Time for Cubs weekly previews and predictions!
This week I preview the NLDS!
CHICAGO CUBS---97-64---CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS
VS
LOS ANGELES DODGERS---84-78---WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONS
CUBS ARE 5-2 VERSUS THE DODGERS THIS SEASON, SWEEPING ALL 3 AT WRIGLEY AND SPLITTING 4 AT LA.
Look for close, low scoring games this series. In the 7 games, the winning team won by an average of 2 runs.
Game 1 Wednesday@ Wrigley-Ryan Dempster (17-6, 2.96) vs Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24)
Game 2 Thurs. @Wrigley-Carlos Zambrano(14-6,3.91) vs Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14)
Game 3 Saturday@Dodger Stadium-Rich Harden(5-1, 1.77)vs Hiroki Kuroda (9-10,3.73)
Game 4 Sun@ Dodger Stadium-Ted Lilly(17-9,4.09) vs ???
Game 5 Tuesday @ Wrigley Field---Ryan Dempster vs ???
CUBS PITCHING VS DODGERS HITTING
CUBS TEAM ERA---3.87 (3rd in NL)
DODGERS TEAM AVG--- .264 (5th in NL)
CUBS STARTERS THIS SEASON VS LA
Dempster—2 starts (1-0, 4 runs over 12.1 innings)
Zambrano---2 starts (0-1, 8 runs over 14.2 innings)
Harden and Lilly have no appearances.
CUBS RELIEVERS THIS SEASON VS LA
Kerry Wood--- 4 innings (4 saves, 0 runs)
Carlos Marmol---3 innings (2 holds, 0 runs)
Bob Howry---3 innings (1-0, 1 hold, 1 run)
Neal Cotts--- 2.1 innings, (0-0, 0 runs)
Jason Marquis---1 start (1-0, 0 earned runs over 6.1 innings)
DODGER HOT HITTERS VS CUBS PITCHING THIS SEASON:
Jeff Kent--- 3 Hits, including a Home Run off Dempster
1 Home Run off of Howry
Juan Pierre---2 Hits off Dempster
Russell Martin--- 3-4 off Zambrano
Matt Kemp--- 1 Home Run off of Zambrano
ADVANTAGE: CUBS
The Cubs didn’t face Manny Ramirez this season, and he can turn the series into the Dodgers favor if the Cubs pitch to him. Lou won’t let that happen. He is the one man you can’t let hurt you. Rafael Furcal is rumored to be starting at second base. He has been on the DL since early in the year. He is certainly a threat, but he won’t be his usual self. Jeff Kent has good numbers against Ryan Dempster this season so look for Dempster to be careful with Kent if he’s in the lineup. Zambrano pitched well in his first outing versus LA, but got roughed up late in the 2nd start. He’s going up against Billingsley so the Cubs should get some runs on the board for Big Z to work with. The Dodgers strikeout a lot. This will be a big advantage for the Cubs bullpen that likes to mow down hitters. The young Dodger hitters will struggle in their first postseason experience.
DODGERS PITCHING VS CUBS HITTING
DODGERS TEAM ERA---3.68 (1st in NL)
CUBS TEAM AVG--- .278 (2nd in NL)
DODGERS STARTERS THIS SEASON VS CUBS
Lowe---2 starts (1-0, 3 runs over 14 innings)
Billingsley---2 starts (0-1, 6 runs over 11 innings)
Kuroda--- 2 starts (1-1, 1 earned run over 15.1 innings)
DODGERS BULLPEN THIS SEASON VS CUBS
Scott Proctor--- 2 innings (0-0, 1 run)
Jon Broxton--- 2.2 innings (0-0, 0 earned runs)
Takashi Saito---4 innings (0-1, 2 runs)
Cory Wade--- 3 innings (0-0, 0 runs)
CUBS HOT HITTERS VS DODGERS THIS SEASON:
Soriano homered off of Lowe
Lee, DeRosa, and Fukudome homered off of Billingsley
Ramirez homered off of Proctor
ADVANTAGE---CUBS
The Cubs lineup is stacked. Lowe has pitched well against us this year, but we won’t need to get much with Dempster taking the ball for us. Billingsley has struggled against the Cubs this season. I give Game 3 to the Dodgers if Kuroda takes the mound. He’s better at home, and for some reason the Cubs haven’t figured him out. As good as the Dodger bullpen is, the Cubs offense is much better. I look for them to break out the bats in the first 2 games to put LA down early in the series. The Dodgers pitching staff is very good, but the Cubs won’t need to push man runs across with our solid pitching staff pitching against the Dodgers.
MANAGING ADVANTAGE---DODGERS
Joe Torre gets the advantage in the managerial matchup. He’s one of the best in-game managers in the league and has been a great leader for this team in his first year.
FIELDING ADVANTAGE:---DODGERS
Los Angeles has a better fielding percentage than the Cubs so the advantage goes to the Dodgers. Both have strong catchers behind the plate that may shut down the running games.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE:---CUBS
The Cubs open with 2 at The Friendly Confines, and the Wrigley faithful are longing for a title after 100 years. The place will be rocking. Los Angeles may only have 1 game at home, and the Dodger fans are not nearly as big of an advantage.
PREDICTION---CUBS IN 4
I look for the Cubs to take Game 1 in a close game that is decided late. Game 2 will see the most runs of any game in the series. The Cubs will jump on Billingsley and Zambrano will do just enough to win. I give Game 3 to L.A. Harden will pitch well, but Kuroda will be the stopper for the Dodgers and get the one. Ted Lilly will come in Game 4 to close it out. The Dodgers may go with Lowe on 3 days rest, rookie Clayton Kershaw, or Greg Maddux. That would be interesting…Maddux pitching against the Cubs in the playoffs.
OTHER SERIES PREDICTIONS:
MILWAUKEE VS PHILADELPHIA---PHILLIES IN 4
BOSTON VS LOS ANGELES---ANGELS IN 5
CHICAGO VS TAMPA BAY---TAMPA BAY IN 4
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
IT'S THE DODGERS....
Thanks to Bob Howry…Ryan Braun’s 2-run homer yesterday gave the Brewers the win over the Cubs. The city of Milwaukee waited to watch the Mets blow yet another late season division lead, sending the Brewers to the playoffs as the Wild Card.
That means the Cubs will face Joe Torre’s Los Angeles Dodgers. This is the team I wanted to face weeks ago, and I won’t change my opinion now. Other members of the national media are weary…
Peter Gammons of ESPN has picked the Dodgers to win the series. ESPN radio’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic both agreed that the Cubs have a tough draw. I understand crazy things happen in a short series, and I’m fully aware the Cubs may get upset. But why do the Cubs not get the credit they deserve?
The Cubs have 97 wins, and we only played 161 games with the game that was cancelled due to the hurricane in Houston.
That is 5 more wins than Philadelphia’s 92. Milwaukee finished with 90. LA finished with only 84 wins, 13 fewer than the Cubs. And they played in far inferior division.
At times this season, you could argue the NL’s top 3 teams were in the Central division.
The times have been set for the NLDS.
Wednesday night at Wrigley---5:30 pm
Thursday night at Wrigley---8:30 pm
Saturday night at Dodger Stadium---9:00 pm
All games will be on TBS. The broadcasting crew for the Cubs-Dodger series will be as follows:
Dick Stockton, Ron Darling, and Tony Gwynn.
Of course, you know TBS would send their A-crew to cover the Angels-Red Sox series. That pair consists of Chip Caray and Buck Martinez.
As a Cub fan, I was hoping for Chip Caray. I always liked him when he worked for the Cubs and enjoyed his excitement and enthusiasm.
Check back Wednesday as I will have previews and predictions for the NLDS series!
That means the Cubs will face Joe Torre’s Los Angeles Dodgers. This is the team I wanted to face weeks ago, and I won’t change my opinion now. Other members of the national media are weary…
Peter Gammons of ESPN has picked the Dodgers to win the series. ESPN radio’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic both agreed that the Cubs have a tough draw. I understand crazy things happen in a short series, and I’m fully aware the Cubs may get upset. But why do the Cubs not get the credit they deserve?
The Cubs have 97 wins, and we only played 161 games with the game that was cancelled due to the hurricane in Houston.
That is 5 more wins than Philadelphia’s 92. Milwaukee finished with 90. LA finished with only 84 wins, 13 fewer than the Cubs. And they played in far inferior division.
At times this season, you could argue the NL’s top 3 teams were in the Central division.
The times have been set for the NLDS.
Wednesday night at Wrigley---5:30 pm
Thursday night at Wrigley---8:30 pm
Saturday night at Dodger Stadium---9:00 pm
All games will be on TBS. The broadcasting crew for the Cubs-Dodger series will be as follows:
Dick Stockton, Ron Darling, and Tony Gwynn.
Of course, you know TBS would send their A-crew to cover the Angels-Red Sox series. That pair consists of Chip Caray and Buck Martinez.
As a Cub fan, I was hoping for Chip Caray. I always liked him when he worked for the Cubs and enjoyed his excitement and enthusiasm.
Check back Wednesday as I will have previews and predictions for the NLDS series!
Friday, September 26, 2008
DEMPSTER CAN LEAD CUBS THROUGH PLAYOFFS...
Josh Beckett pitched teams to World Series championships in 2003 with the Marlins and in 2007 with the Red Sox.
Beckett’s teams have won every postseason series that he has pitched in. He has pitched in 10 postseason games, starting 9 of those.
Last season for the Red Sox, Beckett went 4-0 in the playoffs with 35 strikeouts and an ERA under 2.00 as they rode him straight to their second World Series championship in 4 years.
Ryan Dempster can be that same guy for the Cubs in 2008.
Lou must think so also. He’s given Ryan the ball in Game 1 of the NLDS on Wednesday. Dempster could come back and pitch Game 5, if needed.
