Major League Baseball Thread - 2018 Season

[axlslash]

Finally, a chance to avenge the 1969 collapse!

What a game tonight. DeGrom and Greinke lived up to the billing in a big bad way. Well executed, well played baseball on both sides. Congrats to both teams on a spectacular series. Oh man, the LCS round is gonna be nuts.

[classicrawker]

As a Yankee fan a begrudging congrats to Met fans for beating the Dodgers last night.........

Just kidding it was a great win and I have no love for the Dodgers although, as a Yankee fan, I do hate to see Donny baseball lose. As Mets fan you have to be excited by all the young power arms in the Starting rotation.

Man I wonder if the shite will hit the fan this offseason in Dodgerland as they can't even get out of the first round after spending over $300 million in payroll. Depending on which website you look at their payroll was almost $100 million more then the second place Yankees!

I don't generally watch games other then the Yankees, due to lack of free time, but I am really looking forward to watching the Mets/ Cubs series.

Edited October 16, 2015 by classicrawker

[axlslash]

I was really hoping that the Mets would win but that DeGrom would get chased early and Sindegard would finish the game so that the Cubs could avoid them both on the first game or two. Sadly, looks like Sindegard should be available for Game 1, though I doubt they'll go to DeGrom on 3 days rest to be the sacrificial lamb to Arrieta in Game 2. Overall, regardless, I am totally happy playing the Mets next week instead of the Dodgers. Going to be one hell of a series, I can't wait for tomorrow night!

[classicrawker]

I was really hoping that the Mets would win but that DeGrom would get chased early and Sindegard would finish the game so that the Cubs could avoid them both on the first game or two. Sadly, looks like Sindegard should be available for Game 1, though I doubt they'll go to DeGrom on 3 days rest to be the sacrificial lamb to Arrieta in Game 2. Overall, regardless, I am totally happy playing the Mets next week instead of the Dodgers. Going to be one hell of a series, I can't wait for tomorrow night!

JMO but the Mets starting rotation is one of the deepest in baseball so I think you are being a little over confident by assuming the game Arrieta starts is an automatic win for the Cubbies as he struggled in his start against the Cards.

Harvey is the tentative starter in game 1 and I could see Syndergaard starting game 2 as he last started on the 10th and only threw 1 inning ( only 17 pitches) last night so it is not much different then his regular between start workouts.

Don't get me wrong I am rooting for the Cubbies to go all the way but I think if they split the first 2 games the Mets might have the pitching advantage as with Matz they have 4 quality starters..

Edited October 16, 2015 by classicrawker

[axlslash]

I was really hoping that the Mets would win but that DeGrom would get chased early and Sindegard would finish the game so that the Cubs could avoid them both on the first game or two. Sadly, looks like Sindegard should be available for Game 1, though I doubt they'll go to DeGrom on 3 days rest to be the sacrificial lamb to Arrieta in Game 2. Overall, regardless, I am totally happy playing the Mets next week instead of the Dodgers. Going to be one hell of a series, I can't wait for tomorrow night!

JMO but the Mets starting rotation is one of the deepest in baseball so I think you are being a little over confident by assuming the game Arrieta starts is an automatic win for the Cubbies as he struggled in his start against the Cards.

Harvey is the tentative starter in game 1 and I could see Syndergaard starting game 2 as he last started on the 10th and only threw 1 inning ( only 17 pitches) last night so it is not much different then his regular between start workouts.

Don't get me wrong I am rooting for the Cubbies to go all the way but I think if they split the first 2 games the Mets might have the pitching advantage as with Matz they have 4 quality starters..

The Mets certainly have great pitching and I wouldn't push that aside. But, if you trust FiveThirtyEight (and I do), the Cubs had the best rotation in baseball this year based on park-adjusted fielding-independent pitching. The bullpen was in the 90th percentile in all of baseball on the same metric. I don't think the Cubs are a lock by any stretch, but I do think they have better pitching than the Mets. Not by a lot, but by enough.

As for Arrieta, *he* struggled in Game 3, but the *team* didn't. He gives the team a swagger when he pitches that goes above just his performance - the guy averages 5-6 runs of support this year. Do I think he's going to go the distance and blank every team every time? No. Do I think he's an absolute lock to win every time? As close to it as realistically possible, but you play the games for a reason. But frankly, I would be more surprised if he gives up 4 runs again on Saturday than I would if he throws a no-no.

Edited October 16, 2015 by axlslash

[Apollo]

I'm all in on the Cubs now.

Great manager and some great young scrappy players.

The Dodgers management team should look at how the Cubs built their team.

Speaking of. What a mess. 300 million dollars for the SOFTEST team in baseball?

