2015 Cubs Offseason: Building a Winner Around David Ross

[Quality Start Machine]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

[SKO]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

[PenFoe]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

I think we should spend at least 3 pages talking about not talking about it.

[SKO]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

I think we should spend at least 3 pages talking about not talking about it.

Daniel Murphy, fucking Daniel Murphy practically drove the Mets to victory in two different postseason series this year with a random as shit hot streak and we have to debate whether David Price having a grand total of like, 6 bad games scattered over 5 years or whatever means anything.

It doesn't. Good night.

[Canadouche]

Price would be an excellent addition to the team. I wonder how much more expensive Greinke will be?

[Eli]

I don't think it's crazy to think that human beings would occasionally feel the pressure of a big moment, tighten up a bit and make a bad pitch/decision.

However, it probably is crazy to assume we can predict who will and won't do that in the future based on their history.

[PenFoe]

I don't think it's crazy to think that human beings would occasionally feel the pressure of a big moment, tighten up a bit and make a bad pitch/decision.

However, it probably is crazy to assume we can predict who will and won't do that in the future based on their history.

Agree with all this.

Except Derek Jeter. We should assume he won't freeze up. 

[Canadouche]

I don't think it's crazy to think that human beings would occasionally feel the pressure of a big moment, tighten up a bit and make a bad pitch/decision.

However, it probably is crazy to assume we can predict who will and won't do that in the future based on their history.

Agree with all this.

Except Derek Jeter. We should assume he won't freeze up. 

Curt Schilling, too.

When it comes to the concept of "clutch pitching," my perspective is forever going to be scarred and skewed by LaTroy Hawkins. I will probably always make too big a deal out of it, because LaTroy proved to me that it's possible to shit the bed in important games with epic regularity.

[Quality Start Machine]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

[SKO]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

There've been a number of people to tackle that question of do pitchers pitch differently with a lead and even if guys say they do (they may walk fewer batters and go right after guys slightly more for example), for the most part the results are rarely very different. For his career David Price has an OPS against of .632 when his team scores 0-2 runs for him, .649 when his team scores 3-5 runs for him and .652 when they score 6+. That small margin is pretty much meaningless, especially when he's faced 500-1000 more batters in that 3-5 run range than <3 or >5.

So what I'm saying is pitchers may think they are pitching differently or maybe they actually do pitch differently but the fact of the matter is the results don't really change. David Price's run support or lack thereof or his expectation thereof probably hasn't made any difference in the postseason. In fact, if it had, you'd think the opposite would be true since his OPS against would indicate that he's usually at his best when he gets fewer runs in support.

[Eli]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

[SKO]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

I think Fork is arguing if they signed him and they gave a shit about his past performances in the playoffs, they could be like "here, you fucking pansy, go out there and just try not to shit yourself too much because it's only Michael Wacha over there. We knew better than to ask you to go up against their top guy."

Theo could use this in negotiations, as well. "Sign with us and we'll only ask you to start game 3 of the LDS, since we don't want to get burned the next time you gag in the playoffs"

[Oleg]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

I think Fork is arguing if they signed him and they gave a shit about his past performances in the playoffs, they could be like "here, you fucking pansy, go out there and just try not to shit yourself too much because it's only Michael Wacha over there. We knew better than to ask you to go up against their top guy."

Theo could use this in negotiations, as well. "Sign with us and we'll only ask you to start game 3 of the LDS, since we don't want to get burned the next time you gag in the playoffs"

Great.  David Price is starting the WC game.  We're DOOOOOOOOMED!

[Quality Start Machine]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

[SKO]

You can also make the case that a guy like Price could have more postseason success with the Cubs, since as a #3 starter who would be facing another team's #3 starter he'd get more run support.

You can also make the case that if we're judging his postseason performance on whether he wins the game based on the amount of run support he gets that this is stupid and we should stop talking about it.

Are you saying pitchers pitch the same when they aren't getting run support as they do when they are? I mean, sure, when nobody can hit you you just pitch the same. But at other times, you know you don't have to be quite as fine and you can afford to not be over-cautious when you get some runs. That has nothing to do with the postseason, it just has to do with each particular game. But the #3 starters tend to match up more consistently in the postseason.

Even if any of this matters (which it doesn't), why are we assuming Price would be the Cubs' #3 starter?

Because they have a pretty fucking good 1 and 2?

David Price is better and younger than Lester, and much as I love Jake he's pitched one full season. There's very little reason to assume that Price would be the third best Cubs starter of 2016.