IST: Chicago Cubs (7-5) at Pittsburgh Pirates (6-7)

beckdawg

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This cubs teams reminds me of the bears team in 2003(?) when they played at UIUC. That was the year that they had numerous come from behind wins in OT. You can tell the team is talented but they don't necessarily have the experience to consistently blow teams out. It's also possibly they need some minor roster tweaks but you can definitely tell the foundation is there.
 
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beckdawg said:
This cubs teams reminds me of the bears team in 2003(?) when they played at UIUC. That was the year that they had numerous come from behind wins in OT. You can tell the team is talented but they don't necessarily have the experience to consistently blow teams out. It's also possibly they need some minor roster tweaks but you can definitely tell the foundation is there.
Click to expand...

The Bears team that play in UIUC was horrendous. You're thinking of 2001, the year prior.
 

TC in Mississippi

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If you're not enjoying watching Starlin Castro play baseball right now I'm not sure you like the game. This kid is having some big fun out there.
 

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It's a good thing they didn't trade Castro. I get the love for Ross as a vet and the younger guys leaning on him, buy Weli sure is making his case, too. He certainly looks to be raising his trade value.
 
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TC in Mississippi said:
If you're not enjoying watching Starlin Castro play baseball right now I'm not sure you like the game. This kid is having some big fun out there.
Click to expand...

He just wants to win. That's why I found it funny when posters would make up shit that he was lazy and didn't give a shit. He played on some horrendous teams. He has had 4 coaches in 5 years and was brought up way before he was fully developed. He was still the best player on the team so everyone dumped everything on him. He has been stellar on d up to this point. He has shown great range with quick movements off the bat. The bat is him doing what he does best. Put the bat on the ball. The homer last night was impressive. That stadium isn't easy to hit one out to right center. It's fun watching this team hit and there only going to get better


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beckdawg said:
As much as stats people get a bad rep, I always love to see the passion some of them talk about things. Sure, it's with numbers and such but reading an article like this one shows how much they love the game. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-watch-kris-bryant-do-something-amazing/
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I hate articles like this from a mechanics standpoint. The second still pic says it all. The shoulder doesn't dip. The hands didn't drop at all. Notice at contact, the barrel and shoulders are essentially parallel. Stand the guy upright on a high pitch and the relationship between bat, shoulder, hands will be about the same. There isn't a successful MLBer who doesn't tilt the shoulders to ball location. ex - The included Kemp pic.

I enjoyed the article for exit velo, etc.
 

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SilenceS said:
He just wants to win. That's why I found it funny when posters would make up shit that he was lazy and didn't give a shit. He played on some horrendous teams. He has had 4 coaches in 5 years and was brought up way before he was fully developed. He was still the best player on the team so everyone dumped everything on him. He has been stellar on d up to this point. He has shown great range with quick movements off the bat. The bat is him doing what he does best. Put the bat on the ball. The homer last night was impressive. That stadium isn't easy to hit one out to right center. It's fun watching this team hit and there only going to get better


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Click to expand...

:fap:
 

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SilenceS said:
He just wants to win. That's why I found it funny when posters would make up (stuff) that he was lazy and didn't (care). He played on some horrendous teams. He has had 4 coaches in 5 years and was brought up way before he was fully developed. He was still the best player on the team so everyone dumped everything on him. He has been stellar on d up to this point. He has shown great range with quick movements off the bat. The bat is him doing what he does best. Put the bat on the ball. The homer last night was impressive. That stadium isn't easy to hit one out to right center. It's fun watching this team hit and there only going to get better

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Click to expand...

The "lazy" comes from his defense for which he still is to a lesser degree, but you still see it. That said, he's been markedly improved. I could see him slightly above average at SS defensively this year.

but the bolded part. You mean he was the best SS right? He was never the best non-pitcher on the mlb team.
 