Fire Mattingly - first move.

Fire McGwire - worst hitting coach in baseball.

The Dodgers have the softest line-up in baseball. Andre Either is getting like 15 million dollars a year to drive in 50 runs. Carl Crawford, Puig, Pederson, Either - these guys go up and try and hit home runs on every pitch.

In back-to-back innings they had guys on second base with one out. What happened/ Pop up. Strike out. Pop up. Strike out.

In the 9th inning there were guys swinging at pitches that bounced and were a foot outside.

Joc Pederson hits about 150 in the second half with no power -- but he won't lay down a bunt to get a couple easy base hits and stop teams from playing the shift against him?

And throwing Corey Seager out there in the two hole, where he was clearly nervous and outmatched.

300 million got them to the playoffs, simply because of the volume of players that can buy.

But once the playoffs start and every team is good - Mattingly is outmatched, and the Dodger batters have the worst hitting approach in baseball.

They need to get rid of the overpriced soft hitting veterans like Etheir and Crawford. Get a real hitting coach who can teach Puig and Pederson how to hit. Get a legit starter and not these injury prone mediocre dweebs like Anderson and McCarthy.

A 300 million dollar payroll and the only reason teams worried about them was in facing Kershaw and Grienke. Nobody feared their offense, defense or pull ben.

[axlslash]

The Dodgers were a total disappointment, and I think it really is the leadership. Mattingly and his coaches all have to go. None of their players, from the veterans like Ethier and Kemp to the young guns like Puig, played anywhere near their potential this year. The guys who carried the load (Kersh and Greink) were on cruise control all season, and no coach would have helped or hurt them significantly.

Honestly, that's the most important piece of the Cubs' puzzle this year. The talent is there, sure, but you need folks who can develop that talent. Maddon is going to, justifiably, get most of the credit for this season, but frankly, Chris Bosio (pitching), John Mallee (hitting), and Eric Hinske (assistant hitting) deserve a lot of it. We came into the year with a bullpen that most experts labeled as the team's biggest liability. Earlier in the season, we got accused of not having a closer. Strop was a mess, Richard got released not once but twice. Bosio kicked those guys into shape, though. Rondon is lights out, Stropp has been very strong with a couple shaky spots, and in the end we had a 90th percentile relief corps. Same with hitting; lots of young, raw talent getting coached to greatness. No better example than Javy Baez, a guy who struck out so much in spring training that he got demoted all the way from the Big Leagues last year to AA this year, comes back in September, steals a spot on the playoff roster, finds himself starting, and hits the biggest home run of the season. The talent is great, and Joe is a lock for manager of the year, but the coaches get a huge amount of the credit for getting a team that should have been competitive a year or two from now into competitive shape right now.

[DirtyDeeds]

I've been working late, as I normally do, and have not been able to watch the games live. Every day has been a struggle to intentionally avoid media and other people talking about the game and to remain in the dark until I can get home and watch the recorded game as if watching in real time. That's why I haven't been in this thread much.

I'm so happy to see my Mets defeat the Dodgers in LA. I'm even happier that it was a one-run game so that the Dodgers can sit there and think how stupid they were for not paying attention during their shift, allowing Murph to steal third on the walk and score on the sac fly. We needed revenge from game 2 and there it was. Plus I'm getting really annoyed with the defensive shift being the default positioning these days, and thought it was nice to see it beat in that way, too.

Of course I am as always all Mets all the way, but should we fall short against Chicago, I am very satisfied with this season and I will back Chicago in the World Series. I believe it will be a well-battled NLCS. My heart's on NY but if I were a betting man, by a slim margin my money would be on Chicago. If the Mets pitching had better rest, I think the scales would be tipped in New York's favor. Can't wait to watch.

(Sidenote: Do commentators usually default to "Chavez Ravine" as the name for the Dodgers' home as opposed to Dodger Stadium? I know one is geography and one is the name of the building, but I thouhgt it weird how Dodger Stadium was hardly mentioned.)

[Apollo]

Great post Axlsash.

100% agree. From Mattingly down to McGwire. Dodgers just waited for the big home run.

Deeds -

The steal after the walk was embarrassing.

BUT the real key to that inning wasn't the steal. It was the sac fly. Ethier shouldn't have caught it.

Grienke was still throwing bones at that point.

Either catching that foul ball was him

Deciding to trade a run for an out.

What happens if he lets the ball drop?

Batter now has two strikes.

Strike out - no run.

Double play - inning over.

Pop out - no run

Short fly ball - no run.

In a 2-1 game with the Cy Young award winner on the mound, do you really want to trade runs for outs?

