He was told to try not to use Morrow in back to back games and NEVER 3 days in a row, yet used him 3 days in a row, which wound up resulting in him being lost for the season. Then he overused Cishek to the point where he is no longer nearly as effective. He got Strop hurt after he had already pitched 1 2/3 innings, he sent him up to hit with the bases loaded, despite having baseball's pinch hitting leader in hits in 2018 available to hit to try to pad the lead. He has RUINED a really good bullpen. he is the most overrated manager in the game. They won in 2016 despite his misuse of Chapman. he also misused Wade Davis in 2017, as he decided to try to STRETCH him out in the last month of the season. Stretch him out? More like tire him out, is what happened and Davis wound up finally blowing a save, after being perfect on the season before Joe decided to stretch him out. He is an idiot managing the bullpen.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Maddon sucks but maybe stop giving the Cubs all these relievers who can only pitch under a full moon.

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he's not perfect. but to nitpick him for every little thing is unfair. As for Wade Davis, he knew it was a one year thing. Just like w/ Chapman the previous year. And Davis was what 34/35 saves and got the final out vs the Nats in game 5? I think he did a good job w/ those guys.

When you pull starters consistently too early, it necessitates using the bullpen too much. It certainly hurt that guys like Chatwood HAD to be removed early in games. But all too often he has chosen to remove guys like Hendricks and Quintana earlier than they needed to be removed.

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Go Cubs!!!!

The point with Davis, is that he was dominant all year, before Maddon's STUPID idea to stretch him out. It resulted in Davis losing velocity on his fastball to the point where in the playoffs he was throwing almost all breaking pitches. He abused him to the point where he was no longer performing at his optimal level. WHICH IS WHERE YOU WANT GUYS IN THE PLAYOFFS!!

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Go Cubs!!!!

what are you talking about? he was 34/35 saves last year. is't maddon's fault he wasn't 35/35? he saved the games he was in in the playoffs. not sure how a successful wade davis is maddon's fault.

Wade Davis was not the dominant pitcher late last season and in the playoffs that he was for most of the season, after Maddon tried to stretch him out for the playoffs (dumbest idea ever). He got the job done, but his velocity was down and he regularly finished games with runners stranded, rather than the 1-2-3 innings he often had through most of the season. Just stupid managing.

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Go Cubs!!!!

sorry bud but i think you're making this up in your mind to justify your hate for maddon. I've never heard anyone say and it doesn't make much sense.

Elmhurst Steve, you are looking at a manager only regarding the X's and the O's and you aren't focused on the Jimmys and the Joes (to borrow a phrase from another sport.) There have been MANY examples of managers that aren't that great in game situations but are great at keeping the team moving forward. I don't think anybody will say that Maddon has been perfect at in game situations - the WS win was almost despite some of his decisions - but you aren't firing a guy with a track record as successful as his just because he didn't win the WS this year.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

No, you'd be firing him for blowing a five-game lead, losing a one-game playoff, and then losing a wild card game. We know Theo hasn't hesitated to fire a manager if he thinks there's a better one out there.

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You've got to be shitting me. Pulling Lester right now? For HAPP TO BAT FOR HIM?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Batting Heyward rather than Schwarber?? He should be fired just for that.

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Go Cubs!!!!

naw, Schawb's sucked this year. Heyward was having a better season. it was the right call.

Schwarber has had a great history in playoff games in case you have forgotten.

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Go Cubs!!!!

They can use his handling of Addison Russell's problems (or lack of attention to that issue), his mishandling of the bullpen, the team's underperformance after Maddon got "his guys' in as hitting and pitching coaches. But bottom line is he will not get an extension, which will result in Maddon asking to talk to other teams about jobs elsewhere and he will move on, is my guess and my hope.

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Go Cubs!!!!

My guess and my hope is you torture other message boards.

Once baseball season ends, I generally take some time away, until the hot stove talk begins.

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Go Cubs!!!!

are you planning to call the shows tomorrow? let us know i'd love to hear what you say.

Hot stove talk begins in January of 2077, see you then!

Joe Madden's theory of limiting batting practice deserves scrutiny.

I don't know what to think or say. The simple fact that a few days ago,the Cubs had the NL's best record and now are eliminated,leaves even me speechless. I don't know if going 7-3 in your last 10 games is a collapse,but whatever the Hell it was, wasn't enough. Now another failed season goes by the books and my Cub seasons are running out. Time to go back in hibernation.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Which part of his strikeout in the 9th was your favorite ? The 2-0 swing at ball 3 or the lame ass flail on 2-2 at the outside pitch?

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

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

Score guys had a stat head on yesterday and Schwarber was the worst of anyone in baseball this year in high leverage at bats. Like had only two hits that way all year.

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Elections have consequences.

I wanted Schwarber there because he's a high obp guy and you had a pitcher struggling to find the zone. He probably either works a walk to force the run in or hits the ball harder than Heyward.

I had no problem with Jhey batting there, he's got as good a chance as any to get a hit there.

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Senor says if anything, they take too much batting practice.

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My biggest beef with him is three-fold.

1) If you look at the '16 team, nearly every position player was headed upwards based on their age, experience, etc. There is one player that has gotten better on that team, Baez. Rizzo has remained consistent, and every single other young player has regressed; Bryant, Russell, Contreras, Almora, Schwarber. They are all worse. Who wears that? Maddon's reputation is as a player's manager. That's why he was hired to manage a young team ready to develop, but what exactly is he if nearly everyone that matters is a worse baseball player because of it?

2) This current window is shaping up more like the '85 Bears than the '91 Bulls. No one was going to win 6 in 8 in baseball, but I think everyone probably expected 7 years of playoffs, and 2-3 rings. Does this team have a better chance at winning 78 or 98 games next year? The window is closing and it's shaping up like '86, '87, '88, '89 Bears with Ditka. The star of the team just has to be Maddon, he loves his camera time, he loves his gimmicks, and he loves overmanaging. His ego has taken over, heck probably for good reason after '16. This isn't the young interchangable team that we had 2 years ago. It's getting close to Joe Torre xerox the lineup card territory circa '96-'01. We don't need gimmicks, catchphrases, theme trips, etc. This is a big boy baseball team now, act like it.

3) The clown suit Joe put himself in during the Russell situation played perfectly into Theo/Jed's plans. They were probably at a 25%-30% chance of removing Maddon, That's close to 50% now based on the result of the season, the regression of their home grown gems and the way the Russell situation looks optically.

That ..... that's actually correct.

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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

Hewyard: .335/.395/.731

Schwarber: .356/.467/.823



Unless you guys are taking defense into account on this pinch hitting situation (note: obp being super important since ALL you needed was ANY non-out) then Im afraid you are mistaken.

Schwarber hit .199 with runners on this year.. I'll take my chances with Jhey

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