2015: The Back To The Future Season

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

ORLY, Jose?

Anyone have any idea what the hell Jesse Rogers is talking about?

The Cubs (now 27-24) deny their ascension in the standings had anything to do with the incident -- saying it was simply a one-time thing -- although shortstop Starlin Castro also slow-jogged around the bases after a home run in Monday's game.

Do the Cubs really need to deny that Junior Lake's and Starlin Castro's two bat flips have won 27 games?

I think he's saying that the Cubs deny that them being good has also made them cocky.

I should also clarify that I think Junior gesturing toward the dugout was a little over the top but I found it interesting that it was Jose Fernandez who took the most offense to it given that he was taken down by the fun police

Junior Lake needs an interpreter, huh?  I had no idea he wasn't from an English-speaking country.  The more you know...

Tell me you're joking.

[ChuckD]

ORLY, Jose?

Anyone have any idea what the hell Jesse Rogers is talking about?

The Cubs (now 27-24) deny their ascension in the standings had anything to do with the incident -- saying it was simply a one-time thing -- although shortstop Starlin Castro also slow-jogged around the bases after a home run in Monday's game.

Do the Cubs really need to deny that Junior Lake's and Starlin Castro's two bat flips have won 27 games?

I think he's saying that the Cubs deny that them being good has also made them cocky.

I should also clarify that I think Junior gesturing toward the dugout was a little over the top but I found it interesting that it was Jose Fernandez who took the most offense to it given that he was taken down by the fun police

Junior Lake needs an interpreter, huh?  I had no idea he wasn't from an English-speaking country.  The more you know...

Tell me you're joking.

I had heard that before, but forgot about it and was re-surprised to read that, too. The guy's name is "Junior Lake" for chrissakes.

[ChuckD]

Why is his name Junior Lake, anyway? Wouldn't it be Junior Lago? Or at least pronounced "Hoon-yor Lah-kay"...

[Chuck to Chuck]

ORLY, Jose?

Anyone have any idea what the hell Jesse Rogers is talking about?

The Cubs (now 27-24) deny their ascension in the standings had anything to do with the incident -- saying it was simply a one-time thing -- although shortstop Starlin Castro also slow-jogged around the bases after a home run in Monday's game.

Do the Cubs really need to deny that Junior Lake's and Starlin Castro's two bat flips have won 27 games?

I think he's saying that the Cubs deny that them being good has also made them cocky.

I should also clarify that I think Junior gesturing toward the dugout was a little over the top but I found it interesting that it was Jose Fernandez who took the most offense to it given that he was taken down by the fun police

Junior Lake needs an interpreter, huh?  I had no idea he wasn't from an English-speaking country.  The more you know...

He's from Cleveland, but Montero is fluent in jive. The more you know...

So, I see this and immediately go for the Airplane! jive quotes.  I pull up the script and find this nugget:

SHOT WIDENS to reveal she is sleeping with a horse.

                        AIR CONTROLLER #2 (v.o.)
         We don't know how serious it is yet, but
         Harry Ballard thought you'd want to get
         down here right away.

                        MRS. OVEUR
         I'll be right down.

She hangs up the phone and rises.

                        MRS. OVEUR
         I've got to go to the airport. You can let
         yourself out the back door. There's juice
         in the refrigerator.

                        HORSE
              (sounding like Mr. Ed)
         Did you finish? Was I good?

                        MRS. OVEUR
         Oh, you're all so concerned about
         performance!

THE HORSE WAS SUPPOSED TO TALK?!?!??!?

[Oleg]

ORLY, Jose?

Anyone have any idea what the hell Jesse Rogers is talking about?

The Cubs (now 27-24) deny their ascension in the standings had anything to do with the incident -- saying it was simply a one-time thing -- although shortstop Starlin Castro also slow-jogged around the bases after a home run in Monday's game.

Do the Cubs really need to deny that Junior Lake's and Starlin Castro's two bat flips have won 27 games?

