GoHawks24
Well-Known Member
He has trouble whenever he's brought into unclean innings, otherwise he's usually pretty lights out. He's too talented to give up on him just yet, but it's super frustrating when he's not throwing strikes.
OFFICIAL 2019 CHICAGO CUBS THREAD!!!!
- Thread starter bogeyman
- Start date
He has trouble whenever he's brought into unclean innings, otherwise he's usually pretty lights out. He's too talented to give up on him just yet, but it's super frustrating when he's not throwing strikes.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Long time major leaguer and longtime Cub Bill Buckner has passed away at the age of 69.
Bill was a strange player, kind of underrated and overrated at the same time. On the surface he looked like a selfish player who cared more about his own success than that of the team's. Twice in his career a team that traded him immediately reached the postseason. He didn't walk much, but that didn't mean he couldn't work a pitcher. He would run counts deep, foul off tough pitches, and make contact.
In reality he probably gave as much as the next player, especially after his leg problems accrued. He hurt his ankle in 1975 when he caught it under second base in San Francisco and ended up getting surgery-eleven years later. It limited his mobility around first base and he was notorious for asking a pitcher to cover the bag on 3-1 putouts.
His famous, or infamous 1986 World Series gaffe wasn't the first time he was in postseason headlines. In 1974 he was thrown out by Reggie Jackson trying to stretch a double to a triple.
He eventually had a long career with many footnotes. He was playing left field for the Dodgers the night Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record. He had a grand slam in a 23-22 game with Philadelphia in 1979. He had a memorable fight with Montreal's Gary Carter (also no longer with us) He demanded to use WGN TV's "tenth inning" postgame show as a platform to tell his side of the story late in 1979 when manager Herman Franks was attacking some players in the papers. He won a batting title in 1980, then promptly criticized the high grass in Wrigley's infield for taking more hits away from him (the same grass that benefitted him and his limited mobility on defense).
Buckner was not one of my favorites, but was a well respected baseball man to insiders. So he deserves some credit for that. Like Steve Bartman, he put up with a lot of unnecessary abuse. His family too.
Bill was a strange player, kind of underrated and overrated at the same time. On the surface he looked like a selfish player who cared more about his own success than that of the team's. Twice in his career a team that traded him immediately reached the postseason. He didn't walk much, but that didn't mean he couldn't work a pitcher. He would run counts deep, foul off tough pitches, and make contact.
In reality he probably gave as much as the next player, especially after his leg problems accrued. He hurt his ankle in 1975 when he caught it under second base in San Francisco and ended up getting surgery-eleven years later. It limited his mobility around first base and he was notorious for asking a pitcher to cover the bag on 3-1 putouts.
His famous, or infamous 1986 World Series gaffe wasn't the first time he was in postseason headlines. In 1974 he was thrown out by Reggie Jackson trying to stretch a double to a triple.
He eventually had a long career with many footnotes. He was playing left field for the Dodgers the night Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record. He had a grand slam in a 23-22 game with Philadelphia in 1979. He had a memorable fight with Montreal's Gary Carter (also no longer with us) He demanded to use WGN TV's "tenth inning" postgame show as a platform to tell his side of the story late in 1979 when manager Herman Franks was attacking some players in the papers. He won a batting title in 1980, then promptly criticized the high grass in Wrigley's infield for taking more hits away from him (the same grass that benefitted him and his limited mobility on defense).
Buckner was not one of my favorites, but was a well respected baseball man to insiders. So he deserves some credit for that. Like Steve Bartman, he put up with a lot of unnecessary abuse. His family too.
Robowe
Well-Known Member
RIP Billy Buck!
https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/05/27/bill-buckner-obituary-red-sox-1986-world-series
It was also deeply unfair. Buckner’s error was the uppercut that left the Red Sox unconscious on the canvas, but it wasn’t the sole reason they lost. It took a village, as the expression goes: Calvin Schiraldi and Bob Stanley and Rich Gedman and manager John McNamara were as much to blame for Boston’s loss as Buckner. He never should have been out there in the first place: Chronic ankle pain had left Buckner hobbling in the field, and McNamara had been using Dave Stapleton as a defensive replacement for him during the season (as well as in Games 1, 2 and 5 of the series). But he stayed out there in Game 6, because, as McNamara said in 2011, “Buckner was the best first baseman I had.”
