OFFICIAL 2021 CUBS BASEBALL THREAD

MisterLucky

Well-Known Member
I see no one else started this thread, so I will. Watched a few of the Cubs Spring ball games and they didn't look too bad. Now, they come home for the season opener and lay a gigantic 2 hit egg for their fans. I know it is only one game, but this is exactly how the Cubs have looked when they've been completely mediocre. Hopefully, this game was an aberration and not the norm.
 
They've looked better in game 2 and 3. Unfortunately, it looks like another year that the pitching is going to have to carry the load. Twelve hits in the first three games and a team BA of .143. Pretty weak, but it's early.
 
I like how they have so many pitchers who rely on finesse. The pendulum has swung toward power, power and more power the past ten years. Hitters are geared for high heat.

If the pendulum swings back the other way the Cubs are already ahead of the curve.
 
The Cubs just look like such an anemic hitting team this season. Kind of odd when you have so many players that are playing for their next contract. Nine runs in the last five games (counting today's game in progress). I'd rather lose games 10-7 than 6-1.
 
They are terrible. Tired of watching Baez swinging at balls 2 feet off the plate. What is this 4 or 5 years now watching this. Good grief.
 
Their hitting was terrible last year as well. This year their pitching has gotten worse along with an anemic offense. I would not be surprised to see them in the cellar at the end of the year. I think their GM saw this coming and bailed out ahead of the sinking ship.
 
This is getting historically bad. They are lucky to even be 4-6.

Problem number one is too much swing and miss. They're still doing it a rookie rates. If they can't lay off fastballs a foot above the zone or sliders away they are going to keep seeing them. Two strikes, you have to look middle to away and shoot it that way. They don't. In addition when they get something decent to hit they are fouling it back. And if I hear about Rizzo's b-hack one more time I'm going to throw up. Doesn’t do much good if others aren't following his lead and no one is getting in their faces about it.

Speaking of Rizzo. Stop throwing your hands up in frustration when you line one into the shift. The shift is there for one reason-you don't use the left side of the diamond enough. Poke a few into left field and teams will stop shifting in a big hurry. That's why their team average is so low even on balls put in play. The defense has them perfectly positioned. These guys are major league hitters. Difficult as hitting is, they should be able to use the whole field once in a while. Do it and shifts will disappear. Quickly.

Contreras, you crowd the plate and flip your bat. That's why you get plunked so much. Stop bitching about it and stop flipping your bat. Of course another way to stop the plunking is to put up an eight spot when teams give you a base. But the Cubs aren't good enough, or tough enough, to do that at this time.

Can't blame cold weather either. It was gorgeous in Chicago after opening day, gorgeous in Pittsburgh, and they play indoors in April in Milwaukee.

Let's see what the next two to three weeks bring. Schedule gets much tougher starting with the Braves coming to town
 
This is getting historically bad. They are lucky to even be 4-6.

Problem number one is too much swing and miss. They're still doing it a rookie rates. If they can't lay off fastballs a foot above the zone or sliders away they are going to keep seeing them. Two strikes, you have to look middle to away and shoot it that way. They don't. In addition when they get something decent to hit they are fouling it back. And if I hear about Rizzo's b-hack one more time I'm going to throw up. Doesn’t do much good if others aren't following his lead and no one is getting in their faces about it.

Speaking of Rizzo. Stop throwing your hands up in frustration when you line one into the shift. The shift is there for one reason-you don't use the left side of the diamond enough. Poke a few into left field and teams will stop shifting in a big hurry. That's why their team average is so low even on balls put in play. The defense has them perfectly positioned. These guys are major league hitters. Difficult as hitting is, they should be able to use the whole field once in a while. Do it and shifts will disappear. Quickly.

Contreras, you crowd the plate and flip your bat. That's why you get plunked so much. Stop bitching about it and stop flipping your bat. Of course another way to stop the plunking is to put up an eight spot when teams give you a base. But the Cubs aren't good enough, or tough enough, to do that at this time.

Can't blame cold weather either. It was gorgeous in Chicago after opening day, gorgeous in Pittsburgh, and they play indoors in April in Milwaukee.

Let's see what the next two to three weeks bring. Schedule gets much tougher starting with the Braves coming to town


I'm thinking the shift will be outlawed in some fashion in the near future.
 
Just another snoozer. He the Cubs wake up sometime in the near future. Willson and Bryant both have the day off so I guess nobody else can hit. Feel sorry for the announcers trying to find something to talk about Lol
 
Just watch. The Cubs have a nine game homestead coming up against better teams than the ones they've been playing and it will be about 45 degrees everyday at Wrigley and that's when the bats will awaken from their slumber. Because that's how baseball works.
 
Just watch. The Cubs have a nine game homestead coming up against better teams than the ones they've been playing and it will be about 45 degrees everyday at Wrigley and that's when the bats will awaken from their slumber. Because that's how baseball works.
One thing though. It probably won't be the Cubs bats. They are in snooooze mode. Still in hibernation.
 
I can't take credit for predicting they would score thirteen and sixteen runs in colder weather than they played in two weeks ago. I can only offer, as I said in last week's post,, that baseball is a crazy game.

It was nice to see them not be over reliant on the home run however. And realize that when you do put the ball in play the other team will sometimes kick it all over the field.
 
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