Chicago Cubs fans - Rebuilding Year 2023

[FINFAN]

I still think the Albert/Javy lead off generates more excitement than Zobrist/Bryant/Rizzo/Contreras/Schwarber. Sometimes they are just looking dead and like they don't want to be there. I'd like to get some pitchers do eight innings though. And Carl and Strop each did some nice innings. Strop lasted two. Carl's looking good getting a full inning done, too.

The pitching to me, is still directly correlated to Willy. Why the Cubs feel they don't need a veteran catcher around is something I just don't get, like, at all. Willy framing/receiving is ranked 98 out of 110. He was improving in '16/17 but regressed without Rossy and Miggy. Avilah was a good addition, should have tried to find a way to keep him. There is crap load for catchers to learn, it takes years and Willy is only on his 2nd full season. Too soon to pull the support system of a vet back up catcher, especially with a changing pitching staff, learning to call a game and the Cubs are very complicated in their approach. This whole team is still so young~I said before, too many changes that they have to keep reacting/adjusting to instead of maturing skills etc. I find it fascinating that Theo wants to keep the core guys yet changes everything around them each season.

ETA: AAJ has great numbers against Wacha. JHey will prob be out so you may get the excitement of the Al Mago vs Bryzzo lineup. The thing I like about having AAJ/Javy is KB batting 3RD and it moves Willy to 5 which, right now..can't hurt.

 

[Sepo]

I’d actually been thinking this same thing. Don’t expect me to bat 1.000 but I will try to oblige if we are in a pinch.

On the topic of jinxes, I remember thinking that Len was NOT helping yesterday. He was rattling off very unnecessary stats, just tempting fate, as Morrow was getting started... “converted all his save opportunities thus far” ... “Cubs have never lost yet when leading after 6 innings”.... I actually half heartedly yelled at the TV : “Sstopppp!”.

Any Master Jinx lesser god watching along sleepily almost had to oblige or risk getting demoted.

Len should’ve known better.

 

[FINFAN]

On the topic of jinxes, I remember thinking that Len was NOT helping yesterday. He was rattling off very unnecessary stats, just tempting fate, as Morrow was getting started... “converted all his save opportunities thus far” ... “Cubs have never lost yet when leading after 6 innings”.... I actually half heartedly yelled at the TV : “Sstopppp!”.

Any Master Jinx lesser god watching along sleepily almost had to oblige or risk getting demoted.

Len should’ve known better.

Last game they won, we were at ...if the Cub's would like to obtain my services as W deliverer for the remainder of the season, I'm in I am really hoping we don't erase our 5 game W streak completely today.
Oh well...there were some great parts of the game, Addie's slide, Scwarb's with a crazy fall/lose your shoe play, Rizzo and Javy bombs, WE SCORED MORE THAN 3 RUNS!
Molina is out for 4 weeks, emergency surgery last night. I don't wish that injury on anyone, but karma's a B...Wong mouthing off = issue for their team. Will be interesting if Lester find's a way to answer Wong's comment. I still find is as a compliment tho, a huge comeback win and the first thing on Wong's mind are Cub Fan's, lol. It was a tough loss but overall I LOVE a good ballgame, and that was a good one (I mean, if you didn't have a horse in the race)((had to use that analogy on Derby weekend))

 

[FINFAN]

I remember this one time, when Willy hit a LO homer off a lefty, some guy named Gonzale's that Walgreen's was hyped over

LET'S DO IT AGAIN, WILLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
letting Rizzo LO woke up his bat, hoe it does the same for TKiller and KB batting 3rd! Not sure why Happ is in over AAJ as AAJ has fantastic number's against Wacha and his defense far better than Happ

TONIGHT'S SWEEP REPELLENT LINEUP AGAINST

 

[Deb & Bill]

This game had been be over quickly with the Cubs getting the W. I have to head to WDW in the morning.

 

[FINFAN]

This game had been be over quickly with the Cubs getting the W. I have to head to WDW in the morning.

I'm trying to muster up sympathy.....but I'm good with a fast and efficient crushing of the Card's. Have a blast, I wish I were going too!

 

[FINFAN]

Not sure if this is legit~but if it isn't..nobody tell me!

Kris Bryant
@KrisBryant_Chat ‏ Follows you

| Chicago Cubs | USD | Las Vegas, NV | World Series Champ

 

[Deb & Bill]

Not sure if this is legit~but if it isn't..nobody tell me!

Kris Bryant
@KrisBryant_Chat ‏ Follows you

| Chicago Cubs | USD | Las Vegas, NV | World Series Champ

It better not be legit. He needs to concentrate on his batting and throwing, not on chatting.

 

[siskaren]

Not sure if this is legit~but if it isn't..nobody tell me!

Kris Bryant
@KrisBryant_Chat ‏ Follows you

| Chicago Cubs | USD | Las Vegas, NV | World Series Champ

Interesting - he actually has 2 Twitter accounts: @KrisBryant_23 and @KrisBryant_Chat. He just started the Chat one last month and it's protected, which means that you have to request to follow him and wait for him to OK it.

 

[Sepo]

“Wow. These Cardinals are great. Just tied us. They deserve to sweep us.”

(Jinx deployed)

 

[FINFAN]

“Wow. These Cardinals are great. Just tied us. They deserve to sweep us.”

(Jinx deployed)

needed you to tweak that hex just a bit~ and deploy it again in the 14th...so the idiot flying the W flag early would have also been whammied. At least it was Dex who crushed us this time instead of Wong.Yay Dex..so happy the Cubs could put in a reliever who fed you nothing but fastballs so you could hit your VERY FIRST WALK OFF HR against us. The Cubs are very good at allowing other teams to achieve firsts. If maybe, Anthony could not hang at Fowler's house all weekend when we play them, that's be great.
Lost to Weaver and Wacha,let that sink in. WEAVER AND WACHA! Need to sweep the Marlin's just to stay in 4th..and tomorrow(later tonight) not looking good with how taxing tonight was.