You want Ryan to pitch at home because of his dominance at Wrigley this season. He just feeds off the energy of the friendly confines and pitches late into ballgames, giving us a chance to win.
Dempster is 17-6 this season, going for his 18th win tonight at Milwaukee. His previous career high was 15 in 2001.
The reason I choose Dempster is simple.
Zambrano has been too inconsistent as of late. He could pitch you a no-hitter one night and have you warming up the bullpen in the 3rd inning the next. Riding Big Z through the postseason would be too risky.
Harden has the nasty stuff to lead this team through the postseason, but he usually doesn’t take us deep into games. That would leave everything in the hands of our bullpen.
While Dempster isn’t flashy, he can get the job done. He has all season long.
The only concern I have with Dempster is the man we are counting on so much this postseason has just 1 inning of postseason work.
That came late in Game 2 of last years NLDS with the Diamondbacks. In his 1 inning, he struck out 2.
Dempster just needs to do what he’s done all season long. Be solid, and keep us in ballgames. Our offense will do the rest. A month from now we may be comparing what Dempster just did to what Beckett did one season ago.
Beckett’s teams have won every postseason series that he has pitched in. He has pitched in 10 postseason games, starting 9 of those.
Last season for the Red Sox, Beckett went 4-0 in the playoffs with 35 strikeouts and an ERA under 2.00 as they rode him straight to their second World Series championship in 4 years.
Ryan Dempster can be that same guy for the Cubs in 2008.
Lou must think so also. He’s given Ryan the ball in Game 1 of the NLDS on Wednesday. Dempster could come back and pitch Game 5, if needed.
You want Ryan to pitch at home because of his dominance at Wrigley this season. He just feeds off the energy of the friendly confines and pitches late into ballgames, giving us a chance to win.
Dempster is 17-6 this season, going for his 18th win tonight at Milwaukee. His previous career high was 15 in 2001.
The reason I choose Dempster is simple.
Zambrano has been too inconsistent as of late. He could pitch you a no-hitter one night and have you warming up the bullpen in the 3rd inning the next. Riding Big Z through the postseason would be too risky.
Harden has the nasty stuff to lead this team through the postseason, but he usually doesn’t take us deep into games. That would leave everything in the hands of our bullpen.
While Dempster isn’t flashy, he can get the job done. He has all season long.
The only concern I have with Dempster is the man we are counting on so much this postseason has just 1 inning of postseason work.
That came late in Game 2 of last years NLDS with the Diamondbacks. In his 1 inning, he struck out 2.
Dempster just needs to do what he’s done all season long. Be solid, and keep us in ballgames. Our offense will do the rest. A month from now we may be comparing what Dempster just did to what Beckett did one season ago.
SMALL BALL....
I'm taking a break from Cubs news for today and want to say a few words about "small ball." You know...the hit and run, stealing bases, and running from 1st to 3rd on a single.
I think baseball is finally exiting the "chicks dig the long ball" era of baseball. Steroids and HGH are leaving the ballgame with tougher penalities for offenders. I see a shift moving towards good pitching, base running, and defense. While good pitching has always won titles for years and years, I don't think teams necessarily have to hit home runs anymore to win.
Home runs are down from a year ago. Ryan Howard leads the majors with 47 home runs. Unless he hits 3 dingers in his final 3 games we will not see anyone eclipse the 50 home run mark. That will be the first time since Dodger Adrian Beltre hit 48 in 2004.
2007 ML Leader---Alex Rodriguez 54
2006 ML Leader---Ryan Howard 58
2005 ML Leader---Andruw Jones 51
I think the transition is happening quicker in the American League. Take a look at the playoff teams as they would be today: Tampa Bay, Boston, Los Angeles, and Minnesota.
Excluding Boston, the other three teams win exclusively with pitching, defense, and good baserunning.
The class of the league, the Angels, have won this way since Mike Scioscia arrived in 2000. They won the World Series in 2002. Since that title they've won 4 division championships. In my opinion, Scioscia could win the Manager of the Year award every single year. He only won in 2002. His Angels have averaged over 90 wins for the past 5 seasons. A little East Coast bias there...
Look at the Minnesota Twins...After a sweep of the Chi Sox, they have a half game lead on the division going into the weekend. They are looking for their 5th division title since Rod Gardenhire arrived in 2002.
Tampa Bay of all teams has proven this point as well. Their magic number to win the division sits at 1 with 3 to go. They've already punched their ticket to the postseason.
If small market teams like the Twins and Rays can win with "small ball" maybe it's a lesson to be learned for teams across baseball.
Don't forget, Rays Manager Joe Maddon is a former Angel. Something to be said there...
Finally, I have to give a shout out to former Angel, and now Minnesota Twin Alexi Casilla. He got the game winning single last night against the White Sox in the 10th inning to give the Twins the division lead. If Minnesota goes on to clinch the division, that will go down as one of the big hits in Twins history.
The second baseman came over from the Angels in the JC Romero trade back in 2005 and has earned his way to a starting spot for the Twins. Alexi played in Cedar Rapids with the Kernels as part of the Angel organziation back in 2004 and 2005. A great guy who has made his mark in the big leagues.
Nice job Alexi!
I think baseball is finally exiting the "chicks dig the long ball" era of baseball. Steroids and HGH are leaving the ballgame with tougher penalities for offenders. I see a shift moving towards good pitching, base running, and defense. While good pitching has always won titles for years and years, I don't think teams necessarily have to hit home runs anymore to win.
Home runs are down from a year ago. Ryan Howard leads the majors with 47 home runs. Unless he hits 3 dingers in his final 3 games we will not see anyone eclipse the 50 home run mark. That will be the first time since Dodger Adrian Beltre hit 48 in 2004.
2007 ML Leader---Alex Rodriguez 54
2006 ML Leader---Ryan Howard 58
2005 ML Leader---Andruw Jones 51
I think the transition is happening quicker in the American League. Take a look at the playoff teams as they would be today: Tampa Bay, Boston, Los Angeles, and Minnesota.
Excluding Boston, the other three teams win exclusively with pitching, defense, and good baserunning.
The class of the league, the Angels, have won this way since Mike Scioscia arrived in 2000. They won the World Series in 2002. Since that title they've won 4 division championships. In my opinion, Scioscia could win the Manager of the Year award every single year. He only won in 2002. His Angels have averaged over 90 wins for the past 5 seasons. A little East Coast bias there...
Look at the Minnesota Twins...After a sweep of the Chi Sox, they have a half game lead on the division going into the weekend. They are looking for their 5th division title since Rod Gardenhire arrived in 2002.
Tampa Bay of all teams has proven this point as well. Their magic number to win the division sits at 1 with 3 to go. They've already punched their ticket to the postseason.
If small market teams like the Twins and Rays can win with "small ball" maybe it's a lesson to be learned for teams across baseball.
Don't forget, Rays Manager Joe Maddon is a former Angel. Something to be said there...
Finally, I have to give a shout out to former Angel, and now Minnesota Twin Alexi Casilla. He got the game winning single last night against the White Sox in the 10th inning to give the Twins the division lead. If Minnesota goes on to clinch the division, that will go down as one of the big hits in Twins history.
The second baseman came over from the Angels in the JC Romero trade back in 2005 and has earned his way to a starting spot for the Twins. Alexi played in Cedar Rapids with the Kernels as part of the Angel organziation back in 2004 and 2005. A great guy who has made his mark in the big leagues.
Nice job Alexi!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
PREVIEWS AND PREDICTIONS
Beginning tonight I will start a weekly feature where I give previews and predictions for my beloved Cubs as they make their push into the postseason. You can check back every Wednesday for updates!
This week I predict what I think the Cubs’ postseason roster will be.
25 players will make the final cut for the postseason roster. After all of the September call ups the active roster currently consists of 33 players, 16 of those are pitchers. So, 8 players will need to cut before the Cubs open up the playoffs at Wrigley next Wednesday.
Let’s start with the pitchers. I predict they’ll take 11 pitchers. Usually most teams don’t take 12 into the postseason, especially in the NL where bench players are needed late in games.
So, here you go. We’ll start with the obvious ones:
1. Dempster
2. Harden
3. Zambrano
4. Lilly
5. Marmol
6. Wood
7. Marshall---Lou said last night he would be on the roster
No, we’re done to the final 4 spots:
8. Cotts---need another lefty besides Marshall
9. Samardzija---has been a boost to the pen late in the year
10. Marquis---I think his start in New York this week gave him his spot.
11. Howry---Has struggled lately, but I think Lou likes that he’s a veteran and has
pitched in big games.
So, here’s who is left out:
Gaudin---certainly the toughest to leave off. He struggled in his first appearance after his injury, and the injury concerns may leave him off the roster.
Hart, Guzman, Wuertz, and Wells
Now, for the position players:
In For Sure:
12. Soto
13. Blanco
14. Cedeno
15. DeRosa
16. Fontenot
17. Lee
18. Ramirez
19. Theriot
20. Edmonds
21. Fukudome
22. Johnson
23. Soriano
Now, done to the final 2:
24. Hoffpauir
25. Pie---He makes the cut because of his speed and defensive abilities. There is no reason to take Hoffpauir and Ward who are basically the same player.
Left Out:
Ward---This was my toughest choice of all. He could easily take Hoffpauir’s spot because of his veteran leadership.
Hill and McGehee
Let me know what you think!
This week I predict what I think the Cubs’ postseason roster will be.
25 players will make the final cut for the postseason roster. After all of the September call ups the active roster currently consists of 33 players, 16 of those are pitchers. So, 8 players will need to cut before the Cubs open up the playoffs at Wrigley next Wednesday.
Let’s start with the pitchers. I predict they’ll take 11 pitchers. Usually most teams don’t take 12 into the postseason, especially in the NL where bench players are needed late in games.
