MLB 2017 Season

[JWags85]

Wilson Contreras is going to be a star.

I said it during the playoffs, especially when he hit the game tying single in SF.  He just has a clutch sense of the moment.  Love his development behind the plate and the ability to move him to the outfield like today to rest his knees and keep his bat in the lineup.  Love watching him.

Also, in a "depends on your perspective" moment, Harper tossed a ball to the fans in right, they threw it back, and he launched it out of the park.  Older fans would prolly call him a punk, I think its hilarious and playful.  Just getting used to the fans out there for when he's patrolling in 2019.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I said it during the playoffs, especially when he hit the game tying single in SF.  He just has a clutch sense of the moment.  Love his development behind the plate and the ability to move him to the outfield like today to rest his knees and keep his bat in the lineup.  Love watching him.

Also, in a "depends on your perspective" moment, Harper tossed a ball to the fans in right, they threw it back, and he launched it out of the park.  Older fans would prolly call him a punk, I think its hilarious and playful.  Just getting used to the fans out there for when he's patrolling in 2019.

Agree completely on Contreras.

Harper's free agency is going to be a spectacle.  Great player and I think he's good for the game.

[DegenerateDish]

Sox season is going perfect, they're now a game behind Philly for the worst record, and their next 8 games are Astros, Royals, Dodgers. Baseball draft certainly a crapshoot, but if you're going to be bad, might as well finish with the worst record.

[Lennys Tap]

Sox season is going perfect, they're now a game behind Philly for the worst record, and their next 8 games are Astros, Royals, Dodgers. Baseball draft certainly a crapshoot, but if you're going to be bad, might as well finish with the worst record.

+1000

[MU82]

Maddon, who likes to think "outside the box," had a perfect opportunity today.

The game clearly was going to be won or lost in the 8th inning. Why not bring in Davis then? If you want to start the 8th with Montgomery, cool, but then if you're gonna yank him after he gives up an infield single with one out in a 1-run game, why not go to Davis? If Davis was good enough to escape with the Cubs still ahead, or even tied, then you can go to somebody else in the 9th.

But no, just like pretty much every manager, Maddon will only bring in his relief stud to start the 9th inning.

He never got the chance to do that this time because the Cubs were down 1,000 runs after Edwards got blown up in the 8th.

In other Cubbie news ...

Schwarber continued to show that, as a LF, he's a DH. Wow ... that was a play that at least 8 out of 10 Little League kids I umpire make. And, incredibly, he wasn't even charged an error on the play. Lester was pissed when Schwarber butchered the play - and he had to be even more pissed when he realized he got charged with an effen earned run!

TBS posted a graphic showing that Schwarber is the worst LF in the majors. And I wonder how many other errors he hasn't been charged with.

If I'm the Cubs, this offseason I seriously consider moving Schwarber to an AL team if they can get decent value back for him. That's a pretty big "if," though, given that he can't get over the Mendoza Line.

It doesn't sound like it, but I actually like Schwarber as a hitter. He's well-suited for today's "bomb or bust" game because he homers, whiffs or walks such a huge percentage of the time. Unfortunately for the Cubbies, this season the whiffs far outpace anything else.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Maddon, who likes to think "outside the box," had a perfect opportunity today.

The game clearly was going to be won or lost in the 8th inning. Why not bring in Davis then? If you want to start the 8th with Montgomery, cool, but then if you're gonna yank him after he gives up an infield single with one out in a 1-run game, why not go to Davis? If Davis was good enough to escape with the Cubs still ahead, or even tied, then you can go to somebody else in the 9th.

But no, just like pretty much every manager, Maddon will only bring in his relief stud to start the 9th inning.

He never got the chance to do that this time because the Cubs were down 1,000 runs after Edwards got blown up in the 8th.

In other Cubbie news ...

Schwarber continued to show that, as a LF, he's a DH. Wow ... that was a play that at least 8 out of 10 Little League kids I umpire make. And, incredibly, he wasn't even charged an error on the play. Lester was pissed when Schwarber butchered the play - and he had to be even more pissed when he realized he got charged with an effen earned run!

TBS posted a graphic showing that Schwarber is the worst LF in the majors. And I wonder how many other errors he hasn't been charged with.

If I'm the Cubs, this offseason I seriously consider moving Schwarber to an AL team if they can get decent value back for him. That's a pretty big "if," though, given that he can't get over the Mendoza Line.

It doesn't sound like it, but I actually like Schwarber as a hitter. He's well-suited for today's "bomb or bust" game because he homers, whiffs or walks such a huge percentage of the time. Unfortunately for the Cubbies, this season the whiffs far outpace anything else.

A few points.

Maddon said Davis was not available today because he threw 30 pitches yesterday. That being said, he still probably doesn't go to him there.

Schwarber was charged with an error on that play, and rightfully so.

I also don't think they'll get the value they'd require to move him.

[jesmu84]

Maddon, who likes to think "outside the box," had a perfect opportunity today.

The game clearly was going to be won or lost in the 8th inning. Why not bring in Davis then? If you want to start the 8th with Montgomery, cool, but then if you're gonna yank him after he gives up an infield single with one out in a 1-run game, why not go to Davis? If Davis was good enough to escape with the Cubs still ahead, or even tied, then you can go to somebody else in the 9th.

But no, just like pretty much every manager, Maddon will only bring in his relief stud to start the 9th inning.

He never got the chance to do that this time because the Cubs were down 1,000 runs after Edwards got blown up in the 8th.

In other Cubbie news ...