Would u rather have guys on first and third, two strikes and one out - with no runs scored.

OR

Two outs, runner at first, and u have up the thing run.

If Either doesn't catch that foul ball, Grienke has a great chance to get out of the inning with the Dodgers still ahead 2-1.

That play, IMO, was just as dumb as the Grienke or Seager not covering third base. And probably worse.

*******

Love Cal Ripken. But holy cow is he a terrible announcer.

[axlslash]

Of course I am as always all Mets all the way, but should we fall short against Chicago, I am very satisfied with this season and I will back Chicago in the World Series. I believe it will be a well-battled NLCS. My heart's on NY but if I were a betting man, by a slim margin my money would be on Chicago. If the Mets pitching had better rest, I think the scales would be tipped in New York's favor. Can't wait to watch.

(Sidenote: Do commentators usually default to "Chavez Ravine" as the name for the Dodgers' home as opposed to Dodger Stadium? I know one is geography and one is the name of the building, but I thouhgt it weird how Dodger Stadium was hardly mentioned.)

That's exactly where I'm at, too. This Cubs season was supposed to end with 80-85 wins, a 10-15 win improvement over last year but not yet competitive. Next offseason, we'd go all in on some big name free agents, and this coming season would be the beginning of the Cubs competing for the division and, maybe, the pennant. But here we are, 97 regular season wins (sidebar: how in the fuck is that only good for 3rd in the division?!?!), a Wild Card game shutout, and a 3-1 NLDS against our bitterest rival later, and we're talking about vying for a pennant not soon, not next year, but starting tomorrow night. Getting to the Wild Card game was nice. Winning it was gravy. Beating the Cardinals is officially getting into "beyond our wildest dreams" territory. Anywhere else we get is another fucking universe of excitement. If we don't move on, I am content in knowing that we can pretty much land any free agent we want (who doesn't want to be on the Cubs team that finally does it?) and that next year will be special no matter what.

And yeah, I've never heard "Chavez Ravine" used so much before, but I guess it's the Dodger Stadium equivalent of calling Wrigley the Friendly Confines? I don't know.

And yes, Apollo, fuck Cal Ripken as an announcer. What an interminable know-nothing behind the mic.

[classicrawker]

Of course I am as always all Mets all the way, but should we fall short against Chicago, I am very satisfied with this season and I will back Chicago in the World Series. I believe it will be a well-battled NLCS. My heart's on NY but if I were a betting man, by a slim margin my money would be on Chicago. If the Mets pitching had better rest, I think the scales would be tipped in New York's favor. Can't wait to watch.

(Sidenote: Do commentators usually default to "Chavez Ravine" as the name for the Dodgers' home as opposed to Dodger Stadium? I know one is geography and one is the name of the building, but I thouhgt it weird how Dodger Stadium was hardly mentioned.)

That's exactly where I'm at, too. This Cubs season was supposed to end with 80-85 wins, a 10-15 win improvement over last year but not yet competitive. Next offseason, we'd go all in on some big name free agents, and this coming season would be the beginning of the Cubs competing for the division and, maybe, the pennant. But here we are, 97 regular season wins (sidebar: how in the fuck is that only good for 3rd in the division?!?!), a Wild Card game shutout, and a 3-1 NLDS against our bitterest rival later, and we're talking about vying for a pennant not soon, not next year, but starting tomorrow night. Getting to the Wild Card game was nice. Winning it was gravy. Beating the Cardinals is officially getting into "beyond our wildest dreams" territory. Anywhere else we get is another fucking universe of excitement. If we don't move on, I am content in knowing that we can pretty much land any free agent we want (who doesn't want to be on the Cubs team that finally does it?) and that next year will be special no matter what.

And yeah, I've never heard "Chavez Ravine" used so much before, but I guess it's the Dodger Stadium equivalent of calling Wrigley the Friendly Confines? I don't know.

And yes, Apollo, fuck Cal Ripken as an announcer. What an interminable know-nothing behind the mic.

The Dodgers did not learn from the Yankees mistakes of trying to spend their way to a championship. Other than 2009, when they signed Sabathia, Burnett, and Tex for huge money and won, the 90's Yankee mini dynasty was built on the core 4, some great trades like Tino, O'Neil, Nelson, Coney, Brosius, Justice, minor role players like Leyrtiz, Sojo and some key FA signings like Wells, Stanton, Clemens etc.

I see the Cubs having the same opportunity as they have an amazing core of young players.

So what free agents do you see the Cubs going after? so would you want them to go after a top line pitcher like Price, Cueto etc or a second tier guy like Leake?

