JUSTgottaBELIEVE

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 5, 2015 -> 08:26 PM) Sub-2 era. Playoff team. We've seen multiple pitchers win mvp recently. get off your cubs-hating high horses. If that were the case, then why would he even beat out Grienke in voting? Grienke has a lower ERA, WHIP, and better win percentage. Like I said before, ZERO chance Arrieta beats out Harper. That has nothing to do with Cubs hating. http://mobile.sportingnews.com/article/465...w.google.com%2F

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 5, 2015 -> 08:19 PM) "he" = anyone in the NL I'd love to see the Nats finish off on a 25-5 or so run here Agreed, which is why the thought of Arrieta winning the MVP is laughable

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 5, 2015 -> 08:09 PM) Yes, their rotation is garbage 3-5. Bullpen is ok. Bunch of kids (though very talented) on offense. Arrieta has put the team on his back and should be the favorite in the play-in game. ZERO chance he garners more votes than Harper.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 5, 2015 -> 07:41 PM) Arrieta could be the CY and MVP. He's been that good. That pitching staff without him is gross. MVP??? LOL

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 5, 2015 -> 02:51 PM) Arrieta on his way to not giving up a run in his start. Would be 6 of his last 7 starts. Can't believe some think Sale has been better this year. NL is awful. Isn't it ironic that the 1 start where he did give up a run during that stretch (3 runs, 2 earned) was against one of the worst offenses in the AL our very own Chicago White Sox. The rest of those starts were against NL teams, go figure.

Cubs have now lost 5 of 6 and starting next Monday begin a brutal stretch in which they play the Cards, Pirates, and Royals 14 of 21 games. They better hope Arrieta doesn't lose his mojo in September otherwise things could get very interesting. Outside of 6 games with the Dodgers, Giants schedule the rest of the way is extremely soft. I could see them putting together a run of something like 20-11 over their last 31 games.

Grimm is yet another guy that sucked in the AL and has being doing his best wade davis impersonation since joining the cubs in 2013

QUOTE (Middle Buffalo @ Aug 31, 2015 -> 08:39 PM) ESPN Chicago poll of best pitcher in Chicago (as of 2 minutes ago): Jake Arrietta - 62% Chris Sale - 38% Not sure I agree with that. yet another pitcher that couldn't hack it in the AL and is now dominating the minor leagues, I mean National League

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 31, 2015 -> 05:56 PM) I'm sure Cubs won't come out and say this, but this probably means no more Schwarber vs LHP. He's struck out in half of his ABs vs LHP. Wait, you mean to tell me the second coming of babe Ruth struggles to hit lefties? For all the attention their young position players and offense get, they wouldn't be anywhere near where they are right now without their pitching.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:58 PM) It is a silly question. The Cardinals don't have to watch their 2006 World Series DVD. They just win it all again. That is the goal. It's not silly at all. Like I said before I wouldnt trade 2005 to be a Cubs fan right now with the "smart money" saying they are going to win it all again soon. 107 years and counting lol

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:56 PM) Smart money says they are about to be repaid for that. Their whole organization is stacked. "Smart money" Hahaha

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:55 PM) At least the Cubs are headed in the right direction. But you didn't answer the question

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:54 PM) God it must have been terrible being a Cubs fan in that timeframe, huh? Sox won the World Series, Cubs couldn't win a playoff series, had to have a priest bless a dugout, blowing money on Soriano, Zambrano going nuts, being incredibly awful for years, White Sox winning that stupid Crosstown Cup. LOL yea

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:51 PM) It has been a terrible 9 seasons since 2006. How many titles have the Cubs, Brewers and Rockies won in the last 30 years (ie. in your lifetime)?

