Cubs starters are #1 in WHIP, #3 in BAA, #6 in ERA, and Top 5 in K/BB (can't find the stat and don't want to do the math. They may be #1. Arrieta, Hammel, and Hendricks are all in the Top 20 in MLB. Lester is #39)

Is this the best Cubs rotation since Wood, Prior, Clement, Zambrano, Maddux? The numbers say as good, at the very least. Statistically, except for ERA...2015 could be considered 'better.'

Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Harden were fantastic in 2008, but Marquis was a weak link.

edit: 2009 was good too.

Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Harden, and Wells. Harden actually had the worst stats out of that rotation, that year.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Whoa lil Buddy.

Let a season play out. While the starting rotation has been really good, it's a long season. Lotsa guys shoot 69 in one of the four rounds of any PGA tourney....its the guy who keeps it together for 4 days and gets it done in the stretch. Thats big time baseball.

That Hammel 2nd half last year in Oakland seems to come to mind really quick for me.

The guy who should be getting some praise....Bosio...

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Well, in your analogy we'd be through two rounds. And I'm a huge fan of Bosio, I've been saying that on this board for years. He is one of the top pitching coaches in baseball, if not the single best.

But this rotation is good, and one could see Lester and Hendricks having better second halfs (halves?). Arrieta is proven, and I expect Hammel to have a good second half, even if some of he stats like WHIP climb more toward his career norm.

But this isn't April or May. We're over a week into July.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

The Cubs rotation is fine. The thing is, if you reach the postseason, do you really like Arrieta or Lester going up against Kershaw or Bumgarner or Scherzer? If that happens I guarantee you'll start to hear stuff about how the Cubs were "built for the regular season".

But the truth is, you have to make the postseason first. And I'm starting to think Theo's philosophy of trying to stockpile bats is a good one. At least as far as making the playoffs is concerned. The difference between Kershaw and Hammel in the current run scoring environment isn't that great. I mean, nobody is going to want Hammel going against Kershaw in a postseason game, but losing regular season games 1-0 or 2-1 isn't helping anyone get to the playoffs.

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General Jim wears Fort Bragg down to get it!

You know I'd take Arrieta above pretty much everyone except Sale and Scherzer in 2015. I've been a huge believer. He also is now 5-1 against the Cardinals. Not only is he good, but he steps up in big situations.

Ideally, I'd be able to trust Lester more. And I think he will have a good second half so hopefully we won't have those questions. He has a proven playoff track record. Hammel and Hendricks? Well, let's just say I'm not super comfortable with Hendricks as the fourth, but who knows? He will only get "smarter" at pitching. But the Cubs could still make a move.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Harden was good, but all I remember was that he could never pitch past 5 or 6 innings.

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Guaranteed to have at least 100 pitches by the 5th.

Yeah, he averaged 6 IP per start for the Cubs (and A's) that year.

But it was a stellar 6 IP.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Today's version of this is Greinke in several of his starts.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Greinke will always have my respect for being one of the few guys who openly admits that he'll sign with the team that's willing to pay him the most.

Yes he will, and he will do it again this offseason.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Even if Lester doesn't return to form, the potential is still clearly there; too early to make the call though one way or the other.

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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

Kershaw turns into Bad John Danks in the playoffs. I'd take Hammel against him (the other guys.... not so much).

Perm banning you from the Clash of Clans was the greatest decision Nas ever made.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

All it takes is good bats and a hot streak of pitching once you get in the playoffs.

I think Theo's philosophy is that it's easier to lucky with less $$ investment on pitching than it is to develop long-term bats...he may be right. I'l be more curious in what they do in the next 2 off-seasons if these bats are is good as people think.

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...All is well in CoC paradise?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Yes. He has been gone for a long time. This isn't recent news.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

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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

Was he just as annoying there?

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

do you remember 2004? kerry wood was 8-9 with a 3.72 ERA and prior was 6-4 with a 4.02 ERA and they both missed time again for injuries. maddux was OK as a plughole but still had a 4+ ERA, and Clement had a losing record. on paper they were considered great but i wouldn't think that on paper the 2015 pitching staff for the cubs was considered "great".

The worst ERA in their starting rotation was 4.02. In 2004, that was very good. Again, you're saying "4+" and while that is technically accurate, 4.02 is barely 4.

I think you've gotten used to the current state of major league baseball, where ERA's and runs are way down.

2004 average ERA

AL 4.63
NL 4.31
MLB 4.46

2015 average ERA

AL 3.86
NL 3.79
MLB 3.82

Stick to movie reviews.

edit: Glendon Rusch had 16 starts and posted a 3.47 ERA that year as well.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

well you do realize...they...missed the playoffs right? i mean, this isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. yes, glendon was pretty decent for them. you didn't mention him, though, in your original post. but their bullpen wasn't very good and they melted down as a team anyway.

2004 is not a good year to measure for this team if you're looking for sunshine this year. 2008, better...

I was just thinking that the 2004 Cubs might be in the team photo for most unlikable sports teams of all time.

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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

Kent Merker would like a word with you.

Exactly.

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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

And yet they won more games in 2004 than they did in 2003.

And the topic title says "Cubs Starting Staff". Don't nitpick - he was a part of it during Wood and Prior injuries.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

yeah and they made the playoffs in 2003. if he was so "part of it" you would've included him in the first place!

just go with 2008 and forget about 2004. i'm still trying to.

The IMU curse

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

What a jinx

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

Hammel is going to be ready for his next start.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.