[axlslash]

Of course I am as always all Mets all the way, but should we fall short against Chicago, I am very satisfied with this season and I will back Chicago in the World Series. I believe it will be a well-battled NLCS. My heart's on NY but if I were a betting man, by a slim margin my money would be on Chicago. If the Mets pitching had better rest, I think the scales would be tipped in New York's favor. Can't wait to watch.

(Sidenote: Do commentators usually default to "Chavez Ravine" as the name for the Dodgers' home as opposed to Dodger Stadium? I know one is geography and one is the name of the building, but I thouhgt it weird how Dodger Stadium was hardly mentioned.)

That's exactly where I'm at, too. This Cubs season was supposed to end with 80-85 wins, a 10-15 win improvement over last year but not yet competitive. Next offseason, we'd go all in on some big name free agents, and this coming season would be the beginning of the Cubs competing for the division and, maybe, the pennant. But here we are, 97 regular season wins (sidebar: how in the fuck is that only good for 3rd in the division?!?!), a Wild Card game shutout, and a 3-1 NLDS against our bitterest rival later, and we're talking about vying for a pennant not soon, not next year, but starting tomorrow night. Getting to the Wild Card game was nice. Winning it was gravy. Beating the Cardinals is officially getting into "beyond our wildest dreams" territory. Anywhere else we get is another fucking universe of excitement. If we don't move on, I am content in knowing that we can pretty much land any free agent we want (who doesn't want to be on the Cubs team that finally does it?) and that next year will be special no matter what.

And yeah, I've never heard "Chavez Ravine" used so much before, but I guess it's the Dodger Stadium equivalent of calling Wrigley the Friendly Confines? I don't know.

And yes, Apollo, fuck Cal Ripken as an announcer. What an interminable know-nothing behind the mic.

The Dodgers did not learn from the Yankees mistakes of trying to spend their way to a championship. Other than 2009, when they signed Sabathia, Burnett, and Tex for huge money and won, the 90's Yankee mini dynasty was built on the core 4, some great trades like Tino, O'Neil, Nelson, Coney, Brosius, Justice, minor role players like Leyrtiz, Sojo and some key FA signings like Wells, Stanton, Clemens etc.

I see the Cubs having the same opportunity as they have an amazing core of young players.

So what free agents do you see the Cubs going after? so would you want them to go after a top line pitcher like Price, Cueto etc or a second tier guy like Leake?

Honestly, out of Cueto, Price, and Greinke, I would be surprised to see the Cubs not land at least one. Price has to be the favorite, having already won a pennant under Maddon. The rotation is already strong and deep, but we rode career years from Hammel (at least a career first-half; second half came back to earth) and Hendricks and a revolving door in the 5 slot. With one more proven starter, we could close that revolving door, and Hendricks and Hammel could be their usual grunt-level inning eaters without having to be superstars like this year. I'd also like to see us go after one more bullpen type to solidify that; again, I think a lot of our guys in the back end overperformed. Rondon is as good as he looks, but a lot of the other guys are a bit less consistent than I'd like, and one more consistent presence out there would be nice. Before this year, I thought we would probably also want another veteran bat, but I'm not sure whose spot you're giving them at that point, so I think our position guys ought to be set.

[classicrawker]

Of course I am as always all Mets all the way, but should we fall short against Chicago, I am very satisfied with this season and I will back Chicago in the World Series. I believe it will be a well-battled NLCS. My heart's on NY but if I were a betting man, by a slim margin my money would be on Chicago. If the Mets pitching had better rest, I think the scales would be tipped in New York's favor. Can't wait to watch.

(Sidenote: Do commentators usually default to "Chavez Ravine" as the name for the Dodgers' home as opposed to Dodger Stadium? I know one is geography and one is the name of the building, but I thouhgt it weird how Dodger Stadium was hardly mentioned.)

That's exactly where I'm at, too. This Cubs season was supposed to end with 80-85 wins, a 10-15 win improvement over last year but not yet competitive. Next offseason, we'd go all in on some big name free agents, and this coming season would be the beginning of the Cubs competing for the division and, maybe, the pennant. But here we are, 97 regular season wins (sidebar: how in the fuck is that only good for 3rd in the division?!?!), a Wild Card game shutout, and a 3-1 NLDS against our bitterest rival later, and we're talking about vying for a pennant not soon, not next year, but starting tomorrow night. Getting to the Wild Card game was nice. Winning it was gravy. Beating the Cardinals is officially getting into "beyond our wildest dreams" territory. Anywhere else we get is another fucking universe of excitement. If we don't move on, I am content in knowing that we can pretty much land any free agent we want (who doesn't want to be on the Cubs team that finally does it?) and that next year will be special no matter what.

