Running 2017 MLB regular season thread

OK maybe ‘Sports Illustrated’ was right about the 2017 Astros

 

Bartolo Colon. Not RAW.

 

It's cute that the Cubs got a nice outing out of Eddie Butler and Mike Montgomery, but these numbers remain alarming:

Zobrist .233
Rizzo .233
Russell .213
Schwarber .162

 

Astros on pace to win 117.

 

These are part of the problem, too.

Lester 3.91
Lackey 4.80
Hendricks 4.06
Arrieta 4.60

The Cubs ard 15th in the majors in runs scored and 23rd in ERA.

 

They should wear more funny suits.

 

I'm actually surprised they're 15th. That seems high.

 

Did the Cubs just think their offense was good enough to bash to another title? There's no way they could expect Hendricks to ever be that good again. Lackey is old. Arrieta, as Dick has chronicled painstakingly for two years now, has been on a downward trend for a while. It just seemed overly optimistic to roll that same staff out there. Nothing their bottomless cash reserve can't fix in short order, I guess, but it seems rather shortsighted for a franchise that's seemed to have the golden touch for so long. They need to be wary they don't make the same mistakes the 1990s Indians did-- building a world-class offense (assuming this first half is an aberration) and pairing it with an aging/patched together rotation (Starring Dave Burba! Ken Hill! Mark Clark! Old Jack Morris! Old Orel Hershiser! Old Dennis Martinez! Old Chuck Finley! A one-pitch cameo by John Smiley! And Broken-down Jack McDowell as the overburdened small-town sheriff!) that keeps them from fully becoming what we expected.

 

That sounds like the Orioles a little bit, except for that world-class offense part.

 

The Cubs also had one of the best defensive teams on record last year.

 

They're in first place, right? No complaining allowed if they're in first place.

 

It helps that the NL Central is weaker, at least so far, especially the Cardinals.

The Cubs were 40-16 after 56 games last season. Now they are 29-27. That is a decline worth noting.