MLB Off-Topic

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

It's funny how all these "built to last!" teams seemingly end up not quite lasting as long as we expect.

We'll see if the Cubs can make the necessary adjustments.

It'll be interesting to see if the Astros core regress a bit as that's exactly what happened to the key cogs of the Cubs offense until after the All Star Break.

[Steven78]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

It's funny how all these "built to last!" teams seemingly end up not quite lasting as long as we expect.

We'll see if the Cubs can make the necessary adjustments.

In baseball, I almost say no team is built to last.

Bullpens are fluky, injuries, hot/cold years and generally "baseball" means competitive balance is the best of any sport.



Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I find it interesting...a year ago at this time people were talking about a Cubs dynasty; today I can't even find them in the top 5 of Vegas odds to win the WS next year. Crazy how fast perceptions change in pro sports.

And every year we see the media being like "____ are the team everyone should be modelling themselves after". And of course, it's a different team each year they say that about.

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

In baseball, I almost say no team is built to last.

Bullpens are fluky, injuries, hot/cold years and generally "baseball" means competitive balance is the best of any sport.



Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

I see your point in general but it's not impossible to be a consistent winner at the very least. Until last year when their key players aged overnight and injuries became a huge thing for them the Giants were a very competitive team across the board and for the majority of those years they had no real bullpen to speak of. The Yankees and Red Sox have generally been pretty good in the AL East for the better part of the last decade and a half.

You can build a team that can at the very least hang around and be in the playoff mix. Now here's where I agree with you completely, it takes a LOT of luck and a solid plan to be LCS/WS contenders every year. The way teams like the Cubs, Dodgers and Indians are built they should be in that conversation for at least the next 3 years. The Yankees are going to be interesting though as we saw with the Cubs this past year development doesn't necessarily go in an upwards trajectory. I'm not going to say Judge is going to have a horrible season in '18 but I wouldn't be surprised if he has a sophomore slump to the point that he can't be counted on to carry that offense. Gary Sanchez is a guy who can get offense but I think his days as a catcher may be winding down if he doesn't work on his technique catching the ball etc etc. Those are just two areas where things may turn out differently.

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

It would be an interesting study, but my gut feeling is that teams that are able to repeat in history are teams that were more veteran than the Cubs/Astros. Outside of the Cubs pitching, that team relies on a lot of young players. The Astros are the same way. The Yankees of the late 1990's, the Blue Jays of the early 1990's, the Yankees of the late 1970's, the Reds of the mid-70's, the A's of the early 1970's, the Yankees in the decade before, etc, relied mostly on established/veteran players with some youth sprinkled in.

It's just hard when you go from being the hunter to the hunted...handling that takes experience.

[steelerfan]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

How the Astros won a World Series by betting on the ability to predict baseball

http://es.pn/2lME6nV

[dubcity]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

How the Astros won a World Series by betting on the ability to predict baseball

http://es.pn/2lME6nV

Well, that article definitly takes the fun and excitement out of this Astros team, and baseball in general. Cold hard statistics and projections over individual stories and performing under pressure.

[steelerfan]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Wooooot!

[steelerfan]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

[emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]

https://twitter.com/AlanEnokian/status/926558786827030528

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

It's funny how all these "built to last!" teams seemingly end up not quite lasting as long as we expect.

We'll see if the Cubs can make the necessary adjustments.

Feel like you're sort of making a tortured argument here. What about 3 straight NLCS berths is not "lasting" ? lol. Built to last doesn't mean WS champ every single year. All of these teams (Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Yankees, Indians) should be right back in the mix once again next year, too.

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Feel like you're sort of making a tortured argument here. What about 3 straight NLCS berths is not "lasting" ? lol. Built to last doesn't mean WS champ every single year. All of these teams (Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Yankees, Indians) should be right back in the mix once again next year, too.

I agree with you, but I also understand where Matrix is coming from. I think the Cubs are at a cross roads. They have a lot of young talent, but nearly all of it is on the offensive side of the ball. Furthermore, some of the young talent hasn't developed as expected (Russell/Schwarber) and there isn't much left in the system. I think the Cubs can remain contenders for many more years with the core they have, but I do think their stay as "best" team in the game was pretty short lived.