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Three telltale signs of a Cubs slump.
In addition to the struggles of the last ten days, there seems to be something fishy about Baez' injury. They say he suffered a heel contusion out of what looked like a rolled ankle. As a runner I can tell you that is more than possible, but it sure seems like they are trying to showcase Addison as a shortstop to increase his trade value.
A little bit of reverting to the norm was inevitable. They were playing a little over their heads for about three weeks. They should have lost that long game in Arizona and the long one against Milwaukee. Now they're out of first place and it's going to be back to the grindstone.
- Offense is a home run or nothing
- Too many strikeouts
- No one can get a hit with runners in scoring position.
In addition to the struggles of the last ten days, there seems to be something fishy about Baez' injury. They say he suffered a heel contusion out of what looked like a rolled ankle. As a runner I can tell you that is more than possible, but it sure seems like they are trying to showcase Addison as a shortstop to increase his trade value.
A little bit of reverting to the norm was inevitable. They were playing a little over their heads for about three weeks. They should have lost that long game in Arizona and the long one against Milwaukee. Now they're out of first place and it's going to be back to the grindstone.
JG10Hawk
Well-Known Member
Cubs to sign Kimbrel to multiyear deal! I didn't think Theo would ever do it but the money is actually pretty reasonable compared to what Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, and Wade Davis got.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/06/cubs-to-sign-craig-kimbrel.html
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/06/cubs-to-sign-craig-kimbrel.html
Can't wait for Kimbrel to get up to the big team, hoping he pans out. Anyone heard anything on Morrow? Man that would be a huge boost if he could help out as well. Going to be a tough grind all year in the division. We need to try and go close to .500 vs Colorado and LA and then our schedule lightens a lot.
judzeehawk
Well-Known Member
Joey Chitwood is up on 2 wheels and out of control! sheesh!
judzeehawk
Well-Known Member
Adbert Alzolay struck out the side in the 6th. 
He's got 4 Ks in 2 innings.
He's got 4 Ks in 2 innings.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
All these Cub pitchers are saying that they can't wait for Craig Kimbrel to join the team.Adbert Alzolay struck out the side in the 6th.
Do they realize that one of them it going to get DFA'd, or that several others are going to get their roles reduced?
If Alzolay sticks, and he will need more than one solid outing for that, it may spell trouble for another pitcher.
Montgomery, Brach, and Edwards should be on notice. There's not going to be enough room for all of them. And Theo is still looking for a left handed power arm out of the pen.
judzeehawk
Well-Known Member
I didn't understand that myself. I think the pitching staff has been put on notice and they needed to be.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
What bothers me are the mental defensive and baserunning lapses. Those aren't indicative of a Joe Maddon team. But Joe has never been a lame duck in Chicago either. No one is going to play quite as hard for a manager who won't be there next year (unless he's extended soon). They just won't.
Hamels going down is a huge loss. That means that three starters have been DL'd this year. Another is still working his way back from a lost season.
That's on Theo and Jed. No one else. They fumbled Jake Arietta away because their metrics nerds told them he was headed for Tommy John surgery. Jake is still taking the ball every fifth day, still eating innings, and still winning more than he is losing. Oh, well.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
The only way they are going to get out of this rut is if they
Baez standing at the plate last night and admiring his long single off the wall when he should have been on second base was the latest in a season of mental gaffes, and a sense of entitlement seeping in. Then we find out that Russell was supposed to take the sure out at first base and play for extra innings.
If they announced today that Maddon was extended two or three more years I guarantee the mental lapses would immediately diminish. Considerably. The players would become more accountable overnight. But as it stands now, why should they play selfless, team oriented baseball? The front office has shown that they won't shake up the core of the team. They will simply being in a new pitching coach, a new hitting coach, and soon to be a new manager.
