The Cubs

[HarryCaray]

there were articles in the paper about it... And he was offended and the cubs defended him. You missed those stories?

 

How many drug tests did Barry bonds fail? How about sosa?

 

 

No I saw the stories.  Obviously anytime someone outperforms expectations so drastically that is going to be thrown around.  I never saw any type of proof, the only proof I ever saw was to the contrary (i.e. him passing tests).

 

Can't compare to Bonds and Sosa.  Different era of testing and enforcement.

[HarryCaray]

Jake was a big juicer...remember he was in Baltimore.

 

Lester can't throw to first period...bunts, grounders...whatever.  

 

If you think Heyward is playing up to his contract well, IDK what to say really.

 

Jake juiced in Baltimore?  And you know this how?

 

I watch every Cubs game.  I'm aware he can't throw to 1st.  I said he controls the running game in other ways, which is quantitative fact.

 

Heyward had an awful year last year, obviously.  I hated that contract and always will, pretty much regardless of what he does.  What I said has nothing to do with him playing up to his contract.  He's been a big disappointment so far, of course.  I'm just saying this team has bigger problems than a gold glove OF hitting 250.  Yeah some of those problems could be solved with $.  If we could dump his contract today and just put Happ in right or something, and spend the money on SP, obviously I'd be all for it.   

[bookbraker]

No I saw the stories.  Obviously anytime someone outperforms expectations so drastically that is going to be thrown around.  I never saw any type of proof, the only proof I ever saw was to the contrary (i.e. him passing tests).

 

Can't compare to Bonds and Sosa.  Different era of testing and enforcement.

 

 

How about his appearance?

 

 

 

 

 

Just the beard covering acne?

[HarryCaray]

That is proof?

 

There has been a lot of press on his fitness routine.  Guy lives in the gym and drinks kale smoothies and does Pilates and shit.  

 

Is it so outlandish that he decided he didn't want to be a mediocre pitcher, decided to take fitness seriously, beefed up, dominated for a few years, and is now declining with age and IP?  

 

Sucks what the juicers did to the integrity of the game; someone can't turn around their career without everyone assuming it is artificial.

 

Obviously the truth is I don't know one way or the other if he juiced or not.  Neither do you.  We can both have our opinions.

 

Cool trick with that 2nd picture though.  Clearly stretched out horizontally to make him look bigger.  Also looks like it's been fucking airbrushed or something (with regards to the bumpy skin on his arms).  Where'd you get that?

[bookbraker]

Jake juiced in Baltimore?  And you know this how?

 

I watch every Cubs game.  I'm aware he can't throw to 1st.  I said he controls the running game in other ways, which is quantitative fact.

 

Heyward had an awful year last year, obviously.  I hated that contract and always will, pretty much regardless of what he does.  What I said has nothing to do with him playing up to his contract.  He's been a big disappointment so far, of course.  I'm just saying this team has bigger problems than a gold glove OF hitting 250.  Yeah some of those problems could be solved with $.  If we could dump his contract today and just put Happ in right or something, and spend the money on SP, obviously I'd be all for it.   

 

 

 

 

Javey is this you?

 

 

I wanted to make sure you knew he was well below average in Baltimore then he started juicing in Chicago.

 

 

Please don't go to the "he added a new pitch" crutch.

[Timely Hitting]

That is proof?

 

There has been a lot of press on his fitness routine. Guy lives in the gym and drinks kale smoothies and does Pilates and shit.

 

Is it so outlandish that he decided he didn't want to be a mediocre pitcher, decided to take fitness seriously, beefed up, dominated for a few years, and is now declining with age and IP?

 

Sucks what the juicers did to the integrity of the game; someone can't turn around their career without everyone assuming it is artificial.

 

Obviously the truth is I don't know one way or the other if he juiced or not. Neither do you. We can both have our opinions.

 

Cool trick with that 2nd picture though. Clearly stretched out horizontally to make him look bigger. Also looks like it's been fucking airbrushed or something (with regards to the bumpy skin on his arms). Where'd you get that?

A lot of guys are fitness nuts in baseball.

 

Anytime the excuse for a dramatic change in physique is working out really hard it's a huge red flag. A lot of people work out really hard in professional sports.