And yeah, I've never heard "Chavez Ravine" used so much before, but I guess it's the Dodger Stadium equivalent of calling Wrigley the Friendly Confines? I don't know.

And yes, Apollo, fuck Cal Ripken as an announcer. What an interminable know-nothing behind the mic.

The Dodgers did not learn from the Yankees mistakes of trying to spend their way to a championship. Other than 2009, when they signed Sabathia, Burnett, and Tex for huge money and won, the 90's Yankee mini dynasty was built on the core 4, some great trades like Tino, O'Neil, Nelson, Coney, Brosius, Justice, minor role players like Leyrtiz, Sojo and some key FA signings like Wells, Stanton, Clemens etc.

I see the Cubs having the same opportunity as they have an amazing core of young players.

So what free agents do you see the Cubs going after? so would you want them to go after a top line pitcher like Price, Cueto etc or a second tier guy like Leake?

Honestly, out of Cueto, Price, and Greinke, I would be surprised to see the Cubs not land at least one. Price has to be the favorite, having already won a pennant under Maddon. The rotation is already strong and deep, but we rode career years from Hammel (at least a career first-half; second half came back to earth) and Hendricks and a revolving door in the 5 slot. With one more proven starter, we could close that revolving door, and Hendricks and Hammel could be their usual grunt-level inning eaters without having to be superstars like this year. I'd also like to see us go after one more bullpen type to solidify that; again, I think a lot of our guys in the back end overperformed. Rondon is as good as he looks, but a lot of the other guys are a bit less consistent than I'd like, and one more consistent presence out there would be nice. Before this year, I thought we would probably also want another veteran bat, but I'm not sure whose spot you're giving them at that point, so I think our position guys ought to be set.

I don't know AS do you really want to invest the kind of $$$ and years it would take to land Price as I imagine he is going to want a Scherzer type contract, 7 years/$ 210 Mill, in money and length and he is 30 yrs old?

Then again the Cubbies are in good shape in that they don't have a lot of albatross contracts and plenty of cap space and even if you only get 3-4 good years out of Price if he helps you win 2-3 WS Championships it is worth the money IMHO.

Do you have any players due for big $$$ raises next year?

[Apollo]

Of course I am as always all Mets all the way, but should we fall short against Chicago, I am very satisfied with this season and I will back Chicago in the World Series. I believe it will be a well-battled NLCS. My heart's on NY but if I were a betting man, by a slim margin my money would be on Chicago. If the Mets pitching had better rest, I think the scales would be tipped in New York's favor. Can't wait to watch.

(Sidenote: Do commentators usually default to "Chavez Ravine" as the name for the Dodgers' home as opposed to Dodger Stadium? I know one is geography and one is the name of the building, but I thouhgt it weird how Dodger Stadium was hardly mentioned.)

That's exactly where I'm at, too. This Cubs season was supposed to end with 80-85 wins, a 10-15 win improvement over last year but not yet competitive. Next offseason, we'd go all in on some big name free agents, and this coming season would be the beginning of the Cubs competing for the division and, maybe, the pennant. But here we are, 97 regular season wins (sidebar: how in the fuck is that only good for 3rd in the division?!?!), a Wild Card game shutout, and a 3-1 NLDS against our bitterest rival later, and we're talking about vying for a pennant not soon, not next year, but starting tomorrow night. Getting to the Wild Card game was nice. Winning it was gravy. Beating the Cardinals is officially getting into "beyond our wildest dreams" territory. Anywhere else we get is another fucking universe of excitement. If we don't move on, I am content in knowing that we can pretty much land any free agent we want (who doesn't want to be on the Cubs team that finally does it?) and that next year will be special no matter what.

And yeah, I've never heard "Chavez Ravine" used so much before, but I guess it's the Dodger Stadium equivalent of calling Wrigley the Friendly Confines? I don't know.

And yes, Apollo, fuck Cal Ripken as an announcer. What an interminable know-nothing behind the mic.

The Dodgers did not learn from the Yankees mistakes of trying to spend their way to a championship. Other than 2009, when they signed Sabathia, Burnett, and Tex for huge money and won, the 90's Yankee mini dynasty was built on the core 4, some great trades like Tino, O'Neil, Nelson, Coney, Brosius, Justice, minor role players like Leyrtiz, Sojo and some key FA signings like Wells, Stanton, Clemens etc.

I see the Cubs having the same opportunity as they have an amazing core of young players.

So what free agents do you see the Cubs going after? so would you want them to go after a top line pitcher like Price, Cueto etc or a second tier guy like Leake?

