Author Topic: Cubs in '20  (Read 49088 times)

Reb

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2730 on: August 10, 2020, 04:34:10 pm »
One of the other clubs that got its pitchers ready is Cleveland, who Cubs play on Tuesday and Wednesday—at least until Zach Plesac  messed up the protocols this week.

Of its five SPs, worst ERA is 3.24, two are under 2.00, and Indians as a team have yet to give up more than 4 runs in a game this season.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2731 on: August 10, 2020, 04:35:23 pm »
I wonder if they didn't just end up there independently.  Sounded like Hendricks and Lester both had their own self-directed independent approaches, hendricks throwing a lot, Lester throwing hardly any. 

May be that the Cubs having a really, really old staff with veterans, and some smart guys, maybe they kinda already know themselves well and know how to get themselves ready?

ticohans

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2732 on: August 10, 2020, 05:41:08 pm »
Pulling this from the BBFL topic because it's really more about the Cubs...

There has been a lot of talk about how the Cubs are handling COVID procedures exceptionally well. But (knock on wood) they also seem to be one of the few teams who figured out how to get their starters ready for the season. All five were ready to go at least 80 pitches from day one, and the only injury has been Quintana's fluke dish washing accident.

I wonder what kind of system they set up during the shutdown to keep their starters at a place where they could ramp up in 3 weeks so effectively.

I wonder to what extent this is impacted by the Cubs low velo starters?

All of Hendricks, Mills, Lester are slow. Q, when healthy, is, too.

Darvish can pump 98mph when he wants, but more so than any "power" pitcher I'm aware of, will also just cruise at 92-93 for a while. He dials it up and down a *lot*.

Chatwood more consistently pitches at higher velocity, but that's just 1 out of 5 starters.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2733 on: August 10, 2020, 06:42:36 pm »
Or the Cubs have been lucky so far.

Health and the ability to avoid temptations of going out are going to be really important this year.

Reb

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2734 on: August 11, 2020, 12:53:46 am »
Jordan Bastian
@MLBastian
Updates on IL pitchers via Cubs GM Jed Hoyer:

• Quintana scheduled to throw 3 IP Tuesday (South Bend) [sim game]
• Wieck throwing bullpen Tuesday
• Norwood throwing bullpen today

All progressing well so far

JR

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2735 on: August 11, 2020, 10:41:56 am »
Health and the ability to avoid temptations of going out are going to be really important this year.

I wonder if good veteran leadership plays a role in this for the Cubs too.  The Titans posted an article the other day about how one of their veteran "don't want to mess with" offensive linemen, Dennis Kelly, was enforcing the Covid protocols on the team, going right down to getting on to players for not wearing their masks properly. 

It seems like the Cubs players have talked about how their clubhouse culture has bought into doing things the right way with this.  We haven't really heard much if the Cubs have any clubhouse enforcers like that, but perhaps when you have players like Bryant, Rizzo, Lester, etc. who know what it felt like to win the World Series and probably want to win another one, it might help tighten the culture a little bit.  David Ross, being a longtime veteran leader player, might be better at tightening protocols on the team than a lot of other managers as well.  It seems like that kind of leadership is probably lacking in the Cardinals, Marlins, and Indians clubhouses at least.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2020, 10:47:04 am by JR »
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BearHit

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2736 on: August 11, 2020, 10:47:30 am »
Not so much about winning - but caring that all of your team mates have families too - the big picture
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CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2737 on: August 11, 2020, 11:24:14 am »
Not so much about winning - but caring that all of your team mates have families too - the big picture
For that very reason, any and all players who deliberately flaunted the rules like these casino Cardinals and Cleveland two should be suspended for the season.  Sitting out a couple weeks is weak.
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PRCubFan

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2738 on: August 11, 2020, 09:45:35 pm »
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JR

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2739 on: August 11, 2020, 10:48:35 pm »

Reb

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2740 on: August 11, 2020, 11:49:48 pm »
I'm sure that many of you remember that Kipnis came pretty close in the bottom of the 9th to hitting a Mazeroski homer to end game 7 of the 2016 WS.

Kipnis got a terrible hanging slider from Chapman on a 1-1 count and hit it really well but pulled it foul.  Jed Hoyer later said that he first thought that the Cubs had been walked off when the bat made contact.

Well, that would have changed history.  Glad that Rizzo can do the bit with Kipnis now. 

Almost wasn't so funny.
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Ron

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2741 on: August 12, 2020, 10:41:30 am »
Boys just wanna have fun.



Bennett

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2742 on: August 12, 2020, 02:46:53 pm »
Several unofficial tweets indicate that Adbert Alzolay has been called up.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2743 on: August 12, 2020, 02:52:55 pm »
I wonder in whose place, or why? 

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #2744 on: August 12, 2020, 03:36:42 pm »
He might also like drinking coffee in the morning.