Gore has to be the dumbest baseball player on the planet. The only positive I’m gonna take out of this is not having to listen to A-Rod again for awhile.
I’m not sure if we need a new hitting coach but this lineup has serious flaws. It’s all or nothing. I would back up a bank truck for Harper this off-season.
It's crazy how far we've come from the start of last year where we were getting starting pitchers out by the fifth inning most games because of how much we were working counts. Now we just swing at the first pitch and ground out half the time. Give me Machado over Harper just because there will now be a glaring need at shortstop with what's going on with Russell.
Agreed plus Machado can play third, short, or second. Gives the Cubs flexibility to match up with Bryant or Zobrist moving to the outfield. Honestly I don't think the Cubs are going to pursue any major free agents. Maybe a bullpen arm or two
Yeah, I don't think we do either just because we need cash liquid for 2022 when we need to be able to sign Baez, Bryant, and Rizzo. I'm just curious who will be available at SS at a lower cost.
Machado isn't willing to just play 2nd or 3rd whenever you want him to. He wants to play SS full-time
You haven't think he's gone, right? Also, he got 10 more games than Aroldis shooting 8 shots into his garage after choking his girlfriend and punching out his car window.
The Cubs were 22nd in the league in HR's this year and 4th in BA. In 2017 9th in HR and 16th in BA. The power evaporated
It's not just the launch angle stuff that held back your lineup I think. The days of taking as many pitches as possible to wear out starters has passed. Teams are willing and ready to hand the ball to the bullpen and chances are the best pitch to hit is going to come early in the at bat. It's no accident that Javy was the player less impacted by Davis' hitting approach because he was willing to swing the bat.
Oh god, it's the off-season. The Tribune is running with this bizarre narative today: Chili Davis' firing looks like the Cubs telling Joe Maddon that this is his last shot
Do they just gloss over the fact that Davis was apparently roasted by the players in their exit interviews?
Yep. Instead runs with the narrative of, "We could get more out of managers for less than $6m! Look at Craig Counsell!" www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-chili-davis-joe-maddon-rosenbloom-20181012-story,amp.html
Well Joe does mock the idea of launch angle and when you hear him talk hitting versus what you hear from Theo it's very different. There are a number of reasons why they might move on from Maddon after this season and how the lineup produces probably will be one of them.
At first I thought no way, but now with no extension in place I think its very possible. Don't know if its World Series or bust but it might be.
Managers just don't last very long in general. The kind of voice you need one year won't be the same you need 5 years later.
Joe is getting up there in age. He might look at retirement too so it might not just be from the Cubs side of things.
If Joe is not renewed or for whatever reason next year is his last year it better not be because of results, the guy helped win a World Series, 3 straight NLCS trips and 5 straight trips to the playoffs. Yes this year didn’t turn out the way we wanted but holy shit that’s a pretty good run right there. Anyone that’s thinks otherwise hasn’t been a fan of the team for longer than a handful of years.
Ian is right about the conflict with Joe and the front office when it comes to hitting. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Angels made a play for Joe this off-season and the cubs were ok with moving on. Either way I don’t expect joe back after next season. With that said his run as manager has been fantastic and even though I have been at times critical of his in game managing choices his relationship with the roster and his ability to bond a team who had no clue how to win to a team that became a World Series champion.
Rosenbloom is never to be taken seriously. He writes articles with the intention of being edgy/funny...which he usually isn't.
I’ve been critical of Joe at times but I’d hate to see him go. That said, as long as Theo is leading the charge I think we’ll be fine.
got to look ahead of what is to come. Cubs are going to move on from Addy one way or another. If they move Baez to SS it opens up a utility role If they keep Baez in his super utility role and trade for a SS its likely going to include one of our young players and thus opening up the need for someone like Descalso. Madden is still the manager and he covets flexibility from his roster. Its a low dollar short term deal with an eye to a future move would be my guess.
I get it. It just seems like we keep loading up in super utility guys and want to stick with all the young guys too. When they made Schwarber untouchable I nearly lost my mind. The only way the young guys get better is reps and you can’t get a wholesale change or improvement trying to string along Happ, Schwarber, Almora, Bote with limited playing time.
I belive that Theo and Hoyer really belive that a new hitting coach will be the key in seeing a big improvement to the offense. And before they begin to really change the roster over they want one more season of data. I'm annoyed as well. They don't seem to be players for Harper or Manny (not saying they are out but lack of smoke is concerning) and they still have some serious needs in the bullpen.
Given his history I have a hard time believing they will keep him around. More a gut feeling vs anything they have said.