Desipio Message Board

Quote from: Canadouche on February 15, 2018, 09:07:04 AM

Quote from: Huey Potatohead on February 15, 2018, 09:03:26 AM
Who bats leadoff?

Seems to be the only question going into Spring Training, aside from the last bullpen roster spot.

Shouldn't be an issue - the Cubs have the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history on their squad.

Regardless of who they start at leadoff, I hope/assume that by mid June they've identified their best option based on play up to that point, and that they continue to change the person in that role as needed based on situational hitting.

So you hope that by June, they've identified the one guy who is their best leadoff hitter, and that they then not use that person as their everyday leadoff hitter.

Quote from: SKO on February 14, 2018, 03:50:45 PM

Quote from: Quality Start Machine on February 14, 2018, 08:40:26 AM
Good piece here on how Darvish joining the rotation not only means adding Montgomery to an already-improved bullpen, but it also means launching a subpar reliever (Justin Grimm) to Mars.

So the Cubs essentially traded Justin Grimm and money for Yu Darvish.

Indeed, adding a good player means more good players, and fewer bad players, on the roster. This is the bold, cutting edge analysis I demand from Fangraphs.

Also, Grimm is still on the team assuming they go with 8 relievers, and a guy like Maples or Simmons doesn't have a great spring.

Morrow
Cishek
Strop
Edwards
Grimm
Wilson
Duensing
Montgomery

Quote from: Huey Potatohead on November 27, 2017, 08:38:56 AM

Quote from: Bort on November 27, 2017, 07:24:07 AM
Garbanzobeanz outlasts another one.

DPD

You may recall (and if you do, then kudos) that one of my more ignominious nickname-dispensings--and one for which I took a similar beating to the one I took (at the time) for Garbanzo Beans for Tom Gorzellany, before Garbanzo Beans proved more enduring, was John Thierry-Of-Relatively-Awful-Wannstedt-Picks. 

If I were to guess at anyone to have made reference to this it'd have been RV but of course he, too, has been dead for a long time.

Can confirm that this amazing nickname was the first thing that popped into my head when I heard the news Thierry had not outlasted Alonzo Spellman.

Quote from: ChuckD on October 17, 2017, 08:18:42 PM
I concede that it's basically impossible to convince anyone to do anything on the internet, but if:

1) you're looking for something to watch
2) you enjoy really well-written drama
3) have any sort of interest in technology and/or the 80s/90s

You really should watch this show. I think the first three seasons are on Netflix. The fourth and final season just wrapped up.

It took the place of Mad Men as AMC's period drama. I believe the first season was sort of critically panned although I enjoyed it in spite of the flaws. I remember reading that it's a miracle that they lasted four seasons and after watching the last few seasons, I'm not sure why.

It did change quite a bit over the last three seasons. But, frankly, it's one of the best shows in terms of characters that I can recall. I prefer it to Mad Men because I find the arcs a lot more believable. I got a lot more invested in the characters. And frankly, I got a little choked up a few times during the last few episodes. One of which is hands down the most authentic depiction of post death/grieving/moving on that I can recall seeing ... anywhere?

It's not a show that you could just jump into and get a lot of enjoyment. It's a slower burn. You would need to see the entire story from beginning to end to appreciate the epilogue.

Watch it. Or don't. But seriously. Watch it.

Co-sign. Great show.

Quote from: SKO on October 16, 2017, 09:56:02 AMa better tactician like Trueblood

I laughed. I also have to admit the David Ross thought entered my head last night, although there's really no way to know if he'd actually be a good tactician or just revert to his gut in October like Joe does.

We are all extremely mad online about Joe's decision making last night. I have to think Theo & Jed are even angrier. I'm genuinely curious at what point they start to question if the shittiness of his in-game tactics outweighs his abilities as magical clubhouse whisperer.

Silver lining: it's quite possible that Horseface's final major league pitch will be a walkoff dong to a supporting character from the live action Masters of the Universe movie.

Quote from: flannj on October 15, 2017, 06:10:28 PM
Giving TBS credit where credit is due.
Watching the pre-game with Rollins and Sheffield in the studio demonstrating and explaining how they see pitches with Pedro throwing was pretty cool.

I learned something today.

I also think Brian Anderson is a damn good play by play guy. He's clearly done his homework, he knows his shit, and he even tees Ron Darling up with some good questions.

Is this the most boring thread in the history of Desipio?

Quote from: Saul Goodman on October 13, 2017, 10:20:18 AM

Quote from: Saul Goodman on October 12, 2017, 11:54:24 PM
...I still like Bryce Harper.  Sean Doolittle is also ok.  The rest of their team can go fuck themselves.