I think he's saying that the Cubs deny that them being good has also made them cocky.

I should also clarify that I think Junior gesturing toward the dugout was a little over the top but I found it interesting that it was Jose Fernandez who took the most offense to it given that he was taken down by the fun police

Junior Lake needs an interpreter, huh?  I had no idea he wasn't from an English-speaking country.  The more you know...

Tell me you're joking.

Do I look like I'm joking?

[Tonker]

ORLY, Jose?

Anyone have any idea what the hell Jesse Rogers is talking about?

The Cubs (now 27-24) deny their ascension in the standings had anything to do with the incident -- saying it was simply a one-time thing -- although shortstop Starlin Castro also slow-jogged around the bases after a home run in Monday's game.

Do the Cubs really need to deny that Junior Lake's and Starlin Castro's two bat flips have won 27 games?

I think he's saying that the Cubs deny that them being good has also made them cocky.

I should also clarify that I think Junior gesturing toward the dugout was a little over the top but I found it interesting that it was Jose Fernandez who took the most offense to it given that he was taken down by the fun police

Junior Lake needs an interpreter, huh?  I had no idea he wasn't from an English-speaking country.  The more you know...

Tell me you're joking.

Do I look like I'm joking?

It's difficult to tell without a magnifying glass.

[SKO]

3/4 in Washington?  Fuck yeah

[Quality Start Machine]

3/4 in Washington?  Fuck yeah

I've got to say, the Cubs' blues and Nats' reds looked fucking spectacular on TV.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

We're in June so I'll dip my toe in the water and call tonight--and the next 3 games--an important stretch, as far as 2015 success is concerned.

--Lester the Ace needs to do whatever he can to close out the series on these turdbags and get the hell out of that godforsaken state alive and let the Blackhawks toy with it.

--Arrieta, same on Friday, but in Washington, to kick-off what promises to be a tough 4-game test against the Fighting Harpers.

--Wada going Friday scares the fuck out of me, if only because A) Nationals and B) he's been really pretty good--a definite improvement over Wood (so I don't know if he's been *really* good or just an improvement over that low bar and I'm deluding myself with positive.  Still, it could be ugly, especially if Arrieta takes G1), and he's simply due to get his ears pinned back.

If the Cubs can go 2-1 after the next 3, then roll Hambone on Saturday...He's been so good lately you wonder when the other shoe will drop...or maybe he's on the "Mike Bielecki, 'No, Yeah, I'm Going To Suddenly Be Really Good All Year' Tour and we start banking on him.  

Anyway, ya gotta figure they're not taking 3 from Washington this weekend, but after taking the Florida series 2 of 3 (come one Lester), splitting 4 from the Nats would be acceptable and would at least set up a crack at a .500 road trip which, Florida aside (Lesteeer) will prove to have been a pretty daunting, early-summer road trip (Nats and Tigers for 6 of the 9).

Not that if they shit the tub and go 1-6 the rest of this trip they're done, of course, but nobody would prefer to see them try to dig out of that hole.  And I also realize baseball can be pretty fucked up and Lester and Arrieta and Hamel can all suck in the coming days, but then somehow the Cubs still go 4-3 but again--that'd be a lot of stress to pull off that trick I imagine, and seeing SKO publicly melt down in real time on Twitter...nobody wishes to see that.  #34 tonight. Let's Go Cubs.

Same result, but what a ride this last spin through the rotation was.  Lester actually did shit the tub, but Arrieta did his part, and the offense came around on Sunday--along with Hendricks-- to pick up the Lester outing with a surprising series-clinching win.

Hammel, though...once again proving how pivotal he's been, man.  In retrospect, that Saturday game was the key to this last 5 game stretch--the meat of the road trip, essentially.  You didn't know if the Cubs were still sort of reeling after having barely escaped the Arrieta start as their only victory in the previous 4, or if they were going to rally, and Hammel's truly nails performance on Saturday helped steer the ship around.  Mancrush all around on this guy--a couple more of those and he's going to the All-Star Game.  