[HarryCaray]

Javey is this you?

 

 

I wanted to make sure you knew he was well below average in Baltimore then he started it up in Chicago.

 

I've been asked that before.  No.  I don't even know who that is.

 

Of course I know Jake was bad in Baltimore, then got good with the Cubs, and is now bad again.  

 

Look, I didn't intend to turn this thread into some grand defense of Jake.  Truth is I don't know if he juiced or not, I don't even like the guy (mega-douche), and I'll be happy to see him walk after this season.  Obviously I appreciate what he has done for this team.

 

Just feel like saying he juiced (as if you know this as fact) when all he has done is pass tests is weak, and quite frankly makes a sad statement about the lack of trust in MLB drug policy.  Not that the lack of trust is unfounded.  

[HarryCaray]

A lot of guys are fitness nuts in baseball.

 

Anytime the excuse for a dramatic change in physique is working out really hard it's a huge red flag. A lot of people work out really hard in professional sports.

 

So anytime a guy puts on some muscle he is juicing?  seems like a stretch.

 

It's not as if his head tripled in size like Bonds.

[HarryCaray]

I wanted to make sure you knew he was well below average in Baltimore then he started juicing in Chicago.

 

 

Please don't go to the "he added a new pitch" crutch.

 

So every dramatic improvement in professional sports is attributable to PEDs?  Sucks that so many people have that cynical opinion.

 

They might as well stop giving out the most improved player award, and just start suspending that person instead.  Especially if it comes with improved physique.  Open and shut case, drug tests be damned.  Arrieta was tested some 15 times during his CY season btw.

 

Here's a possible answer to your question.  

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/epstein-calls-jake-arrieta-ped-speculation-reckless-and-hes-right/

 

Throwing out the PED accusation with literally zero proof is fucking weak, and irresponsible.  You know you are basically parroting the most retarded analyst on earth, right?

 

So read that article, and explain to me how these PED's were helping him, considering there was zero uptick in average fastball velocity?

[HarryCaray]

Nice fluke title last year.

 

 

This is just retarded.  They were clearly the best team in baseball last year.  Winning 200 games regular season games over 2 seasons, and then following that up with a title, is not flukish.  

 

The '05 Sox...now there's a fluke.

 

 

The '06 Sox won 90 games lol. They had the best record wire to wire in '05 too. They didn't have the benefit of playing in a shit league and division in 2006 so their 90 games didn't get them to the playoffs.

 

Just so I have this straight.  

 

15-16 Cubs won 97 and 103 regular season games, and then a world series.  In 2015, 97 wins was good for THIRD in the NL central; that same record would have won the 2006 AL central btw.  In 2016 they had the MVP, a 3-time manager of the year, the #2 and #3 finishers in CY voting, and by FAR the best run differential in baseball.

Fluke

 

05-06 Sox won 99 games and a WS, then 90 games.  In their championship season they were in a 4-way tie for fifth in the majors in run differential, and had the 2nd highest luck factor (actual W/L minus pythag W/L) in baseball.

Not a fluke

Because their division was better.  Or something.

 

God you are such a hater.

[Guest pocketrockets]

4 in a row... someone's pussy is badly hurt

[Timely Hitting]

Just so I have this straight.

 

15-16 Cubs won 97 and 103 regular season games, and then a world series. In 2015, 97 wins was good for THIRD in the NL central; that same record would have won the 2006 AL central btw. In 2016 they had the MVP, a 3-time manager of the year, the #2 and #3 finishers in CY voting, and by FAR the best run differential in baseball.

Fluke

 

05-06 Sox won 99 games and a WS, then 90 games. In their championship season they were in a 4-way tie for fifth in the majors in run differential, and had the 2nd highest luck factor (actual W/L minus pythag W/L) in baseball.

Not a fluke

Because their division was better. Or something.

 

God you are such a hater.

huh?

 

We're talking year after winning a title.

 

Lol at Pythagorean nonsense

[HarryCaray]

huh?

 

We're talking year after winning a title.

 

Lol at Pythagorean nonsense

 

Really we're talking about one season.  Each team's championship season, and if it was a fluke.  

