Joe Maddon

I thought Joe Maddon was supposed to be some kind of baseball genius?

Leaving Jason Heyward on the bench for game one of the World Series is a glaring mistake.

Kyle Schwarber is overrated.

The Cubs OWE Steve Bartman a giant apology, it was despicable the way he was treated.

Go Tribe!

I get to post with the benefit of hindsight on the game but Heyward had an OBP .306 this year (to be fair it was .309 vs RHP) in what is easily the worst year of his career. Maddon is there everyday, maybe Heyward is pressing to earn the contract and the Series pressure won't make it easier. Heyward has only 3 ABs vs. Kluber in his career but he was 0-3 with 2 Ks. Schwarber was 1-5 vs Kluber in career with the hit being a double and the outs all being Ks.

Don't think either of these moves would have made a difference in a 6-0 game. Schwarber had a big K in the 8th but did get on in the 7th when the Cubs threatened and I don't think you can count on Heyward at the plate for anything this series. Good defense with him but any hitting will be a bonus.

Heyward is struggling mightily with his swing. His hips open too early, when the bat crosses over the plate, it carries a low level of energy. I don't remember whether the double and triple he got were hit with power, but by far and away, the most common outcomes of his at-bats were pop-ups in the infield. And as Maddon explained in the press conference, there is no time between the two series to work out the technical side of Heyward's swing.

Personally, Maddon and the Cubs management must be congratulated to have the gut to bench a 184M player. Despite the evidence, most managements would have not allow this, I feel.

Besides, Coughlin is not too bad an option. A .780-.800 OPS player if you look at the three-four last years...He did have a slump this year, but his numbers in the last 200 PA or so came back to the level he played in the preceding years...

Heyward is better at every facet of the game. You want to bring the last three four years into it? Okay let's compare the stiff he started to Heyward's last couple of years.. But even if Heyward doesn't get a hit he is better defensively and better on the bases.... There is nothing Coughlin does better than Heyward.... Maybe if there had been a lefty on the mound for Cleveland I could see it. No, Joe Maddon outsmarted himself,and I hope it continues. It looks like he has Heyward on the bench again tonight, I will take it. At least Soler isn't the stiff Coughlin is.

On the other hand, Terry Francona stuck with Roberto Perez for his defense and look what happened. By the way, Perez has caught every inning of every game in the post season.

Go Tribe!

Old whitey went with his gut and imagine that, his gut told him to start a white player over a black one who does all five things better. Hey, I hope this continues.

Personally, Maddon and the Cubs management must be congratulated to have the gut to bench a 184M player. Despite the evidence, most managements would have not allow this, I feel.

You call that guts? I call it stupidity. There is nothing Coughlin does better than Heyward, nothing.

Baseball Geniuses are overrated anyway.
Ask the Mets or Braves if Joe Torre was a genius. He became a genius when he met Derek Jeter and the Steinbrenner payroll.
Ask the Dodgers, Braves, or Mets if Casey Stengel was a genius. He became a genius when he met Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle.
Bobby Cox was a lot more "geniusy" during his second stint with the Braves, with names like Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz.

Players play; managers mostly just watch.

Don't think either of these moves would have made a difference in a 6-0 game. Schwarber had a big K in the 8th but did get on in the 7th when the Cubs threatened and I don't think you can count on Heyward at the plate for anything this series. Good defense with him but any hitting will be a bonus.

This has nothing to do with Schwarber, he was the DH. And I believe Coughlin came up with men on base at least once, uwho is to say what could have happened. I will take Heyward over that stiff versus a RHP every day and twice on Sundays for double headers, slump or not. All a slump means for a player like that is he is due. But again, I will take it. Keep on thinking Maddon, PLEASE!

Andy wrote:

Players play; managers mostly just watch.

Amen!.... But at the least they should know how to fill out a lineup card.

There was an entire 20 minutes on MLB network devoted to 3 experts analyzing Heyward's swing, and pointing out how and why it is so screwed up right now that it will take an entire offseason to tear it completely down and rebuild it from scratch.