NLCS Game Thread- CHC VS NYM

[soxhop411]

 

[jon abbey]

Lester vs Harvey in game 1.

 

[Kliq]

 

[Remagellan]

I put Mets in 7, but I really think it will be a Cubs in 6 or Mets in 7 type of deal, assuming Arrieta goes Game 2 and 6, and deGrom goes Game 3 and 7.  

 

[soxhop411]

 
 
The office Tom Ricketts inherited when he took over the Chicago Cubs in 2009 was a windowless room beneath the upper deck of Wrigley Field. A closet just outside his door contained all of the team’s computer servers, which were covered by a cafeteria tray to shield them from the water that would leak through the ceiling when it rained.
The Cubs were still processing season ticket orders by fax machine. They kept up on trade news by employing someone to scan the Internet for articles and deliver printouts to executives’ desks. Some of their staffers were barely on e-mail. And space was so limited that half of them worked in trailers in the parking lot.
“I’m not sure which was more embarrassing for us,” Ricketts said in an interview this week. “That half of our people were in construction trailers or that the people in construction trailers actually had better offices.”
This was the baseball stone age from which the Cubs have emerged to reach the National League Championship Series, where they’ll face the New York Mets beginning Saturday. The talk now is about whether the team can finally break the famed Curse of the Billy Goat and win its first World Series since 1908. But the resurgence of the Cubs has less to do with mythology than with how they transformed themselves into a modern sports business.

snippet from a really good WSJ article 

 

[tims4wins]

Hard to believe they were operating like that as recently as six years ago. That is truly stone age stuff. No wonder they have sucked

 

[IpswichSox]

Good article this morning in the NY Post, with lots of quotes from Theo talking about scouting and player development, and how quickly things are coming together for the Cubs.
 
 

“When we were out scouting these guys,’’ Epstein said, detailing the grind for the scouts and all the miles traveled just to try to put together such a plan, “we’d be like, ‘Oh, if we can get Bryant in the draft, if we can get Schwarber in the draft with what we have.’
 
“We’d write out the lineups on cocktail napkins at 2 in the morning in some sh—y hotel bar, thinking where we might get them in the draft. “Then we get them and we put them up on the white board in the board room and we start to get pretty excited.
“Then in spring training, you see them play together for the first time and you start to get really excited, and then in the regular season it happens and we take off.’’

“It’s just insanity,’’ Epstein said.

 

 

[SemperFidelisSox]

Hammel and Hendricks are really just long relievers at this point, but are the scheduled 3 & 4 starters. The middle games of the series could be really taxing on the Cubs pen, especially with no off day in there.

And deGrom v Hammel in Game 3 looks like a huge mismatch on paper. Hard to see how the Cubs aren't looking at a 2-1 series deficit going into Game 4, but Maddon should be thinking about bringing Lester back on short rest regardless.

 

[E5 Yaz]

And deGrom v Hammel in Game 3 looks like a huge mismatch on paper.

 
While true, there are a of factors to consider.
 
DeGrom was shaky in Game 5 against the Dodgers. Now, if that was just an aberration, he could revert to the stud he had been previously. But if he struggles again, the Cubs are much better stocked to take advantage of it than the Dodgers.
 
Game 3 will be the first in Wrigley. There's bound to be an atmosphere that gives the Cubs a little extra.  
 
This might not be enough to consider Game 3 a push on paper; but I don't think it can be chalked up as an automatic NY win

 

[Darnell's Son]

I wrote up a preview for tonight's game at .com, check it out.

 

[Grimace-HS]

Thanks DS for the preview; great job! It will be an interesting series with the Red Sox ties to both franchises. Young pitching and young hitting. I'm bundled up and will be there tonight (I've oddly never been to a Sox playoff game, so it should be fun). Thanks again for the statistical breakdown!

 

[fineyoungarm]

MORE SPORTS!

 

[Gdiguy]

Word is that Syndergaard will pitch game 2 for the Mets (feels fine after relieving Thursday); Matz will be available in the bullpen today & tomorrow (and they actually want to try to get him work, since he won't start until game 4)

 

[hbk72777]

What did Pedro just say?

