Cubs are playing "F@ck the Hoyer"
It's also amusing that people don't understand why the MLB Draft isn't more popular
We have discussed at length how even when they play well (which, admittedly is a small sample size) these Cubs just aren’t that much fun to watch. They are mostly functional when they win. Winning is more fun than losing, but whatever the intangible factor that makes guys fun to watch is missing with this group.
Except for one thing, which is incredibly fun. For the second year running now, they are fucking up Jed Hoyer’s plan to sell players at the trade deadline.
Last year they waited until after the All-Star Break to go on their run, but before the deadline they split a series with the Brewers in Milwaukee and won a series in the Bronx against the Yankees. Coming out of the break they actually lost three of their first four (two to the Red Sox and one to the Nationals) and then won ten of 11 including a 17-3 win over Washington and back to back wins where they scored 10 runs in wins against the Sox and Cardinals. It did wonders for their precious run differential.
This year, they faced a make or break 13 game set of games against the Angels at home, then at the Orioles and Cardinals. They took two of three from the Angels (who blow) and then went to Baltimore to face the best team in the American League, and they beat the shit out of them in all three games. The Cubs outscored the O’s 21-2 in the series including back to back shutouts in the final two games. Then they should have shut out the Cardinals in the first game of that four games in three days series, but Hunter Bigge decided to show off how hard he can throw pitches that miss the strike zone by two feet.
The doubleheader on Saturday got off to a terrible start when Hayden Wesneski committed two errors in a three hitter span and turned a 1-0 lead into a 9-1 deficit before the Cubs could bat a second time.
The Cubs bullpen had done impressive work through most of the first seven games of the stretch, but they were back to their old tricks in the nightcap of the doubleheader when Porter Hodge turned a 4-3 eighth inning lead into a 5-4 Cardinals’ win.
So it wasn’t an overstatement to say that yesterday’s game was the biggest game of the season for the Chicago Cubs. Would the doubleheader sweep at the hands of their Arch-nemesis (Get it? Arch?) put them back into a tailspin, or would they gird up their loins and resume their previous play? Nothing less than the fate of their season depended on it.
Just kidding. Yesterday’s game was just another in a long line of games against mediocre teams in the National League and it was preferable for the Cubs to win, but even for this bunch there are no make or break games in July. So to the Cubs bloggers who acted like this game was a big deal…get over it.
But, the Cubs did win. Big Jimmy Taillon easily outpitched Ned Flanders and Petecrow Armstrong had himself a day. Petecrow homered twice, both off of Mikolas, and made a terrific play in center. Even Tomas Nido hit a homer. I know. Amazing.
Here’s the thing about the Cardinals. They aren’t good. They’re not as bad as they were last year, but they’re nothing special. And the proof is that normally going on the road for a four games series, with a doubleheader in the middle of it, and coming out with two wins would feel like a win, and this doesn’t. And that’s because when you watch the Cardinals play you just feel like you should beat the shit out of them.
But the Cubs went 7-3 in the ten game run up to the All-Star Break and it’s a start. We know this isn’t a great team, but they should not have played as poorly as they did as long as they did.
After the break they have a challenging run with a six game homestand against the D’bags and Brewers. Arizona has played very Cubs-esque most of the first half, but they won four of five before the break. The series with the Brewers that follows is the last time the teams meet this season. They finish up the season series on July 24. I guess it’s just as well, the Cubs playoff race isn’t with Milwaukee, but still that’s pretty dumb scheduling. The Cardinals are in for four games right after the deadline and then that’s it for the season for them, too. That one’s fine by me. I’d prefer the Cubs and Cardinals just start the season with 13 games against each other and just get that shit out of the way.
No matter what happens after the break, we can all rest happy that they at least spent the ten games before it playing “Fuck the Jed.”
If you missed the first round of the MLB Draft last night you’ll be shocked to know that the Cubs did it again! They got the top player on their board for the 13th draft in a row. Amazing. What a run these guys are on.
This time that guy is Cam Smith, an oversized third baseman from Florida State. Smith will likely have to change positions (the Cubs have a type) and while he put up big numbers at FSU, scouts are concerned about how much he hit the ball on the ground and how when he did hit in the air he didn’t pull it.
No position, low launch angle, struggles with velocity. Well, I can believe that he was the top player on their board, after all.
I did enjoy this hand wringy Tweet from the usual suspects about how if only the MLB Draft were shorter it would bring in casual fans.
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