Baseball 2016

[Ronstar]

All true. He is a natural hitter. His stance is very quite.

And he's a great guy, too. He's befriended an Arizona boy with a rare genetic disease. They inspire each other.

Kyle Schwarber explains the touching reason he wears a green wristband during games | For The Win

 

[RunningBum]

Nobody taking advantage of the wind yet.

 

[ERD50]

Indians out-played the Cubs, no way around it.

Was expecting some big hits with that wind, but neither team managed it.

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

A very exciting game. A bounce here, a bounce there and things could have been different.

The Cubs struggle against the slow breaking balls. The inexperience is showing. No need to swing for the fences all the time when all you need is a single.

Backs against the wall again for the Cubs tomorrow.

 

[ERD50]

And from my earlier post:

... What was with Contreras? I was yelling at the TV. A Major League player, in the World Series, and he doesn't run all out after a hit? Stands there and watches, assuming it was out of the park? Nothing to be gained by doing that. Announcers were thinking he could have pulled a triple out of it. I hope he got a balling out from the coach.

It didn't matter in the end, but that just doesn't seem like pro ball to me.

VIDEO: Willson Contreras Humiliates Himself With Premature Bat Flip | 12up

-ERD50

So tonight, Soler does it - jogs a little, thinking it was foul, and then speeds up when it looks like it might drop fair.

What the fritz? It's the friggin, WORLD SERIES, first one for the Cubs since 1945, and he doesn't go all out? IS he saving it for something? How can a manager accept that from teams at this level? These guys should be sent back to the minors.

-ERD50

 

[RunningBum]

And from my earlier post:

So tonight, Soler does it - jogs a little, thinking it was foul, and then speeds up when it looks like it might drop fair.

What the fritz? It's the friggin, WORLD SERIES, first one for the Cubs since 1945, and he doesn't go all out? IS he saving it for something? How can a manager accept that from teams at this level? These guys should be sent back to the minors.

-ERD50

Both plays just killed me. If you can't run a ball out in the World Series... indeed. Contreras did it 6 down in the 9th, so it really didn't matter whether he cost himself a base or not, though it did look really stupid. Soler could've scored, which would've tied the game. They could still be playing.

 

[ziggy29]

It seems that there has been an utterly dominant pitching performance in just about every game, even going back to the LCS.

 

[easysurfer]

Well, the Cubbies are getting spanked by the Indians . The more things change the more things stay the same. I'm not shocked they are laying an egg in Wrigley in typical Cubs playoff fashion.

But all they have to do is win 3 in a row. The season is not over until it is over.

 

[Just_Steve]

I hear the "Fat Lady" warming up.

 

[easysurfer]

I hear the "Fat Lady" warming up.

I was feeling good about my logic as the starting pitchers for the next 3 games favors the Cubs. Until the TV showed a stat that teams up 3-1 have won the last 10 world series . That "Fat Lady" is warming up.

 

[ERD50]

I was feeling good about my logic as the starting pitchers for the next 3 games favors the Cubs. Until the TV showed a stat that teams up 3-1 have won the last 10 world series . That "Fat Lady" is warming up.

I don't put any weight on those stats. A lot of data mining, and likely very little predictive value (other than you'd expect the team with the 3-1 lead to be better, so results should not be surprising).

But I must, unfortunately for the Cubs, put a LOT of weight on what seems apparent - the Indians have outplayed the Cubs by a pretty wide margin, both on offense and defense.

But it's baseball, it ain't over till it's over. But tonight wasn't enjoyable

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

I don't put any weight on those stats. A lot of data mining, and likely very little predictive value (other than you'd expect the team with the 3-1 lead to be better, so results should not be surprising).

But I must, unfortunately for the Cubs, put a LOT of weight on what seems apparent - the Indians have outplayed the Cubs by a pretty wide margin, both on offense and defense.

But it's baseball, it ain't over till it's over. But tonight wasn't enjoyable

-ERD50

I do think the Cubs do have a very slim chance of coming back. Of course, no room for error. If they fall behind in any of the games, they are toast. But with Lester/Arrieta/Hendricks that's a good 1,2,3 punch. Plus, if they survive tomorrow, they have Schwarber as DH the final 2 games.

