Joe Maddon: The Man Behind the Glasses

[Quality Start Machine]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

[SKO]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

[SKO]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Except even during his mini-slump this month Kyle has a .777 OPS, whereas Heyward has an OPS under .650 over the last two months. Not even his vaunted "defense" (which hasn't been as good this year as last year, per Fangraphs) can make up a gap like that. Schwarber should be starting, Heyward shouldn't.

[SKO]

Again, factoring in defense, baserunning, etc. there's literally nothing that makes Heyward a better player than Schwarber at this point. Heyward's been worth 0.8 fWAR this year, Kyle's been worth 1.0, and if you're comparing them in the second half it's not even close.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

[SKO]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

Honestly Schwarber hasn't had a bad season. He had a bad month. He hit .246/.378/.459 in his first 16 games, and he's hit .238/.335/.539 in his last 63. In between those two he had a 35 game stretch where he hit .121/.243/.290. He's not taken the next step like we hoped into being Babe Ruth yet, but outside of one putrid stretch in late April/May he's been basically the same dude he was as a rookie.

[Brownie]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

Honestly Schwarber hasn't had a bad season. He had a bad month. He hit .246/.378/.459 in his first 16 games, and he's hit .238/.335/.539 in his last 63. In between those two he had a 35 game stretch where he hit .121/.243/.290. He's not taken the next step like we hoped into being Babe Ruth yet, but outside of one putrid stretch in late April/May he's been basically the same dude he was as a rookie.

Pitchers still fear him, which makes him formidable enough to have in the lineup.

That all said, I have 100 percent confidence in Joe Maddon that if he told me that I needed to drink a gallon of paint thinner because it would improve my life and/or the Cubs chances to win a ballgame, I'd only question him on which brand to drink. I don't think his "benching" of Schwarber is arbitrary; I wonder if the reason for it is one he doesn't care to share for competitive reasons. Either way, last year would have been the last season of Ricky Renteria's contract. I don't think he gets the Cubs to the playoffs during his tenure.

[SKO]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

Honestly Schwarber hasn't had a bad season. He had a bad month. He hit .246/.378/.459 in his first 16 games, and he's hit .238/.335/.539 in his last 63. In between those two he had a 35 game stretch where he hit .121/.243/.290. He's not taken the next step like we hoped into being Babe Ruth yet, but outside of one putrid stretch in late April/May he's been basically the same dude he was as a rookie.

Pitchers still fear him, which makes him formidable enough to have in the lineup.

That all said, I have 100 percent confidence in Joe Maddon that if he told me that I needed to drink a gallon of paint thinner because it would improve my life and/or the Cubs chances to win a ballgame, I'd only question him on which brand to drink. I don't think his "benching" of Schwarber is arbitrary; I wonder if the reason for it is one he doesn't care to share for competitive reasons. Either way, last year would have been the last season of Ricky Renteria's contract. I don't think he gets the Cubs to the playoffs during his tenure.

I don't want Joe Maddon fired. I think he's probably the best manager out there for this team. That said, I recently got a raise at work and a promotion and yet they also still give me feedback on things they'd like me to do better at each performance review. There's nuance here. Running Heyward out there every day is bad. There is no level of defense in right field that justifies hitting like Jonathan Herrera. Joe should stop being a stubborn ass and forget whatever fucking lesson he's trying to teach and put out the lineup that has the best chance of winning a baseball game. That lineup has Kyle Schwarber in it and not Jason Heyward.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

Honestly Schwarber hasn't had a bad season. He had a bad month. He hit .246/.378/.459 in his first 16 games, and he's hit .238/.335/.539 in his last 63. In between those two he had a 35 game stretch where he hit .121/.243/.290. He's not taken the next step like we hoped into being Babe Ruth yet, but outside of one putrid stretch in late April/May he's been basically the same dude he was as a rookie.

This is somewhat right. But he's also gone back off a cliff. His last 16 games are .196/.274/.482. That's worse than his start but for the HRs. It also is targeted appearances. I think he only has 4 PAs vs. lefties in that range. Not sure how many of the first 16 starts were against lefties.

Joe isn't playing him for a reason. Could be because he's hurt, could be because he's bad. I'm with TJ in that  I don't think Schwarber sitting because Joe is just playing a hunch.