And then Hendricks hung in the next day and the offense finally exploded (first 10 hit game in a 9 inning contest in over a month).

And Lester now has a chance to make up for his mulligan and clinch a winning road trip.

Don't worry though.  I'm not going anywhere near Lester's splooge thread prior to the game.

[Tonker]

We're in June so I'll dip my toe in the water and call tonight--and the next 3 games--an important stretch, as far as 2015 success is concerned.

--Lester the Ace needs to do whatever he can to close out the series on these turdbags and get the hell out of that godforsaken state alive and let the Blackhawks toy with it.

--Arrieta, same on Friday, but in Washington, to kick-off what promises to be a tough 4-game test against the Fighting Harpers.

--Wada going Friday scares the fuck out of me, if only because A) Nationals and B) he's been really pretty good--a definite improvement over Wood (so I don't know if he's been *really* good or just an improvement over that low bar and I'm deluding myself with positive.  Still, it could be ugly, especially if Arrieta takes G1), and he's simply due to get his ears pinned back.

If the Cubs can go 2-1 after the next 3, then roll Hambone on Saturday...He's been so good lately you wonder when the other shoe will drop...or maybe he's on the "Mike Bielecki, 'No, Yeah, I'm Going To Suddenly Be Really Good All Year' Tour and we start banking on him.  

Anyway, ya gotta figure they're not taking 3 from Washington this weekend, but after taking the Florida series 2 of 3 (come one Lester), splitting 4 from the Nats would be acceptable and would at least set up a crack at a .500 road trip which, Florida aside (Lesteeer) will prove to have been a pretty daunting, early-summer road trip (Nats and Tigers for 6 of the 9).

Not that if they shit the tub and go 1-6 the rest of this trip they're done, of course, but nobody would prefer to see them try to dig out of that hole.  And I also realize baseball can be pretty fucked up and Lester and Arrieta and Hamel can all suck in the coming days, but then somehow the Cubs still go 4-3 but again--that'd be a lot of stress to pull off that trick I imagine, and seeing SKO publicly melt down in real time on Twitter...nobody wishes to see that.  #34 tonight. Let's Go Cubs.

Same result, but what a ride this last spin through the rotation was.  Lester actually did shit the tub, but Arrieta did his part, and the offense came around on Sunday--along with Hendricks-- to pick up the Lester outing with a surprising series-clinching win.

Hammel, though...once again proving how pivotal he's been, man.  In retrospect, that Saturday game was the key to this last 5 game stretch--the meat of the road trip, essentially.  You didn't know if the Cubs were still sort of reeling after having barely escaped the Arrieta start as their only victory in the previous 4, or if they were going to rally, and Hammel's truly nails performance on Saturday helped steer the ship around.  Mancrush all around on this guy--a couple more of those and he's going to the All-Star Game.  

And then Hendricks hung in the next day and the offense finally exploded (first 10 hit game in a 9 inning contest in over a month).

And Lester now has a chance to make up for his mulligan and clinch a winning road trip.

Don't worry though.  I'm not going anywhere near Lester's splooge thread prior to the game.

This all smacks a little bit of fate-tempting, so I'm going to piss on everybody's positive here and point out that, with 222 runs scored and 223 allowed, the Cubs are probably not going to stay in contention for very much longer.  The Tards (230/160) and Pissburgh (241/196, XW-L 31-25) should be running away with the division, really.

To be honest, I'm kind of surprised Eli hasn't pointed this out already.

[SKO]

We're in June so I'll dip my toe in the water and call tonight--and the next 3 games--an important stretch, as far as 2015 success is concerned.

--Lester the Ace needs to do whatever he can to close out the series on these turdbags and get the hell out of that godforsaken state alive and let the Blackhawks toy with it.

