Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Injuries. Same reason he came up at all.
Injuries. Same reason he came up at all.
2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (LOL NO)
- Thread starter tomalak301
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Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
If you believe Bryant coming up on the exact day the Cubs gained an extra year of control was a complete coincidence, I have some Wrigley bleacher tickets to sell you.
It's just ... okay, I saw the one catch he made last night, and the route was ... circuitous, to say the least. Bryant's listed at 6'5 / 215, but I don't think he's seen that weight in a few years. He's a big freaking dude. This is a conscious choice by Maddon, because you could easily run the same lineup out with Denorfia in center, Herrera in left and Bryant at third. Or phantom DL someone to bring Alcantara or Szczur back. Or whatever. (Converting him to center, incidentally, would be a legitimate reason for him to be in the minor leagues working on his defense, even though at his size he is not a major league centerfielder.)
The risk isn't that he's a disaster out there, because it's a couple games so whatever. The risk is that your giant shiny new toy runs into something in the outfield and gets wrecked, which seems to be a pointless risk to take.
But, hey, it's Maddon, and this is the kind of stuff we're going to get from him (which nobody really paid attention to in Tampa past "quirky" narratives); he likes to pull levers and push buttons.
If you believe Bryant coming up on the exact day the Cubs gained an extra year of control was a complete coincidence, I have some Wrigley bleacher tickets to sell you.
It's just ... okay, I saw the one catch he made last night, and the route was ... circuitous, to say the least. Bryant's listed at 6'5 / 215, but I don't think he's seen that weight in a few years. He's a big freaking dude. This is a conscious choice by Maddon, because you could easily run the same lineup out with Denorfia in center, Herrera in left and Bryant at third. Or phantom DL someone to bring Alcantara or Szczur back. Or whatever. (Converting him to center, incidentally, would be a legitimate reason for him to be in the minor leagues working on his defense, even though at his size he is not a major league centerfielder.)
The risk isn't that he's a disaster out there, because it's a couple games so whatever. The risk is that your giant shiny new toy runs into something in the outfield and gets wrecked, which seems to be a pointless risk to take.
But, hey, it's Maddon, and this is the kind of stuff we're going to get from him (which nobody really paid attention to in Tampa past "quirky" narratives); he likes to pull levers and push buttons.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Yeah, it was a bogus conviction. It doesn't really change anything related to Baseball and Barry Bonds, but he was essentially convicted of Obstruction of Justice because he didn't clearly answer a question. That's just absurd.
Guess whose conviction was overturned on appeal?
Yeah, it was a bogus conviction. It doesn't really change anything related to Baseball and Barry Bonds, but he was essentially convicted of Obstruction of Justice because he didn't clearly answer a question. That's just absurd.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
The Mets are so enjoyable to watch right now. I know the wheels will eventually fall of, but man I'm loving this right now.
The other thing I'm liking is in a weeks time, the Yanks went from last place to tied for first.
The Mets are so enjoyable to watch right now. I know the wheels will eventually fall of, but man I'm loving this right now.
The other thing I'm liking is in a weeks time, the Yanks went from last place to tied for first.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
The Royals aren't going to say so in public -- in fact, they'll probably say very much the opposite -- but one would think they're getting really fucking tired of Yordano Ventura's act.
The Royals aren't going to say so in public -- in fact, they'll probably say very much the opposite -- but one would think they're getting really fucking tired of Yordano Ventura's act.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
^I think they've been tired of him for awhile but haven't found anyone willing to take him off their hands. In any event, I don't know what possessed to him to scream, "Fuck you!" at Adam Eaton last night. Did he think Eaton hit a come-backer on purpose?
--Sran
^I think they've been tired of him for awhile but haven't found anyone willing to take him off their hands. In any event, I don't know what possessed to him to scream, "Fuck you!" at Adam Eaton last night. Did he think Eaton hit a come-backer on purpose?
--Sran
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Four starts in and Ventura has yet to leave a game normally: Hand cramp, something to do with his leg, ejection, ejection. (And he nearly started a fight with Trout in his second start, so it came pretty close to being three ejections.)
Four starts in and Ventura has yet to leave a game normally: Hand cramp, something to do with his leg, ejection, ejection. (And he nearly started a fight with Trout in his second start, so it came pretty close to being three ejections.)
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Somebody had to fill the Zambrano void. It just took a few years.
Somebody had to fill the Zambrano void. It just took a few years.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
My thoughts on the Royals thing:
- In KC/OAK, the Royals are in the clear on that one. Lawrie deserved to get thrown at, and even he knew it. But Kazmir couldn't let it go.
- With this thing in Chicago... First of all, it has its roots at the beginning of the season. Didn't a Royal get plunked when the Whitesox came to KC? And it wasn't like Ventura just started unloading on the guy, Eaton was jawing at him too (and taking his time in the batter's box, which doesn't make a lot of pitchers happy).
- A lot of people aren't comfortable with a team from the Midwest actually showing some fire.
My thoughts on the Royals thing:
- In KC/OAK, the Royals are in the clear on that one. Lawrie deserved to get thrown at, and even he knew it. But Kazmir couldn't let it go.