So, here you go. We’ll start with the obvious ones:
1. Dempster
2. Harden
3. Zambrano
4. Lilly
5. Marmol
6. Wood
7. Marshall---Lou said last night he would be on the roster
No, we’re done to the final 4 spots:
8. Cotts---need another lefty besides Marshall
9. Samardzija---has been a boost to the pen late in the year
10. Marquis---I think his start in New York this week gave him his spot.
11. Howry---Has struggled lately, but I think Lou likes that he’s a veteran and has
pitched in big games.
So, here’s who is left out:
Gaudin---certainly the toughest to leave off. He struggled in his first appearance after his injury, and the injury concerns may leave him off the roster.
Hart, Guzman, Wuertz, and Wells
Now, for the position players:
In For Sure:
12. Soto
13. Blanco
14. Cedeno
15. DeRosa
16. Fontenot
17. Lee
18. Ramirez
19. Theriot
20. Edmonds
21. Fukudome
22. Johnson
23. Soriano
Now, done to the final 2:
24. Hoffpauir
25. Pie---He makes the cut because of his speed and defensive abilities. There is no reason to take Hoffpauir and Ward who are basically the same player.
Left Out:
Ward---This was my toughest choice of all. He could easily take Hoffpauir’s spot because of his veteran leadership.
Hill and McGehee
Let me know what you think!
Monday, September 22, 2008
A BIG WEEK STILL AHEAD FOR THE CUBS...
The Cubs wrapped up home field advantage throughout the National League playoffs tonight with the victory over the Mets. The Mets now trail Philadelphia in the East by 2.5 games, but they lead Milwaukee by 1 game in the Wild Card.
The Cubs will have a lot to say about who will win the Wild Card. The Cubs play 3 more in New York and end with 3 games at Wrigley North with the Brewers.
I predict that Philly will wrap up the East, leaving the Brewers and the Mets to battle it out for the Wild Card.
The Brewers want the Cubs to beat up on the Mets. The Mets want the Cubs to beat up on the Brewers. But the Cubs have bigger fish to fry. They need to get their pitching rotation set for the postseason and basically hold week-long tryouts for the final positions on the playoff roster.
I think it will be the Mets who pull it out in the end, because let's face it...the Brewers just don't seem like a playoff team right now. So, if it is the Mets in round one...
Here's a few reasons why the Cubs have the advantage...
---The Cubs pitched Jason Marquis tonight (He may not even make the playoff roster and definitely won't get a start in round one)
---The Cubs pitch Sean Marshall tomorrow (Same as Marquis)
---The Cubs will face Johan Santana tomorrow night. (This will be a good chance for the Cubs to see him before he pitches in game one)
---Ted Lilly won't pitch in New York (If we face the Mets, Lilly could get the nod in the series because of the Mets left-handed bats. So, New York won't be able to see him before he pitches)
---The Cubs will most likely now rest some of the regulars. (Mets pitchers won't get a chance to face our studs before the playoffs)
I'm still actually rooting for the Brewers to make the playoffs so we can face the Dodgers. We match up best with them, as I showed in an early post.
2 More reasons why I hope to play L.A.
---Playing LA means the Phillies face the Brewers in round one...I think if the Brewers get in they can be dangerous in a short series. They can beat the Phillies. The Dodgers cannot.
---I would love to play the Brewers in the NLCS. Not only would both cities go crazy, but we've had the Brewers number all season long
However, most signs point to us facing the Mets at this point.
The Cubs will have a lot to say about who will win the Wild Card. The Cubs play 3 more in New York and end with 3 games at Wrigley North with the Brewers.
I predict that Philly will wrap up the East, leaving the Brewers and the Mets to battle it out for the Wild Card.
The Brewers want the Cubs to beat up on the Mets. The Mets want the Cubs to beat up on the Brewers. But the Cubs have bigger fish to fry. They need to get their pitching rotation set for the postseason and basically hold week-long tryouts for the final positions on the playoff roster.
I think it will be the Mets who pull it out in the end, because let's face it...the Brewers just don't seem like a playoff team right now. So, if it is the Mets in round one...
Here's a few reasons why the Cubs have the advantage...
---The Cubs pitched Jason Marquis tonight (He may not even make the playoff roster and definitely won't get a start in round one)
---The Cubs pitch Sean Marshall tomorrow (Same as Marquis)
---The Cubs will face Johan Santana tomorrow night. (This will be a good chance for the Cubs to see him before he pitches in game one)
---Ted Lilly won't pitch in New York (If we face the Mets, Lilly could get the nod in the series because of the Mets left-handed bats. So, New York won't be able to see him before he pitches)
---The Cubs will most likely now rest some of the regulars. (Mets pitchers won't get a chance to face our studs before the playoffs)
I'm still actually rooting for the Brewers to make the playoffs so we can face the Dodgers. We match up best with them, as I showed in an early post.
2 More reasons why I hope to play L.A.
---Playing LA means the Phillies face the Brewers in round one...I think if the Brewers get in they can be dangerous in a short series. They can beat the Phillies. The Dodgers cannot.
---I would love to play the Brewers in the NLCS. Not only would both cities go crazy, but we've had the Brewers number all season long
However, most signs point to us facing the Mets at this point.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
CUBS CAN CLINCH TOMORROW
The Cubs ended up taking 2 out of 3 from the Brewers to knock their magic number down to 2. A win tomorrow, followed by a Milwaukee loss at Cincy will clinch the division for the Cubs.
After this series you can might see Brewers fans start to lose it. Sabathia gets beat, Sheets is out, and the pen blows a 4 run lead with 2 outs in the 9th. Must be rough...But hey, we've been there before too so I don't feel the least bit sorry for them.
The Cubs did it once again, coming from behind late in the game again. Even I had conceded this one to the brew crew, and I usually hold out till the bitter end.
It will be a bit anti-climatic if the Cubs clinch via a Brewers loss tomorrow night. Personally, I hope both teams win tomorrow so the clinching can happen Saturday at Wrigley. It would be great if the hometown fans could celebrate with the team after a win.
Just think how great it would have been to clinch today!
Big Z takes the hill tomorrow. If only he does as well as his last start, we should be in the ballgame and have a chance at the end! That's all you can ask for isn't it?
After this series you can might see Brewers fans start to lose it. Sabathia gets beat, Sheets is out, and the pen blows a 4 run lead with 2 outs in the 9th. Must be rough...But hey, we've been there before too so I don't feel the least bit sorry for them.
The Cubs did it once again, coming from behind late in the game again. Even I had conceded this one to the brew crew, and I usually hold out till the bitter end.
It will be a bit anti-climatic if the Cubs clinch via a Brewers loss tomorrow night. Personally, I hope both teams win tomorrow so the clinching can happen Saturday at Wrigley. It would be great if the hometown fans could celebrate with the team after a win.
Just think how great it would have been to clinch today!
Big Z takes the hill tomorrow. If only he does as well as his last start, we should be in the ballgame and have a chance at the end! That's all you can ask for isn't it?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
CUBS SET TO TAKE ON FADING BREWERS...
The Cubs are currently riding a 4 game winning streak and have reached the 90 win mark with 13 game remaining (possibly 14 if the final Astros game is needed). While they will have to play some of their best baseball of the year to reach the 100 win mark, a division championship is now just a matter of time. The magic number sits at 6 games. With a sweep of the Brewers the Cubs can clinch as early as Thursday. Most likely, it will happen sometime in the St. Louis series this weekend or in New York next week.
The Brewers just fired their manager Ned Yost. They will either come out and play hard for their departed skipper or lie down and play dead just like last September. Let's hope it's the latter, because I can't think of a better way to clinch than on Thursday afternoon against the team that has been chasing you all summer.
Here's a quick preview of this Tuesday-Thursday series at Wrigley with the beer makers.
Tuesday---7:05---Comcast Sports
Ryan Dempter (15-6, 3.02) vs CC Sabathia (15-8, 2.81 ERA overall)
In the best pitching matchup of the series, the Cubs will look to give CC his first Brewers loss. The Cubs faced Sabathia in July at Miller Park. Sabathia got the no decision, but the Cubs got the win. That is still the only game Milwaukee has lost when CC was sent the mound. He's 9-0 with the Brewers, but hasn't won since nearly pitching a no-hitter two weeks ago at Pittsburg. Dempster is heading to the mound looking for his 16th win. I look for this to be a tough game for the Cubs. Chicago hit CC hard in Milwaukee, but no one has really touched him since. The Brewers are in desparation mode. We'll see how they react.
Wednesday---7:05---WCIU/ESPN
Jason Marquis (10-8, 4.36) vs Ben Sheets (13-8, 2.97)
I believe Marquis is the best 5th starter in baseball, but he has a tough test against Sheets, the NL's All Star game starter. Sheets was knocked around in his last start against Philly. The Cubs hit him hard back in Milwaukee, but he also has 2 victories at Wrigley this season. Marquis pitched last on September 6. He went 7.1 giving up only two runs in getting the win versus the Reds. Again, a tough matchup versus the Brew Crew. I think if the Cubs win Tuesday night, they come out and win this one. However, if CC shuts us down Tuesday, Sheets may have his way with us against the sometimes shaky Marquis.
Thursday---1:20---Comcast
Rich Harden (10-2, 2.04 Overall) vs Manny Parra (10-8, 4.28)
The Cubs have the advantage in this one as Harden is coming off of his win at St. Louis. The Cubs will certainly see how his arm holds up in this one. He may be on a pitch count. No need to hurt that arm with the postseason in our future. Parra only went 1.1 innings in his last start. He has also struggled versus the north siders this season. I look for the Cubs to take this game.
Honestly, going into this series I see the Cubs winning 1 of 3. Winning 2 will be a surprise to me. Sweeping the series means a division title and you might be able to book your trip to the fall classic. But the pressure is on Milwaukee so we'll see how they respond. Even if the Cubs get 1 game out of the 3, that magic number goes down to 4 with plenty of baseball left to play.
