Willson Contreras Catches Our Hearts Appreciation Thread

[thehawk]

How was that a ground rule double when I could see the ball from 400 feet away?

I think you saw the leaves falling, they showed it multiple times with close ups on the TV and you could not see the ball, but a cluster of leaves fell out and that seemed to be what the crowd reacted to.

Yup.  I thought the same thing on TV when I saw it the first time but the first replay made it clear it was the back of a bunch of leaves--that sort of looked white-- that fooled everybody.

Isn't the ground rule that as long as the ball is in the ivy and the fielder doesn't try to find it then it's a GR double?  For some reason I always remembered a game in early April when the the ivy leaves hadn't come in yet where the ball stuck in the branches and both OFs threw up their hands and got the GR doubled call despite the ball being plainly visible.

That is exactly the rule.  I was at that game (early last year, apparently Byrant's debut) and, even though you could see the ball in the bare brown vines from 450 feet away, if its sticks in the ivy and the fielder doesn't try to get it, its a double.

http://fansided.com/2015/04/17/ball-gets-stuck-in-cubs-ivy-game-comes-to-screeching-halt/

[Saul Goodman]

Willy heating back up would be neat. Remember how Schwarber went cold and then exploded in the playoffs? Maybe that's the next step in his quest to be Latino Schwarbs.

[Saul Goodman]

Bump for running hard and beating a double play on a grounder so the Cubs were still alive to win that game. He's been slumping but we can still appreciate the effort. 70-grade makeup.

[SKO]

Bump for running hard and beating a double play on a grounder so the Cubs were still alive to win that game. He's been slumping but we can still appreciate the effort. 70-grade makeup.

The sliding catch he made to rob Cano of a bloop double (or did he catch it in foul territory? Looked to me like it was about to dink into left field) was huge, too.

[SKO]

He Mutumbo'd Dee Gordon after throwing him out with that rocket. This kid rules.

[Quality Start Machine]

He Mutumbo'd Dee Gordon after throwing him out with that rocket. This kid rules.

That back & forth was everything great about baseball.

[Quality Start Machine]

Bump.

[SKO]

Boom

[D. Doluntap]

That was fucking great.

[Oleg]

I know this is from last week...I'm just catching up on my reading.  Basically, anyone who thinks Contreras is not good at catching can go pound sand.  That probably includes anyone who wants to blame him for Arrieta's 7 walk start.

[CBStew]

I know this is from last week...I'm just catching up on my reading.  Basically, anyone who thinks Contreras is not good at catching can go pound sand.  That probably includes anyone who wants to blame him for Arrieta's 7 walk start.

I was going to express a moderately different opinion but at the risk of undergoing a sand enema I will refrain.

[SKO]

I know this is from last week...I'm just catching up on my reading.  Basically, anyone who thinks Contreras is not good at catching can go pound sand.  That probably includes anyone who wants to blame him for Arrieta's 7 walk start.

I was going to express a moderately different opinion but at the risk of undergoing a sand enema I will refrain.

Now Stew you know you are always allowed to speak your mind here. Anything we disagree with is written off as senility.

[SKO]

Glad things went much better for the Jake-Willson battery this time around, and his throbbing, pulsing armcock claimed yet another victim.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Glad things went much better for the Jake-Willson battery this time around, and his throbbing, pulsing armcock claimed yet another victim.

Why do teams still take leads? The Cubs have to lead the league in pickoffs. I like that the catchers have the freedom to just launch laser beams at baserunners. It seems like yet another way the Cubs have found a way to get free outs. I love this organization so much, and it's in large part due to the players being so goddamn good and likeable but also because this version of the Cubs organization is in such stark contrast to the one from my many years loathing them before Theo and Jed took over.

[Yeti]

Glad things went much better for the Jake-Willson battery this time around, and his throbbing, pulsing armcock claimed yet another victim.

Why do teams still take leads? The Cubs have to lead the league in pickoffs. I like that the catchers have the freedom to just launch laser beams at baserunners. It seems like yet another way the Cubs have found a way to get free outs. I love this organization so much, and it's in large part due to the players being so goddamn good and likeable but also because this version of the Cubs organization is in such stark contrast to the one from my many years loathing them before Theo and Jed took over.

Baseball-Reference shows 8 pickoffs. The next closest team is at 5