...which is nice.

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Elections have consequences.

I would think that people that do not like Maddon would be good with all these changes. Theo had been clear that these choices are on Maddon. If they do not go well all the blame is going to be at the feet of Maddon.

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

W&S had a tape today of Maddon admitting he lied during the playoffs that the coaches were great or safe. Didn’t want to upset the room during the series.

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Elections have consequences.

That was a no win situation for Maddon. What can he say there? Yeah I am cleaning house as soon as we are out? He did all he could do with that situation.

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

Not saying he’s wrong. Just reporting.

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Elections have consequences.

Even after Maddon is caught in his own web of lies, Ralph still has his back on here. Smh

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Don't you have another poker game to no call/no show for?

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

Shots fired.

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Elections have consequences.

I've heard that there was a call.

I can't divulge my exact source, but let's just say he or she was very close to the situation.

Sounds as if we didn't get the whole story.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

With Hickey on board, who has seen Alex Cobb pitch? Is he at least a 3?

Do the Cubs have an ace in this group?

This is a high quality rotation. They will win the division with this group assuming health, but this rotation looks like a several #2 or #3 type starters.

How do they get an ace?

He's heading into his 27 year old year coming off two years of 2.87 and 2.76 ERA's in the AL East.

An Ace is still the best way, but this has me thinking about teams that won without one. The 2015 Royals did it.

If you have a dominant bullpen it can be done.

"We don't talk about any roster or coaching decisions in the season"

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yea, lots of stuff he could say.

We're focused on the Dodgers and that's off season stuff.


I dont believe Maddon is some evil asshole who would purposely say they were coming back knowing they were gone though.

The question isn't what can he say, but what can't he say or what shouldn't he say.

He can't say that he is thinking of cleaning house. That I agree with.

To say he did all he could is completely wrong. Ten days ago, he spoke in glowing terms of his staff;

He should not have said that. Actually, he can't say that without a boatload of backlash. Maddon is deserving of every piece of criticism he is getting right now. This is all his own fault.

It has become a no win situation for Maddon because of what he said. He should have given a non answer answer...something to the effect of "My coaching staff has won a lot of games for me, and right now they are doing the best they can to prep the guys to try and extend this NLCS. There is a time and place to talk about offseason moves, and this is not it." If he says that its done and over with. Instead he had to act like the smartest guy in the room again and in retrospect sounded like a total idiot. There is simply no defending him here. Take off your Cubs colored glasses for a minute and try to look at the situation logically.

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If you want to get into a debate with a World Series winning manager, I think that is something highly inappropriate.

So Maddon can do or say no wrong simply because his team over came his own questionable (at best) managerial moves to win Game 7 last year?

I think that is quite an illogical stance to take.

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What question was Maddon responding to that put him in an awkward position? His comment was made before the season ended...did some asshole reporter ask him whether he was bringing the staff back while the playoffs were still in progress?

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Yes.

Everyone's contract was up so its not like they were fired. Is there any chance any of these guys told Joe and the Cubs to piss off after Bosio was not retained?

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

He's not evil. He's a weasel.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

This morning Mully and Hanley were discussing whether coaches would become mere puppets and that even in-game decisions would eventually be made upstairs by Theo, Jed, or their number crunchers. Is that type of thing allowed currently? (i.e., communication from outside the dugout)

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Disagree.

Guy had a clause in his contract that if the GM left, he could leave. They got rid of this great GM and he enacted the clause.

You're not supposed to have cell phones but I imagine if a GM wants, he could do it.

How is the statement above even debatable?

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How is the statement above even debatable?

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Wade Boggs reporting Davey Martinez will be announced as the new Nats manager.

I disagree. He could have simply stated that all their focus was currently on trying to win another World Series and anything else will have to wait until that is accomplished or the team falls short of that goal......NEXT.

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Go Cubs!!!!