--Arrieta, same on Friday, but in Washington, to kick-off what promises to be a tough 4-game test against the Fighting Harpers.

--Wada going Friday scares the fuck out of me, if only because A) Nationals and B) he's been really pretty good--a definite improvement over Wood (so I don't know if he's been *really* good or just an improvement over that low bar and I'm deluding myself with positive.  Still, it could be ugly, especially if Arrieta takes G1), and he's simply due to get his ears pinned back.

If the Cubs can go 2-1 after the next 3, then roll Hambone on Saturday...He's been so good lately you wonder when the other shoe will drop...or maybe he's on the "Mike Bielecki, 'No, Yeah, I'm Going To Suddenly Be Really Good All Year' Tour and we start banking on him.  

Anyway, ya gotta figure they're not taking 3 from Washington this weekend, but after taking the Florida series 2 of 3 (come one Lester), splitting 4 from the Nats would be acceptable and would at least set up a crack at a .500 road trip which, Florida aside (Lesteeer) will prove to have been a pretty daunting, early-summer road trip (Nats and Tigers for 6 of the 9).

Not that if they shit the tub and go 1-6 the rest of this trip they're done, of course, but nobody would prefer to see them try to dig out of that hole.  And I also realize baseball can be pretty fucked up and Lester and Arrieta and Hamel can all suck in the coming days, but then somehow the Cubs still go 4-3 but again--that'd be a lot of stress to pull off that trick I imagine, and seeing SKO publicly melt down in real time on Twitter...nobody wishes to see that.  #34 tonight. Let's Go Cubs.

Same result, but what a ride this last spin through the rotation was.  Lester actually did shit the tub, but Arrieta did his part, and the offense came around on Sunday--along with Hendricks-- to pick up the Lester outing with a surprising series-clinching win.

Hammel, though...once again proving how pivotal he's been, man.  In retrospect, that Saturday game was the key to this last 5 game stretch--the meat of the road trip, essentially.  You didn't know if the Cubs were still sort of reeling after having barely escaped the Arrieta start as their only victory in the previous 4, or if they were going to rally, and Hammel's truly nails performance on Saturday helped steer the ship around.  Mancrush all around on this guy--a couple more of those and he's going to the All-Star Game.  

And then Hendricks hung in the next day and the offense finally exploded (first 10 hit game in a 9 inning contest in over a month).

And Lester now has a chance to make up for his mulligan and clinch a winning road trip.

Don't worry though.  I'm not going anywhere near Lester's splooge thread prior to the game.

This all smacks a little bit of fate-tempting, so I'm going to piss on everybody's positive here and point out that, with 222 runs scored and 223 allowed, the Cubs are probably not going to stay in contention for very much longer.  The Tards (230/160) and Pissburgh (241/196, XW-L 31-25) should be running away with the division, really.

To be honest, I'm kind of surprised Eli hasn't pointed this out already.

Because there are things more complicated than run differential that determine these things. The Cubs getting rid of the Schlitters and Cokes, Hendricks improving, the fact that the Cubs offense should only improve as the year goes on with rookies gaining experience. Baseball Prospectus has the Cubs having a better record than the Cardinals and Pirates the rest of the way based on whatever magic they use. The Cardinals win the division thanks to their hot start, but the Cubs end with about 87 wins. Also the Cubs will most likely be able to add at the deadline, whereas Pittsburgh's financial limitations usually restrict what they can do.


They've got this, champ. Cheer up.

[SKO]

Seriously take a look, mate:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

http://www.fangraphs.com/coolstandings.aspx

BP likes the Cubs more than Fangraphs, who like the Pirates by exactly one game more, but even Fangraphs has the Cubs with a 54% chance of nabbing a playoff spot.

