Spiegs can't take all the "panic" talk today!

Get him a paper bag...

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

It's "Panik".

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Panic is probably not the right word but if you're a Cubs fan and you don't see reason to be concerned at least a little you're a fucking idiot

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I'm a Cubs fan and I wish they were playing better. Better defense, pitching, and hitting. That said...I still think it's early and I sort of like the fact that they are not just running away from the division. If they start to truly fall behind,...let's just say 6,7, or 8 games back from first....Then I'll start to be concerned. As long as they are close to first...and as the season moves along start to play better, I think they will be fine and win their division. They have young players still, and each season is unique. I lived through too many years of cubs suckage....to not enjoy what is a competitive team with potential to play better.

Baseball seasons are long...and crazy things happen. I'm just going to sit back and watch it unfold. 2016 happened...and now I can hope it happens again.

R-E-L-A-X

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Memorial Day Weekend at the Mount Prospect Lions Club festival, Tributosauraussisus becomes Panic at the Disco.

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

Does The Great Joe Maddon need to have them wear onesies more often or take them to the zoo?

When only 3 guys of your regular 8 hitters have an OPS+ above 100, and 2 of those are barely above the league average mark....yeah, it's perfectly fine to panic. Especially when "Babe 'effing Ruth" has about the same OPS+ as the guy with the newly rebuilt swing, for whom being 13% below league average is a marked improvement.

This isn't panic at games 1-15, mind you. 20% of the season has already gone by, and they're barely "meh".

So it's perfectly fine to panic....but this isn't time to panic?

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Whut? Try again.

In your post you wrote..."yeah, it's perfectly fine to panic".......Then later in the same post you wrote..."This isn't panic at games 1-15". Maybe I'm confused by the 1 - 15....are you saying they are far enough into the season, and given their current stats (bad)...that is time to panic?

Seriously...why would anyone "panic" when your ballclub is 500....and are 2 games out of first...and it's May? I don't get it. I know they are not playing good, but I am by no means in any state on panic. That is stupid IMO.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Serious question. How many games must be played before "not playing good" is not being good?

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Panic time might just be the realization that much of their young talent isn't on the hall of fame career path many envisioned just a few short months ago.

Not sure. I'll just say 81 for sake of given a specific answer. I think at the half-way point of a season, your "gut" usually tells you what-is what. That is not to say you can't tell earlier than that...and it is not to say a team cannot rebound after that. For this Cubs team....I'll just wait & see where they are at at the half way point. My hope is to see them make the playoff's again (this year). That is it...for now.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Depends. How many years has Quintana been pitching now?

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I think they will hit eventually, but they have a serious pitching depth problem. And Maddon is wearing out their bullpen. If they get swept by the Cardinals this weekend, I think it will be full on panic. The first pitching match-up is not a great way to start a series for them.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

They have a two-three week stretch here with no off days so if they don't get it together and the Cardinals keep winning then I will panic. They're using all the off days as excuses so if they keep playing like this we will have to accept that they might not have it this year.

I didn't know "games 1-15" was ambiguous. Yes, I'm saying that the World Series Champs being decidedly "meh" at best through 20% of the season defending their title is ample reason to panic.



Do you honestly believe they are where they are now because of tough luck losses? If so, yeah, I can see why you don't find reason to panic. But for those that see incredibly poor performances from Baby Ruth and 1/2 of Brizzo, as well as an aging pitching staff faltering start after start, it looks as though every facet of the game is in disarray, and that doesn't bode well.

You and I have different philosophical views about the game, and the conversation you're having right now is one of the issues I have with predictive stats. Most people only like them when they are leading them to their desired conclusion. Cub fans don't want to accept that their are numerous statistical indicators that don't bode well for this team's future, but if the indicators pointed the other way, some of the same guys would be reciting them.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Personally, I'm good with Cubbie panic. It's therapeutic for me.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I never said anything about tough losses. I fully acknowledge & recognize their poor play for a 500 ballclub. I still believe their talent will show itself enough so that they will win this (weak ) division. I believe their biggest concern is their starting pitching. So if you are comfortable enough giving a "panic" evaluation after 15 games....then go for it. I'm not. If their defense continues to suck, batters continue to not hit, and starting pitching continues to struggle...then I will recognize that as well. I said earlier...I'll give them 81 games and see where they are then. You are free to panic away!!

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

They've played 34 games.

It's not 15 games though. It's more than twice that. Still early, of course, but there are negative trends.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I agree.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Nothing to worry about

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

We [The Cubs] Never Quit!

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

It doesn't sound like you have a problem with predictive stats; it sounds like you have a problem with people who selectively cite them.

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“Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office.”- JD Vance
“My god, what an !diot.”- JD Vance tweet on Trump
“I’m a ‘Never Trump’ guy”- JD Vance

They're in a shitty division. So it might only take 92 to win it. Cubs got that. They'll hit a 17 out of 20 win streak or something like that. Pull away and never look back.

Right, but since it's always humans using them it's rare that they're actually used blindly.

I bet a lot of horses and it's taken me a long time not to use numbers to support a conclusion I've already made rather than letting the numbers lead to the conclusion. It's something I always have to guard against.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don