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brett05 said:
The "lazy" comes from his defense for which he still is to a lesser degree, but you still see it. That said, he's been markedly improved. I could see him slightly above average at SS defensively this year.

but the bolded part. You mean he was the best SS right? He was never the best non-pitcher on the mlb team.
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I never once though of Castro as lazy. Undisciplined and unfocused yes, but lazy? I never saw that. Here's the thing with Castro that seems obvious now but that coaches, particularly inexperienced ones, tend to miss and that's that this kid is not a team leader type. He's a team player but he can't be the best guy on the team or even close to that. He's shining now as a hitter and a fielder because he's surrounded by talent. Listening to him talk last night about how previous year's teams would have quit on games like that one he didn't even acknowledge that he's surrounded by a lot more talent. I'd be surprised if he even thought about that. He's a baller and he doesn't understand why guys would quit like some teammates he's had in the past and I think that led to some lack of concentration. The problem was always that he didn't have talent around him. Now he does. I think his personality will still lead to some focus issues occasionally but if he can go from about average (or slightly below) as a SS to above average, with the way he hits, well it makes him one of the best players in the game. Fun to see. He's been my favorite story on this team so far, and that's saying something.
 

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brett05 said:
The "lazy" comes from his defense for which he still is to a lesser degree, but you still see it. That said, he's been markedly improved. I could see him slightly above average at SS defensively this year.

but the bolded part. You mean he was the best SS right? He was never the best non-pitcher on the mlb team.
Click to expand...

Metrics would argue he's been marginally better than previous years. For his career he's made 1518 plays on 1928 balls in his zone(.787). This season he's made 30 out of 35(.857). Sample size and all that but here's how fangraphs breaks it down for reference

Excellent - 0.940
Great - 0.900
Above Average - 0.860
Average - 0.835
Below Average - 0.800
Poor - 0.750
Awful - 0.700

So, thus far anyways he's been average-above average vs poor-below average previously.
 

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beckdawg said:
Metrics would argue he's been marginally better than previous years. For his career he's made 1518 plays on 1928 balls in his zone(.787). This season he's made 30 out of 35(.857). Sample size and all that but here's how fangraphs breaks it down for reference

Excellent - 0.940
Great - 0.900
Above Average - 0.860
Average - 0.835
Below Average - 0.800
Poor - 0.750
Awful - 0.700

So, thus far anyways he's been average-above average vs poor-below average previously.
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So the numbers back up what I am seeing with the eye test.
 
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Parade_Rain said:
I hate articles like this from a mechanics standpoint. The second still pic says it all. The shoulder doesn't dip. The hands didn't drop at all. Notice at contact, the barrel and shoulders are essentially parallel. Stand the guy upright on a high pitch and the relationship between bat, shoulder, hands will be about the same. There isn't a successful MLBer who doesn't tilt the shoulders to ball location. ex - The included Kemp pic.

I enjoyed the article for exit velo, etc.
Click to expand...

It was kind of one of those inside-out swings....but who the hell hits the ball 375' with an inside-out swing? The more I see of him, the more I can see why Theo passed up arms to take him.
 

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Diehardfan said:
It was kind of one of those inside-out swings....but who the hell hits the ball 375' with an inside-out swing? The more I see of him, the more I can see why Theo passed up arms to take him.
Click to expand...
It was one of those hitting the round ball with a round bat that sent it exactly where he wanted it to go. It's amazing he hit it oppo with the pitch location. As much as his dad gained from his time with Ted Williams, the ability to hit oppo likely wasn't one of those lessons. Ted always believed history was made on the inner half of the plate. Bryant can spray it. He's solid and yes, it's clear why they drafted him as an every day player, as opposed to a pitcher who is in the lineup once in 5 days or so.
 

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beckdawg said:
This cubs teams reminds me of the bears team in 2003(?) when they played at UIUC. That was the year that they had numerous come from behind wins in OT. You can tell the team is talented but they don't necessarily have the experience to consistently blow teams out. It's also possibly they need some minor roster tweaks but you can definitely tell the foundation is there.
Click to expand...

They remind me of the 2007 Blackhawks. Almost out of the tunnel and incredibly talented, but too young to really compete this year.
 
JosMin

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Today's lineup announced

Fowler CF
Soler RF
Rizo 1B
Bryant 3B
Castro SS
Montero C
Coghlan LF
Hammel P
Russell 2B
 
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