The Brewers just fired their manager Ned Yost. They will either come out and play hard for their departed skipper or lie down and play dead just like last September. Let's hope it's the latter, because I can't think of a better way to clinch than on Thursday afternoon against the team that has been chasing you all summer.
Here's a quick preview of this Tuesday-Thursday series at Wrigley with the beer makers.
Tuesday---7:05---Comcast Sports
Ryan Dempter (15-6, 3.02) vs CC Sabathia (15-8, 2.81 ERA overall)
In the best pitching matchup of the series, the Cubs will look to give CC his first Brewers loss. The Cubs faced Sabathia in July at Miller Park. Sabathia got the no decision, but the Cubs got the win. That is still the only game Milwaukee has lost when CC was sent the mound. He's 9-0 with the Brewers, but hasn't won since nearly pitching a no-hitter two weeks ago at Pittsburg. Dempster is heading to the mound looking for his 16th win. I look for this to be a tough game for the Cubs. Chicago hit CC hard in Milwaukee, but no one has really touched him since. The Brewers are in desparation mode. We'll see how they react.
Wednesday---7:05---WCIU/ESPN
Jason Marquis (10-8, 4.36) vs Ben Sheets (13-8, 2.97)
I believe Marquis is the best 5th starter in baseball, but he has a tough test against Sheets, the NL's All Star game starter. Sheets was knocked around in his last start against Philly. The Cubs hit him hard back in Milwaukee, but he also has 2 victories at Wrigley this season. Marquis pitched last on September 6. He went 7.1 giving up only two runs in getting the win versus the Reds. Again, a tough matchup versus the Brew Crew. I think if the Cubs win Tuesday night, they come out and win this one. However, if CC shuts us down Tuesday, Sheets may have his way with us against the sometimes shaky Marquis.
Thursday---1:20---Comcast
Rich Harden (10-2, 2.04 Overall) vs Manny Parra (10-8, 4.28)
The Cubs have the advantage in this one as Harden is coming off of his win at St. Louis. The Cubs will certainly see how his arm holds up in this one. He may be on a pitch count. No need to hurt that arm with the postseason in our future. Parra only went 1.1 innings in his last start. He has also struggled versus the north siders this season. I look for the Cubs to take this game.
Honestly, going into this series I see the Cubs winning 1 of 3. Winning 2 will be a surprise to me. Sweeping the series means a division title and you might be able to book your trip to the fall classic. But the pressure is on Milwaukee so we'll see how they respond. Even if the Cubs get 1 game out of the 3, that magic number goes down to 4 with plenty of baseball left to play.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
TOP 10 MOST MEMORABLE SPORTS MOMENTS IN THE PAST 10 YEARS...
10.) BRAWL AT THE PALACE---Auburn Hills, MI---November 20, 2004
In an NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, a fight moved from the court into the stands. Pacers Ron Artest and Steven Jackson led the charge into the seats where they exchanged punches with fans. Artest was hit with the largest suspension in NBA history and sat out the remainder of the season.
9.) VINATIERI’S KICK UPSETS RAMS---New Orleans, LA---February 2, 2002
Adam Vinatieri’s 48 yard field goal split the uprights as time expired to win Super Bowl 36 for the New England Patriots versus the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. Tom Brady was named the MVP after taking the job from the injured Drew Bledsoe. This win was the first of three championships in four years for the Patriots.
8.) BONDS BREAKS RECORDS---San Francisco, CA---2001, 2007
Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire’s single season home run record and Hank Aaron’s career home run record. While steroid allegations lessened the public’s interest Bonds’ accomplishment, these two moments were certainly memorable.
7.) TIGER DEFEATS ROCCO DESPITE INJURY---San Diego, CA---June, 2008
Tiger Woods limped around Torrey Pines Golf Course all week long, he but still held off little known Rocco Mediate in a final playoff for his 14th major championship. Days later it was discovered that Woods played with a torn ACL and a double stress fracture in his left leg.
6.) 2007 Fiesta Bowl---Glendale, AZ---January 1, 2007
Boise State upset the favored Oklahoma Sooners in one of the most exciting college football games of all time. The Broncos led early 28-10 before Oklahoma took a late lead. Boise State tied the game with 7 seconds to go to send it to overtime. With Oklahoma up by 7, Boise State scored a touchdown and opted to go for two. With the infamous “statue of liberty” play Ian Johnson ran into the endzone for the win, completing Boise State’s undefeated season. The teams combined for 22 points in the final 86 seconds of the game.
5.) 2001 World Series---Phoeniz, AZ---November 4, 2001
Luiz Gonzalez hit a single that scored the winning run in Game 7 to win the Diamondbacks’ first championship. The single came off of Mariano Rivera who had 23 consecutive postseason saves. It was the first World Series walk off win since 1997. It was one of the most exciting World Series’ ever with two extra inning games and three late inning comebacks.
4.) HOME RUN RACE OF 1998---St. Louis, MO---September 8, 1998
Mark McGwire capped off the great home run race of the summer with his 62nd home run of the season. With previous record holder Roger Maris’ family on hand, McGwire send Cub pitcher Steve Trachsel’s pitch over the wall in left. McGwire and Cub Sammy Sosa brought many fans back to the game of baseball for the first time since the 1993 strike with their record setting home run seasons.
3.) Super Bowl 42---Glendale, AZ---February 3, 2008
The 18-0 New England Patriots were looking to become the second undefeated team in NFL history, but they were defeated by the underdog New York Giants.17-14. Eli Manning’s pass to David Tyree will always be one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.
2.) 2006 Rose Bowl---Pasadena, CA---January 4, 2006
In a matchup of undefeated Southern California and Texas, the Vince Young led Longhorns won 41-38 for the national championship. With quite possibly the most future NFL players ever assembled on a college football field ever, the two teams marched up and down the field all night. Vince Young’s touchdown run gave Texas the lead for good on fourth down with 19 seconds left in the game.
1.) RED SOX END DROUGHT---St. Louis, MO---October 27, 2004
The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918 by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to none. The Sox were down 3 games to nothing in the ALCS to the hated New York Yankees and came back to win 4 straight games, including the final two at Yankee Stadium.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
---BARTMAN GRABS BALL---Chicago, IL---October 4, 2003
Lifelong Cub fan Steve Bartman reached for a foul ball that could have been caught by Cub left fielder Moises Alou in the 8th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS. The Cubs had the lead in the game and needed one win to reach their first World Series since 1945, but the Marlins rallied to win Game 6 and finished the series with a win in Game 7.
---MUSIC CITY MIRACLE---Nashville, TN---January 8, 2005
In this AFC Wild Card playoff game, the Tennessee Titans beat the Buffalo Bills on a last second kickoff return where three Titans touched the ball. Kevin Dyson took the final lateral and ran to the endzone for a 75 yard touchdown, giving the Titans the 21-16 victory.
---ELWAYS FINALLY GETS HIS RING---San Diego, CA---January 25, 1998
John Elway won his first of two Super Bowls with a 31-24 win over the Green Bay Packers. The game’s highlight was when Elway was running towards the endzone when he dove for the first down and got hit so hard he fly sideways in the air while managing to hang on to the ball to get the first down.
---PHELPS ECLIPLES SPITZ---Beijing, China---August, 2008
Swimmer Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz’s record by winning 8 gold medals and becoming the story of the 2008 Summer Games. Overall he has won 16 Olympic medals and holds 7 world records.
OTHERS MOMEMNTS TO CONSIDER:
---BUCKEYES UPSET HURRICANS---Tempe, AZ---January 3, 2003
In the 2003 National Championship game, the Ohio State Buckeyes upset the Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime.
---MICHIGAN LOSES IN BIG HOUSE---Ann Arbor, MI---September 1, 2007
The fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines lost at home to huge underdog Appalachian State 34-32. This showed that the small FCS schools are catching up to the big FBS schools.
---DALE DIES ON TRACK---Daytona, FL---February 18, 2001
Legendary Dale Earnhardt died in the final lap of the Daytona 500, a race he won 3 years prior. This death is memorable because he died doing his job.
---DUNGY 1st BLACK COACH TO WIN SB---Miami, FL---February 4, 2007
Tony Dungy became the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Indianapolis Colts won the 41st Super Bowl 29-17 over the Chicago Bears.
---LAKERS 3 PEAT---East Rutherford, NJ---June 12, 2002
The Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets to win their 3rd straight NBA finals championship.
---LANCE WINS 7 STRAIGHT---France---2005
Lance Armstrong won his 7th straight Tour de France after coming back from cancer.
In an NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, a fight moved from the court into the stands. Pacers Ron Artest and Steven Jackson led the charge into the seats where they exchanged punches with fans. Artest was hit with the largest suspension in NBA history and sat out the remainder of the season.
9.) VINATIERI’S KICK UPSETS RAMS---New Orleans, LA---February 2, 2002
Adam Vinatieri’s 48 yard field goal split the uprights as time expired to win Super Bowl 36 for the New England Patriots versus the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. Tom Brady was named the MVP after taking the job from the injured Drew Bledsoe. This win was the first of three championships in four years for the Patriots.
8.) BONDS BREAKS RECORDS---San Francisco, CA---2001, 2007
Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire’s single season home run record and Hank Aaron’s career home run record. While steroid allegations lessened the public’s interest Bonds’ accomplishment, these two moments were certainly memorable.
7.) TIGER DEFEATS ROCCO DESPITE INJURY---San Diego, CA---June, 2008
Tiger Woods limped around Torrey Pines Golf Course all week long, he but still held off little known Rocco Mediate in a final playoff for his 14th major championship. Days later it was discovered that Woods played with a torn ACL and a double stress fracture in his left leg.
