CubsPS+ Podcast - Mike Waller

Ian Happ over the last four seasons: 119 wRC+ 13.3 WAR 86 HR That’s clearly a good player. Yet he might be the most controversial Cub. I tried to figure out why in CubsPS+ Episode 115. 🎧 Ian Happ: The Most Confounding Cub 🔗 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cub…

Queens has arrived. @QUCoachGrant with the custom 🇺🇸🇮🇪 sweater. Said all year he’d wear one for St. Patrick’s Day week if team made first tourney. Well here it is in all its glory. @queensMBB @wcnc

This Iowa fan finds rooting for a Fran McCaffery team against Illinois/Underwood to be pretty comfortable.

To be clear, I tweeted this at the start of the inning trying to manifest…it did not actually happen.

Bases juiced, 2 out, Palencia vs. PCA. I need this in my veins.

Not -so-hot take: As long as you've been a #16 that beat a #1, you shouldn't have to play a play-in game in Dayton. @UMBC_MBB #MarchMadness

Caitlin: “you yell at me for not passing you the ball and then you run in all excited to shoot a layup and you can’t even catch my pass.” Kelsey: “I did catch it.” Caitlin: “Barely…the ref woulda hit one of these 67.” 😭😭😭 the duo we didn’t know we needed

🎟️ QUEENS PUNCHES THEIR TICKET 🎟️ @queensMBB is heading to the NCAA tournament for the first time EVER! 🎉

I say @ParceRum you say….. @thecompoundpod @ihapp_1

Full breakdown in the newest CubsPS+ episode: Ian Happ: The Most Confounding Cub 🎧 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ble…

One criticism I hear about Ian Happ all the time: “He’s not clutch.” So I looked at his leverage splits since 2022: High leverage: 117 wRC+ Medium leverage: 125 wRC+ Low leverage: 115 wRC+ He doesn’t really get “hot” in big moments. He just stays Ian Happ all the time.

@steviethurst Why should a player just have to “go where you are told” with no say? Players have won this right at the bargaining table.

NMC/NTCs are a joke. You make millions go where you are told. Could have had a huge role in Buffalo.

Let’s say a player gives you ~3 WAR…how easy is that to replace?

The answer, as noted, is Ian Happ. He’s averaged a 119 wRC+ over the last 4 seasons without a single season dipping lower than 116. For those who voted “replaceable” or “meh”, I’d toss back the question - with who, at a cost that doesn’t hurt somewhere else?

Player A (4 consecutive seasons): .251/.347/.433 86 HR 119 wRC+ 13.3 WAR Would you want this player on your team?

I've definitely seen the office version of this move.

Iowa OL Gennings Dunker running the 40-yard dash was meant to be set to "Free Bird":

Random thought for today: PJ Fleck is the Big Ten’s #2 head coach for tenure, hired in 2017…18 years after Kirk Ferentz started at Iowa.

Wild!

Ben Brown today: 2.0 IP | 1 H | 0 BB | 0 R | 3 K Pitch Usages: KC - 41% FF - 37% SI - 19% CH - 4% Four different pitch types, sitting 97+ on FF/SI, generated a 55% whiff rate and 85.4 mph EV.