Think about it this way.
The only other baseball team to pull this off was a team that was considered cursed with Theo as the GM.
Maybe history can repeat itself because the Cubs are in the same exact situation as the Red Sox were other then the fact that Justin Cruise wasn't posting back then
The only other baseball team to pull this off was a team that was considered cursed with Theo as the GM.
Maybe history can repeat itself because the Cubs are in the same exact situation as the Red Sox were other then the fact that Justin Cruise wasn't posting back then
yeah HC, he is the softest but its also the cubbies worst guy so still advantage mets. i watched and honestly never threw in the towel when the redsox were down 0-3 to the yankees bc i felt we had the edge in the matchups, if they do win tonight, yes you have lester and arrieta who "could" shut them out but they are going against guys who can do the same....wasnt the same back in 04 vs the yankees. i knew once they won game 4 the redsox were live in that series with pedro and schilling and anything can happen in game7. you need to win tonight and legit GEMS, 9 innings 1 or 0 runs from lester and arrieta.
i have a side wager with my buddy who is a mets fan and i loved chicago so im pulling for your boys to come back, plus i love theo, i loved him here in boston and wish he had never left and i hope he succeeds in chicago and brings them a WS
i have a side wager with my buddy who is a mets fan and i loved chicago so im pulling for your boys to come back, plus i love theo, i loved him here in boston and wish he had never left and i hope he succeeds in chicago and brings them a WS
Yeah, I agree with you some in that I think baseball is a different duck than all the other sports.
Postseason baseball is "primarily" about pitching and HOW the manager uses those pitchers. BUT.....
The thing that separates baseball from all the other sports is that Daniel Murphy's can come out of NOWHERE and totally turn a series one way or the other. Mets were going to win this series like 90 out of 100 times because their pitching is just that dominate. BUT you add in a performance like Murphy's and you get a grade A ass whooping! The ONLY comparable thing to that IMO is in Hockey when you get a goaltender that is LIGHTS OUT and just carries his team to the Stanley Cup. Can't really happen in basketball and football doesn't play any "series" and we all know QB's make or break you in the NFL.
Love it or hate it, baseball is truly a unique sport for a lot of reasons...But the best "team" usually wins the series in baseball. There is no "Any Given Sunday" on the diamond!
Postseason baseball is "primarily" about pitching and HOW the manager uses those pitchers. BUT.....
The thing that separates baseball from all the other sports is that Daniel Murphy's can come out of NOWHERE and totally turn a series one way or the other. Mets were going to win this series like 90 out of 100 times because their pitching is just that dominate. BUT you add in a performance like Murphy's and you get a grade A ass whooping! The ONLY comparable thing to that IMO is in Hockey when you get a goaltender that is LIGHTS OUT and just carries his team to the Stanley Cup. Can't really happen in basketball and football doesn't play any "series" and we all know QB's make or break you in the NFL.
Love it or hate it, baseball is truly a unique sport for a lot of reasons...But the best "team" usually wins the series in baseball. There is no "Any Given Sunday" on the diamond!
I'm still wondering why Joe Maddon is considered an above - average manager. Barely above .500 lifetime mark and hasn't done jack in the playoffs. Brings in circus animals to the club house and drives a Chevy van, but he never got the Cubs from being a beer - league softball team. They'll go out and buy some pitching, but now the pressure will be turned up several notches to win. I'm not convinced he can do this.
He also did a great job in Tampa year in and year out together with their great front office and scouting department. Pretty much every year they had one of the lowest payrolls, regularly lost their best players after a few years due to free agency and their financial constraints and build their team back up immediately from within or with under the radar pickups.
Also seems like he regularly manages to maximize his talent base and keep the clubhouse chemistry at a high level. Not sure if his style would work with a team like the Yankees or Red Sox for example, but especially with young guys he seems to be doing great work. Imo he's a great fit for the current Cubs roster and together with Epstein and their current roster, they are in a great position to contend annually for at least the next 3-5 years. If they can keep Arrieta after next season (or add another frontline starter instead) and use their financial ressources to add another decent arm to that rotation, they will be tough to beat in a series.
When talking about his win rate and/or postseason success people shouldn't overlook his ressources in Tampa...while other teams in that division were spending like crazy, Maddon and their front office managed to contend for the playoffs pretty much every year winning 8x to 90 games in the same division, spending not even close to half the money BOS or NYY spent.
Also seems like he regularly manages to maximize his talent base and keep the clubhouse chemistry at a high level. Not sure if his style would work with a team like the Yankees or Red Sox for example, but especially with young guys he seems to be doing great work. Imo he's a great fit for the current Cubs roster and together with Epstein and their current roster, they are in a great position to contend annually for at least the next 3-5 years. If they can keep Arrieta after next season (or add another frontline starter instead) and use their financial ressources to add another decent arm to that rotation, they will be tough to beat in a series.
When talking about his win rate and/or postseason success people shouldn't overlook his ressources in Tampa...while other teams in that division were spending like crazy, Maddon and their front office managed to contend for the playoffs pretty much every year winning 8x to 90 games in the same division, spending not even close to half the money BOS or NYY spent.
