Roberts has been over-managing the hell out of this series. Can't expect your bullpen and shitty bench to get you through the NLCS. While Maeda was setting the world on fire in either start, he wasn't horrible and he wasn't in trouble in either game when he came out. Last night he was yanked with Lester coming up. WTF was that?

If you really think your bullpen pitchers are so great, then why aren't they starting?

Doyers offense is biggest issue for them. Other than the Toles cat they don't have anyone lighting it up.

This is why we can't have a serious discussion. Because you seem to remember incorrectly.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/playe ... Career&t=p

Jon Lieber only started 9 games on short rest, and was terrible with an ERA of approximately 6.00 over 50.1 IP. That translates to only 5+ IP per start, as well.

In fact, his ERA gets better for every additional day of rest he had between starts.

How did this serious conversation go for you?

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Swung on and belted.

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Maeda is not good, in a 7 game set the Dodgers should lose to the Cubs every time..he's just trying anything to close that talent gap. Even Kershaw isn't good, he's never been good in the post season until the Cubs bats disappeared and I don't credit him for that. I blame the cubs, I expect the Cubs to beat him up in game 6.

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Kershaw's curveball was complete trash in Game 2.

Honestly, he looked average. The Cubs offense was just horrid.

what got me about last nights game was all the Dodgerns hang-ups on bunting. Smoltz seemed to have the right idea when he stated a couple of times that all that BS is fine and good, but if you don't steal the fucking base then what is it really doing for you? The lead off guy, Hernandez, looked like a fool dancing and jumping and taking that enormous lead and he never ran and he gets stranded! every time Gonzalez and Pederson try to bunt its a win for Lester. I think Lester was in the DODGERS heads more than they were in his head. Joc Pederson does two things - strike out and occasionally hit long home runs. When you have him up there fake bunting himself into terrible counts, I say "thanks". Adrian Gonzalez is not at his best trying to lay one down and beat out a drag bunt, so thanks for that too. and if Hernandez cant steal 2nd after leading off the game with a hit and takes a 20 ft lead, and gets stranded after a hit and a long fly ball, then what the fuck did you have him leading off for?

Lester was a rock last night no matter how many time Joe Buck seemed to insinuate that all of that nonsense was a distraction of some kind. He was so excited when they scratched across that first run he could hardly contain himself. it was like he was telling the viewers "See? See? they are getting to him! He's getting rattled!" and to his credit, Smoltz didnt seem to be buying that.

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I like Smoltz. He talks about himself a little too much but for the most part I don't mind hearing stories about his experiences. He does a good job.

I said it a few pages back during the game but it begs repeating. With all the nonsense that the Doyers were pulling last night - fake bunt attempts, excessive lead offs, games and trying to get in Lester's head, etc...

Last night, Jon Lester showed those boys how men pitch and play baseball.

He was awesome.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

What's so great about Lester is that he refuses to miss his spot in the zone. If he misses it's going to be a ball.

The guy fuckin grinds and just refuses to give in.

Smoltz is great, he does talk about his past often, but in a good way..his struggles not his accomplishments. He was right about those guys only hurting themselves with the dancing around n fake bunts, Kendrick had the right idea..get on base, take huge walking leads n steal.

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Jon Lester.

#ChicagoTough

Take that, Bernstein.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

Exactly, the only thing Hernandez's dancing around did was distract the Dodgers' batters.

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Loved Lester fielding that bunt and purposely skipping the ball to first...then giving the Doyers' bench the stink eye.

That was great

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Yeah, I mean, if a baseball analyst is going to talk about his career a lot, best for it to be a 22-year Hall of Fame career (though I wish he hadn't had that last year with Boston and St. Louis, he sucked and could have spent his whole career with Atlanta).

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

I'll show you how to end an argument...

you're right. I still think I'm right in general but I'm wrong on Lieber. We'll see if we get two games in a row of Kershaw after tomorrow.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

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classic CofF. You're right, but I still think I am right

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

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I'm not going to pull up every dominant breaking ball pitcher in history, but there is a reason why baseball has settled on a five man rotation being the standard. It is the balance of health and effectiveness.

If the Dodgers thought they could pitch Kershaw every four days instead of five for an entire postseason and not lose anything, they would be doing it.

Instead, teams have to weigh "Is Kershaw at 75% effectiveness (and risk of injury) better than my fourth starter at full rest and potentially 100% effectiveness."

Look, I'm a huge fan of serious baseball talk. This board doesn't get much of it. And part of the reason why is because blanket statements are made readily without any bit of support...hoping that a) it is correct and b) if not it won't be checked.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

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I also liked the one where Baez thought he caught the liner and showed it to the ump before throwing it to first. Smooth operator.

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That's what the one above you was supposed to be...oops.

FIXED

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there will be a team that does do that...goes to a four man rotation.

And they did completely change course on how Kershaw was used in order to win with their back up against the wall. I've played a lot of baseball and I literally have a guy next door to me who pitched in the minors...this is a held belief amongst pitching coaches. Obviously there's diminishing returns in anything but having a tired arm is thought to contribute to better breaking ball in certain pitchers.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

I didn't like that play. Imagine if the ump calls him out, Baez doesn't throw to first and replay shows a trap, which I thought it did...just throw to first! Why take a chance? It was a move from a player who is immensely talented but has a huge ego. We won't be singing this kid's praises next year, I'm convinced of that. I'm just as sure Maddon is a big fan as I'm sure Theo is not. Offensively he still tries to do too much. There's a very good reason he's at 2nd and not at short.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.