in the past. Bad location on fastballs, with movement pitches that couldn’t hit the zone. Too many taters hung over the plate resulted in a panoply of yabbos for Seattle.
That said, Sox offense looked GOOD! Abreu, Anderson, Jimenez, and Moncada. Yonder looked serviceable. I think we will see Castillo put on the trade block, as McCann does a better job behind the plate. When Palka makes contact, its the hardest contact on the team, just need to get that average over .250.
Pitching staff is highly suspect. There are zero pitchers on that team I think I can rely upon. Bullpen doesn’t look that bad, but starting rotation is as suspect as a Kim Foxx nolle pros.
I’m pegging the Sox to win about 88 games this year, as the rotation settles in and Santana joins the team greatly improving the situation.
Comment by Just another Anon Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:40 am
==Bote’s five-year extension leads me to believe that Russell is not long for the Cubs. ==
My first thought was that meant Bryant wasn’t long for the Cubs.
Comment by Henry Francis Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:46 am
===the Sox to win about 88 games this year===
I’ll take the under.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:47 am
What worries me about the Sox is Lopez - if Giolito comes through it’s a bonus, but last year Lopez looked like he had major league stuff and to-date this year has been a regression. If Lopez, Kopech and Cease are rotation worthy, they can pick up a #1 or #2 in free agency and have a nice rotation for their “window.”
Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 10:58 am
can’t wait to hear the whining from the right field upper deck Wrigley visitors. and not just about the game.
Comment by Amalia Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 11:00 am
Hendricks continues to regress. Not sure he’s going to be the pitcher they thought he’d be with any consistency.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 11:01 am
As a Cardinal fan, thank you Theo for putting that self-induced whammy on the team (urgency/reckoning). Now the Cubs are playing tight. The Sox are on schedule for 2020 .500 ball.
Comment by Levivotedfor Judy Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 11:15 am
Time to switch gears to baseball since there will be no NHL or NBA season for us in the windy city
Been years since I’ve been in tune with baseball especially the Cubs
Comment by Levois Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 11:17 am
–Seeing these cubs fan freak out is great!!! Sipping on a nice cold beer watching this.–
And the Sox existential threat is that their fans would rather drink beer at home at 9 a.m. on a Monday and diss the Cubs, rather than buy a ticket for Cominskey, drink at the game and watch their team.
Don’t count on the taxpayers building another new stadium after the Reinsdorf group sells. Twenty-fifth in attendance and averaging 50% of capacity is danger zone for continuing on the South Side.
http://proxy.espn.com/mlb/attendance?year=2018&sort=homeTotal
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 11:24 am
I used to like to watch Q pitch on the southside. He seemed calm and unflappable and competent even on all the many horrible days when he had absolutely no run support. What has happened? Is there an inherent stress associated with being a Cub that he did not experience before?
Comment by Responsa Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 11:40 am
Some friends and I at lunch were discussing baseball’s issue with appealing to a younger fan base. All the “normal” rule changes were mentioned to address the pace of the game…things I often hear when that topic rolls back around. My contention is that the issue with baseball popularity is an issue with kids HATING the sport (and maybe several other sports too) by the time they’re teenagers b/c of the toxic environment surrounding youth baseball (and I do think baseball’s environment is the worst). THey’re undergoing player evaluations when they’re 6 years old…I just can’t get my mind around that. What say you?
Comment by Cheap Seats Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 12:07 pm
==. What say you?==
I peripherally knew of a family in the south who was determined their little boy would be an MLB pitcher. The pitching camps, the available winter ball (because of the climate where they lived) the sports psychologists and physical trainers employed, choosing the high school for their baseball program etc.etc., all played into him being the center of their universe for years. He could not do it in the end, and his sense that he had failed everybody was palpable. Yes, from what I hear I am pretty sure he hates baseball–and probably his parents, too.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 12:21 pm
Wordslinger - that’s when the beautiful south loop stadium with a retractable dome and skyline views gets built (or better, some multi-use facility in conjunction with McCormick Place).
Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 12:47 pm
–I used to like to watch Q pitch on the southside. He seemed calm and unflappable and competent even on all the many horrible days when he had absolutely no run support. What has happened?–
He has a winning record with the Cubs rather than a losing record with the Sox?
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/q/quintjo01.shtml
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 1:06 pm
No, he pitched better with the Sox than the Cubs - there’s no I in baseball.
Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 1:29 pm
I just want to see Moncada take off, and then see progress from Giolito, Lopez, Anderson, and Jimenez. Not much else really matters with this year’s Sox team. But seeing this progress would be exciting!
Comment by Hyde Parker Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 1:51 pm
The Cardinals are also facing bullpen problems that cost them at least 2 wins this season.
Kolten Wong and Paul Goldschmidt are off to good starts this season with the bats.
Comment by Justin Monday, Apr 8, 19 @ 3:55 pm