6.) 2007 Fiesta Bowl---Glendale, AZ---January 1, 2007
Boise State upset the favored Oklahoma Sooners in one of the most exciting college football games of all time. The Broncos led early 28-10 before Oklahoma took a late lead. Boise State tied the game with 7 seconds to go to send it to overtime. With Oklahoma up by 7, Boise State scored a touchdown and opted to go for two. With the infamous “statue of liberty” play Ian Johnson ran into the endzone for the win, completing Boise State’s undefeated season. The teams combined for 22 points in the final 86 seconds of the game.
5.) 2001 World Series---Phoeniz, AZ---November 4, 2001
Luiz Gonzalez hit a single that scored the winning run in Game 7 to win the Diamondbacks’ first championship. The single came off of Mariano Rivera who had 23 consecutive postseason saves. It was the first World Series walk off win since 1997. It was one of the most exciting World Series’ ever with two extra inning games and three late inning comebacks.
4.) HOME RUN RACE OF 1998---St. Louis, MO---September 8, 1998
Mark McGwire capped off the great home run race of the summer with his 62nd home run of the season. With previous record holder Roger Maris’ family on hand, McGwire send Cub pitcher Steve Trachsel’s pitch over the wall in left. McGwire and Cub Sammy Sosa brought many fans back to the game of baseball for the first time since the 1993 strike with their record setting home run seasons.
3.) Super Bowl 42---Glendale, AZ---February 3, 2008
The 18-0 New England Patriots were looking to become the second undefeated team in NFL history, but they were defeated by the underdog New York Giants.17-14. Eli Manning’s pass to David Tyree will always be one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.
2.) 2006 Rose Bowl---Pasadena, CA---January 4, 2006
In a matchup of undefeated Southern California and Texas, the Vince Young led Longhorns won 41-38 for the national championship. With quite possibly the most future NFL players ever assembled on a college football field ever, the two teams marched up and down the field all night. Vince Young’s touchdown run gave Texas the lead for good on fourth down with 19 seconds left in the game.
1.) RED SOX END DROUGHT---St. Louis, MO---October 27, 2004
The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918 by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to none. The Sox were down 3 games to nothing in the ALCS to the hated New York Yankees and came back to win 4 straight games, including the final two at Yankee Stadium.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
---BARTMAN GRABS BALL---Chicago, IL---October 4, 2003
Lifelong Cub fan Steve Bartman reached for a foul ball that could have been caught by Cub left fielder Moises Alou in the 8th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS. The Cubs had the lead in the game and needed one win to reach their first World Series since 1945, but the Marlins rallied to win Game 6 and finished the series with a win in Game 7.
---MUSIC CITY MIRACLE---Nashville, TN---January 8, 2005
In this AFC Wild Card playoff game, the Tennessee Titans beat the Buffalo Bills on a last second kickoff return where three Titans touched the ball. Kevin Dyson took the final lateral and ran to the endzone for a 75 yard touchdown, giving the Titans the 21-16 victory.
---ELWAYS FINALLY GETS HIS RING---San Diego, CA---January 25, 1998
John Elway won his first of two Super Bowls with a 31-24 win over the Green Bay Packers. The game’s highlight was when Elway was running towards the endzone when he dove for the first down and got hit so hard he fly sideways in the air while managing to hang on to the ball to get the first down.
---PHELPS ECLIPLES SPITZ---Beijing, China---August, 2008
Swimmer Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz’s record by winning 8 gold medals and becoming the story of the 2008 Summer Games. Overall he has won 16 Olympic medals and holds 7 world records.
OTHERS MOMEMNTS TO CONSIDER:
---BUCKEYES UPSET HURRICANS---Tempe, AZ---January 3, 2003
In the 2003 National Championship game, the Ohio State Buckeyes upset the Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime.
---MICHIGAN LOSES IN BIG HOUSE---Ann Arbor, MI---September 1, 2007
The fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines lost at home to huge underdog Appalachian State 34-32. This showed that the small FCS schools are catching up to the big FBS schools.
---DALE DIES ON TRACK---Daytona, FL---February 18, 2001
Legendary Dale Earnhardt died in the final lap of the Daytona 500, a race he won 3 years prior. This death is memorable because he died doing his job.
---DUNGY 1st BLACK COACH TO WIN SB---Miami, FL---February 4, 2007
Tony Dungy became the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Indianapolis Colts won the 41st Super Bowl 29-17 over the Chicago Bears.
---LAKERS 3 PEAT---East Rutherford, NJ---June 12, 2002
The Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets to win their 3rd straight NBA finals championship.
---LANCE WINS 7 STRAIGHT---France---2005
Lance Armstrong won his 7th straight Tour de France after coming back from cancer.
Friday, September 12, 2008
HURRICANE IKE DISRUPTS HOUSTON SERIES
With Hurricane Ike bearing down on the city of Houston, Major League Baseball has decided to postpone the first two games of the Cubs series in Houston versus the Astros.
The two teams plan on being able to play on Sunday. While it looks like a doubleheader could be played on Sunday followed by a single game on Monday no official word has come yet. According to Cubs.com the only scheduled game is Sunday afternoon.
If Minute Maid Park is unavailable or the Cubs cannot travel into Houston, MLB is looking at alternate locations. The cities that are rumored as alternate sites are Washington, Atlanta, and Tampa.
For now the two teams are in a holding pattern, as they should be with the dangerous weather situation. Some things are more important than baseball, and hurricanes are certainly one of them.
The Cubs have returned to Chicago after taking two out of three in St. Louis. The plan on working out in Chicago on Saturday. If they can fly into Houston Saturday night, they will do so.
This layoff could be helpful for the Cubs. With Harden and Zambrano's health in question, it will be nice to take a couple days off.
For Houston, this could be a disadvantage. The Astros are currently riding a 6 game win streak and have been the hottest team in baseball since the All Star break. The break could cool them off.
Certainly Houston wants to play these games at home so they will do everything they can to play Sunday.
If the series must shift to a neutral site, the Cubs will have the advantage. Wherever the game is played, the stadium will most likely be mostly Cub fans.
Last night win may have been one of the biggest of the year. With Milwaukee losing, the Cub win pushed their lead in the Central to 5.5 games with 16 scheduled games to go. The magic number now sits at 11. Any combination of Cub wins and Brewers losses that add up to 11 clinches the division for the north side.
The two teams plan on being able to play on Sunday. While it looks like a doubleheader could be played on Sunday followed by a single game on Monday no official word has come yet. According to Cubs.com the only scheduled game is Sunday afternoon.
If Minute Maid Park is unavailable or the Cubs cannot travel into Houston, MLB is looking at alternate locations. The cities that are rumored as alternate sites are Washington, Atlanta, and Tampa.
For now the two teams are in a holding pattern, as they should be with the dangerous weather situation. Some things are more important than baseball, and hurricanes are certainly one of them.
The Cubs have returned to Chicago after taking two out of three in St. Louis. The plan on working out in Chicago on Saturday. If they can fly into Houston Saturday night, they will do so.
This layoff could be helpful for the Cubs. With Harden and Zambrano's health in question, it will be nice to take a couple days off.
For Houston, this could be a disadvantage. The Astros are currently riding a 6 game win streak and have been the hottest team in baseball since the All Star break. The break could cool them off.
Certainly Houston wants to play these games at home so they will do everything they can to play Sunday.
If the series must shift to a neutral site, the Cubs will have the advantage. Wherever the game is played, the stadium will most likely be mostly Cub fans.
Last night win may have been one of the biggest of the year. With Milwaukee losing, the Cub win pushed their lead in the Central to 5.5 games with 16 scheduled games to go. The magic number now sits at 11. Any combination of Cub wins and Brewers losses that add up to 11 clinches the division for the north side.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
THE LOSING CONTINUES IN GAME ONE AT BUSCH...
Tuesday night made two straight frustrating losses for the Cubs. The Cubs held a 3-0 lead earlier in the game at rival St. Louis but ended up losing 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th. This after losing in the 9th on Sunday at Cincinatti when Kerry Wood blew the save.
The Cubs are 1-6 so far in the season’s final month. That makes 8 losses in the last 10 ballgames. Tonight’s loss showcased many of the Cubs problems during this rough start to September
The Cubs once again failed to tack on runs in the later innings. They allowed St. Louis to hang around, and Albert Pujols tied the game with a 3 run opposite field jack in the 6th.
The Cubs once again failed to execute the fundamentals. With the potential go ahead run on at first Geovany Soto tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but he bunted the ball right back to the pitcher for a double play. In that situation, if the Cubs are willing to give up an out with one of your top hitters at the plate, the runner must must advance to second someway, somehow.
Lately, it seems like the Cubs are not “with it” mentally.
On Sunday, on a potential game ending double play ball, shortstop Ronny Cedeno allowed his eye to drift from the ball to the 2nd base bag, and the ball bounced off his glove into shallow center field. The game winning run came home to score moments later on an RBI single.
Tonight, Carlos Marmol was paying too much attention to the eventual winning run Brendan Ryan at first, and Marmol committed a balk. Marmol had already thrown over to first base 3 times and was in the process of stepping off the back of the rubber again when he started his pitching motion before lifting his right foot. Thus, he committed a clear and blatant balk.
Ryan advanced to second and later scored the winning run on a check swing grounder to second by Cesar Izturis.
This was a typical Cubs-Cards game in the way the game was won in the 9th and in the way that one team came back to win after being down early
This was also a typical way that the Cubs have been losing lately.
Lately, luck just hasn’t been going their way.
Izturis didn’t even mean to swing.
Marmol nearly got a glove on the ball.
Mark Derosa made a strong throw home
Geovany Soto blocked the plate well with his left leg and made a quick tag.
