tmwiese55

Cubs are likely the weakest team but I'd still cut them out due to the home field being lost and the extra annoyance if they were to lose to them. IMO Philly is clearly the best team of the 3 so take them out. So I'm left with AZ.

Nah that's a skewed stat. Chances are if he didn't suck since arriving he'd have been used in higher leverage spots. I really don't care about the argument but soon as I read that I thought "uhh not quite". OF course it still might be true, who knows and I don't care, but I don't think that stat 'proves' it.

Can pick on Chafin all you want and act like he was a horrible pickup, which of course he has been since results matter. But the guy has been a good solid reliver for a number of years. There was nothing to bash about that pickup. Sometimes relievers have their bad spells and it so happens he's been on one since he got to MKE. I was hoping he'd figured it out as he'd a few good games there in a row but after yesterday yea he's right down to the bottom of them trusting again. It just hasn't worked out and he's in a funk now, but just saying he's been good for years. I'm sure no one feels worse about than him, especially as I'm assuming he's a FA and this is costing him from getting a good reliever contract to likely league min next year.

And the red hot Cubs lose two straight to the floundering D-Backs, this is baseball. I assume the sky is falling on Cubs boards now too. Scratch out a win tonight and back to a 3 game lead with 22 games left.

yup I forgot that earlier. AZ next two starters are Gallen and Kelly too. Something as easy as Cubs L today, us W and cubs L tomorrow and back to a 3 game cushion just like that.

Of course that is possible. But in baseball this stuff isn't so easily predictable on paper. A week ago MKE had just ripped off ten in a row it would've been easy to mark at least 2/3 down vs Pit at that point but it didn't happen. Of course CHC could maintain this all month but chances are after their hot streak right now they'll hit a 5-5 type stretch just like MKE did. Neither of these teams are ATL, or prime LAD level good where winning at a 100-110 rate is normal or what you can expect looking at the roster. After hot streaks teams like these should level out a bit for a while.

Yup. Going any of these routes has logic and reason to it. This is baseball, almost nothing is completely black/white. Some day what you decide to value or you have to guess with your gut because there is no clear cut 100% choice and you get it wrong. It's baseball, you can't get them all right. Yesterday, he likely got a couple wrong. And I'm sure he, assistants, the team are wringing their hands about it even more than we are. They're not stupid, they know all this stuff too and as evidence by their overall results they're pretty good at it. Yea in general I'd probably get over the Uribe meltdown and try to use him in these spots too. The more reps he get you find out plus get him comfortable for playoffs where he could be a huge weapon. But, probably be ready to yank quick if the command looks anything like that other game in the first batter or two. But its certainly not braindead after seeing that to be a bit hesitant when there's no wiggle room like yesterday

Once again. No one said he can't be criticized. Can certainly breakdown choices and why one thinks this or that should have been done. It's the manager is checked out, doesn't care type stuff, and then you also included mentions of being 'terrible' and so many bad decisions you're miffed by them. That is beyond nitpicking something here or there, which of course anyone can and its baseball so they're gonna get plenty wrong. You're backtracking a bit which is fine but there's a big difference between I would've valued speed here vs power or I'd have used the heavier K pitcher vs groundball in this instance, you know baseball stuff. Versus being, " consistently terrible, chronically bad decisions, mailing it in, no hearbeat, checked out". Those are your words and that is way beyond what one of the best managers in the game with a team overperforming is called for. And IDK why you're now saying you'd want guy making terrible and chronically bad decisions back. Breakdown a move based on data/baseball info instead of hot take tough guy stuff as if you watching on tv can make a judgment on their emotions/psychology is espn hot take stuff. Taylor is a blah prospect. Tellez was a AAAA guy we got off the scrapheap who they've gotten more out of than his last team. Adames was a flop in TB that had a hot 2 months for us and has been blah since as a hitter. Then its more scrapheap and rookies for his O roster. That is a trash O roster. Yelich of course is an underperformer but I really don't know what CC can do about management giving him that contract. But I would assume CC has at least some say in roster building and we're going on 4 years of the O being trash without him and the rest of management improving it. Certainly fair to criticize there and I do. But to play armchair psychologist watching on TV accusing people of not caring and being lazy isn't the way. Leave that for Stephen A

