The 2016 Cubs: SPLOOGE SPLOOGE SPLOOGE

[Eli]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

as opposed to getting to 17 games over .500 about 3 months earlier than they did last year?

More "in addition to" than "opposed to", but thanks for your Time To Post reminder that the Cubs are really good and there's no need to really discuss anything in depth.

Since they had a .446 OPS against Liriano last year, I deem your initial post VALID.

[SKO]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

as opposed to getting to 17 games over .500 about 3 months earlier than they did last year?

More "in addition to" than "opposed to", but thanks for your Time To Post reminder that the Cubs are really good and there's no need to really discuss anything in depth.

Since they had a .446 OPS against Liriano last year, I deem your initial post VALID.

Yeah, he's exactly the kind of guy that gave them fits last year, and so far this year lefties with good breaking stuff are about the only pitchers they have struggled against so far (Jaime Garcia, Pomeranz the other day). It's a good test for them.

[SKO]

DPD, but if this team has any weakness (other than their middle relievers, but that is literally every team's weakness), they do appear to be somewhat more vulnerable vs. LHP than RHP. Team OPS of .737 vs LHP (.819 vs RHP). That's something I'd like to see them improve upon because just about every rotation they might face in the playoffs has a tough left handed starter or two. Beating up on Liriano would be a nice start.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

DPD, but if this team has any weakness (other than their middle relievers, but that is literally every team's weakness), they do appear to be somewhat more vulnerable vs. LHP than RHP. Team OPS of .737 vs LHP (.819 vs RHP). That's something I'd like to see them improve upon because just about every rotation they might face in the playoffs has a tough left handed starter or two. Beating up on Liriano would be a nice start.

I'm still kind of reeling at Drew Fucking Pomerantz putting them on ice Wednesday so I'm inclined to share this concern.

[SKO]

DPD, but if this team has any weakness (other than their middle relievers, but that is literally every team's weakness), they do appear to be somewhat more vulnerable vs. LHP than RHP. Team OPS of .737 vs LHP (.819 vs RHP). That's something I'd like to see them improve upon because just about every rotation they might face in the playoffs has a tough left handed starter or two. Beating up on Liriano would be a nice start.

I'm still kind of reeling at Drew Fucking Pomerantz putting them on ice Wednesday so I'm inclined to share this concern.

To be fair Pomeranz has been really fucking good this year, and not just against the Cubs. The A's trading him for Yonder Alonso looks even worse than it did in the winter, when it was considered a bad trade simply because no one should want Yonder Alonso.

[Oleg]

DPD, but if this team has any weakness (other than their middle relievers, but that is literally every team's weakness), they do appear to be somewhat more vulnerable vs. LHP than RHP. Team OPS of .737 vs LHP (.819 vs RHP). That's something I'd like to see them improve upon because just about every rotation they might face in the playoffs has a tough left handed starter or two. Beating up on Liriano would be a nice start.

The average OPS for a major leaguer is, what...715 or something?  If the Cubs biggest weakness is that, as a team, they are better than average against LHP, I think it's great!

[SKO]

DPD, but if this team has any weakness (other than their middle relievers, but that is literally every team's weakness), they do appear to be somewhat more vulnerable vs. LHP than RHP. Team OPS of .737 vs LHP (.819 vs RHP). That's something I'd like to see them improve upon because just about every rotation they might face in the playoffs has a tough left handed starter or two. Beating up on Liriano would be a nice start.

The average OPS for a major leaguer is, what...715 or something?  If the Cubs biggest weakness is that, as a team, they are better than average against LHP, I think it's great!

Yeah looking at B-Ref that amounts to a 107 team OPS+ vs LHP vs a 125 OPS+ vs RHP. So one is pretty above average and the other is dominant. Let's not tolerate bullshit here, Oleg. I want them donkey punching opposing pitchers in equal measure, left or right handed.

[Oleg]

DPD, but if this team has any weakness (other than their middle relievers, but that is literally every team's weakness), they do appear to be somewhat more vulnerable vs. LHP than RHP. Team OPS of .737 vs LHP (.819 vs RHP). That's something I'd like to see them improve upon because just about every rotation they might face in the playoffs has a tough left handed starter or two. Beating up on Liriano would be a nice start.

The average OPS for a major leaguer is, what...715 or something?  If the Cubs biggest weakness is that, as a team, they are better than average against LHP, I think it's great!

Yeah looking at B-Ref that amounts to a 107 team OPS+ vs LHP vs a 125 OPS+ vs RHP. So one is pretty above average and the other is dominant. Let's not tolerate bullshit here, Oleg. I want them donkey punching opposing pitchers in equal measure, left or right handed.

Fair enough.

[InternetApex]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

as opposed to getting to 17 games over .500 about 3 months earlier than they did last year?

More "in addition to" than "opposed to", but thanks for your Time To Post reminder that the Cubs are really good and there's no need to really discuss anything in depth.

Since they had a .446 OPS against Liriano last year, I deem your initial post VALID.

I agree. If you want to pass an early test of how much of this is success is applicable in a crapshoot of a postseason series, hammer a guy like Liriano.

[SKO]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

as opposed to getting to 17 games over .500 about 3 months earlier than they did last year?

More "in addition to" than "opposed to", but thanks for your Time To Post reminder that the Cubs are really good and there's no need to really discuss anything in depth.

Since they had a .446 OPS against Liriano last year, I deem your initial post VALID.

I agree. If you want to pass an early test of how much of this is success is applicable in a crapshoot of a postseason series, hammer a guy like Liriano.

Yup. They've passed some early tests against the kind of power pitchers they might see in the playoffs (Gerrit Cole, Scherzer, Garrett Richards), just looking for a nice definitive pasting of a lefty with wipeout stuff.

[SKO]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

[Eli]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

I guess we can believe they're pretty good now.

[InternetApex]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

I guess we can believe they're pretty good now.

Liriano didn't have it today. That slider was doo doo. Not that I'm complaining but that wasn't exactly the epic battle I was fantasizing about while I masturbated to the Cubs this morning.

[SKO]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

I guess we can believe they're pretty good now.

Liriano didn't have it today. That slider was doo doo. Not that I'm complaining but that wasn't exactly the epic battle I was fantasizing about while I masturbated to the Cubs this morning.

That changeup was sick, though. They waited him out when necessary. Get the fuck outta here with your excuses for the Pittsburgh pitcher, ApexInHydePark.

[InternetApex]

Looking forward to today's game. If the Cubs lineup can be patient and wait out Liriano's bullshit and make him pay that'll be a nice sign of how much they've improved since last year.

I guess we can believe they're pretty good now.

Liriano didn't have it today. That slider was doo doo. Not that I'm complaining but that wasn't exactly the epic battle I was fantasizing about while I masturbated to the Cubs this morning.

That changeup was sick, though. They waited him out when necessary. Get the fuck outta here with your excuses for the Pittsburgh pitcher, ApexInHydePark.

I laughed. They could of signed Liriano and probably Bronson Arroyo for all that Jon Lester money. /APiHP