The 2016 Cubs: SPLOOGE SPLOOGE SPLOOGE

[Tonker]

I hate Bud Selig.

This.  Also, Johnny Cueto.

[Quality Start Machine]

I hate Bud Selig.

Fuck Selig.

Cubs in 6.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

[Quality Start Machine]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

this makes a lot more sense now that interleague play is here to stay.

[Yeti]

I hate Bud Selig.

Fuck Selig.

Cubs in 6.

I heard a caller mention something about the 4 games in AL parks. He said, if it gets to game 7, that means the Cubs will have been able to put out an optimized batting order 4 games, as opposed to 3, and that may help them since I believe most of us agree the Cubs probably have the best lineup and great depth.

Also, 4 games of Schwarber

[Powdered Toast Man]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

this makes a lot more sense now that interleague play is here to stay.

I don't really even know that interleague play means all that much. You have the best record, you get the perk of home field advantage.

[Oleg]

But there's nothing we've seen from Jake or Lester over the past 2-3 years that indicates they won't get back on track. In fact, the past two seasons, Jake has been a soul wrecker in the second half.

Lester, sure. But there's plenty in Arrieta's history that could be a reasonable cause for concern.

Maybe this is what Jake is.  A dude who gets weak contact, strikes out some people, and walks his share of hitters.  He's probably not the 7-win monster from last year but he may not be the Scott Feldman trade bait either.  If he's just a 4-5 win pitcher who makes All-Star teams, so be it.

And, if he's less than that, let The Red Sox pay him.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

Yeah if you're 12 years old or younger...

[SKO]

But there's nothing we've seen from Jake or Lester over the past 2-3 years that indicates they won't get back on track. In fact, the past two seasons, Jake has been a soul wrecker in the second half.

Lester, sure. But there's plenty in Arrieta's history that could be a reasonable cause for concern.

Maybe this is what Jake is.  A dude who gets weak contact, strikes out some people, and walks his share of hitters.  He's probably not the 7-win monster from last year but he may not be the Scott Feldman trade bait either.  If he's just a 4-5 win pitcher who makes All-Star teams, so be it.

And, if he's less than that, let The Red Sox pay him.

I don't think anyone expected him to repeat last year, I think we'd all be happy if he's a top 5-10 pitcher with an ERA under 3 etc. He doesn't need to be that guy again, but the problem is his two modes this year have been 2015 Jake and 2012 Jake. He hasn't found some happy middle where he's going out there and going 7 and giving up 2-3 as opposed to last year's 1 or 0. It's been either untouchable or awful. So I think Eli is saying there's concern that this control issue may linger in which case yeah he may end up a 4-5 win pitcher because of how dominant he was in April/May but come October what he is right now is useless.

I think logically we all agree it's most likely he's not just broken and he'll get it right, but Eli has a point that there is a version of Jake Arrieta that just sucks and it's why another organization gave him up for Scott Feldman, so I don't blame people for being worried that his mechanics have regressed and he might struggle to find them again.

[Quality Start Machine]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

this makes a lot more sense now that interleague play is here to stay.

I don't really even know that interleague play means all that much. You have the best record, you get the perk of home field advantage.

When teams were completely segregated from each other, best record could be a lot more subjective than it is now. The only absolutely perfect solution would be for each team to play 5 or 6 games against each of the 29 other teams, which is not practical at all. But perfect shouldn't be the enemy of better.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

Yeah if you're 12 years old or younger...

So you actually like the exhibition game? I like baseball, so therefore I like the game, but I don't think it's necessary.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

Yeah if you're 12 years old or younger...

So you actually like the exhibition game? I like baseball, so therefore I like the game, but I don't think it's necessary.

My comment was directed at your "all anyone cares about is the Home Run Derby" remark, the HRD being something I care about less than the All-Star Game, which I don't care about at all (though I confess to enjoying KB taking Sling Blade yard).  I'm annoyed that there's no real baseball until Friday and was just pointing that any grown-assed man who cares about the Home Run Derby should go play Pokemon Go until they walk into traffic and get run over.

[ChuckD]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

Yeah if you're 12 years old or younger...

So you actually like the exhibition game? I like baseball, so therefore I like the game, but I don't think it's necessary.

I used to like the HR Derby when I was in Little League.

Now I don't really care for any of it except for the Futures Game.

I'm sure ESPN will drive me to hate the Futures Game in 10 years, too.

[SKO]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

Yeah if you're 12 years old or younger...

So you actually like the exhibition game? I like baseball, so therefore I like the game, but I don't think it's necessary.

My comment was directed at your "all anyone cares about is the Home Run Derby" comment which I care about less than the All-Star Game, which I don't care about at all (though I confess to enjoying KB taking Sling Blade yard).  I'm annoyed that there's no real baseball until Friday and was just pointing that any grown-assed man who cares about the Home Run Derby should go play Pokemon Go until they walk into traffic and get run over.

Mmm. This is good Huey'ing.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Honestly, why can't the team with the best record have home field advantage in the World Series?

The All Star Game shouldn't matter. Why does it have to matter? All anyone really cares about is the Home Run Derby.

Yeah if you're 12 years old or younger...

So you actually like the exhibition game? I like baseball, so therefore I like the game, but I don't think it's necessary.

I used to like the HR Derby when I was in Little League.

Now I don't really care for any of it except for the Futures Game.

I'm sure ESPN will drive me to hate the Futures Game in 10 years, too.

Chuck D. summed up my feelings more succinctly than I could.

The Futures Game is cool.  All of that other stuff just serves to remind me that there's no real baseball all week, which I find particularly vexing in seasons in which the Cubs are good.