Have to assume that absolute meltdown from Uribe a few days ago will not be easily forgotten. This is a perfect example of hindsight, the guy he picked didn't work out (he also didn't full on meltdown either). If Uribe had been brought in with same results (or even worse after see the possible volatility he has) then the same folks can say "why wouldn't he use the guy who's been good all year instead of the rookie who just had a complete breakdown a few days ago". I said in the gamethread I probably would've valued avoiding the DP and that its still R/L and let Turang hit. But as noted by an article on here just a day or two back Tellez has been doing well, he just had a big PH rocket not long ago and when it comes down to it they probably just feel is a better hitter than Turang. Going with the guy you feel is the better with the game on the line is not braindead, these are things that could go either way. It just didn't work today and in baseball hitters fail at least 60% of the time. ETA: But, every good outing by Uribe puts that further in the background to hopefully provide trust and more flexibility as I'm not a fan of the rigid 7, 8, 9 inning guy thing either. IMO that's a nitpick of mine on craig the last few years, he was one of the most creative on that stuff a few years back and has moved to the more traditional model. However, we also don't know how much of that was pushed on him by Hader and his agent but I'd like to see the flex come back. But its also not as easy without the expanded rosters and without freaks like Woody, Burnes, Hader in his pen. Oh, also small point out that Chafin has strung together a few good ones in a row (unless I missed a bad one) so that could be another option for flex after a few more to gain trust.

Everyone of us here could come up with a number of reasons on all those things. And none of them give any evidence to being checked out, not caring, coasting, etc. He decided to value certain things over others to day that you valued differently. That is fair and exactly what a site here is all about. But throwing out terms and things like you were basically accusing him of not caring/trying, etc is espn hot take garbage that Stephen A would say. Keep in mind we also don't know all the background info. Moreover, only pointing them out when they go wrong while ignoring all the times they go right (which obviously for Craig is way way above the normal) is basic hindsight 20/20 and confirmation bias. There's plenty of times where I've gone 'IDK if I'd have yanked him now' or 'if I'd have brought that guy in' then it goes perfectly fine and I forget about it. Then when it goes wrong I can't go "see I knew it, it was obvious, this guy is checked out" Bottom line, I know darn well he and his assistants have thought and dug way deeper on this stuff than all of us. Getting something wrong in a game that is all about failure (where its impossible to get everything right) and with so much variance as baseball is almost assuredly not due to a lack of care and effort. Especially when it's a team performing well above what their roster should

Yea I'm far from that. I literally was on the other side of this just a few days ago on here. Well it seems some change of tone. Sorry if I took a leap by saying that if a guy is consistently making 'terrible' moves/decisions, miffed by them, chronically bad decisions, coasting, mailling it in, no heartbeat, that he's an idiot. I don't see that as a stretch but ok. But no this whole "coasting" thing is just nuts. If he picks the wrong reliever on a given day he's coasting? I mean this is getting into "the team that wants it more will win" type stuff which is just bs. IT's baseball, it is impossible to pick the right reliver every day. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Clearly CC is getting these way more correct than not and has been doing it a way better clip than the league for several years. So hindsight 20/20 on stuff after it doesn't work while biting your tongue all the times it does is just not right. Rowdy failed today, a few days ago he PH and roped one of the RF field fence. Its a numbers game, 1/4 of the time he's gonna get a hit of some kind, another chunk a SF, another chunk a DP. All the manager can do is play him. If he leaves Turang in who Ks, then next guy gets out then someone could say "he's coasting, had an obvious PH in Tellez who's been hot" and he didn't use him. Or if Tellez did get the hit today was he then not coasting. There's plenty to bash the Brewers about and its not like CC isn't going to make mistakes, as I said its impossible not to. But to lump to him being terrible and or quitting, lazy, checked out, coasting, etc is just a poor ESPN style hot take

