2015: The Back To The Future Season

[Eli]

Seriously, though, nobody's expectations in April should have jack shit to do with what the Cubs do in the next 20 days.  Even for Fork, that seemed like a non-sequiter comment.   I think it was pretty clear by mid-August that this team was already going to exceed our preseason prognostications.

Exactly. We get new information and adapt our expectations accordingly. All the "if you would've told me ..." crowd has demonstrated is that they did a bad job evaluating this year's team. Not that anything past win #85 is just gravy.

[Brownie]

Basketball season starts in November. The closer they can get me to that point, the better.

World Series ends Nov. 4, so figure the parade for November 6, Friday. Ride the party through the weekend, take Veterans Day and the preceding Monday and Tuesday off, and you have some early NBA games, Blackhawks, college basketball, important college football games, Peyton Manning's last pantsing of the Bears at Soldier Field (actually I think he's only 1-1 here lifetime, 1-2 vs. the Bears in the regular season and 2-2 lifetime), some high school football championships, early high school basketball tournaments, the Christmas season, Dead Pool season, New Years, NFL Playoffs, the Iowa Caucus, Waste Management Open, Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, and then we have the Cubs reporting to Mesa to begin their defense of their World Series Championships.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Basketball season starts in November. The closer they can get me to that point, the better.

World Series ends Nov. 4, so figure the parade for November 6, Friday. Ride the party through the weekend, take Veterans Day and the preceding Monday and Tuesday off, and you have some early NBA games, Blackhawks, college basketball, important college football games, Peyton Manning's last pantsing of the Bears at Soldier Field (actually I think he's only 1-1 here lifetime, 1-2 vs. the Bears in the regular season and 2-2 lifetime), some high school football championships, early high school basketball tournaments, the Christmas season, Dead Pool season, New Years, NFL Playoffs, the Iowa Caucus, Waste Management Open, Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, and then we have the Cubs reporting to Mesa to begin their defense of their World Series Championships.

Truly the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

[SKO]

RV still want to stick up for Jason Hammel or can we all agree this guy can go fuck himself?

[R-V]

RV still want to stick up for Jason Hammel or can we all agree this guy can go fuck himself?

I will concede that Hammel sucks if you'll agree to a one tweet per inning cap for the rest of the season.

[SKO]

RV still want to stick up for Jason Hammel or can we all agree this guy can go fuck himself?

I will concede that Hammel sucks if you'll agree to a one tweet per inning cap for the rest of the season.

As always thanks for voluntarily subscribing to my thoughts on twitter dot com.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

RV still want to stick up for Jason Hammel or can we all agree this guy can go fuck himself?

Who--Hammel or RV?  Because I vote both.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Basketball season starts in November. The closer they can get me to that point, the better.

Bullshit.  Basketball lasts for 3 weekends in March. 

[Tonker]

RV still want to stick up for Jason Hammel or can we all agree this guy can go fuck himself?

I will concede that Hammel sucks if you'll agree to a one tweet per inning cap for the rest of the season.

How about one tweet per pitch?  Baby steps, and all that.

[CBStew]

Basketball season starts in November. The closer they can get me to that point, the better.

World Series ends Nov. 4, so figure the parade for November 6, Friday. Ride the party through the weekend, take Veterans Day and the preceding Monday and Tuesday off, and you have some early NBA games, Blackhawks, college basketball, important college football games, Peyton Manning's last pantsing of the Bears at Soldier Field (actually I think he's only 1-1 here lifetime, 1-2 vs. the Bears in the regular season and 2-2 lifetime), some high school football championships, early high school basketball tournaments, the Christmas season, Dead Pool season, New Years, NFL Playoffs, the Iowa Caucus, Waste Management Open, Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, and then we have the Cubs reporting to Mesa to begin their defense of their World Series Championships.

Truly the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

C'mon in.  The water's fine!

[Quality Start Machine]

Seriously, though, nobody's expectations in April should have jack shit to do with what the Cubs do in the next 20 days.  Even for Fork, that seemed like a non-sequiter comment.   I think it was pretty clear by mid-August that this team was already going to exceed our preseason prognostications.

