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2016 Cubs catch-all thread


southsider2k5

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QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Apr 28, 2016 -> 04:23 PM)
I'd love if they got demolished in interleague play.

Eh, considering we may have to fight for a wildcard spot this year, it's probably better if the AL West teams lose to them, even if the division does look pretty mediocre to this point.

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QUOTE (shysocks @ Apr 28, 2016 -> 06:52 PM)
Hawk specifically says anybody accusing Arrieta of using is a disgrace to the game. Hope you're all happy.

 

Hawk is a blathering idiot that should've retired years ago

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QUOTE (shysocks @ Apr 28, 2016 -> 06:52 PM)
Hawk specifically says anybody accusing Arrieta of using is a disgrace to the game. Hope you're all happy.

 

I can't accuse him, but I'm suspicious.

 

His pitches all gained significant miles per hour.

 

This isn't like Cliff Lee, whose stuff stayed the same speed, or R.A. Dickey who learned to control a knuckler better.

 

 

 

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QUOTE (raBBit @ Apr 29, 2016 -> 10:25 AM)
Where is this coming from anyways? Just Stephen A. Smith? Or is there actual reason to tie him to PEDs.

 

Whispers amongst other players in the league is what kicked it off.

 

Also, I feel baseball fans as a whole are a jaded "Fool me on, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." situation.

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QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 29, 2016 -> 09:16 PM)
This April schedule for the Cubs has bee pathetic. I'm not saying they're not good but I think coo boned record of April opponents is like 15 games under .500.

 

Just based on offensive fWAR, there's a 66.6 point difference between Cubs and the Braves

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QUOTE (raBBit @ Apr 29, 2016 -> 10:25 AM)
I don't see these increases from the data posted. If that's what these numbers are supposed to be - increases in velo.

 

His FB seems to have remained the same and his slider has moved up a lot. There was a contingent of us here that loved Arrieta when he was in Baltimore and thought he'd be really good one day. When the Cubs got him, Bosio worked with his slider and he changed some of his mechanics. His mechanics are a lot better than they were in Baltimore and there's been stuff written on it in the last couple years.

 

The other thing is, if his FB velo is constant and his SL has moved up, that could totally be a result of a different school of thought on throwing it. People differentiate between sliders/cutters as if they're totally different pitches. Arrieta usually throws the hard one, which acts like a cutter (and has led to incredibly weak contact), and that's been a huge difference to his game. He still has the old slider, your more typical disparity in velocity with more lateral movement, that he throws in different situations.

 

I don't know, the guy is yoked and has had an incredible turnaround to his career but you can't just say "steroids." This isn't a Mike Piazza situation where he was picked in the 60th round as a family favor and all of a sudden ballooned physically and became the best offensive catcher ever. The guy went from playing for a team with perhaps the worst reputation in handling pitchers and he had to iron out his mechanics against the toughing pitcher division in baseball. Then he goes to one of the games best pitching coaches, made some strides and pitched against some cupcake teams.

 

Where is this coming from anyways? Just Stephen A. Smith? Or is there actual reason to tie him to PEDs.

 

Those increases just took his low velocity from before the trade/demotion and compared them to his highest velocities post trade. Not an exact science obviously, but players dont just add that type of velocity later in their career. No actual tie to PEDs for him, but as stated above "fool me once..." It really doesnt pass the eye test and you cant really fault people for being skeptical.

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QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 29, 2016 -> 03:16 PM)
This April schedule for the Cubs has bee pathetic. I'm not saying they're not good but I think coo boned record of April opponents is like 15 games under .500.

 

May gets tougher for the cubs. Watch them lose a bunch. I know wishful thinking.

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QUOTE (Dunt @ Apr 29, 2016 -> 03:25 PM)
Those increases just took his low velocity from before the trade/demotion and compared them to his highest velocities post trade. Not an exact science obviously, but players dont just add that type of velocity later in their career. No actual tie to PEDs for him, but as stated above "fool me once..." It really doesnt pass the eye test and you cant really fault people for being skeptical.

 

Looking at his pitch numbers, most of his increases came when he was still with Baltimore, not since he got the Cubs. Also interested is that his velocities are down across the board this year.

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Until money is an object there are no bad contracts with them same as NY and Boston.

 

At this point money is no object.

 

Money may be no object, but to this point teams, even ones with the most resources, have been unwilling to DFA or even bench bad players with huge contracts, so while the Cubs may not be hurt by the amount of money they have to pay Heyward, they can be hurt by being unable to put anybody, at any price, in RF to replace him, for a very long time.

Edited by HickoryHuskers
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