Other Chicago & General Sports Thread LXI: Bulls Talk

[MurrayBannerman]

And what innings were his at-bats?

After Kyle Schwarber could have double switched in.

 

[Illinihockey]

And when Schwarber came up he struck out and looked terrible doing it. Swung at what would have made the count 3-0, and was a mile late swinging at strike three out of the zone.

He also had a really tough call go against him to make it 2-2 instead of 3-1

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Except not. Hendricks routinely out pitches his FIP and xFIP, same with Cishek. What Kyle Freeland did last night wasn’t an accident, he’s another guy who out paces his FIP and xFIP routinely. Pitching to soft contact is a skill. Not trying to prop up pitching wins here

And it's not the case for DRA. Hendricks was a 5 win pitcher this year.

 

[hawksrule]

After Kyle Schwarber could have double switched in.

And then everyone would be killing Joe for downgrading the defense in a one run game.

 

[Illinihockey]

And that's the only pitching category they were any good in this year.

Cubs were 18th in K/9, 27th in BB/9, 4th in HR/FB% (two things!), 18th in FIP, and 21st in team DRA.

What happens to those numbers when you take Chatwood's 103 innings where he posted a 8.25 BB/9?

 

[MurrayBannerman]

And then everyone would be killing Joe for downgrading the defense in a one run game.

I'd take that over a guy who can barely OPS .500 in AAA.

 

[hawksrule]

I'd take that over a guy who can barely OPS .500 in AAA.

Anyway, my point isn't that Joe is perfect, but that the calls for him to be fired or that he should be on the hot seat are absurd.

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

I'm not trying to fire Jim Hickey either. But, yea, that's fine. I overlooked that.

There’s two things with Chili:

1-He was brought in with the “sacrifice power to get more contact” kind of approach. The issue is, they didn’t improve their OBP, and their Ks were basically the same. But they definitely sacrificed their power. I just don’t think his philosophy is a good fit with this team.

2-This isn’t the first year it’s happened (Boston last year), which I think is a big factor here as well.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

What happens to those numbers when you take Chatwood's 103 innings where he posted a 8.25 BB/9?

I don't know why you'd take out 103 innings of baseball where someone on the Cubs pitched. Are we taking out Kintzler next?

 

[AmericanDream]

He also had a really tough call go against him to make it 2-2 instead of 3-1

when the bases were loaded, all I was thinking to myself was anyone but Heyward...anyone but Heyward...and then there he came out to the plate and my hope faded and night ruined...

 

[Illinihockey]

I thought Maddon used Gore at the wrong time. I don't get using him with 2 outs, I mean it worked but I didn't like the call. He should have used him an inning prior when Happ go the leadoff walk. Let Gore try to steal 2nd and 3rd with 0 or 1 outs. You can then remove him from the game after the inning.

 

[Illinihockey]

I don't know why you'd take out 103 innings of baseball where someone on the Cubs pitched. Are we taking out Kintzler next?

Because if you're worried about the pitching its probably not worth worrying about a guy that isn't going to be on the team next year.

 

[HawksBeerFan]

Kintzler has a $5 million player option for next year.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Because if you're worried about the pitching its probably not worth worrying about a guy that isn't going to be on the team next year.

I'm less worried about the pitching and more trying to do a post mortem.

Of course Chatwood being gone improves a lot, but there's still a good share of guys to improve on (Wilson, Kintzler, et al) that were used in big spots. Or, guys like Quintana, who had poor years.

 

[Easy E]

Kintzler has a $5 million player option for next year.

Hm... could have sworn Sportrac had it at $10mm.

 

[AmericanDream]

I can't really blame much on Maddon, the Gore call worked though I wasn't a fan of it either. To sit Rizzo (the only hitter making strong contact consistently the past week) like that takes balls of steel, and the problem surfaced as inning after inning went on and your big bat was taken out...but, theoretically, we wouldn't have gotten to those extra innings without Gore so it is what it is. Nobody else stepped up at the plate and has been the case for much of the past month, I can't blame Maddon to hope one of Bryant, Baez, Zobrist, etc got the job done, they just didn't.

 

[ColdSteel2]

I thought Maddon used Gore at the wrong time. I don't get using him with 2 outs, I mean it worked but I didn't like the call. He should have used him an inning prior when Happ go the leadoff walk. Let Gore try to steal 2nd and 3rd with 0 or 1 outs. You can then remove him from the game after the inning.

He should have put Gore in when Happ drew a leadoff walk in the Brewer game in I believe the 6th inning. Could have went up 2-1 late there, maybe things would have played out differently. I don’t understand why he didn’t go for it.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Also, Brandon Kintzler sucks and has always sucked. Sort of like how Tyler Chatwood has always sucked (I missed this until like April).

 

[Illinihockey]

I'm less worried about the pitching and more trying to do a post mortem.

Of course Chatwood being gone improves a lot, but there's still a good share of guys to improve on (Wilson, Kintzler, et al) that were used in big spots. Or, guys like Quintana, who had poor years.

Right which is why I think they'll address the bullpen in the off season. They need to completely retool it in my estimation. They have Strop and Cishek but they can't rely on Morrow or Edwards. It'd be nice if Dillon Maples could get his act together, I love his stuff.

 

[Easy E]

Legitimately not trying to be THAT guy, but does this wildcard game count as the Cubs making the playoffs? So we can at least say they made it 4 years in a row?

Yes and yes .

Questioning whether you are trolling. You asked a question, then answered it yourself

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Right which is why I think they'll address the bullpen in the off season. They need to completely retool it in my estimation. They have Strop and Cishek but they can't rely on Morrow or Edwards. It'd be nice if Dillon Maples could get his act together, I love his stuff.

They need to take a page out of the Sox book. They've been drafting big college relief arms in the middle of the top 10 rounds. Guys like Ian Hamilton and Ryan Burr look huge and made a big, positive impact on their draft budget as well.

 

[HawksBeerFan]

Hm... could have sworn Sportrac had it at $10mm.

There's a $10 million team option for next year, that if declined, becomes a player option for $5 million.

 

[Easy E]

There's a $10 million team option for next year, that if declined, becomes a player option for $5 million.

I really hope that guy isn't on the Cubs next year, even for free .

 

[RayP]

I thought Maddon used Gore at the wrong time. I don't get using him with 2 outs, I mean it worked but I didn't like the call. He should have used him an inning prior when Happ go the leadoff walk. Let Gore try to steal 2nd and 3rd with 0 or 1 outs. You can then remove him from the game after the inning.

Wasn’t that the first base runner the Cubs bad after Freeland had retired 12 straight when Gore came in?

 

[Illinihockey]

They need to take a page out of the Sox book. They've been drafting big college relief arms in the middle of the top 10 rounds. Guys like Ian Hamilton and Ryan Burr look huge and made a big, positive impact on their draft budget as well.

I have very much wondered why the Cubs haven't done this. Every time I look up the Cardinals have some guy coming out of nowhere that was drafted in the 6th round throwing 98-99 and the Cubs keep piecing their bullpen together with duct tape. I 100% agree, just sign guys that can throw heat, teach them how to pitch.