Yeah, things I am tired of hearing include "hey if you knew they'd have 82 wins by now in April you'd be super happy, so why be mad when Justin Grimm costs you a game in what had actually become a race for the division because he can't throw strikes to AAAA September callups on the worst team in the league?" and "this team is ahead of schedule"

They're good, they're young, they've certainly exceeded any reasonable expectation but by doing so they've placed themselves as one of the four best teams in baseball this year. Ignore their ages or what you thought they'd do, if you have one of the four best records in baseball you have a serious title contender, so that's the goal now.

Obviously if they lose in the playoffs the disappointment should be tempered by optimism for the future, but it'd still be disappointing. They're good enough to win the whole fuckin' thing. Let's do it.

Not with the starting pitchers not named Arrieta and Lester, they aren't.

This season has been and will continue to be fun, but they aren't winning everything. The fact that they have to use Arrieta against Pittsburgh makes it that much more difficult to beat the Cardinals.

I'm just going to enjoy whatever happens, knowing all this goat/Bartman jinx shit is coming to an end fairly soon. No point in getting butterflies over it this year.

[SKO]

Seriously, though, nobody's expectations in April should have jack shit to do with what the Cubs do in the next 20 days.  Even for Fork, that seemed like a non-sequiter comment.   I think it was pretty clear by mid-August that this team was already going to exceed our preseason prognostications.

Yeah, things I am tired of hearing include "hey if you knew they'd have 82 wins by now in April you'd be super happy, so why be mad when Justin Grimm costs you a game in what had actually become a race for the division because he can't throw strikes to AAAA September callups on the worst team in the league?" and "this team is ahead of schedule"

They're good, they're young, they've certainly exceeded any reasonable expectation but by doing so they've placed themselves as one of the four best teams in baseball this year. Ignore their ages or what you thought they'd do, if you have one of the four best records in baseball you have a serious title contender, so that's the goal now.

Obviously if they lose in the playoffs the disappointment should be tempered by optimism for the future, but it'd still be disappointing. They're good enough to win the whole fuckin' thing. Let's do it.

Not with the starting pitchers not named Arrieta and Lester, they aren't.

This season has been and will continue to be fun, but they aren't winning everything. The fact that they have to use Arrieta against Pittsburgh makes it that much more difficult to beat the Cardinals.

I'm just going to enjoy whatever happens, knowing all this goat/Bartman jinx shit is coming to an end fairly soon. No point in getting butterflies over it this year.

Quick, name a Giants pitcher not named Madison Bumgarner that they used last year that is better than what the Cubs will throw out there (also the Giants had to use MadBum in the WC game). Or name the great Royals starting pitchers that they had to carry them all the way to game 7 of the WS last year.

If they are in, they have as good a shot as anybody. This is just dumb.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Seriously, though, nobody's expectations in April should have jack shit to do with what the Cubs do in the next 20 days.  Even for Fork, that seemed like a non-sequiter comment.   I think it was pretty clear by mid-August that this team was already going to exceed our preseason prognostications.

Yeah, things I am tired of hearing include "hey if you knew they'd have 82 wins by now in April you'd be super happy, so why be mad when Justin Grimm costs you a game in what had actually become a race for the division because he can't throw strikes to AAAA September callups on the worst team in the league?" and "this team is ahead of schedule"

They're good, they're young, they've certainly exceeded any reasonable expectation but by doing so they've placed themselves as one of the four best teams in baseball this year. Ignore their ages or what you thought they'd do, if you have one of the four best records in baseball you have a serious title contender, so that's the goal now.

Obviously if they lose in the playoffs the disappointment should be tempered by optimism for the future, but it'd still be disappointing. They're good enough to win the whole fuckin' thing. Let's do it.

Not with the starting pitchers not named Arrieta and Lester, they aren't.

This season has been and will continue to be fun, but they aren't winning everything. The fact that they have to use Arrieta against Pittsburgh makes it that much more difficult to beat the Cardinals.

I'm just going to enjoy whatever happens, knowing all this goat/Bartman jinx shit is coming to an end fairly soon. No point in getting butterflies over it this year.

