The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

[Jr.]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Also aside from Lester and Arrieta the rotation hasn't been good especially Jason Hammel

Here's an interesting article on Hammel. Hard to explain why he's struggling so badly, unless his hamstring is still bothering him.

http://www.baseballessential.com/new...-jason-hammel/

[ThaBoss18]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Here's an interesting article on Hammel. Hard to explain why he's struggling so badly, unless his hamstring is still bothering him.

http://www.baseballessential.com/new...-jason-hammel/

Yeah it was interesting looking at that

Before that I figured he was a better 1st half pitcher after what happened last year and him falling apart with Oakland

But I am hoping he gets better by the playoffs cause it could be bad if Jake beats Pittsburgh and then we 2 constant pitchers and rest could pitch well or pitch 3 innings

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Hindsight is 20/20 and we should applaud the front office for putting together a good team that is also fun to watch first of all....but I wonder if Theo and Jeddie are even a bit shocked at how strong we came on in the 2nd half? Do you think they'd reconsider the only SP acquisition being Dan Haren? I have to think that if us making the playoffs were mostly a certainty and there was a reasonable chance of running down STL, Theo and Jeddie would have aimed a bit higher for the SP add on. Anyone else feel the same way? As if our fearless and talented F.O. was caught a little surprised by our current situation?

[bcruise]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Have a day, Kris.

[ThaBoss18]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Hindsight is 20/20 and we should applaud the front office for putting together a good team that is also fun to watch first of all....but I wonder if Theo and Jeddie are even a bit shocked at how strong we came on in the 2nd half? Do you think they'd reconsider the only SP acquisition being Dan Haren? I have to think that if us making the playoffs were mostly a certainty and there was a reasonable chance of running down STL, Theo and Jeddie would have aimed a bit higher for the SP add on. Anyone else feel the same way? As if our fearless and talented F.O. was caught a little surprised by our current situation?

I definitely think they was cause I don't think they expected all these young players to do this so quickly and was thinking about 2016.
Also there wasn't many big time SP Available was there? Apart from Cole Hamels. I could be wrong though

But there is some big free Agents this Off season they could get and not give up any prospects

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I definitely think they was cause I don't think they expected all these young players to do this so quickly and was thinking about 2016.
Also there wasn't many big time SP Available was there? Apart from Cole Hamels. I could be wrong though

But there is some big free Agents this Off season they could get and not give up any prospects

There were actually quite a few "rental" SPs that changed hands. Johnny Cueto, Scott Kazmir, David Price, and Mike Fiers.

[ThaBoss18]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

There were actually quite a few "rental" SPs that changed hands. Johnny Cueto, Scott Kazmir, David Price, and Mike Fiers.

Yeah guess I was wrong and they wouldn't have cost as much as Hamels if Theo wanted more help but then Hammels was still pitching very well

Also just looked up Chris Couglan and he has been playing very well this year whichout much fan fare

[Jr.]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Hindsight is 20/20 and we should applaud the front office for putting together a good team that is also fun to watch first of all....but I wonder if Theo and Jeddie are even a bit shocked at how strong we came on in the 2nd half? Do you think they'd reconsider the only SP acquisition being Dan Haren? I have to think that if us making the playoffs were mostly a certainty and there was a reasonable chance of running down STL, Theo and Jeddie would have aimed a bit higher for the SP add on. Anyone else feel the same way? As if our fearless and talented F.O. was caught a little surprised by our current situation?

Good question. I think they are seeing this season as icing on the cake. The young players weren't supposed to be this good, and I don't think they wanted to mortgage any of the talent in the system for anything before next season. I think they'll be more aggressive next season, if need be.

Now, whether that's the right mindset, I'm not so sure. But that's what I think happened.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I don't want to seem like I'm starting to question Joltin' Joe Maddon's pitching substitutions, but...I'm starting to question them? The other night pulling Lester from a 2-hitter through 7 IP and watching the pen melt down, tonight not pinch hitting for Arrieta with RISP and a 2-1 lead, and using Rodney and Soriano in odd situations earlier this year. More of an isolated string of incidents than an indictment on his in-game tactics, but not going to give him a free pass going forward, either. Especially since he has a reputation as a strong tactical manager.

[Jr.]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I don't want to seem like I'm starting to question Joltin' Joe Maddon's pitching substitutions, but...I'm starting to question them? The other night pulling Lester from a 2-hitter through 7 IP and watching the pen melt down, tonight not pinch hitting for Arrieta with RISP and a 2-1 lead, and using Rodney and Soriano in odd situations earlier this year. More of an isolated string of incidents than an indictment on his in-game tactics, but not going to give him a free pass going forward, either. Especially since he has a reputation as a strong tactical manager.

I didn't mind the decision to leave Arrieta in to hit. I would rather him stay in the game on the mound.

However, I have questioned his use of the pen for much of this season. I don't think he's managed it very well, at all, for much of the year.

[kehlis]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I don't watch them as much as you guys and therefore don't have much of a dog in the fight but I found it odd that he was allowed to hit there.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I didn't mind the decision to leave Arrieta in to hit. I would rather him stay in the game on the mound.

However, I have questioned his use of the pen for much of this season. I don't think he's managed it very well, at all, for much of the year.

I didn't like it. I wish he had pinch hit. Arrieta was already at 100 pitches and had run into a speed bump in the previous inning with that unearned run. Stuff like that has a way of getting a pitcher out of his groove. Then a dinky INF single and a near miss on a liner to Baez (which he couldn't really help) followed by a bad walk to Alvarez.

[ThaBoss18]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I think Joe Maddon has managed the bullpen the best he could this year since it hasn't been very good and all they have got to try to improve it was relievers nobody wanted in Soriano and now Rodney

[Jr.]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

I didn't like it. I wish he had pinch hit. Arrieta was already at 100 pitches and had run into a speed bump in the previous inning with that unearned run. Stuff like that has a way of getting a pitcher out of his groove. Then a dinky INF single and a near miss on a liner to Baez (which he couldn't really help) followed by a bad walk to Alvarez.

Eh, I still felt that Jake was the best option on the mound to hold the lead. The pitch count isn't much of an issue to me as he didn't have many stressful innings and he's shown that he's strong enough to pitch past that 100 pitch mark.

Like your description says, it's not like the Pirates knocked him around the park in the 8th. It was a flukey inning that makes the decision seem worse than it was, in my mind. Baez should've caught that line drive, as he wasn't covering the bag, so I'm not really sure why he broke toward it. The Alvarez walk was aided by a bad missed strike by Joyce.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: The Friendly Confines: The Official Chicago Cubs Thread

Eh, I still felt that Jake was the best option on the mound to hold the lead. The pitch count isn't much of an issue to me as he didn't have many stressful innings and he's shown that he's strong enough to pitch past that 100 pitch mark.

Like your description says, it's not like the Pirates knocked him around the park in the 8th. It was a flukey inning that makes the decision seem worse than it was, in my mind. Baez should've caught that line drive, as he wasn't covering the bag, so I'm not really sure why he broke toward it. The Alvarez walk was aided by a bad missed strike by Joyce.

I think Baez also should've made the play, but the full count pitch to Alvarez was nowhere near. The one Joyce missed was borderline low and he called it a ball because Montero stabbed down at it in a bad framing effort.

A win tonight and all is forgiven.