Honestly, out of Cueto, Price, and Greinke, I would be surprised to see the Cubs not land at least one. Price has to be the favorite, having already won a pennant under Maddon. The rotation is already strong and deep, but we rode career years from Hammel (at least a career first-half; second half came back to earth) and Hendricks and a revolving door in the 5 slot. With one more proven starter, we could close that revolving door, and Hendricks and Hammel could be their usual grunt-level inning eaters without having to be superstars like this year. I'd also like to see us go after one more bullpen type to solidify that; again, I think a lot of our guys in the back end overperformed. Rondon is as good as he looks, but a lot of the other guys are a bit less consistent than I'd like, and one more consistent presence out there would be nice. Before this year, I thought we would probably also want another veteran bat, but I'm not sure whose spot you're giving them at that point, so I think our position guys ought to be set.

I don't know AS do you really want to invest the kind of $$$ and years it would take to land Price as I imagine he is going to want a Scherzer type contract, 7 years/$ 210 Mill, in money and length and he is 30 yrs old?

Then again the Cubbies are in good shape in that they don't have a lot of albatross contracts and plenty of cap space and even if you only get 3-4 good years out of Price if he helps you win 2-3 WS Championships it is worth the money IMHO.

Do you have any players due for big $$$ raises next year?

The other problem with giving Price or any pitcher a huge money deal like that is you just set the bar for the rest of your pitching staff. If Price comes in and wins 15 games, but Arrieta wins 20 again....how do you justify not giving your young stud a bigger deal than what Price got?

[classicrawker]

Of course I am as always all Mets all the way, but should we fall short against Chicago, I am very satisfied with this season and I will back Chicago in the World Series. I believe it will be a well-battled NLCS. My heart's on NY but if I were a betting man, by a slim margin my money would be on Chicago. If the Mets pitching had better rest, I think the scales would be tipped in New York's favor. Can't wait to watch.

(Sidenote: Do commentators usually default to "Chavez Ravine" as the name for the Dodgers' home as opposed to Dodger Stadium? I know one is geography and one is the name of the building, but I thouhgt it weird how Dodger Stadium was hardly mentioned.)

That's exactly where I'm at, too. This Cubs season was supposed to end with 80-85 wins, a 10-15 win improvement over last year but not yet competitive. Next offseason, we'd go all in on some big name free agents, and this coming season would be the beginning of the Cubs competing for the division and, maybe, the pennant. But here we are, 97 regular season wins (sidebar: how in the fuck is that only good for 3rd in the division?!?!), a Wild Card game shutout, and a 3-1 NLDS against our bitterest rival later, and we're talking about vying for a pennant not soon, not next year, but starting tomorrow night. Getting to the Wild Card game was nice. Winning it was gravy. Beating the Cardinals is officially getting into "beyond our wildest dreams" territory. Anywhere else we get is another fucking universe of excitement. If we don't move on, I am content in knowing that we can pretty much land any free agent we want (who doesn't want to be on the Cubs team that finally does it?) and that next year will be special no matter what.

And yeah, I've never heard "Chavez Ravine" used so much before, but I guess it's the Dodger Stadium equivalent of calling Wrigley the Friendly Confines? I don't know.

And yes, Apollo, fuck Cal Ripken as an announcer. What an interminable know-nothing behind the mic.

The Dodgers did not learn from the Yankees mistakes of trying to spend their way to a championship. Other than 2009, when they signed Sabathia, Burnett, and Tex for huge money and won, the 90's Yankee mini dynasty was built on the core 4, some great trades like Tino, O'Neil, Nelson, Coney, Brosius, Justice, minor role players like Leyrtiz, Sojo and some key FA signings like Wells, Stanton, Clemens etc.

I see the Cubs having the same opportunity as they have an amazing core of young players.

So what free agents do you see the Cubs going after? so would you want them to go after a top line pitcher like Price, Cueto etc or a second tier guy like Leake?

Honestly, out of Cueto, Price, and Greinke, I would be surprised to see the Cubs not land at least one. Price has to be the favorite, having already won a pennant under Maddon. The rotation is already strong and deep, but we rode career years from Hammel (at least a career first-half; second half came back to earth) and Hendricks and a revolving door in the 5 slot. With one more proven starter, we could close that revolving door, and Hendricks and Hammel could be their usual grunt-level inning eaters without having to be superstars like this year. I'd also like to see us go after one more bullpen type to solidify that; again, I think a lot of our guys in the back end overperformed. Rondon is as good as he looks, but a lot of the other guys are a bit less consistent than I'd like, and one more consistent presence out there would be nice. Before this year, I thought we would probably also want another veteran bat, but I'm not sure whose spot you're giving them at that point, so I think our position guys ought to be set.

