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Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
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Replies: 13
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3rd Base Coach [∞]
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Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 10:33 AM
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 12:23 PM
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I have very little to add, and agree with what you posted. The Cubs will make some moves before the trade deadline, what they are is a mustery but I'm sure Epstein and company have something in the workings.
Goodbye Descalso,Russell. Bring Dee Gordon and play Almora everyday. This inner love affair with Schwarber really needs to stop. He is just an average at best outfielder and will never hit for average. Maybe he needs to put the weight back on that he took off, he was a better hitter then, but has had nearly three full seasons to prove he can hit more than an occasional homerun and he has failed. The Cubs have enough players to move to get something good in return, not just for this season but beyond.
On paper we have a very good lineup, but as we all know paper crumbles rather easily. I'll repeat what I have always believed and that is if you aren't hitting you aren't playing, I don't care how much money you are making. If you are hurting the team then that approach should work. Some of these players believe that they make so much money and believe they are so good that they are exempt from being benched or sent down. This is how money has ruined the game of baseball.
Even the best of players will go through a hitting slump, but if it goes beyond two weeks then it's time to sit.
We have not played good fundamental baseball the first half. At this level this should not, and cannot continue to happen.Also, it would be nice to see a the same lineup two days in a row. It must be maddening for players to come to the park and not know where they are playing from day to day.
I've never been much of a believer in the so-called match-ups i.e.lefty vs. righty etc. Good players can hit no matter who's on the mound, but if you aren't given the chance you never will learn.
Joe Garagiola said it best. "See the ball, hit the ball" Keep it simple, don't complicate it anymore than it already is
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 2:21 PM
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Not sure why 2nd base was singled out as the problem when there are plenty of them to go around. I am fine with Bote and Russell playing there.
As for the team losing respect for Russell, I will say this again, there is not one shred of evidence to support this claim, in fact all indications are that the team loves the guy. This line of thinking has to stop because it is just not true.
The whole team can't hit with RISP and that is the #1 issue. I don't care who they find to do it.
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 4:27 PM
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There is plenty of problems to go around, but second base is one of the most obvious holes to fill. When your opening day Second baseman leaves the team for a divorce and your off season pickup cant even hit 200 that is a big issue right there. That leaves you a player who was suspended for a month and still doesnt seem mentally there and a young hitter trying to figure out his way at the plate yet.
As far as losing respect for Russell, do you honostly think someone would openly come out and say they lost respect for him? I sure as heck dont. You can tell when he is on the field or around players in the dugout that there is a different feel around him. It isnt like they dont respect him at all, they just dont seem to respect him as much as they once did. You can say that about anyone who has been suspended before depending on what they have been suspended for. If it hurts the team, which the Russell suspension did, players will naturally lose a little respect for that player.
NOW the big topic about hitting with RISP. Yes the whole team sucks at it minus Baez and Contreras, but what is a team supposed to do when they have had three different hitting coaches in three seasons. Each coach they bring in has a different teaching tactic, and once a team is finally getting the hang of it, bam, they are out the door. The players do have to start taking some blame for this, but the front office does too because three different coaching staffs in three years does not make it easy for anyone.
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 3, 2019, 12:35 PM
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Maybe they should hire Kris Bryant's Dad as hitting coach, or for that matter do we really need one. When the camera scans the dugout all the players are looking at their iPad, is this the new hitting coach?
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 4:55 PM
[ in reply to Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base ] |
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Another reason why I focused on 2nd base is when you look at the national league central as a whole the cubs are getting by far the worst production out of the 2nd base spot in the division. That's actually saying a lot considering how they've had 4 different players play at least 15 games at that position in combine their numbers are still lower than that of every team in the division at that position
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 6:13 PM
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First, Dustin, let me just say I enjoy your stories and my opinion has nothing to do with how I feel about you personally.
To be clear, your argument against Russell is that he doesn't have his head in the game and the team has lost some respect for him because of his suspension? Yet in the same story you say that Zobrist walking out on his team left a leadership void. They don't add up.
Again, show me one anything from anyone connected with the team on a daily basis that hints in the slightest that there is any issues with Russell and his teammates. Not a single beat writer, announcer, minor leaguer, or anybody has ever made anything close to those statements.
I would also say that left field leaves something to be desired, as does center field, as does right field, as does the bench regarding RISP. Singling out 2nd base as the problem is, in my opinion, not the main problem.
As for the other teams and their production, who cares? They have zero impact on the Cubs. When RISP production for 2nd basemen of teams in the Central division equals who wins the pennant, or determines how many games ahead or behind you are then call me on that one.
It doesn't matter how you win, just how many wins you get compared to everyone else.
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 6:57 PM
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Maybe I should have clarified what I meant By Ben leaving a leadership void in the clubhouse. By him basically walking out on his team it was one of their leaders simply quitting on the team. I'm pretty sure a lot of the cubs players do not feel the same as they once did about him but they also know that hes dealing with a personal issue. The same can be said about Russell yes the players are going to welcome him back to the clubhouse as every team would but they also know that he is going to be continuously dealing with personal issues so they will not view him as a leader that they once expected him to be. Losing respect is the wrong choice of words it's more players that they expected to be the veteran presence of this team have now either quit on the team or just have to get their personal demons taken care of 1st before They can lead the team once again.
Center field and left field are certainly options that need to be looked at also but at the same time what can they do to fix those positions without blowing up a good chunk of the roster they have already put together. The front office built this team on home runs and strikeouts they are going to have to live with home runs and strikeouts but their hopes was always the have these players learn how to hit in better situations in play baseball 101. Fortunately that completely backfired on Chicago and now they may be stuck in a partial rebuild In the near future instead of hosting another trophy in the near future.
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 2, 2019, 7:06 PM
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On this we are in complete agreement.
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Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base
Jul 3, 2019, 12:30 PM
[ in reply to Re: Commentary: Few trade scenarios to fill hole at second base ] |
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You are definitely right about not hitting with RISP. We have to be close to the bottom in that statistic. We've had plenty of chances to score and just don't get it done
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They should trade the rangers for Eli White***
Jul 3, 2019, 1:07 PM
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They should trade the rangers for Eli White***
Jul 3, 2019, 1:07 PM
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Re: They should trade the rangers for Eli White***
Jul 3, 2019, 2:27 PM
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stop drinking and typing about Eli White.
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Just seeing if anyone knows who is he is and that he plays
Jul 3, 2019, 10:04 PM
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second base. He was terrible at clemson defensively and they've found a place to hide his defense at second base.
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Replies: 13
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