 

[soxhop411]

I love Pedro

 

[E5 Yaz]

1. Dexter Fowler (S) CF
2. Kyle Schwarber (L) LF
3. Kris Bryant (R) 3B
4. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
5. Starlin Castro (R) 2B
6. Jorge Soler (R) RF
7. Javier Baez (R) SS
8. David Ross (R) C
9. Jon Lester (L) P
 

1. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
2. David Wright (R) 3B
3. Daniel Murphy (L) 2B
4. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
5. Travis d'Arnaud (R) C
6. Michael Cuddyer (R) 1B
7. Wilmer Flores (R) SS
8. Juan Lagares (R) CF
9. Matt Harvey (R) P

 

[hbk72777]

If the Mets win it all, does Harvey make the parade?
 
 http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7122534/dwight-gooden-missed-new-york-mets-1986-parade-doing-drugs

 

[PayrodsFirstClutchHit]

NESN needs to go with a color rotation of 60 games each for Eck and Pedro with Millar and a rotation of former Sox players picking up the remaining 40+,

 

[hbk72777]

NESN needs to go with a color rotation of 60 games each for Eck and Pedro with Millar and a rotation of former Sox players picking up the remaining 40+,

 
I'd subscribe for the sports package for a Pedro/Manny pre-game show

 

[soxhop411]

Sooooooo slow

 

[Redkluzu]

I am hoping to see Jon Stewart in the stands.

 

[Redkluzu]

Yay, Pedro going for the Cubs.

 

[hbk72777]

If the Cubs win, they should film a scene with Fox/Lloyd at the game and work it into the trilogy somehow

 

[InsideTheParker]

How important is Addison Russell? Will the Cubs miss him a lot? (Don't follow the team.)

 

[E5 Yaz]

How important is Addison Russell? Will the Cubs miss him a lot? (Don't follow the team.)

 
He's an excellent defender, developing hitter. If defense at SS becomes an issue for them, they'll miss him a great deal

 

[InsideTheParker]

 
He's an excellent defender, developing hitter. If defense at SS becomes an issue for them, they'll miss him a great deal

Thanks. I see that Quintin Berry has taken his spot on the roster, presumably to play Dave Roberts if the spot comes up.

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

Wow, he made Schwarber look stupid on that pitch.

 

[54thMA]

Where's the old bag behind home plate doing the barrel roll motion?  And please MLB; no in game shots of the patrons at Guido's Bar and  Grille in Queens tonight, enough is enough................

 

[E5 Yaz]

 

[ifmanis5]

He's still hot.

 

[InsideTheParker]

I want to root for the Cubs, but I find that I am still rooting for the Mets, as that HR thrilled me. Oh, well.

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

Too good a pitch.

 

[Redkluzu]

Thank you E5.

 

[soxhop411]

@ScottMillerBbl: Last Met to HR in 3 consecutive postseason games before Daniel Murphy? Donn Clendenon. There's a name from the past.

 

[E5 Yaz]

@ScottMillerBbl: Last Met to HR in 3 consecutive postseason games before Daniel Murphy? Donn Clendenon. There's a name from the past.

 
Obviously

 

[54thMA]

Good job Ratzo

 

[soxhop411]

Good job working the pitch count Cubs.

 

[RIrooter09]

Good job Ratzo

 
Really?

 

[E5 Yaz]

 
Really?

 
You never heard of Ratso Rizzo?

 

[ifmanis5]

Not sure about the need for the ski mask. It's not that cold out.

 

[Brand Name]

 
Really?

He's not walking here! He's not walking here!

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Ross is the one Cub I can't help but root for.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Shit, almost, Rossi.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Grey Wolf almost went yard there.

 

[ifmanis5]

Bah, almost, Rossy.

 

[soxhop411]

So is TBS ever going to fix the strike zone?

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

The Mets pitching is just flat out sick.

 

[RIrooter09]

 
You never heard of Ratso Rizzo?

 
Whoosh.  I have seen Midnight Cowboy, but apparently the martinis are kicking in.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Isn't it wonderful to listen to a game with no Harold Reynolds and Joe Buck? Ahhhhh.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Grey Wolf almost went yard there.

Blue Wolf almost did too.