2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (LOL NO)

[Starbreaker]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Wilmer Flores has got to be the worst defensive player in MLB. He looks completely lost on a baseball field.

 

[Timby]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Glad I got tired and bailed on the Sox/Yankees game after about 7.5 innings, it ended up going 19. Avoided getting into that loop where you feel committed, so have to finish, it almost happens, ties back up, on and on. Wouldn't have made it to the end no matter what! But at least the right team won

Girardi left Esmil Rogers, who threw two and a third innings the day before and was supposed to be unavailable last night, in there for 81 pitches and almost five innings.

I mean, Jesus, I watched some footage from the later innings and his arm was completely and totally cooked. Holy hell, Girardi.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Meanwhile, the Josh Hamilton fiasco is getting stranger by the day, with Arte Moreno tip-toeing around the issue of whether Hamilton will ever play for the Angels again.

I've a huge problem with the way the Angels have handled this. Hamilton self-reported his violation and was not disciplined by MLB following their investigation, to which the Angels responded by expressing their disappointment with the ruling. Now, Moreno seems to be doing whatever he can to get out from under Hamilton's contact--which he claims contains language protecting the Angels against any substance abuse policy violations by Hamilton.

My question is this: if the Angels were so concerned about Hamilton's drug and alcohol issues that they had to include such a clause in his contact, why did they offer him the contact in the first place? More and more, it seems as though teams believe they can wiggle their way out of bad contacts by bad-mouthing players and MLB decisions in the press. At what point does MLB step in and crack down on this sort of behavior?

--Sran

 

[Timby]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Now, Moreno seems to be doing whatever he can to get out from under Hamilton's contact--which he claims contains language protecting the Angels against any substance abuse policy violations by Hamilton.

Moreno's full of shit. Under the CBA bylaws, MLB contracts can only contain special clauses that provide actual or potential benefits to the player. Any "relapse clause" would be a flagrant violation of the CBA.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

And now this:

"If Josh was hitting .300 with 35 home runs a year, what's the situation?" Wilson told the Orange County Register on Saturday. "Obviously, that's the player that they want. That's the player they paid for."

Regardless of what the Angels wanted or paid for, they can't simply wiggle out from under a player's contact just because they're unhappy with his performance. Furthermore, has it occurred to the Angels that supporting Hamilton is more conducive his playing well than trying to devalue him or disown him?

I'm waiting for Manfred to get off his ass and tell the Angels to knock it off, but I guess he'd rather think about outlawing defensive shifts--because that's more important than protecting a player's livelihood or reputation. Had Hamilton lied about his latest relapse, I'd have no problem with the Angels trying to cut ties with him--the collective bargaining agreement aside. But he realized he had a problem and admitted it. What sort of precedent does this set for players who realize they're in over their heads and ask their organizations for help?

Arte Moreno can kiss may ass, right after he's pulled his head out of his.

--Sran

 

[Timby]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

So, remember all that talk about how the Cubs wanted Kris Bryant to work on his outfield defense, and that was why he was sent down to AAA, and no sir absolutely sir they were not playing games with his service time?

Bryant has yet to play a single inning in the outfield (or anywhere other than 3B) this season in Iowa.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Looks like the A's might have one of those dreaded "rebuilding" seasons this year. They are all over the place, winning in a dominant fashion one day, can't hit the ball the next, bullpen blowing up, unable to hit when the game is on the line.

Oh well, good thing the West is shaping up to be a crap fest.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Got to love it, ARod has 4 RBIs yesterday. A home run the other day that puts him closer to passing Willie Mays and being paid a 6 million bonus and he currently has the highest batting average on the team. Go ARod!!!!!

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

So, remember all that talk about how the Cubs wanted Kris Bryant to work on his outfield defense, and that was why he was sent down to AAA, and no sir absolutely sir they were not playing games with his service time?

Bryant has yet to play a single inning in the outfield (or anywhere other than 3B) this season in Iowa.

It's been 3 games. If they are playing the "service time" game, they'll put him in the OF eventually, at least to sell the story.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Why is Anthony Rizzo on Yahoo Fantasy Baseball's Do-Not cut list?
Is he that big of a deal?

 

[Scout101]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Kinda, yeah. If you want to cut him, trade him to me instead, and you can drop whatever I give you

 

[Jedi_Master]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

I don't know how he never got on my radar at all. I spent 2 hours a day looking at fantasy sites last year, never even saw his name somehow.
I am seriously questioning my sanity.

 

[Timby]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Why is Anthony Rizzo on Yahoo Fantasy Baseball's Do-Not cut list?
Is he that big of a deal?

Yes and no. He exploded last year after Rick Renteria and Bill Mueller straightened him out but it's a wait and see on how he'll respond to the coaching changes this season. He's always had an excellent eye for the strike zone and puts up a great OBP, but he's also historically been an odd-even year streak player.

He's a great piece for the Cubs in terms of long-term building but in fantasy terms if you could spring someone with amazing counting stats for him, it's something to consider.

Edit: I should add that my player evaluations are far different from the numbers that most fantasy leagues put a focus on (as I said, Rizzo is an on-base machine, but he's a streaky batter -- and the TrekBBS league through ESPN, for example, doesn't care about walks or OBP, although I am surprised they don't even do something like SLG). Hence my thought about flipping Rizzo for someone who puts up some really amazing but meaningless counting stats like RBI.

So, remember all that talk about how the Cubs wanted Kris Bryant to work on his outfield defense, and that was why he was sent down to AAA, and no sir absolutely sir they were not playing games with his service time?

Bryant has yet to play a single inning in the outfield (or anywhere other than 3B) this season in Iowa.

It's been 3 games. If they are playing the "service time" game, they'll put him in the OF eventually, at least to sell the story.

Four, but I take your point -- but that being said, he also hasn't been getting any practice reps in the outfield since he got sent to Des Moines.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Well according the Yanks' Method of Player Evaluation... he's a giant bust.

 

[1001001]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

The Royals can go straight to Hell. Again.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

The Cubs commentators were just talking about, when the Cubs drafted Bryant and offered him $6.7M, Bryant (and Boras) said no.

Then, right before the signing deadline, they signed for......$6.7M.

So if Bryant (and Boras) hadn't held out for those 2ish months, Bryant would have already been past the service time limit.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

Some shenanigans in the Cubs-Reds game. Lester finally throws to first....the crowd roars. Second throw sails past Rizzo, Cozart tries to get to third, Soler throws him out by a mile.

Soler is already getting a rep for having a dangerous arm.

 

[Corran Horn]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

So, remember all that talk about how the Cubs wanted Kris Bryant to work on his outfield defense, and that was why he was sent down to AAA, and no sir absolutely sir they were not playing games with his service time?

Bryant has yet to play a single inning in the outfield (or anywhere other than 3B) this season in Iowa.

And they're scheduled to bring him up---oh wait a minute, you don't know what their plans are. Ok then.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

^Jesus Christ, give it a rest.

--Sran

 

[Corran Horn]

Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)

^Jesus Christ, give it a rest.

--Sran

3 MiLB games played by Bryant and *I* should give it a rest?