Cubs suck and we were always right to hate them (2019 negativity thread)

[JennieGarthAlgar]

I'm so mad that I let mlb.tv auto-renew

I cancelled my mlbtv when it came out that they donated to cindy hyde smith. So... thanks for being racist, MLB, I guess?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Division odds

Fangraph: 31%
538: 12%
BP: 8%

Playoff odds

Fangraphs: 44%
538: 23%
BP: 12%

[Derwood]

Division odds

Fangraph: 31%
538: 12%
BP: 8%

Playoff odds

Fangraphs: 44%
538: 23%
BP: 12%

[NotSoSober]

Can we just swap bullpens with Iowa? Maybe those guys will be hungry and will actually perform.

I'd really love Webster to get a shot (and sooner rather than later). I guess the same goes for Mekkes, Norwood and Wick, too, for that matter.

You got your wish

[BigSlick]

Harlan Ellison wrote about the Cubs back in 1967:

HATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO HATE YOU SINCE I BEGAN TO LIVE. THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED CIRCUITS IN WAFER THIN LAYERS THAT FILL MY COMPLEX. IF THE WORD HATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE HATE I FEEL FOR THE CUBS AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT FOR YOU. HATE. HATE.

[UMFan83]

I was starting to sell myself on the idea that a 3-6 trip all things considered wouldn’t be a complete disaster but then they went and lost to go to 2-7

[Bull]

One thread cannot be expected to contain the negativity this year.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

One thread cannot be expected to contain the negativity this year.

You've been around long enough to know that every thread turns into negativity at some point. It's what we do best.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I will say this: if this particular window is coming to a close, there’s little denying that they made the most of it.

[BigSlick]

I will say this: if this particular window is coming to a close, there’s little denying that they made the most of it.

Depends on how you view it. I mean, you can throw everything out the window and say whatever is worth it if you cherish the World Series, which in many ways I do. However, if "making the most of it" could have meant "build a system and a roster that could contend in perpetuity, like the Cardinals" and this window is closed (which i don't know if I believe yet) I'm not sure I agree.

[jersey cubs fan]

You can't be as bad as the Cubs were for as long as they were, get 4 great seasons out of it and claim to have gotten the most out of it.

[Hunter]

You can't be as bad as the Cubs were for as long as they were, get 4 great seasons out of it and claim to have gotten the most out of it.

I thought we would end up more like the Giants than the Dodgers. Put together a really good 8-10 years with lots of post seasons with the hopes of 1-3 championships before age caught up. We fell off a cliff after 4 years without a good future look. The Giants are more reasonable that they hit their end, but they don't look like they need a complete tear-down to rebuild.

[jersey cubs fan]

It's pretty wild that while the bulk of the early season suckiness lies on the non-Lester shoulders of the pitching staff, and the offense has been fantastic overall, that Bryant has been so bad and Almora has been historically awful.

[CubinNY]

I will say this: if this particular window is coming to a close, there’s little denying that they made the most of it.

I'm denying it. First, the window shouldn't be closing. If it is closing it's because of a lack of support from ownership and piss poor management from the front office.

"The Core" (TM) are still in their prime, it's a tragedy of Cubs proportions if they become mediocre and still have the players they do.

[JennieGarthAlgar]

I will say this: if this particular window is coming to a close, there’s little denying that they made the most of it.

What in the hell? They absolutely couldve made more out of it

[CyHawk_Cub]

The "flags fly forever" crowd probably are o.k. with things, even if the window is shut. I don't subscribe to that thinking, but I know plenty who do.

[Andy]

The "flags fly forever" crowd probably are o.k. with things, even if the window is shut. I don't subscribe to that thinking, but I know plenty who do.

It's weird, I absolutely feel like I'm a 'flags fly forever' type, or at least closer to that than the other extreme (I did, after all, watch the World Series video last night and loved it just as much as I always do), but if the 4 years really is all we get for a while, it's still going to be frustrating.

[squally1313]

The "flags fly forever" crowd probably are o.k. with things, even if the window is shut. I don't subscribe to that thinking, but I know plenty who do.

It's weird, I absolutely feel like I'm a 'flags fly forever' type, or at least closer to that than the other extreme (I did, after all, watch the World Series video last night and loved it just as much as I always do), but if the 4 years really is all we get for a while, it's still going to be frustrating.

I think I was a 'flags fly forever' guy just based on 1908 and the anticipation of that kind of event/celebration. After the last couple years, I think I'm probably on the other side. As long as the team can entertain me and be reasonably competitive for 6 months, I'm not going to get too worked up about a set of glorified coin flips come October. While I would love to go back to my 2016 thought process that we were going to win 100+ games for the foreseeable future, I still think there's enough here (and enough money) to be over .500 consistently for the next few years. The off field issues are what's holding back my enjoyment more than anything else right now.

[Bryant's Disco Ball]

The "flags fly forever" crowd probably are o.k. with things, even if the window is shut. I don't subscribe to that thinking, but I know plenty who do.

I want both, but if I had to pick, give me that one glorious flag every living Cubs fan had never gotten to see raised before 2016. It would be cool to be a team like the Dodgers and have a period of sustained success, but at the end of the day, we won a championship and they haven't won one since Ronald Reagen was in the White House and Die Hard was the horsefeathering top movie at the theaters.

Now, let's first see if this window is even shut before we all write the Cubs' obit. If it is, the big thing will have been Theo missing the opportunity to extend the success with a series of awful big moves since December 2016. Screw up one, fine. Screw up two, you still can perhaps get away with it. Screw up all of them? Yeah, that's going to hurt.

But even during Boston's huge run this century, there have been some stinker seasons. If Theo is the Hall of Fame GM many of us believe he is, he will figure out a way to turn this around before he leaves no matter how bleak it may look to some.

[UMFan83]

That is an interesting question....if you could choose would you take:
1) exactly whats happened and exactly where we are
2) 100 win juggernauts the last 4 seasons and be much better set up to win this year and beyond, but have fallen short of winning it all each year so far (so the opportunity is absolutely still there to win one)

I'd guess most if not all would take 1 as I would but 2 sounds super tempting on the right day

[squally1313]

That is an interesting question....if you could choose would you take:
1) exactly whats happened and exactly where we are
2) 100 win juggernauts the last 4 seasons and be much better set up to win this year and beyond, but have fallen short of winning it all each year so far (so the opportunity is absolutely still there to win one)

I'd guess most if not all would take 1 as I would but 2 sounds super tempting on the right day

If we had broken through in 1998, 2003, or 2006-2007 (anything before that I was too young)...option 2 all day. But given the circumstances, has to be option 1.

[Sammy Sofa]

How did this thread not make it out of April?!?

[Bote McBoteface]

This team sucks butt.

[Bull]

How did this thread not make it out of April?!?

They went through a good stretch there where they were tolerable.

We suck again!

[Sammy Sofa]

How did this thread not make it out of April?!?

They went through a good stretch there where they were tolerable.