Winning is fun. I don't dislike the "Patriot Way" either. If I want to be entertained I'll watch wrestling (I don't).
MLB: ***Official 2017 Chicago Cubs Season Thread***
- Thread starter Bret44
- Start date
Winning is fun. I don't dislike the "Patriot Way" either. If I want to be entertained I'll watch wrestling (I don't).
I don't think it's about entertaining the fans, it's more about the players having fun and creating a laid back, fun environment in the clubhouse. Joe's been great at doing this as the Cubs manager.
What are you talking about? The Cubs led the NL in OBP, runs scored (scored even more this year than last year), were second in OPS, had a team OPS over .800 in the second half of the year. Their starting pitching and defense was what regressed hard. The bats just went really cold at a really bad time.
Disappointing end to the year. Our pitching ran out of gas...will be the biggest need fo 2018.
I've been a Dodger fan my whole life. Not some bandwagon cub fan who thinks he knows **** about baseball because his team became semi-relevant for one season.
Enjoy the offseason and another 100 years of irrelevance Mr. Knowitall.
I mentioned they had a really good second half.
I think I also alluded to the team having a ton of talent, in that I think it's going to take just a small few additional pieces next season. The team made the NLCS, and that's not lost on me.
I don't think you can seriously argue against the need for a leadoff hitter, or the abysmal start to the season, can you?
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
The start of the season is just young guys hung over from the World Series. I wouldn't make adjustments off of that.
A lot comes down to whether Almora can be the leadoff guy. With his contact, that's really possible.
Add a couple starters and a couple bullpen guys for sure.
Zobrist certainly has to be a bench utility guy. Heyward is a mystery to me in terms of solutions yet.
Maybe I should clarify.
Team rank out of 30 (per game):
- Left on: 26th
- Runners left in scoring position: 25th
- Strikouts: 24th
- Hits: 21st
- Double plays: 20th
Those are bad offensive stats.
Some "good" ones:
- Walks: 3rd
- OB%: 8th (4th in the NL, not 1st. Behind Colorado, LAD, St Louis)
- OBS: 9th
- Home runs: 13th
While there are good stats, offensively, timing was an issue, and that's what I meant.
Where are you seeing those numbers? The Cubs were tied for first in OBP with Colorado at .338. Third in OPS behind Washington and Colorado. 2nd in home runs, one behind the league leaders with 223. 2nd in walks behind only LA.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/batting/seasontype/2/league/nl
I'm guessing those are league stats, which isn't a fair comparison since AL teams have an extra hitter in the lineup.
You actually want to be ranked lower in that category, the bottom five in that category are Cleveland, Yankees, Minnesota, Dodgers and D'Backs. The Royals are number one, you gotta get guys in scoring position to leave them there.
Ok...well...they were 29th with RiSP last year, so they regressed
Hitting was not timely this year. Looks at Bryant as one example.
Batting average, OBP and OBS were all better this year than last year (MVP), yet he had 73 RBI (102 last year). Hits, HRs and Runs were also down this season.
Just looking at KB, it's evident that his hitting, along with those around him, was not timely.
Ok...well...they were 29th with RiSP last year, so they regressed
Hitting was not timely this year. Looks at Bryant as one example.
Batting average, OBP and OBS were all better this year than last year (MVP), yet he had 73 RBI (102 last year). Hits, HRs and Runs were also down this season.
Just looking at KB, it's evident that his hitting, along with those around him, was not timely.
Bryant was terrible with RISP, I will agree with that. But there has to be a somewhat fluky element to that. Overall though the offense was every bit as good as last year and they did not regress on that side. It was mostly the pitching and defense that was way down from the previous year.
As bad as the offense was in the postseason, I think the Cubs still have a great lineup with only the same guys next year. And so many of them are still 25 or under and only going to get better. I think Happ can be another middle of the order bat, Schwarber was very good after he came back from Iowa. Russell is the one guy who you can make the argument that he regressed but he had off the field issues and injuries he was dealing with.
I'm sorry if I offended you, ribsnwhiskey. Truly....had made an assumption that the posts were coming from Cubs fans, as it was a Cubs thread. I do respect cheering for a team all of one's life, as I have cheered for the Cubs (and Cyclones) in the same way.
I will have to clarify one thing, however. Winning a World Series, and making the NLCS for three years straight is a bit beyond "semi-relevant", yes?
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
The idea of Happ in RF sounds pretty solid.
If Heyward could just learn not to ground out to 2nd whenever someone is on base, his offensive game would improve drastically, and then he could be a strong RF option.
But Happ, Almora, and Schwarber out there would do pretty well.
If there's someone on third with less than two outs, where he could drive in a run with a ground out, he's pretty good about only striking out or popping up in those situations.
We're good. Sorry for jumping on you also. You guys got us last year and I'm just happy we were able to turn the tables this year. Cubs are plenty relevant in today's MLB, you didn't need my smart ass to tell you that. At least we're both Cyclones!
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure we're going to see this Cubs-Dodgers series a few more times yet.