Upon further review, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are also acceptable.

I like that albino dipshit Adam Lind because he bailed out a struggling Wade Davis by grounding into a first pitch DP.

Game 2 lineup against Gio (who I'm assuming will start tonight) had Happ in LF, Almora in CF, and Zobrist in RF. I'm wondering if Jay will get the start in LF in place of Happ and hit leadoff.

(extreme BH I was at the game with Slezak so please listen to my opinion voice)

That pinch hit is one of the moments I'm going to remember a few years from now when we look back on this run. Full count, crowd on its feet, Almora hits a rope, Zobrist's slow ass has to dodge said rope which immediately made me doubt his ability to score, and all of it topped off with Albert going nuts at first. That was incredible.

Quote from: SKO on October 10, 2017, 11:03:20 AM

Quote from: Brownie on October 10, 2017, 10:50:07 AM

Quote from: SKO on October 10, 2017, 09:05:56 AM

Quote from: Quality Start Machine on October 10, 2017, 08:56:00 AM
The Cubs played an absolutely atrocious game of baseball - 3 hits, 4 errors, Heyward's TOOTBLAN...and they still won.

Imagine what can happen today if they actually play well.

I just hope they get to play today, otherwise a rainout would allow the Nats to go back to Stras give Maddon the option of starting Hendrickson normal rest if Arrieta's hamstring is trouble tomorrow. I'd prefer to just laugh as they pummel Tanner Roark and then we all have a couple days to relax.

Oh I lack no confidence in whichever of the Cubs starters goes out there whenever they play, I just would rather face Roark than Strasburg irregardless.

Galaxy brain: the Cubs have the advantage if they do play today with at least one long rain delay. Maddon has two long relief options in Lackey & Montgomery whereas I don't think Dusty has any, unless you count Fat Albers (long man...more like wide man!) or Gio is available on 3 days rest.

Quote from: SKO on October 02, 2017, 03:50:00 PM
Season OPS/September OPS:

Schwarber: .782/.938
Jay: .749/.699
Heyward: .715/.798
Zobrist: .693/.648

Make the right call, Joe. Jay hit .313 with a .351 OBP in September, so he can at least get on base. Zobrist slashed .227/.307/.341 so he didn't really do anything well of late.

Also for any Chucks wanting to cry BUT MUH DEFENSE, Zobrist was a -4 run outfielder in 360 innings this year, Schwarber has been -9 in 821 innings. They're basically equally meh defensively, and one of them has been a demonstrably better hitter. It's not the old dude.

Also:

Happ: .842/.824
Almora: .782/1.000

If you assume a Rizzo-Baez-Russell-Bryant everyday infield alignment for October, that leaves 6 guys for 3 spots in the outfield (until the DH comes into play in a few weeks).

My personal preference would be a Schwarber-Almora-Happ alignment with Jay & Zobrist as excellent PH options and Heyward as a defensive replacement, but I've made my peace with the fact that Joe is going to have different ideas than I do and many of those ideas are going to include Jay & Zobrist starting.

Quote from: Huey Potatohead on September 22, 2017, 10:29:10 AM

Quote from: Quality Start Machine on September 22, 2017, 08:51:54 AM

Quote from: SKO on September 22, 2017, 08:17:25 AM

Quote from: Quality Start Machine on September 22, 2017, 08:16:04 AM

Quote from: SKO on September 21, 2017, 10:24:00 PM
What the hell is he smoking tonight

Pretty sure he would have let Jake go another inning had he not been coming off an injury. That would have given Strop, Edwards and Davis all clean innings.

None of that remotely excuses the insane double switches but OK

If Jake could have gone 6 full innings there would have only been double switches to avoid the pitcher ever having his spot come up in the order. It's September, and Joe has a million guys on the bench. It's time to get weird.

Besides, if you're talking about the double switches being insane and not the rec-league 5 men in the infield being insane...

This is entirely my point, though.  Circumstances prevented Jake from going 6 so last night would have been a perfect to stretch Edwards out for a second inning.  It'd have been, considering what was at stake, a near-knockout punch in a playoff-like spot and the fact that Maddon went through the trouble of double-switching Almora into the game (before later taking Almora out of the game for a pinch-hitter after Baez tied it in the 9th...another mystifying move which I failed to mention earlier), seemed to indicate that Edwards was going to go 2.

I like Joe just fine and recognize that all managers make questionable moves, but just a reminder that in a tight, extra inning game that his 2 best outfielders were not even out there at the end.

Pros of expanded rosters: they allow for rest and flexibility in extra inning games/blowouts
Con of expanded rosters: they give Maddon the freedom to get cute (aka make dumb moves)