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Chicago Cubs Thread - Playoff Push Pending

More than 10% done with the season, where our young studs just got called up over the last two weeks, and we're over .600 and only 1 GB. This is going to be a fun year.
 
Hammel has only walked one guy in 25 innings. The Cubs as a whole have only walked 36 guys in 18 games.
 
NL bump coming back for Hammel - I honestly think it will be tough to get a better pitcher around the deadline than him without giving up something we don't really want to give up. I can't see Philly giving up Hamels for anything less than 2 of our top 10 prospects or something - people are going to ask for Schwarber, Edwards, Torres, Underwood & McKinney - I am game for letting Almora go, he is an awesome CF, but worried his bat wont't translate, and he is having at least a decent start to the year.
 
Found this interesting - I'm not concerned about bryants lack of HRs, because they will come, but I was curious about the pitching he is seeing and if there is something to that - and it appears there is. Bryant is seeing significantly fewer fastballs than the average MLB players, and he is getting a heavier does of sinkers and changeups. Here is the article, but makes sense that people are leaving the ball low in the zone with how tall he is. If he keeps it up, Im fine with a .500 OBP....

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/30173/bryants-patience-paying-off
 
So Schwarber has the tools and likely ability to be as good if not better than Bryant or Russell, and would love to see him in the bigs next year - although we may not need him yet if Montero can keep hitting. But this scouting report on his speed made me laugh:

Baserunning/Speed 40: Below-average runner, slow first step; not station-to-station yet but will eventually be a base-clogger.
 
Schwarber could be as good, if not better, at bat than Bryant and Russell. He may struggle to find a defensive position in the majors since his skills behind the plate, while improved, are still average at best.
 
Schwarber could be as good, if not better, at bat than Bryant and Russell. He may struggle to find a defensive position in the majors since his skills behind the plate, while improved, are still average at best.

Eh, we will see - depends on if he learns the Theo-favored art of pitch framing. Clearly the brass doesn't really care about throwing out runners, and Schwarber has looked halfway decent in AA so far. Overall, I agree with you, since he has no other place to go - move to first would be completely blocked, and I still have vivid, terrible images of Matt Stairs roaming the wrigley outfield for like 20 games - would not want to see that again.
 
Matt Stairs. God I had forgotten about that name as it related to the Cubs.

Im old, lots of vivid memories of bad cubs. But, I did like those late 90's teams - 98 was one of my favorites before 03, and not just because of the HR race - a whole bunch of nothing in the pitching department besides Kerry Wood, closed strong to make the playoffs behind 39 year old Gary Gaetti, Slammin Sammy, Oh Henry, Lanch Johnson, Gracie, blauser and morandini up the middle with Rod Beck in his trailer closing out games. Then get smoked in the NLDS by the Bravos.
 
Yeah made it to a few games in 98, was a HUGE Sosa fan. Tried to never miss a Sammy at bat just in case he bombed one. Rod Beck was the man.
 
What is the basis for saying Schwarber could be as good as Bryant? That just seems like crazy talk.
 
What is the basis for saying Schwarber could be as good as Bryant? That just seems like crazy talk.

He came in with less fanfare, but he is putting up the numbers and going down a similar path - and he was the #1 ranked hitter in the 2014 draft. His scounting report leaves more to be desired than Bryant, sure, and his power is not as prodigious, but he may be as good an all around hitter, and his stats so far say he can be - I would not be surprised to see him be the 2016 #1 prospect on a lot of boards
 
Staying on the Schwarber kick, sort of - saw that the Smokies, as a team, are batting .297 with an .808 OPS and they lead the league in walks. Man, that team can rake with Schwarber and Vogelbach on a crazy tear so far.
 
It wouldn't surprise me if Schwarber duplicated Bryant's rapid ascent up the minor league ladder. Leftfield has been mentioned as an option to catching. It appears that Russell is going to get an extended opportunity at 2B. Any thoughts?
 
Probably hitting up the Marlins series at Wrigley on 4th of July weekend. Would be my first Cubs game in 17 years. Boards party?!?!
 
I think we went to a couple games when we were like 13. I know we went in 1998 for two series, but think we went back.
 
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