 

[FINFAN]

Interesting - he actually has 2 Twitter accounts: @KrisBryant_23 and @KrisBryant_Chat. He just started the Chat one last month and it's protected, which means that you have to request to follow him and wait for him to OK it.

lol... I know it isn't his ..you will see a blue check mark on any of the real ones, but it was fun to tease my DH with it. I actually have no idea who's running this one. If it IS KB's, that's even nuttier as following me is about as exciting as our offense this year

 

[FINFAN]

In my current state of insomnia, I am picturing Theo's current mood

but really, he strikes me as someone I do not want to be around when they are angry

 

[Kewz1]

Current mood:

Also current mood:

Someone cheer me up!

 

[Sepo]

Current mood:

Also current mood:

Someone cheer me up!

Not easy.

Statistically we should’ve won 2 of 3?

It’s early May. Let’s have a strong 2 months before the break. This’ll be a memory soon enough and forgotten if we are ahead in September.

 

[FINFAN]

Current mood:

Also current mood:

Someone cheer me up!

STL will eventually implode . Just like it's still pretty early and we have time to turn it around, they have time to blow it
Dodger's are just as bad? (tho they have worse injuries)
it hasn't been 108 years since our last W.S.
Cog's is somewhere in AZ so maybe he can send the bats that were obviously left behind at ST
Lets see....at least we are spreading the suck?We are basically KC now (who is actually ex-Cub, lol) except Soler , who has found his bat as of late.

as for the immediate~ here's all I got (only slept about 3 hours so not really firing on all cylinders yet)

The 2017 Cubs had the exact same record on this day a year ago
The forecast is dry and in the upper 60's for tonight
We have Len & JD back tonight, no more crappy ESPN
Cubs still above .500 (some how) and not in last
We play 3 sub par teams, 2 of who literally stated "we are not trying to win this year"
You won't see Farrell close tonight, prob already in Iowa ( to be completely fair, the offense is to blame, had multiple chances)
Javy joins Willie Mays as the only players in baseball history to homer in the 12, 13,14 & 15 innings
Victor will play tonight & his bat has been better than Willy
AAJ will play more this series
Javy says his back is fine, that it just cracks a lot(not sure we see him tonight tho, just my opinion)
Hendrick's can hopefully go 7? Lester's ab looked better than 1/2 the team..you may see him PH for more than a bunt
Cub fan's will cheer loudly for every fly ball we hit so the game will at least SOUND good (IF we hit)
We are still the better Chicago team (currently)
CJ inching closer to that closer role...

ETA: After consuming coffee and getting the wheels turning I have some clearer thoughts. OK...it sucked because we were in in it until the blown saves. STL was only in game 2 due to unearned runs. Our defense is just MIA right now and that can be fixed quicker than the offense. They did actually start hitting better (but it was against meh pitching)

IMHO, Addie misses Mellee and Riz sure seems to be missing Hyde. (who is having a spectacular season with LAA so far)Rizzo on the upswing tho, gained .30 this week.
Hoping the guys who are not clicking with Chili look back to tapes of them with Melle and apply what had been working if at all possible.
Rob Z will prob be brought up as he can go a couple of innings (sending Farrell down to help him get over the shell shock)

The team is in a toddler stage to me~ and toddlers need discipline and consistency from their parents/teachers etc. The Cubs Org has played musical chairs to the point of negativity with coaches, lineups etc. Joe is also a huge positive reinforcement guy (which I am too) but these guys just might need some tough love to wake them up. Winning a WS so young took a whole lot of the fire out.
Schwarb's is still looking good, his OBP decent,




Marlins & Sux will be gunning HARD this week, especially Starlin (who I still love) and Garcia is of course, the best arm it appears on the Marlin's right now.
The last game they won was a week ago today. Kyle will have to go 7 or throw a CG since we have no bullpen. We have Strop, that is crystal clear as he was not put in over Farrell. That kid is done. He won't bounce back from blowing 2 in a row even if he did have the arm to do it. Perhaps Butler's time out is over and he returns? Just bring up Tseng or even Adbert Azolay at this point. The Reds now have Riggleman~ I'm prepared to see the Reds break out under his approach


~ this current *artistic* plan of trying to win games isn't even a finger painting



I would really like to see Giminez brought up and Happ sent down since the team is apparently experimenting these days, but it won't HAPPen

I won't be surprised to see TLS on 2nd tonight to rest Javy's back, Zo in RF, and then Victor catching

One thing you CAN count on is Joe changing the order again

 

[FINFAN]

Not easy.

Statistically we should’ve won 2 of 3?

It’s early May. Let’s have a strong 2 months before the break. This’ll be a memory soon enough and forgotten if we are ahead in September.

and we had those 2 of 3 until the blown saves....

 

[FINFAN]

so I was on target with Victor and AAJ being in, just thought it would be for Willy, not Rizzo and JHey with some bench time(was probably his own suggestion)
Call me crazy but after seeing Lester's AB yesterday, I wouldn't mind seeing the pitcher in the 8 spot again. Why not, right?
Marlin's have won 4 series so far (ummm, we have not) and are on a roll with absolutely nothing to lose and no fan pressure on them, and are rested.
I sure hope I don't hear booing tonight or see W flags flown early


Lets call this the facing a lefty so certain guys not playing &
START HAVING FUN AGAIN, BOYS game~ relax, mind your errors and hope like heck Kyle goes 7!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FINFAN]

for some much better news in the baseball world~

 

[FINFAN]

Cubs recall Cory Mazzoni from Iowa. Luke Farrell optioned