As I said, it's impossible to get all bullpen things right, literally impossible. At what point do the results he's getting with a fairly cheap/trash roster not show you that what he's been doing is not 'terrible.' Doesn't a 10 game winning streak prove it, instead you said 'na he's still an idiot'. Add in too that Woody was out most of the year and Peralta/Burnes have been mediocre (things he really has no control on) and somehow they still have this result pretty much proves it in my opinion. He's had a patchwork rotation most of the year, all new name BP besides Williams, garbage O roster. Yet they are where they are. Doesn't seem like he's 'terrible' to me

talking as if CC is coasting, not caring, checked out etc is just way off. He's one of the top faves for NL manager of the year. And they're doing it with a trash O lineup and a completely new bullpen of new names outside of Williams. They just won like 10 in a row, was he checked out not caring, was anyone saying that then. Just 3 days ago they were a half game from sweeping the red hot Phils with a manager who seeming does care/try. Was anyone saying it then. It is impossible to get every bullpen entrance/yank correct.

Was just about to say if our two best hitters just put the bat on their shoulder they likely have bases loaded 1 out. But then that last call happened and you never know. Yelichs though were so far in the dirt CB wouldn't have mattered

Rowdy has been fine since he's been back. But i'd have stuck with Turang there since it's still L/R. Really reduces the DP and he seems to be adequate at making contact which is all you needed there. Of course Rowdy just hitting a fly ball to right shouldn't have been hard either which is probably what CC was thinking. Basically, he fatty this is the time to go for the HR if you get it great if not its a R, just don't rollover for a DP.

quite the difference for how things look right vs mid day Sunday with MKE winning and the Cubs losing at the time. Yea bottom line this offense while better is still just the definition of mediocre/blah. Hopefully they find a way today. But its kinda nuts this has been going on for 4 years without really much improvement on O

I was at his start in Appleton last week and it was also not good at all. I wasn't behind the plate to see super closely and it's not like I was closely tracking velocity or anything, but the results were not good. Hard hit balls, walks. Not want you want vs single A

I recall in the Cubs series there was some talk on the surprising lines making us dogs in them. Well today is one that works the other way around, I expected this to be one of those "on paper" they should lose games that I think they win. Turns out on paper they actually have MKE as slight favorite, basically a coinflip. Both good pitchers, theirs a bit more consistent/reliable/history etc, Philly on fire right now. However, when I checked that I did forget the game was in MKE, thought it was on road. That's probably the 'evening' out factor in it.

Expected OPS for the alternatives would be what, somewhere in the .650 range for the rest of the year? That shouldn't be hard to beat to be an improvement. And from all I've read it seems his D has still checked out just fine. And vs lefties where it seems he'd likely take Turang's spot Turang as far as I can tell has a .501 OPS vs lefties. As long as he's not a jerk in AAA and looks ok in a few games down there I don't know how he's not an improvement.

Have to say a video showing a bunch of swing and misses or strikes in general to mock a player is one of the dumbest things I've seen. A hitter in MLB is defined by failing at least 60% of time, and even within the 40% (less for most) it is very likely to have a strike or two against you in those ABs. I could make a similar video for basically every player in the league. Could also make a video showing all the misses/bricks Lebron has shot and act like he sucks.

Its good too that it seems he's fine going to AAA and getting ABs in. Keeps him away from the team to see how he acts. But also, don't have to run the 'spring training' type ABs at the MLB level when in a tight race. If he sucks in his first week in AAA and looks lost there's no reason you have to bring him up. If he doesn't like it, just cut him. If he looks generally fine and is playing nice with others, he just can't be worse than Anderson.

CBS has Reah listed for Saturday FWIW. Who knows if they're just guessing but its likely they're basing off something of substance, but with two days things can change.

The stable mediocrity of Jace Peterson's LHB would come in handy right now

I guess it depends if what's stated in the article is accurate on not being eligible due to the 60 day IL. If that goes away once on a new team and you have the whole month to test him out is different to me than coming back with like 15 games left. Especially when the main thing you'd want him for is to play vs lefties, maybe 4 of the last 15 should be vs lefties. Side note, getting one more of those Cubs games to have a 5 game lead really would've been nice on this topic too. Would just feel like more wiggle room to 'experiment' in such a situation.

In the previous discussion on this I didn't know he was still on DL and not even eligible to come off until mid-september. Just doesn't seem worth at all then. As said in the article, its not clear if he'd even be ready at that point and even if so that's barely any games to find out if you can trust him in the playoffs. Hopefully they can find another way to help the IF somehow. Black seems like the only other move though