It will be interesting to see what Epstein/Hoyer do to revamp the pitching, but I think the argument can be made the Cubs are a lot of moves away from being the best team in baseball again.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Feel like you're sort of making a tortured argument here. What about 3 straight NLCS berths is not "lasting" ? lol. Built to last doesn't mean WS champ every single year. All of these teams (Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Yankees, Indians) should be right back in the mix once again next year, too.

3 straight NLCS berths is excellent of course, but it's still only 3 years of contention for a franchise starving. This year they didn't look nearly as good and a lot of those pieces were quite underwhelming. It's really only one year of true dominance thus far. And again, of course that's amazing for the Cubs who were just desperate to finally win. But, say it ends with that, it's far cry from the decade of prominence you'd expect from their efforts and the hype. I don't think a 3 year window is what any of these teams set out to do when they "start their process."

To be clear, I don't think they're going to fall off a cliff or anything, but it's clear that it's going to take a lot of tweaking and veteran help to ensure that it lasts.

Look at the Royals with all their efforts already having to dismantle everything. Look at the Mets finally getting things in order only to be annihilated by injuries to their superstar pitching staff. Look at the Blue Jays who were, admittedly, a bit more of a "quick burst"-type but they're gonna be back to being jack **** now too.

My point is that it's insane to just expect years and years of contention just because a team is young. To the people who say that a franchise (not just the Cubs) is "just starting!" and "they'll be back!" is foolish because nothing is ever guaranteed. Seems like people think it's "set it and forget it."

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

3 straight NLCS berths is excellent of course, but it's still only 3 years of contention for a franchise starving. This year they didn't look nearly as good and a lot of those pieces were quite underwhelming. It's really only one year of true dominance thus far. And again, of course that's amazing for the Cubs who were just desperate to finally win. But, say it ends with that, it's far cry from the decade of prominence you'd expect from their efforts and the hype. I don't think a 3 year window is what any of these teams set out to do when they "start their process."

To be clear, I don't think they're going to fall off a cliff or anything, but it's clear that it's going to take a lot of tweaking and veteran help to ensure that it lasts.

Look at the Royals with all their efforts already having to dismantle everything. Look at the Mets finally getting things in order only to be annihilated by injuries to their superstar pitching staff. Look at the Blue Jays who were, admittedly, a bit more of a "quick burst"-type but they're gonna be back to being jack **** now too.

My point is that it's insane to just expect years and years of contention just because a team is young. To the people who say that a franchise (not just the Cubs) is "just starting!" and "they'll be back!" is foolish because nothing is ever guaranteed. Seems like people think it's "set it and forget it."

Fair points. I have no quibbles with any of this. The parity in this sport is so overwhelmingly great that today's Cinderella is always being pitted against tomorrow's version. No major American sport is quite as unpredictable as baseball, SI cover stories notwithstanding.

As for the Cubs, I feel like people are selling a lot of stock on young guys like Schwarber, Russell, Baez etc and I think that's a mistake. We'll see what a revamped coaching staff and some bullpen surgery will do for this team that I believe is still a long way from being a spent force. This team was some situational hitting and a strike-throwing bullpen away from a serious run at a repeat, despite not getting career years from a lot of people.

[SidVish]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

It's funny how all these "built to last!" teams seemingly end up not quite lasting as long as we expect.

We'll see if the Cubs can make the necessary adjustments.

The Cubs have gone to at least the NLCS since 2015. I'd say that's as close as built to last as you're going to get. A decade of prominence is just a pipe dream in baseball. Its very hard to win a World Series. Theo will make the necessary moves in order to get the team in contention each year. That's more than any fan could ask for.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Fair points. I have no quibbles with any of this. The parity in this sport is so overwhelmingly great that today's Cinderella is always being pitted against tomorrow's version. No major American sport is quite as unpredictable as baseball, SI cover stories notwithstanding.

As for the Cubs, I feel like people are selling a lot of stock on young guys like Schwarber, Russell, Baez etc and I think that's a mistake. We'll see what a revamped coaching staff and some bullpen surgery will do for this team that I believe is still a long way from being a spent force. This team was some situational hitting and a strike-throwing bullpen away from a serious run at a repeat, despite not getting career years from a lot of people.

I don't think those guys are lost causes either. I just hope they make the adjustments necessary. I love watching them play.

And you're right----that's why baseball is the best!