First thing first though. They can't even string some hits together.

Gotta give the Indians credit. Their pitching mowing down the Red Soxs, Jays and now Cubs is no fluke.

 

[Car-Guy]

But it's baseball, it ain't over till it's over. But tonight wasn't enjoyable

-ERD50

Turned it off in the 7th. Just couldn't watch it anymore.

 

[GrayHare]

With the post season having so many layers these days, with short series, much luck is introduced. I rely more on the regular season standings to determine the best teams.

 

[Car-Guy]

With the post season having so many layers these days, with short series, much luck is introduced. I rely more on the regular season standings to determine the best teams.

The Indians are flat out beating the Cubs, so far. I haven't seen a lot of luck involved, so far. Hopefully the Cubs can "get lucky" tonight and make a respectable fight of it.

 

[GrayHare]

Seven games is a small sample size. No wise person would FIRE based on, say, just 7 years of market data. And seven games is the longest of the various MLB postseason series.

 

[easysurfer]

How does that investing cliche go? Something like "Past performance is not a predictor of future results."

Disclaimer as I'm a totally biased Cubs fan. But still have to admire the beauty of the pitchers of the Indians just floating up sliders having the Cubs batters expanding their strike zone. The beauty of baseball. The Cubs should try and counter act that by playing small ball (ever hear of a bunt ), which they haven't.

I'm still hoping there's some baseball left after tonight.

 

[Car-Guy]

Seven games is a small sample size. No wise person would FIRE based on, say, just 7 years of market data. And seven games is the longest of the various MLB postseason series.

How does that investing cliche go? Something like "Past performance is not a predictor of future results."

Bingo.

I'm still hoping there's some baseball left after tonight.

Me too! (And I hope it's not just looking forward to the start of the 2017 season.)

 

[ziggy29]

The Cubs can't lay off that breaking stuff way down below the strike zone. They have been prodigious at striking out on that pitch, especially with RISP and less than 2 out, a time when you really need to get the bat on the ball. Still, you have to credit Cleveland pitching for it as the Cubs have some really good hitters.

 

[GrayHare]

Even if the Indians don't win, their use of Miller will be noticed, and copied. It's going to change relief pitching as we've known it during recent decades.

 

[easysurfer]

The Cubs can't lay off that breaking stuff way down below the strike zone. They have been prodigious at striking out on that pitch, especially with RISP and less than 2 out, a time when you really need to get the bat on the ball. Still, you have to credit Cleveland pitching for it as the Cubs have some really good hitters.

First half of rookie year, Bryant was a strike out machine on the breaking stuff. He's improved somewhat now as long as no RISP, otherwise, he still struggles. Of course, there still is the "full Javy", with Baez taking a full swing at balls way out of the strike zone.

 

[eytonxav]

It seems that there has been an utterly dominant pitching performance in just about every game, even going back to the LCS.

And thats why good pitching beats good hitting in baseball on most days.

 

[easysurfer]

Getting ready for game 5. Three words.... "Bring it on!"

 

[ziggy29]

Even if the Indians don't win, their use of Miller will be noticed, and copied. It's going to change relief pitching as we've known it during recent decades.

If you have the appropriate arm in the pen. It could allow a return to 3-man rotations in the playoffs because you aren't using your starters for 100+ pitches.

If you don't have a guy like Miller, this strategy probably fails. That said, Tony LaRussa revolutionized the use of the bullpen with his Oakland teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Before then, the "firemen" like Sutter and Fingers and Gossage weren't saved for the start of the 9th. They were used late in a game to get out of trouble. The jury is still out as to whether the LaRussa formula is better in the average case (he had the right guys, Honeycutt setting up Eckersley, to make it work). But it has changed the mentality. The best relievers expect to be closers now, and they expect to get the ball to start the 9th with a lead of 3 runs or less.

As opposed to the LaRussa revolution in bullpen use, though, this one probably only works in the playoffs, not over the course of 162 games with very few off dates.

 

[48Fire]

With the post season having so many layers these days, with short series, much luck is introduced. I rely more on the regular season standings to determine the best teams.

How can you determine if the Cubs are better than the Indians if they have never gone head-to-head all year?