Yes they are running into some bad schedule luck. They caught the Phillies when McCutcheon was hot. Now they've cooled off and Andrew is out for the season. The Pirates stumbled through June and now the Cubs have caught them at the wrong time. Same with the Reds. This would be a perfect time to play the Brewers. Milwaukee is struggling. Alas, they don't pop up for another three weeks. Just when THEY will probably be playing better baseball.
2-7 to start the season was a glitch. 20-27 since mid May is not. It's disappointing. The core of this team is 25-27 years old. They should be approcahing their physical primes and have their eye on that free agent payday in two or three years. They should be playing better baseball.
- Fire Joe
- Or extend Joe
Baez standing at the plate last night and admiring his long single off the wall when he should have been on second base was the latest in a season of mental gaffes, and a sense of entitlement seeping in. Then we find out that Russell was supposed to take the sure out at first base and play for extra innings.
If they announced today that Maddon was extended two or three more years I guarantee the mental lapses would immediately diminish. Considerably. The players would become more accountable overnight. But as it stands now, why should they play selfless, team oriented baseball? The front office has shown that they won't shake up the core of the team. They will simply being in a new pitching coach, a new hitting coach, and soon to be a new manager.
Yes they are running into some bad schedule luck. They caught the Phillies when McCutcheon was hot. Now they've cooled off and Andrew is out for the season. The Pirates stumbled through June and now the Cubs have caught them at the wrong time. Same with the Reds. This would be a perfect time to play the Brewers. Milwaukee is struggling. Alas, they don't pop up for another three weeks. Just when THEY will probably be playing better baseball.
2-7 to start the season was a glitch. 20-27 since mid May is not. It's disappointing. The core of this team is 25-27 years old. They should be approcahing their physical primes and have their eye on that free agent payday in two or three years. They should be playing better baseball.
UPDATE: Not signing Jake long term looks pretty good right now since he has bone spurs in the elbow
I understand the manager point, but these are professionals with guys like Rizzo and Lester in the clubhouse. IMHO, they aren't going to play or not play hard based on who the manager is. Lester or Riz would be all up in their grill if that was the case. Manager's are overrated in today's game. I question some of Joe's moves sure, but his overall record is hard to be questioned over the last 5 years. Not having a realistic leadoff man hurts a lot IMO.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
I knew this was coming but I deserve it because I've beat it like a dead horse for two yearsUPDATE: Not signing Jake long term looks pretty good right now since he has bone spurs in the elbow
I understand the manager point, but these are professionals with guys like Rizzo and Lester in the clubhouse. IMHO, they aren't going to play or not play hard based on who the manager is. Lester or Riz would be all up in their grill if that was the case. Manager's are overrated in today's game. I question some of Joe's moves sure, but his overall record is hard to be questioned over the last 5 years. Not having a realistic leadoff man hurts a lot IMO.
Jake has been pitching through it for now. They are going to determine after the break if surgery is necessary.
This is Yu's opportunity to turn a corner and show why he was signed for some big bucks.
As for your Lester and Rizzo comment Riz is one of the guilty parties. In fact in the last two weeks I've seen Bryant. Rizzo and Baez not hustle out of the batter's box and be held to singles when they should have been on second base.
Agreed, I'm sure Joe will have a talk with his clubhouse leaders. On any team, the players holding each other accountable is much better than the coach/manager. When you feel like you've let your teammates down its much more effective than if you feel like you only let the boss down.
Not signing Jake I think was probably good in the long run for what he was asking. Now that doesn't mean that not signing Jake means signing Yu was a good move
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Critical road trip coming up. San Francisco, Milwaukee, St. Louis. They could really separate themselves from some teams if they can come through with their best trip of the year!
Milwaukee has struggled for three weeks. I hope we don't catch them hot when we play them. I hate seeing that little chipmunk Counsell when his moves work and he steals games. He reminds me of Pat Fitzgerald.