 

The 2016 Cubs >>>>> the 2005 White Sox

 

By basically every conceivable metric

 

You're the one trying to back up your claims by bringing in the record the year after winning. 

 

So if you're moving the goal posts and talking about 2 year stretches (because sustained excellence apparently indicates that the title was not a fluke), I'm saying the 15-16 Cubs >>>>>> the 05-06 Sox.  Who cares if the title came in the 1st year or 2nd of that run?

 

That's what I'm saying.

 

I know you're intelligent enough to understand.

[Timely Hitting]

Ok

[HarryCaray]

4 in a row... someone's pussy is badly hurt

 

Huh?  I'm enjoying the conversation.  I like talking baseball.

 

I know you come here to beg and seek attention, but some people actually come here to talk about sports and gambling.

[HarryCaray]

Anyway, back on topic, the book is not closed on the "year after championship" season.  NL Central still within reach, but to win it and go on to be any sort of contender in the postseason a move will have to be made to acquire more SP.  

 

That, paired with a turnaround in situational hitting from some guys, and they could be a force again.  Definitely.

 

But right now they are excellent fade material.

[Dingo]

Anyway, back on topic, the book is not closed on the "year after championship" season.  NL Central still within reach, but to win it and go on to be any sort of contender in the postseason a move will have to be made to acquire more SP.  

 

That, paired with a turnaround in situational hitting from some guys, and they could be a force again.  Definitely.

 

But right now they are excellent fade material.

Very hard to repeat in any major sport

Most teams falter the next season after winning a championship

[Sol Aristatel]

Huh?  I'm enjoying the conversation.  I like talking baseball.

 

Timely likes hearing himself talk.  

 

Let this be a lesson to you.  Don't engage.  He's never wrong.

 

Ever.  

[Timely Hitting]

Timely likes hearing himself talk.  

 

Let this be a lesson to you.  Don't engage.  He's never wrong.

 

Ever.  

lol tilting again. you realize he was talking to/quoting pockets, right? jajajaja

 

he was enjoying the conversation we were having. rockets interrupted and he made that post. can't make this shit up;.

[Sol Aristatel]

lol tilting again. you realize he was talking to/quoting pockets, right? jajajaja

 

he was enjoying the conversation we were having. rockets interrupted and he made that post. can't make this shit up;.

 

I never would have guessed. 

[ajt]

My favorite pastime this season is betting against this joke of a team

 

One of the very worst seasons following a world series title

No, if you've been betting against them they would be rolling.

[HarryCaray]

lol tilting again. you realize he was talking to/quoting pockets, right? jajajaja

 

he was enjoying the conversation we were having. rockets interrupted and he made that post. can't make this shit up;.

 

Funniest part is I thought pockets hated you too.  Guess he hates me more?  Guy is so twisted around and full of hate he doesn't even know who to root for in our exchanges.

[Guest pocketrockets]

Funniest part is I thought pockets hated you too.  Guess he hates me more?  Guy is so twisted around and full of hate he doesn't even know who to root for in our exchanges.

 

Dont know who to root for? JFC you are such a pathetic human being.

 

I dont know who TH is, you were supposed to be a pal... but no, you are a backstabbing puss hurt traitor piece of shit who Id fuck over 100 times. And it will happen.

 

Just hang in there... 

[HarryCaray]

Dont know who to root for? JFC you are such a pathetic human being.

 

I dont know who TH is, you were supposed to be a pal... but no, you are a backstabbing puss hurt traitor piece of shit who Id fuck over 100 times. And it will happen.

 

Just hang in there... 

 

I was supposed to be a pal?  We were supposed to be buddies?  Ask yourself this - who fucked over whom first?  I was trying to do you a favor, and you tried to stick it in my ass.  You don't take shots out of the pocket of your friends.  You fucked up.  Stop blaming me for your fuck ups.  Seems to be a pattern with you.

 

No one is scared of you, so you can just save that bullshit.  You don't intimidate me.  You are just an immature little kid with nothing to offer this world - seen your type before.

[Downsouth]

 I was trying to do you a favor, and you tried to stick it in my ass.  

 

My wife has said this to me a time or two over the years.