[SKO]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

Honestly Schwarber hasn't had a bad season. He had a bad month. He hit .246/.378/.459 in his first 16 games, and he's hit .238/.335/.539 in his last 63. In between those two he had a 35 game stretch where he hit .121/.243/.290. He's not taken the next step like we hoped into being Babe Ruth yet, but outside of one putrid stretch in late April/May he's been basically the same dude he was as a rookie.

This is somewhat right. But he's also gone back off a cliff. His last 16 games are .196/.274/.482. That's worse than his start but for the HRs. It also is targeted appearances. I think he only has 4 PAs vs. lefties in that range. Not sure how many of the first 16 starts were against lefties.

Joe isn't playing him for a reason. Could be because he's hurt, could be because he's bad. I'm with TJ in that  I don't think Schwarber sitting because Joe is just playing a hunch.

Aye, there's the rub. Those damn homers. Too bad those aren't extremely fucking valuable

[Chuck to Chuck]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

Honestly Schwarber hasn't had a bad season. He had a bad month. He hit .246/.378/.459 in his first 16 games, and he's hit .238/.335/.539 in his last 63. In between those two he had a 35 game stretch where he hit .121/.243/.290. He's not taken the next step like we hoped into being Babe Ruth yet, but outside of one putrid stretch in late April/May he's been basically the same dude he was as a rookie.

This is somewhat right. But he's also gone back off a cliff. His last 16 games are .196/.274/.482. That's worse than his start but for the HRs. It also is targeted appearances. I think he only has 4 PAs vs. lefties in that range. Not sure how many of the first 16 starts were against lefties.

Joe isn't playing him for a reason. Could be because he's hurt, could be because he's bad. I'm with TJ in that  I don't think Schwarber sitting because Joe is just playing a hunch.

Aye, there's the rub. Those damn homers. Too bad those aren't extremely fucking valuable

I guess you're right. Joe's an idiot.

[SKO]

Thank fucking christ Heyward is starting they might actually have scored more than one goddamn run.  Somedays I miss the gutless fucking assholes thread

What particular type of Zen is this that you're practicing?

There was an opt-out clause in my zen contract if they got swept and were in danger of blowing the division to either the Brewers or a mediocre as shit Cardinals team. Anyway, Joe sitting Schwarber for 3 straight games against RHP while starting Zobrist and Heyward and claiming its due to "matchups" would have been enough to give me an aneurysm even if I was the fucking Dalai Lama.

Well, given that the matchups were "vs. major league pitchers" sitting Schwarber makes sense.

Christ you're one obtuse motherfucker.

Honestly Schwarber hasn't had a bad season. He had a bad month. He hit .246/.378/.459 in his first 16 games, and he's hit .238/.335/.539 in his last 63. In between those two he had a 35 game stretch where he hit .121/.243/.290. He's not taken the next step like we hoped into being Babe Ruth yet, but outside of one putrid stretch in late April/May he's been basically the same dude he was as a rookie.

This is somewhat right. But he's also gone back off a cliff. His last 16 games are .196/.274/.482. That's worse than his start but for the HRs. It also is targeted appearances. I think he only has 4 PAs vs. lefties in that range. Not sure how many of the first 16 starts were against lefties.

Joe isn't playing him for a reason. Could be because he's hurt, could be because he's bad. I'm with TJ in that  I don't think Schwarber sitting because Joe is just playing a hunch.

Aye, there's the rub. Those damn homers. Too bad those aren't extremely fucking valuable

I guess you're right. Joe's an idiot.

Smart people can sometimes overthink their way into doing something stubborn and stupid, like convincing themselves that outfield defense is so valuable that it merits playing a guy with 5 XBH since August 1st.

[Eli]

Either way, last year would have been the last season of Ricky Renteria's contract. I don't think he gets the Cubs to the playoffs during his tenure.

The Cubs won the division by 17.5 games last year. You really think Maddon is worth the equivalent of basically two Mike Trouts?

[SKO]

Either way, last year would have been the last season of Ricky Renteria's contract. I don't think he gets the Cubs to the playoffs during his tenure.

The Cubs won the division by 17.5 games last year. You really think Maddon is worth the equivalent of basically two Mike Trouts?

Won the 2nd WC spot in 2015 by 13 as well.