Schwarber continued to show that, as a LF, he's a DH. Wow ... that was a play that at least 8 out of 10 Little League kids I umpire make. And, incredibly, he wasn't even charged an error on the play. Lester was pissed when Schwarber butchered the play - and he had to be even more pissed when he realized he got charged with an effen earned run!

TBS posted a graphic showing that Schwarber is the worst LF in the majors. And I wonder how many other errors he hasn't been charged with.

If I'm the Cubs, this offseason I seriously consider moving Schwarber to an AL team if they can get decent value back for him. That's a pretty big "if," though, given that he can't get over the Mendoza Line.

It doesn't sound like it, but I actually like Schwarber as a hitter. He's well-suited for today's "bomb or bust" game because he homers, whiffs or walks such a huge percentage of the time. Unfortunately for the Cubbies, this season the whiffs far outpace anything else.

I think last year's playoffs with Chapman show that maddon is absolutely willing to bring in the closer at different times

[4everwarriors]

Baylor out.

[buckchuckler]

Also, in a "depends on your perspective" moment, Harper tossed a ball to the fans in right, they threw it back, and he launched it out of the park.  Older fans would prolly call him a punk, I think its hilarious and playful.  Just getting used to the fans out there for when he's patrolling in 2019.

That is hilarious.  I think you would really need to be a grumpy fan to have a problem with that.

[MU82]

A few points.

Maddon said Davis was not available today because he threw 30 pitches yesterday. That being said, he still probably doesn't go to him there.

Schwarber was charged with an error on that play, and rightfully so.

I also don't think they'll get the value they'd require to move him.

Thanks for the correction on Schwarber. The announcers said it was ruled a hit, but it must have been changed and I didn't hear about it. I saw all runs against Lester were earned; I guess the scorer assumed that if Schwarber would have made the catch it would have been a sac fly. With most LFs, that probably would have been an erroneous assumption, but with Schwarbs probably a safe one.

Also thanks for the 30-pitch thing on Davis. I hadn't heard that. And yes, ignorance on my part is no defense!

Finally, I agree that the Cubs might not be able to get enough value for Schwarber. I do think they'd be at least wise to try. He is a classic AL player.

[GB Warrior]

How capable is Contreras in OF? With Schwarber still meandering along and a net negative defensively, maybe it's worth Contreras to LF and seeing if Avila can recapture some of his early season magic.

[#UnleashSean]

How capable is Contreras in OF? With Schwarber still meandering along and a net negative defensively, maybe it's worth Contreras to LF and seeing if Avila can recapture some of his early season magic.

Avila's last start had contreras in left. It'll happen some more in the season.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

How capable is Contreras in OF? With Schwarber still meandering along and a net negative defensively, maybe it's worth Contreras to LF and seeing if Avila can recapture some of his early season magic.

Schwarber's OPS/OPS+ since June:

June - .849/127
July - .940/149
August - .929/153

Offensively, aside from still K'ing too much, he's been more than fine for the past couple of months, although that is only over 41 games.

Defense is another story but I wouldn't say he is meandering along offensively.

[MU82]

Baylor out.

Not to sound like a name-dropper but ...

I covered Baylor during his entire time as Cubs manager, had many great conversations with him. Highly intelligent, and a real class act. I didn't think he was the best manager in baseball history, but he also didn't have much to work with in Cubbieland. A lot of bad and/or injured pitching. And his 2001 team contended for most of the season even though the second-best hitter was either Ricky Gutierrez, Matt Stairs or Rondell White.

He was a real "baseball man," and the game will miss him.

[DegenerateDish]

Contreras been on fire since the break, that's an unfortunate injury, didn't look promising.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Contreras been on fire since the break, that's an unfortunate injury, didn't look promising.

Huge loss.

[DegenerateDish]

Moncada game.

[JWags85]

Huge loss.

Well the good news is its not a tear.  They expect him back within a month.

[#UnleashSean]

Well the good news is its not a tear.  They expect him back within a month.

Can the cubs withstand a month without him

[MUBBau]

If the Cubs get swept, the Cards lose 2, the Brewers win 2, and the Pirates win 3 games this weekend, we'd have a 4 way tie in NL Central

[jsglow]

One, the Crew is just trying to win one right now.  Two, does it matter?  Seriously, while the playoffs are short series and anything can happen don't the Dodgers look the part of unbeatable?

[copious1218]

One, the Crew is just trying to win one right now.  Two, does it matter?  Seriously, while the playoffs are short series and anything can happen don't the Dodgers look the part of unbeatable?

Sure, but the winner of the central will (most likley) be playing Washington in the first round.  Let the Diamondbacks/Rockies worry about the Dodgers. 

[JWags85]

One, the Crew is just trying to win one right now.  Two, does it matter?  Seriously, while the playoffs are short series and anything can happen don't the Dodgers look the part of unbeatable?

They also have an ace coming off an injury who while being historically good in the regular season has been significantly less so in the post season.  A 2/3 in Darvish who has little post season experience and has been awful this year, and then Maeda.

They are unreal, their streak has been beyond impressive, but I don't think they're the 27 Yankees just yet.

[buckchuckler]

Harper got hurt tonight, had to be helped off the field.  Looked pretty bad. 

[wadesworld]

Torn ACL for Harper.

I had seen a pitch glance the bat of a guy stepping into a high and tight pitch that is just trying to get out of the way of being hit, but before tonight I had never seen that happen with 2 strikes and the catcher catch the richochet for a foul tip strike 3. It happened twice in the Bewers game. And then the Brewers win on a walk off wild pitch on an 0-2, 2 out count. Maybe tonight can be a turning point with Walker coming in. But probably not.