I don't know AS do you really want to invest the kind of $$$ and years it would take to land Price as I imagine he is going to want a Scherzer type contract, 7 years/$ 210 Mill, in money and length and he is 30 yrs old?

Then again the Cubbies are in good shape in that they don't have a lot of albatross contracts and plenty of cap space and even if you only get 3-4 good years out of Price if he helps you win 2-3 WS Championships it is worth the money IMHO.

Do you have any players due for big $$$ raises next year?

The other problem with giving Price or any pitcher a huge money deal like that is you just set the bar for the rest of your pitching staff. If Price comes in and wins 15 games, but Arrieta wins 20 again....how do you justify not giving your young stud a bigger deal than what Price got?

Tough call Apollo because Epstein has never been shy about taking on big contracts and if paying a stud starter will win the Cubbies a couple of WS it might be a risk he is willing to take..........

and if you look at their payroll they only have two player making over 10 mill and two other making over 6 mill so they could conceivably take on a big pitcher contract.

As a Yankee fan I am gun shgy to pay a pitcher big $$$$ but I would understand it if Epstein went for it.....

[DirtyDeeds]

Great post Axlsash.

100% agree. From Mattingly down to McGwire. Dodgers just waited for the big home run.

Deeds -

The steal after the walk was embarrassing.

BUT the real key to that inning wasn't the steal. It was the sac fly. Ethier shouldn't have caught it.

Grienke was still throwing bones at that point.

Either catching that foul ball was him

Deciding to trade a run for an out.

What happens if he lets the ball drop?

Batter now has two strikes.

Strike out - no run.

Double play - inning over.

Pop out - no run

Short fly ball - no run.

In a 2-1 game with the Cy Young award winner on the mound, do you really want to trade runs for outs?

Would u rather have guys on first and third, two strikes and one out - with no runs scored.

OR

Two outs, runner at first, and u have up the thing run.

If Either doesn't catch that foul ball, Grienke has a great chance to get out of the inning with the Dodgers still ahead 2-1.

That play, IMO, was just as dumb as the Grienke or Seager not covering third base. And probably worse.

*******

Love Cal Ripken. But holy cow is he a terrible announcer.

Very good post Apollo. You're right. The steal of third was everyone not paying attention except Murphy. The sac fly was an error of judgement.

I also agree on Cal Ripken, Jr. I cannot deny he was one of the greatest to play the game. All other things I've seen him involved in have not impressed me, for example his announcing, his coaching products, the baseball equipment he endorses, and the youth league that has his name on it. When announcing he doesn't even sound smart, honestly. Wasn't impressed with the main announcer, either. Could he call Cal by name, instead of "Iron Man" every time? So much butt kissing. Of course I like Ron Darling I'm a little biased but I also think he's decent, and I'm used to hearing him on SNY.

Edited October 17, 2015 by DirtyDeeds

[DirtyDeeds]

I'm slightly surprised to see that Lester is taking the bump for Chicago tonight. That boosts my hopes for tonight a little bit.

[axlslash]

The Mets were the better team tonight. The Cubs offense totally failed to show up, and the Mets took advantage. Also, I liked the signing because of the message that it sent to the league, the team, and the fans, but I've always thought that Lester is vastly overrated.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. Specifically one on which Jake Arrieta pitches.

[DirtyDeeds]

The Mets were the better team tonight. The Cubs offense totally failed to show up, and the Mets took advantage. Also, I liked the signing because of the message that it sent to the league, the team, and the fans, but I've always thought that Lester is vastly overrated.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. Specifically one on which Jake Arrieta pitches.

I'm missing something. What is the signing that you're talking about?

And I feel great about game 1, because we really needed that victory to go into game 2 against Arrieta! Let's go Mets, but tonight will be tough! Syndergaard is nothing to sneeze at, though. However, he is on short rest plus he's inexperienced, but if he's on, it will be a great pitching duel, and the game will be determined most likely by who lets one or two mistake pitches slip through.

The Captain needs to start hitting again. And Cespedes needs to find his groove again. If those two can get back on track, we'll be fine.

Edited October 18, 2015 by DirtyDeeds

[classicrawker]

Man another bad playoff game for Price. He is a stud in the regular season but just does not deliver in the post season. So does a contender give him big money and years based on the fact he can help them get to the post season or shy away as he can't seem to be a shutdown ace when it counts?

KC is the perfect example of a well balanced team winning without any real superstars. Only one batter with over 100rbi's and no hitter with more than 22 hrs. No starting pitcher had more than 13 wins and only one even reached 200 innings. And Cuerto strugging during the regualr season. They were a success with a bunch of #3-5 starters and a stellar bullpen. They are a fascinating team to watch and don't get the respect they deserve IMHO.