But it wasn’t good enough, and Ryan slid in safely
Just like Cedeno’s error on Sunday, the Cubs are close but just aren’t winning right now
That’s why the mental mistakes (like Marmol’s balk) and the inability to lay down bunts (Soto) need to be corrected real quick.
These mistakes will continue to haunt this team if they aren’t.
Like I’ve said before, physical mistakes happen, but mental mistakes are inexcusable, especially at this point in the season in the middle of a pennant race.
Some Cubs fans aren’t worried yet, but I am.
We must get our swagger back before it’s too late.
The Cubs are 1-6 so far in the season’s final month. That makes 8 losses in the last 10 ballgames. Tonight’s loss showcased many of the Cubs problems during this rough start to September
The Cubs once again failed to tack on runs in the later innings. They allowed St. Louis to hang around, and Albert Pujols tied the game with a 3 run opposite field jack in the 6th.
The Cubs once again failed to execute the fundamentals. With the potential go ahead run on at first Geovany Soto tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but he bunted the ball right back to the pitcher for a double play. In that situation, if the Cubs are willing to give up an out with one of your top hitters at the plate, the runner must must advance to second someway, somehow.
Lately, it seems like the Cubs are not “with it” mentally.
On Sunday, on a potential game ending double play ball, shortstop Ronny Cedeno allowed his eye to drift from the ball to the 2nd base bag, and the ball bounced off his glove into shallow center field. The game winning run came home to score moments later on an RBI single.
Tonight, Carlos Marmol was paying too much attention to the eventual winning run Brendan Ryan at first, and Marmol committed a balk. Marmol had already thrown over to first base 3 times and was in the process of stepping off the back of the rubber again when he started his pitching motion before lifting his right foot. Thus, he committed a clear and blatant balk.
Ryan advanced to second and later scored the winning run on a check swing grounder to second by Cesar Izturis.
This was a typical Cubs-Cards game in the way the game was won in the 9th and in the way that one team came back to win after being down early
This was also a typical way that the Cubs have been losing lately.
Lately, luck just hasn’t been going their way.
Izturis didn’t even mean to swing.
Marmol nearly got a glove on the ball.
Mark Derosa made a strong throw home
Geovany Soto blocked the plate well with his left leg and made a quick tag.
But it wasn’t good enough, and Ryan slid in safely
Just like Cedeno’s error on Sunday, the Cubs are close but just aren’t winning right now
That’s why the mental mistakes (like Marmol’s balk) and the inability to lay down bunts (Soto) need to be corrected real quick.
These mistakes will continue to haunt this team if they aren’t.
Like I’ve said before, physical mistakes happen, but mental mistakes are inexcusable, especially at this point in the season in the middle of a pennant race.
Some Cubs fans aren’t worried yet, but I am.
We must get our swagger back before it’s too late.
Monday, September 8, 2008
THE CUBS NEED TO PLAY THE DODGERS IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS
Right now the Cubs own a 4 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers, and sit atop the National League’s Central Division. With 19 games remaining (only 6 of those at home), they have the league’s best record. Barring a major collapse by both the Cubs and the Brewers, the NL Central champion will have home field throughout the playoffs.
IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY:
EAST- New York Mets (80-63)
CENTRAL- Cubs (86-57)
WEST- Los Angeles Dodgers (73-70)
WILD CARD- Milwaukee Brewers (82-61)
DODGERS AT CUBS
BREWERS AT METS
CONTENDERS:
Now, obviously the Brewers aren’t in this discussion. Because the Cubs and Brewers are in the in same division, they cannot face each other until the NLCS. However, I will add the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks to the conversation. Both are in the hunt for division championships. The Phillies trail the Mets by 2 games in the East. The D’Backs are 1.5 games behind the first place Dodgers.
NEW YORK METS:
80-63
2 game lead over Phillies in East
CUBS LEAD SEASON SERIES 2-0 WITH 4 GAMES REMAINING AT NEW YORK.
PITCHING:
ANYONE ELSE BESIDES SANTANA?--- Johan Santana is the only name in this starting rotation that scares me, but he is very scary. The Cubs would face him twice if the series goes 5 games. His 2.70 ERA is 3rd in the league. However, there isn’t much after that. Pedro Martinez hasn’t been the savior like some Mets fans were hoping. In 17 starts Pedro is 5-4 with a 5.44 ERA. John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Mike Pelfrey don’t exactly scare anyone either.
CLOSER BILLY WAGNER DONE FOR SEASON--- Wagner will have season ending surgery after tearing his MCL. He leads the team with 27 saves. Aaron Heilman is 2nd on the team with 3 saves. With Wagner unavailable the Cubs would fare better against Heilman if the Mets have a lead in the 9th. The righties out of the pen are shaky, but left handers Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Felciano have been solid and could be trouble for Kosuke Fukudome, Jim Edmonds, Micah Hoffpauir, and Daryle Ward.
HITTING:
METS CAN HIT---They hit a solid .266 as a team. The Cubs are leading the league by hitting .280. This could be a slugfest if these two teams meet up. The Mets have struck out the fewest of any team in the NL. Jose Reyes sets the tone from the lead off spot. David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran have combined for 82 home runs and 303 runs batted in!
MANAGING:
MANAGER JERRY MANUEL’S INEXPERIENCE IN PLAYOFFS--- Manuel has managed 3 career playoff games. His record is 0-3. He managed the 2000 White Sox to a division championship, but the Sox were swept out the playoffs by the Seattle Mariners. That Seattle team was managed by Cubs manager Lou Pinella.
OTHER FACTORS:
GOOD DEFENSE---They are very good defensively with a .986 fielding percentage. Reyes and Jose Castillo may the best double play combo in the league.
PLAY WELL ON THE ROAD---With a 38-36 record on the road, the Mets are 1 of only 5 teams in the league to be over .500 on the road. With the Cubs having home field, the Mets could very well come in to Wrigley and take at least one game.
THEY WILL RUN---This team has speed. Reyes will run at any time. His 47 swipes are 2nd in the league. Castillo has his fair share of stolen bases also. They are second in the league in taking bases. This will put pressure on the pitching staff and Geovany Soto to slow them down.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS:
72-70
1.5 game lead over Diamondbacks in West
CUBS TOOK SEASON SERIES 5-2. CUBS SWEPT 3 AT HOME AND SPLIT 4 IN LA
PITCHING:
BILLINGSLEY NOW THE ACE--- The Dodgers have the league’s best ERA and have given up the fewest home runs, which may surprise some out there. While the starter’s records aren’t off the charts, they just don’t give up runs! Out of nowhere, Chad Billingsley has turned into the ace of this staff. He is 2nd in the league in strikeouts, 6th in wins, and 6th in ERA. While he doesn’t scare me as much as Johan Santana, it may be tough to win a short series while facing him twice. After that it becomes questionable. Brad Penny is expected to return from the disabled list within the next 10 days. Will we see good Penny or bad Penny. Bad Penny is about all Dodger fans saw earlier this season. In 17 starts so far this season, he is 6-9 with a 6.05 ERA. Derek Lowe, Clayton Kershaw, and Hiroki Kuroda round out the rotation. They are all capable of picking up a win in the postseason.
BACK END OF BULLPEN--- Takashi Saito and his team high 17 saves is expected back from the DL next weekend, but Jonathan Broxton has filled in nicely with 13 saves of his own. One will remain the closer while the other is expected to drop into the set up role, making it a very tough bullpen.
HITTING:
NO POWER---The Dodgers don’t hit many home runs, even with the addition of Manny Ramirez. They are 14th in league in long balls. This will force them to play small ball to beat the Cubs. Former Cub Juan Pierre is 3rd in the league with 38 stolen bases. Simply put, Russell Martin is the Cub’s Geovany Soto. We all know how much Geo means to us offensively and behind the plate. If Jeff Kent can get healthy for the playoffs, he can become a factor. He always seems to play well against the Cubs. Plus, he has playoff experience.
MANNY--- Manny Ramirez is the guy you single out say, “Let’s not let him hurt us.” His postseason experience helps, but how long will it be till Manny decides to just be Manny again? Just about anything negative that he does may hurt the chemistry of this young team.
MANAGING:
JOE TORRE--- Not much needs to be said here. I think Torre has the managerial advantage over Lou. Torre’s success in New York speaks for itself. He is definitely one of the top managers in the game.
OTHER FACTORS:
YOUNGSTERS---This team is young. A big question mark was how manager Joe Torre could lead the young players after working with mostly veterans in the Bronx. He may get them into the playoffs, but how will they play in the “heat” of October.
NO HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE--- I know this isn’t the Florida Marlins, but come on, but Los Angeles fans aren’t exactly the most vocal of baseball fans. When this series goes to Cali for Game 3, the fans will come late and leave early. It may be full for innings 3 thru 6…MAYBE.
ROAD WOES--- LA struggles with a 28-40 record on the road.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:
78-65
2 games back of first place Mets
CUBS LOST SEASON SERIES 3-4. CUBS LOST 2 OF 3 IN PHILLY AND SPLIT 4 AT WRIGLEY.
PITCHING:
HAMELS---Starting pitching is solid, but I think the Cubs stack up well against the Phillies after Cole Hamels. Hamels is 7th in the league with a 3.12 ERA and 3rd with 180 strikeouts. Hamels would pitch twice in a 5 game series, which could be troublesome. Even though Philly is 3rd in the league in ERA, I don’t think Jayme Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, and Brett Myers will give the Cubs many problems.
BULLPEN---The pen is very good. Brad Lidge is 3rd in the league with 34 saves. J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin, and Clay Condrey have helped make games short for opposing teams by dominating the late innings.
HITTING:
BIG THREE---Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard are all legitimate superstars. The Phillies are 1st in the league in home runs. Howard’s the main threat. He leads the league with 40 homers and with 121 RBIs. In addition, Pat Burrell has 30 home runs, but he strikes out a lot. Besides that, there isn’t much. Philadelphia is 11th in the league in hitting. If you can some how slow down 2 of the big three, the Cubs could take the series.