It all depends on whether you think the Cubs are lucky to be where they are and will fall back to being a bad team, or whether you think they only get better, and when you look at things like getting Soler back, surely making a deadline acquisition or two, and Bryant/Russell/Soler improving with experience, the odds seem to favor that we still haven't seen the best these Cubs are going to be yet, not that they'll get worse.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Seriously take a look, mate:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

http://www.fangraphs.com/coolstandings.aspx

BP likes the Cubs more than Fangraphs, who like the Pirates by exactly one game more, but even Fangraphs has the Cubs with a 54% chance of nabbing a playoff spot.

It all depends on whether you think the Cubs are lucky to be where they are and will fall back to being a bad team, or whether you think they only get better, and when you look at things like getting Soler back, surely making a deadline acquisition or two, and Bryant/Russell/Soler improving with experience, the odds seem to favor that we still haven't seen the best these Cubs are going to be yet, not that they'll get worse.

Plus, they went into the season hoping to get more production out of a Coghlan/Denorifa platoon--the former is just now possibly coming around and the other one couldn't stay healthy--as well as Tommy LaStella in the infield.  LaStella, like Denorfia, has been mostly dead up until now.

I know, I know, Denorfia and LaStella are hardly cornerstrones.  Still, that the Cubs are where they're at while having many of their PA's sucked up by Lake, Szczur and Hererra should also bode well for the future.

[Tonker]

Seriously take a look, mate:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

http://www.fangraphs.com/coolstandings.aspx

BP likes the Cubs more than Fangraphs, who like the Pirates by exactly one game more, but even Fangraphs has the Cubs with a 54% chance of nabbing a playoff spot.

It all depends on whether you think the Cubs are lucky to be where they are and will fall back to being a bad team, or whether you think they only get better, and when you look at things like getting Soler back, surely making a deadline acquisition or two, and Bryant/Russell/Soler improving with experience, the odds seem to favor that we still haven't seen the best these Cubs are going to be yet, not that they'll get worse.

Plus, they went into the season hoping to get more production out of a Coghlan/Denorifa platoon--the former is just now possibly coming around and the other one couldn't stay healthy--as well as Tommy LaStella in the infield.  LaStella, like Denorfia, has been mostly dead up until now.

I know, I know, Denorfia and LaStella are hardly cornerstrones.  Still, that the Cubs are where they're at while having many of their PA's sucked up by Lake, Szczur and Hererra should also bode well for the future.

The Tards have had their share of bad luck, too.  I just think this year might be a bridge too far, but I'm not glum about it.  I'm enjoying the Cubs not sucking and I'd say those playoff odds of 50% seem about right, which, you know... after the last six years, I'll take.

[SKO]

Seriously take a look, mate:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

http://www.fangraphs.com/coolstandings.aspx

BP likes the Cubs more than Fangraphs, who like the Pirates by exactly one game more, but even Fangraphs has the Cubs with a 54% chance of nabbing a playoff spot.

It all depends on whether you think the Cubs are lucky to be where they are and will fall back to being a bad team, or whether you think they only get better, and when you look at things like getting Soler back, surely making a deadline acquisition or two, and Bryant/Russell/Soler improving with experience, the odds seem to favor that we still haven't seen the best these Cubs are going to be yet, not that they'll get worse.

Plus, they went into the season hoping to get more production out of a Coghlan/Denorifa platoon--the former is just now possibly coming around and the other one couldn't stay healthy--as well as Tommy LaStella in the infield.  LaStella, like Denorfia, has been mostly dead up until now.

I know, I know, Denorfia and LaStella are hardly cornerstrones.  Still, that the Cubs are where they're at while having many of their PA's sucked up by Lake, Szczur and Hererra should also bode well for the future.

Yeah there are so many places the Cubs can easily add marginal wins. They'll upgrade the bench eventually, the bullpen already seems to have straightened itself out somewhat but adding a Rafael Soriano or someone at the deadline should add a win or two, and then the probable September additions of Schwarber and Baez should also at least offer more than the Junior Lakes and Herreras of the world. This team isn't going backwards, dammit.