Big game for the Cubbies tonight. They need Arrieta to be Cy Young tonight or they could be in big trouble going back the Wrigley down 2-0.

The Mets were the better team tonight. The Cubs offense totally failed to show up, and the Mets took advantage. Also, I liked the signing because of the message that it sent to the league, the team, and the fans, but I've always thought that Lester is vastly overrated.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. Specifically one on which Jake Arrieta pitches.

I'm missing something. What is the signing that you're talking about?

And I feel great about game 1, because we really needed that victory to go into game 2 against Arrieta! Let's go Mets, but tonight will be tough! Syndergaard is nothing to sneeze at, though. However, he is on short rest plus he's inexperienced, but if he's on, it will be a great pitching duel, and the game will be determined most likely by who lets one or two mistake pitches slip through.

I think he is talking about the Lester signing?

It is not really short rest for Syndergaard though is it? he last started on the 10th and only threw 1 inning (17 pitches) on the 15th. Since pitcher throw between starts that 1 inning should not be a big deal IMHO.

[axlslash]

Big game for the Cubbies tonight. They need Arrieta to be Cy Young tonight or they could be in big trouble going back the Wrigley down 2-0.

The Mets were the better team tonight. The Cubs offense totally failed to show up, and the Mets took advantage. Also, I liked the signing because of the message that it sent to the league, the team, and the fans, but I've always thought that Lester is vastly overrated.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. Specifically one on which Jake Arrieta pitches.

I'm missing something. What is the signing that you're talking about?

And I feel great about game 1, because we really needed that victory to go into game 2 against Arrieta! Let's go Mets, but tonight will be tough! Syndergaard is nothing to sneeze at, though. However, he is on short rest plus he's inexperienced, but if he's on, it will be a great pitching duel, and the game will be determined most likely by who lets one or two mistake pitches slip through.

I think he is talking about the Lester signing?

It is not really short rest for Syndergaard though is it? he last started on the 10th and only threw 1 inning (17 pitches) on the 15th. Since pitcher throw between starts that 1 inning should not be a big deal IMHO.

Yeah, sorry that wasn't clear at all. I meant the Lester signing; it made a big statement about the team's attitude going forward, but we paid a lot of money for a career 3.50 ERA, 11-12 regular season record, and total failure to execute in the playoffs so far.

Arrieta is 11-1 and the team is 12-2 when he pitches coming off a loss this season, and last night was the first time the Mets have beaten the Cubs in 2015. I feel good about tonight, but this is very much still anyone's series.

[DirtyDeeds]

It is not really short rest for Syndergaard though is it? he last started on the 10th and only threw 1 inning (17 pitches) on the 15th. Since pitcher throw between starts that 1 inning should not be a big deal IMHO.

You're right, but he was up in the bullpen four times, so he virtually pitched on the 15th. I'm not 100% sure what a starting pitcher's off-day routines entail, so I could be wrong about that, but it seems that it would be like a semi-start anyway.

[DirtyDeeds]

Arrieta is 11-1 and the team is 12-2 when he pitches coming off a loss this season, and last night was the first time the Mets have beaten the Cubs in 2015. I feel good about tonight, but this is very much still anyone's series.

Also true, but I'm sure you're aware that the Cubs beat up on the Mets prior to the All-Star Break, at which time the Mets were really only half the team they are now, relying strictly on pitching to stay playing around .500 overall; it would be after the Cubs last regular season game against the Mets that the Mets actually got some decent offense. That doesn't make the Cubs regular season meetings with the Mets irrelevant by any stretch, but I do think it makes them not necessarily a great predictor of what to expect in the coming days.

[axlslash]

Arrieta is 11-1 and the team is 12-2 when he pitches coming off a loss this season, and last night was the first time the Mets have beaten the Cubs in 2015. I feel good about tonight, but this is very much still anyone's series.

Also true, but I'm sure you're aware that the Cubs beat up on the Mets prior to the All-Star Break, at which time the Mets were really only half the team they are now, relying strictly on pitching to stay playing around .500 overall; it would be after the Cubs last regular season game against the Mets that the Mets actually got some decent offense. That doesn't make the Cubs regular season meetings with the Mets irrelevant by any stretch, but I do think it makes them not necessarily a great predictor of what to expect in the coming days.

100% agreed. The BC (Before Cespedes) and after are totally different teams. But the Cubs are also a much better team now too. Basically we both have lots of reasons to be confident and this week will be tons of fun!

[Apollo]

Snyde is only like 21 years old though so he should be fine physically.

If a team has to choose between Grienke and Price - there is no comparison is there?