MANAGING:
CHARLIE MANUEL---Manuel’s never won a playoff series. He was swept by the red hot Rockies last season. He lost in 5 games versus Pinella’s Mariners in 2001.
OTHER FACTORS:
ROAD---They are good on the road with a 39-36 record away from Philadelphia.
EXPERIENCE--- This team, which is basically the same as last years, was in the playoffs last season. They now know what to expect and will be looking to play better after getting swept by Colorado.
HOT STREAK--- The East may come down to the final week. If it does and Philadelphia wins the division, they will be playing well. They could be a dangerous team come the postseason, just like the 2007 Rockies.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:
71-71
1.5 games behind first place Dodgers
CUBS WON SEASON SERIES 4-2. SWEPT 3 AT WRIGLEY AND LOST 2 OF THREE IN THE DESERT.
PITCHING:
STARTERS---This is how Arizona wins ballgames. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, and Randy Johnson scare me a lot. Webb is the favorite to win the Cy Young as he leads the league with 19 wins. Haren is 4th in the league with 178 strikeouts and 9th with a 3.41 ERA. Randy Johnson has never lost to the Cubs. However, Webb and Haren have struggled lately so maybe they won’t be as effective.
BULLPEN---Former closer Jose Valverde is now a Houston Astro, but closer Brandon Lyon is a solid replacement. The bullpen can be effective, but are the Cubs really scared of former Cub Juan Cruz?
HITTING:
NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF---The D’Backs are hitting only .251 as at team, 12th in the league. No one in the lineup really scares you, besides former Red Adam Dunn. His 36 home runs are 2nd in the league. Dunn is a Cub killer, but he also strikes out a lot. As bad as the offense is, we must still remember they scored enough runs to sweep us out of the playoffs last season. Orlando Hudson and his .305 average is a catalyst for this team, but he doesn’t scare you as much as Reyes or even Pierre.
MANAGING:
Even though manager Bob Melvin took down the Cubs last season, the advantage still goes to Lou. His track record and World Series championship speak for itself.
OTHER FACTORS:
SHAKY DEFENSE---They don’t field well at all. Arizona is 13th in the league with a .982 fielding percentage.
REVENGE FACTOR---The Cubs will be ready this year. While Arizona’s pitching may slow down the Cubs they won’t get swept, especially with the home field advantage.
ROAD STRUGGLES--- Arizona struggles with only a 31-40 record away from Phoenix. This could help the Cubs as the first two games will be at Wrigley.
A Look at the Cubs
86-57
4 game lead over Brewers in Central
Sometimes when you watch a team as closely as I do with the Cubs, you lose perspective and recognize weaknesses more than strengths. So I will simply look at the statistics like I did with the previous 4 teams to breakdown the Cubs.
PITCHING:
STARTERS--- The Cubs are 4th in the league with a 3.86 ERA. No one knows what the Cubs will get from Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden down the stretch, but you figure the organization will do everything possible to get them ready for the playoffs. With those two on, a 5 game series will end very quickly. Zambrano has 13 wins, and Harden’s ERA is a miniscule 1.50 since coming over to the National League. Ryan Dempster may be the best starter. He is 4th in the league with 15 wins, 5th with a 2.99 ERA, and 7th with 167 strikeouts. He hasn’t faded yet, but will his arm hold up after all these innings? Dempster was the closer last season.
BULLPEN---Kerry Wood is 5th in the league with 28 saves. Carlos Marmol has found his dominating stuff once again. After those two you don’t know what you’ll get. Jeff Samardzija has been very good, but can he pitch this well in the postseason? Bob Howry has been ineffective. Neal Cotts has struggled. In the playoffs Sean Marshall and Jason Marquis may move the pen, which will help.
HITTING:
STRONG LINEUP---Aramis Ramirez is 3rd in the league with 100 RBIs and finds ways to get big hits at the right time. Derrek Lee is 2nd in the league with 167 hits. Ryan Theriot is 7th in the league with a .310 average. Mark Derosa is having a career year. Geovany Soto has serious power. The platoon of Jim Edmonds and Reed Johnson in center has been very productive. When these guys are on this offense is upstoppable.
MANAGING:
LOU---While some Cub fans criticize Lou for some of his in-game mistakes this season, his managerial record speaks for itself. Lou won a World Series with the Reds in 1990. He hold an advantage against all opposing managers, besides Joe Torre.
OTHER FACTORS:
HOME DOMINANCE---The Cubs have an NL best 51 wins at home. With home field advantage, this will help out tremendously.
CAN THEY REGAIN THE SWAGGER?--- The Cubs are struggling lately, but if they can regain the form of the past 5 months, they could march easily into the World Series.
DEFENSE--- The defense can be a problem at times. They are 11th in the league with a .982 fielding percentage.
WHO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CUBS PLAY IN THE FIRST ROUND:
DODGERS:
I think the Cubs match up best against the Dodgers. The starting rotation matches up well against the Cubs. If you shut down Manny, the offense could be ineffective. The youth of the team will catch up to them with most of the team playing in their first postseason. Plus, the Cubs have played the better against L.A. than any other playoff contender.
I think METS would be the 2nd best opponent. The rotation is hittable after Santana.
ARIZONA would be the 3rd best opponent. Their hitting is not good, but the big three in the rotation scare me.
I don’t want to play the PHILLIES at all. If this team gets hot, they can be very tough to beat come October.
WE’LL SEE HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT!
Morgan
IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY:
EAST- New York Mets (80-63)
CENTRAL- Cubs (86-57)
WEST- Los Angeles Dodgers (73-70)
WILD CARD- Milwaukee Brewers (82-61)
DODGERS AT CUBS
BREWERS AT METS
CONTENDERS:
Now, obviously the Brewers aren’t in this discussion. Because the Cubs and Brewers are in the in same division, they cannot face each other until the NLCS. However, I will add the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks to the conversation. Both are in the hunt for division championships. The Phillies trail the Mets by 2 games in the East. The D’Backs are 1.5 games behind the first place Dodgers.
NEW YORK METS:
80-63
2 game lead over Phillies in East
CUBS LEAD SEASON SERIES 2-0 WITH 4 GAMES REMAINING AT NEW YORK.
PITCHING:
ANYONE ELSE BESIDES SANTANA?--- Johan Santana is the only name in this starting rotation that scares me, but he is very scary. The Cubs would face him twice if the series goes 5 games. His 2.70 ERA is 3rd in the league. However, there isn’t much after that. Pedro Martinez hasn’t been the savior like some Mets fans were hoping. In 17 starts Pedro is 5-4 with a 5.44 ERA. John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Mike Pelfrey don’t exactly scare anyone either.
CLOSER BILLY WAGNER DONE FOR SEASON--- Wagner will have season ending surgery after tearing his MCL. He leads the team with 27 saves. Aaron Heilman is 2nd on the team with 3 saves. With Wagner unavailable the Cubs would fare better against Heilman if the Mets have a lead in the 9th. The righties out of the pen are shaky, but left handers Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Felciano have been solid and could be trouble for Kosuke Fukudome, Jim Edmonds, Micah Hoffpauir, and Daryle Ward.
HITTING:
METS CAN HIT---They hit a solid .266 as a team. The Cubs are leading the league by hitting .280. This could be a slugfest if these two teams meet up. The Mets have struck out the fewest of any team in the NL. Jose Reyes sets the tone from the lead off spot. David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran have combined for 82 home runs and 303 runs batted in!
MANAGING:
MANAGER JERRY MANUEL’S INEXPERIENCE IN PLAYOFFS--- Manuel has managed 3 career playoff games. His record is 0-3. He managed the 2000 White Sox to a division championship, but the Sox were swept out the playoffs by the Seattle Mariners. That Seattle team was managed by Cubs manager Lou Pinella.
OTHER FACTORS:
GOOD DEFENSE---They are very good defensively with a .986 fielding percentage. Reyes and Jose Castillo may the best double play combo in the league.
PLAY WELL ON THE ROAD---With a 38-36 record on the road, the Mets are 1 of only 5 teams in the league to be over .500 on the road. With the Cubs having home field, the Mets could very well come in to Wrigley and take at least one game.
THEY WILL RUN---This team has speed. Reyes will run at any time. His 47 swipes are 2nd in the league. Castillo has his fair share of stolen bases also. They are second in the league in taking bases. This will put pressure on the pitching staff and Geovany Soto to slow them down.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS:
72-70
1.5 game lead over Diamondbacks in West
CUBS TOOK SEASON SERIES 5-2. CUBS SWEPT 3 AT HOME AND SPLIT 4 IN LA
PITCHING:
BILLINGSLEY NOW THE ACE--- The Dodgers have the league’s best ERA and have given up the fewest home runs, which may surprise some out there. While the starter’s records aren’t off the charts, they just don’t give up runs! Out of nowhere, Chad Billingsley has turned into the ace of this staff. He is 2nd in the league in strikeouts, 6th in wins, and 6th in ERA. While he doesn’t scare me as much as Johan Santana, it may be tough to win a short series while facing him twice. After that it becomes questionable. Brad Penny is expected to return from the disabled list within the next 10 days. Will we see good Penny or bad Penny. Bad Penny is about all Dodger fans saw earlier this season. In 17 starts so far this season, he is 6-9 with a 6.05 ERA. Derek Lowe, Clayton Kershaw, and Hiroki Kuroda round out the rotation. They are all capable of picking up a win in the postseason.
BACK END OF BULLPEN--- Takashi Saito and his team high 17 saves is expected back from the DL next weekend, but Jonathan Broxton has filled in nicely with 13 saves of his own. One will remain the closer while the other is expected to drop into the set up role, making it a very tough bullpen.