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:43 PM) Regardless, this is rock bottom. This organization isn't going anywhere. Not even close. Rock bottom would be Milwaukee Brewers or Colorado Rockies

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:32 PM) Yes, on the grounds that Sale isn't Kershaw. Everyone who isn't a Sox fan will tell you the same. Sale is better than Greinke historically. Greinke is having an extremely lucky season. Put Sale's number at slightly better than Zack's number last year, 2.30 -2.40 ERA, sure. That would make it half a run better than Chris's career ERA. Kershaw also benefits by pitching in LA where his career ERA is nearly 1 run lower than on the road. Sales and Kershaws career ERA on the road are only 0.11 apart and that's while Kershaw is pitching against inferior NL lineups including pitchers rather than DH

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:25 PM) I'd be willing to bet anyone that any particular team won't win it all, odds are always going to be in your favor if you take the field. This isn't the NBA where Golden State is getting favorable odds in Vegas to win a title at the beginning of the playoffs. I will give that person 10:1 odds as well

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:25 PM) I'd be willing to bet anyone that any particular team won't win it all, odds are always going to be in your favor if you take the field. This isn't the NBA where Golden State is getting favorable odds in Vegas to win a title at the beginning of the playoffs. I will give that person 10:1 odds as well

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:24 PM) I'm 30. I watched the World Series team just like you did. The organization celebrated by continually driving into the ground. I wouldn't trade 2005 to be a Cubs fan right now. The Cubs haven't won anything yet and the odds of them winning the Series are still against them. Cubs fans may never experience what I and other Sox fans experienced in 2005.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:20 PM) You can believe whatever you want, but you will have a hard time convincing many other people. You also haven't put out any strong arguments on why Sale would be 1 run better than he currently is. There are plenty of points listed out for you in this thread already, but you chose to ignore them, Someone already mentioned that batters will make adjustments to him as they face him more, I also mentioned that pitchers won't do that much better (maybe for a short stretch, but certainly not a fully season or across seasons) even if they switched leagues. Many times, they do slightly better or they could even do worst. See Shields and Scherzer as the latest example. It's really this simple to me. Sale is as good as Kershaw and Grienke in my opinion. So I would expect him to post similar numbers to those guys if he pitched in the NL. Put Sale on the Dodgers today and those are the numbers I would expect from him. Do you disagree?

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:15 PM) Honestly it's foolhardy to make predictions on what will happen in the playoffs. Baseball is just so random anything could happen and I wouldn't be surprised. A team could win 115 games 5 straight seasons and never get out of the first round. On the other hand, a mediocre team could get hot and win it all due to some scrub playing over his head. The quality of the team means less in the baseball playoffs than in any other sport. You just have to get in. agreed but I would be willing to bet anyone the Cubs don't win the Series this year.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:13 PM) God this we are so White Sox fans. What matters is the Cubs are in it and we are perpetually garbage. At the end of the day all that matters is WS titles and both franchises have been historically awful by that measure. It just so happens that the Cubs have been even more futile by this measure. How old are you? Do you even remember the 2005 championship? That was only 10 years ago. I'm sure your comeback will be what have they done the last 10 years blah blah blah but no Cubs fans have experienced a WS title in their lifetime so I will take 10 years all day.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:11 PM) Pirates have some good righty hitters to face Arrieta, who holds lefties to about a .450 OPS and righties to around .575 If you watched tonight, lefties had no prayer on his Loaiza-esque slider funny you say that because I mentioned to my buddies earlier this year how much Arrieta reminds me of White Sox Loaiza. Sets hitters up with the fastball and puts them away with the hard breaking slider. Also hitting spots at ease the way Loaiza did with the Sox.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:08 PM) I agree Sale would probably benefit being in the NL probably more than just about anyone. The NL seems to really struggle hitting offspeed pitches. Also, Sale would dominate pitchers trying to bat so much, he could easily pitch around the 8 hitter if he's in trouble. I've seen Hammel and Samardzija dominate in the NL with their offspeed pitches and look like trash in the AL throwing the same pitches. thank you. It is perplexing that fellow Sox fans would adamantly argue this and claim that the idea of Sale having an ERA below 2 pitching in the NL this year as "far-fetched". It's almost like Sox fans have no idea how big of a disparity there is right now between the two leagues. It's really not even close. throw in the pitcher batting instead of a DH 3 times a game and it's the exact opposite of far-fetched.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 30, 2015 -> 10:06 PM) The Royals or Blue Jays would wipe out the Cubs anyway... absolutely and so will the cardinals if they get past the pirates in the play-in game