Quick, name a Giants pitcher not named Madison Bumgarner that they used last year that is better than what the Cubs will throw out there (also the Giants had to use MadBum in the WC game). Or name the great Royals starting pitchers that they had to carry them all the way to game 7 of the WS last year.

If they are in, they have as good a shot as anybody. This is just dumb.

SKO is WRONG!!!!  You HAVE to have MORE THAN 2 STELLAR PITCHERS to win a WORLD SERIES!!!

[Quality Start Machine]

Seriously, though, nobody's expectations in April should have jack shit to do with what the Cubs do in the next 20 days.  Even for Fork, that seemed like a non-sequiter comment.   I think it was pretty clear by mid-August that this team was already going to exceed our preseason prognostications.

Yeah, things I am tired of hearing include "hey if you knew they'd have 82 wins by now in April you'd be super happy, so why be mad when Justin Grimm costs you a game in what had actually become a race for the division because he can't throw strikes to AAAA September callups on the worst team in the league?" and "this team is ahead of schedule"

They're good, they're young, they've certainly exceeded any reasonable expectation but by doing so they've placed themselves as one of the four best teams in baseball this year. Ignore their ages or what you thought they'd do, if you have one of the four best records in baseball you have a serious title contender, so that's the goal now.

Obviously if they lose in the playoffs the disappointment should be tempered by optimism for the future, but it'd still be disappointing. They're good enough to win the whole fuckin' thing. Let's do it.

Not with the starting pitchers not named Arrieta and Lester, they aren't.

This season has been and will continue to be fun, but they aren't winning everything. The fact that they have to use Arrieta against Pittsburgh makes it that much more difficult to beat the Cardinals.

I'm just going to enjoy whatever happens, knowing all this goat/Bartman jinx shit is coming to an end fairly soon. No point in getting butterflies over it this year.

Quick, name a Giants pitcher not named Madison Bumgarner that they used last year that is better than what the Cubs will throw out there (also the Giants had to use MadBum in the WC game). Or name the great Royals starting pitchers that they had to carry them all the way to game 7 of the WS last year.

If they are in, they have as good a shot as anybody. This is just dumb.

If they are in, they have to outhit their inept bullpen, something they couldn't even do against the Phillies. I'm just happy they're getting in.

[SKO]

Seriously, though, nobody's expectations in April should have jack shit to do with what the Cubs do in the next 20 days.  Even for Fork, that seemed like a non-sequiter comment.   I think it was pretty clear by mid-August that this team was already going to exceed our preseason prognostications.

Yeah, things I am tired of hearing include "hey if you knew they'd have 82 wins by now in April you'd be super happy, so why be mad when Justin Grimm costs you a game in what had actually become a race for the division because he can't throw strikes to AAAA September callups on the worst team in the league?" and "this team is ahead of schedule"

They're good, they're young, they've certainly exceeded any reasonable expectation but by doing so they've placed themselves as one of the four best teams in baseball this year. Ignore their ages or what you thought they'd do, if you have one of the four best records in baseball you have a serious title contender, so that's the goal now.

Obviously if they lose in the playoffs the disappointment should be tempered by optimism for the future, but it'd still be disappointing. They're good enough to win the whole fuckin' thing. Let's do it.

Not with the starting pitchers not named Arrieta and Lester, they aren't.

This season has been and will continue to be fun, but they aren't winning everything. The fact that they have to use Arrieta against Pittsburgh makes it that much more difficult to beat the Cardinals.

I'm just going to enjoy whatever happens, knowing all this goat/Bartman jinx shit is coming to an end fairly soon. No point in getting butterflies over it this year.

Quick, name a Giants pitcher not named Madison Bumgarner that they used last year that is better than what the Cubs will throw out there (also the Giants had to use MadBum in the WC game). Or name the great Royals starting pitchers that they had to carry them all the way to game 7 of the WS last year.

If they are in, they have as good a shot as anybody. This is just dumb.

If they are in, they have to outhit their inept bullpen, something they couldn't even do against the Phillies. I'm just happy they're getting in.

Sure, if you want to single out a two game sample size, what about the two games they won in St. Louis against starting pitchers they'll presumably see in an NLDS?