- With this thing in Chicago... First of all, it has its roots at the beginning of the season. Didn't a Royal get plunked when the Whitesox came to KC? And it wasn't like Ventura just started unloading on the guy, Eaton was jawing at him too (and taking his time in the batter's box, which doesn't make a lot of pitchers happy).
- A lot of people aren't comfortable with a team from the Midwest actually showing some fire.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
There's roughly one word Eaton could have said to Ventura to make that reaction justified, and I strongly suspect it wasn't that. Given that Ventura has gotten into scraps in three consecutive games, I'm finding it hard to give him the benefit of the doubt.
And as for taking his time in the batter's box, who the hell cares? It's a game. All of this "unwritten rules" shit is just the stuff of cranky old white men, the same reason we have people like Costas being sanctimonious assholes about PEDs and bat flips happening in a game that has been populated with drunks, cheaters, gamblers, murderers and general assholes since the day of the very first game.
When Hawk Harrelson is the voice of reason and saying that there's no reason for something to happen, then you know you've fucked up.
There's roughly one word Eaton could have said to Ventura to make that reaction justified, and I strongly suspect it wasn't that. Given that Ventura has gotten into scraps in three consecutive games, I'm finding it hard to give him the benefit of the doubt.
And as for taking his time in the batter's box, who the hell cares? It's a game. All of this "unwritten rules" shit is just the stuff of cranky old white men, the same reason we have people like Costas being sanctimonious assholes about PEDs and bat flips happening in a game that has been populated with drunks, cheaters, gamblers, murderers and general assholes since the day of the very first game.
- A lot of people aren't comfortable with a team from the Midwest actually showing some fire.
When Hawk Harrelson is the voice of reason and saying that there's no reason for something to happen, then you know you've fucked up.
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Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
^ True dat.
But you can bet that if it'd been his precious Whitesox that were doing all this, ol' Hawk would be all for it...
^ True dat.
But you can bet that if it'd been his precious Whitesox that were doing all this, ol' Hawk would be all for it...
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Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Hamilton averaged a 110 OPS+ over the last two seasons, which could help almost every team in the league, and the major actors in the Texas breakup (Nolan Ryan, Katie Hamilton) are out, so assuming they aren't sending much back to Los Angeles, this ... really isn't a bad deal for them.
I'm surprised the Mets didn't take a flyer on him, because he could have been a huge asset there.
Hamilton averaged a 110 OPS+ over the last two seasons, which could help almost every team in the league, and the major actors in the Texas breakup (Nolan Ryan, Katie Hamilton) are out, so assuming they aren't sending much back to Los Angeles, this ... really isn't a bad deal for them.
I'm surprised the Mets didn't take a flyer on him, because he could have been a huge asset there.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Hamilton's probably glad to be returning to a team that doesn't throw players under the bus.
Hamilton's probably glad to be returning to a team that doesn't throw players under the bus.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
The Rangers threw Hamilton under the bus when Nolan Ryan blamed Hamilton's mid-season quitting of chewing tobacco for his on-field struggles. (I think Ryan's phrasing was that Hamilton should have quit before or after the season, but that it was selfish of him to try to quit in the middle of the season. Because, you know, Hamilton isn't a human being or anything, he's cattle.)
The difference now is that Ryan has since fucked off to a "process-oriented" team in Houston.
It'd probably be a good move for Hamilton, since a lot of the support system that was put together for and by him is still there.
The Rangers threw Hamilton under the bus when Nolan Ryan blamed Hamilton's mid-season quitting of chewing tobacco for his on-field struggles. (I think Ryan's phrasing was that Hamilton should have quit before or after the season, but that it was selfish of him to try to quit in the middle of the season. Because, you know, Hamilton isn't a human being or anything, he's cattle.)
The difference now is that Ryan has since fucked off to a "process-oriented" team in Houston.
It'd probably be a good move for Hamilton, since a lot of the support system that was put together for and by him is still there.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Glad he's getting out of Los Angeles; the Angels offered him a contract and then tired to get out of it because they didn't want to pay him anymore.
That Hamilton is still a productive player who--in the right environment--could be an asset to a Major League team.
See above.
Well...
That's what I thought of when I first heard about this deal. Things worked out well for Hamilton in Texas. Why not give it another try?
--Sran
Glad he's getting out of Los Angeles; the Angels offered him a contract and then tired to get out of it because they didn't want to pay him anymore.
That Hamilton is still a productive player who--in the right environment--could be an asset to a Major League team.
See above.
Well...
That's what I thought of when I first heard about this deal. Things worked out well for Hamilton in Texas. Why not give it another try?
--Sran
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Hamilton would be a pretty great upgrade over Matt Joyce.
But, y'know, Angels.
I'm just glad this Hamilton stuff is over. What a complete clusterfuck all the way around.
Now, maybe we can focus on trying to win some fucking games.
Hamilton would be a pretty great upgrade over Matt Joyce.
But, y'know, Angels.
Re: 2015 MLB Season - Can the Cubs FINALLY win the World Series? (No.)
Yeah, it's....not great...
I'm just glad this Hamilton stuff is over. What a complete clusterfuck all the way around.
Now, maybe we can focus on trying to win some fucking games.
Hamilton would be a pretty great upgrade over Matt Joyce.
But, y'know, Angels.
Yeah, it's....not great...
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