HITTING:
NO POWER---The Dodgers don’t hit many home runs, even with the addition of Manny Ramirez. They are 14th in league in long balls. This will force them to play small ball to beat the Cubs. Former Cub Juan Pierre is 3rd in the league with 38 stolen bases. Simply put, Russell Martin is the Cub’s Geovany Soto. We all know how much Geo means to us offensively and behind the plate. If Jeff Kent can get healthy for the playoffs, he can become a factor. He always seems to play well against the Cubs. Plus, he has playoff experience.
MANNY--- Manny Ramirez is the guy you single out say, “Let’s not let him hurt us.” His postseason experience helps, but how long will it be till Manny decides to just be Manny again? Just about anything negative that he does may hurt the chemistry of this young team.
MANAGING:
JOE TORRE--- Not much needs to be said here. I think Torre has the managerial advantage over Lou. Torre’s success in New York speaks for itself. He is definitely one of the top managers in the game.
OTHER FACTORS:
YOUNGSTERS---This team is young. A big question mark was how manager Joe Torre could lead the young players after working with mostly veterans in the Bronx. He may get them into the playoffs, but how will they play in the “heat” of October.
NO HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE--- I know this isn’t the Florida Marlins, but come on, but Los Angeles fans aren’t exactly the most vocal of baseball fans. When this series goes to Cali for Game 3, the fans will come late and leave early. It may be full for innings 3 thru 6…MAYBE.
ROAD WOES--- LA struggles with a 28-40 record on the road.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:
78-65
2 games back of first place Mets
CUBS LOST SEASON SERIES 3-4. CUBS LOST 2 OF 3 IN PHILLY AND SPLIT 4 AT WRIGLEY.
PITCHING:
HAMELS---Starting pitching is solid, but I think the Cubs stack up well against the Phillies after Cole Hamels. Hamels is 7th in the league with a 3.12 ERA and 3rd with 180 strikeouts. Hamels would pitch twice in a 5 game series, which could be troublesome. Even though Philly is 3rd in the league in ERA, I don’t think Jayme Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, and Brett Myers will give the Cubs many problems.
BULLPEN---The pen is very good. Brad Lidge is 3rd in the league with 34 saves. J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin, and Clay Condrey have helped make games short for opposing teams by dominating the late innings.
HITTING:
BIG THREE---Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard are all legitimate superstars. The Phillies are 1st in the league in home runs. Howard’s the main threat. He leads the league with 40 homers and with 121 RBIs. In addition, Pat Burrell has 30 home runs, but he strikes out a lot. Besides that, there isn’t much. Philadelphia is 11th in the league in hitting. If you can some how slow down 2 of the big three, the Cubs could take the series.
MANAGING:
CHARLIE MANUEL---Manuel’s never won a playoff series. He was swept by the red hot Rockies last season. He lost in 5 games versus Pinella’s Mariners in 2001.
OTHER FACTORS:
ROAD---They are good on the road with a 39-36 record away from Philadelphia.
EXPERIENCE--- This team, which is basically the same as last years, was in the playoffs last season. They now know what to expect and will be looking to play better after getting swept by Colorado.
HOT STREAK--- The East may come down to the final week. If it does and Philadelphia wins the division, they will be playing well. They could be a dangerous team come the postseason, just like the 2007 Rockies.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:
71-71
1.5 games behind first place Dodgers
CUBS WON SEASON SERIES 4-2. SWEPT 3 AT WRIGLEY AND LOST 2 OF THREE IN THE DESERT.
PITCHING:
STARTERS---This is how Arizona wins ballgames. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, and Randy Johnson scare me a lot. Webb is the favorite to win the Cy Young as he leads the league with 19 wins. Haren is 4th in the league with 178 strikeouts and 9th with a 3.41 ERA. Randy Johnson has never lost to the Cubs. However, Webb and Haren have struggled lately so maybe they won’t be as effective.
BULLPEN---Former closer Jose Valverde is now a Houston Astro, but closer Brandon Lyon is a solid replacement. The bullpen can be effective, but are the Cubs really scared of former Cub Juan Cruz?
HITTING:
NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF---The D’Backs are hitting only .251 as at team, 12th in the league. No one in the lineup really scares you, besides former Red Adam Dunn. His 36 home runs are 2nd in the league. Dunn is a Cub killer, but he also strikes out a lot. As bad as the offense is, we must still remember they scored enough runs to sweep us out of the playoffs last season. Orlando Hudson and his .305 average is a catalyst for this team, but he doesn’t scare you as much as Reyes or even Pierre.
MANAGING:
Even though manager Bob Melvin took down the Cubs last season, the advantage still goes to Lou. His track record and World Series championship speak for itself.
OTHER FACTORS:
SHAKY DEFENSE---They don’t field well at all. Arizona is 13th in the league with a .982 fielding percentage.
REVENGE FACTOR---The Cubs will be ready this year. While Arizona’s pitching may slow down the Cubs they won’t get swept, especially with the home field advantage.
ROAD STRUGGLES--- Arizona struggles with only a 31-40 record away from Phoenix. This could help the Cubs as the first two games will be at Wrigley.
A Look at the Cubs
86-57
4 game lead over Brewers in Central
Sometimes when you watch a team as closely as I do with the Cubs, you lose perspective and recognize weaknesses more than strengths. So I will simply look at the statistics like I did with the previous 4 teams to breakdown the Cubs.
PITCHING:
STARTERS--- The Cubs are 4th in the league with a 3.86 ERA. No one knows what the Cubs will get from Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden down the stretch, but you figure the organization will do everything possible to get them ready for the playoffs. With those two on, a 5 game series will end very quickly. Zambrano has 13 wins, and Harden’s ERA is a miniscule 1.50 since coming over to the National League. Ryan Dempster may be the best starter. He is 4th in the league with 15 wins, 5th with a 2.99 ERA, and 7th with 167 strikeouts. He hasn’t faded yet, but will his arm hold up after all these innings? Dempster was the closer last season.
BULLPEN---Kerry Wood is 5th in the league with 28 saves. Carlos Marmol has found his dominating stuff once again. After those two you don’t know what you’ll get. Jeff Samardzija has been very good, but can he pitch this well in the postseason? Bob Howry has been ineffective. Neal Cotts has struggled. In the playoffs Sean Marshall and Jason Marquis may move the pen, which will help.
HITTING:
STRONG LINEUP---Aramis Ramirez is 3rd in the league with 100 RBIs and finds ways to get big hits at the right time. Derrek Lee is 2nd in the league with 167 hits. Ryan Theriot is 7th in the league with a .310 average. Mark Derosa is having a career year. Geovany Soto has serious power. The platoon of Jim Edmonds and Reed Johnson in center has been very productive. When these guys are on this offense is upstoppable.
MANAGING:
LOU---While some Cub fans criticize Lou for some of his in-game mistakes this season, his managerial record speaks for itself. Lou won a World Series with the Reds in 1990. He hold an advantage against all opposing managers, besides Joe Torre.
OTHER FACTORS:
HOME DOMINANCE---The Cubs have an NL best 51 wins at home. With home field advantage, this will help out tremendously.
CAN THEY REGAIN THE SWAGGER?--- The Cubs are struggling lately, but if they can regain the form of the past 5 months, they could march easily into the World Series.
DEFENSE--- The defense can be a problem at times. They are 11th in the league with a .982 fielding percentage.
WHO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CUBS PLAY IN THE FIRST ROUND:
DODGERS:
I think the Cubs match up best against the Dodgers. The starting rotation matches up well against the Cubs. If you shut down Manny, the offense could be ineffective. The youth of the team will catch up to them with most of the team playing in their first postseason. Plus, the Cubs have played the better against L.A. than any other playoff contender.
I think METS would be the 2nd best opponent. The rotation is hittable after Santana.
ARIZONA would be the 3rd best opponent. Their hitting is not good, but the big three in the rotation scare me.
I don’t want to play the PHILLIES at all. If this team gets hot, they can be very tough to beat come October.
WE’LL SEE HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT!
Morgan
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Alfonso Soriano
September 3, 2008
Well, the Cubs dropped their 5th straight tonight in a 4-0 loss at home to Houston. Hopefully, they can regroup with an off day tomorrow and get things going in Cincinnati on Friday night. But enough about the 5 game skid. I'm confident we'll turn things around. This team is too good and veteran-led to keep losing. Plus, Milwaukee has hit a skid so we're still sitting pretty atop the division.
I need to rant about a certain player: Alfonso Soriano
Before I get going let me acknowledge that Alfonso is an amazing talent on the field. His home run swing is a beautiful thing. He can single-handedly carry a team for weeks at a time with his streaks of hitting where he is simply boiling hot and just hits the cover off of every baseball he comes in contact with.
That being said...Tonight was just one more example of how Mr. Soriano lacks energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and overall pride in his play and the game of baseball.
In the 5th inning of tonight's game, Soriano hit a single into left field with Ronny Cedeno at 2nd base. Cedeno was sent home, and there was a play at the plate. The throw was on the money and Ronny was tagged out at home.
Meanwhile, Alfonso is still standing at first base. With the time it took this play to happen, Alfonso could have walked to second, yelled out to the beer vendor in left field, and ordered an Old Style.
This man is a rare 5 tool player. It's simply sad and frustrating watching him choose to not use each tool to its capability.
Numerous times this season Alfonso has failed to run hard on the bases or lazily jogged after a ball that got past him in the left field
For one example, leading off the big four game series in Milwaukee in late July, Soriano smoked a ball off the wall in left center. He put his head down out of the box, thinking it was a home run. As he rounded first base he realized the ball was not gone, and he barely made it to second for a double as the throw from left was just late.
Now tonight’s lack of hustle didn’t hurt us in the game really. The inning was over shortly afterwards anyway. However, eventually his inability to play the game hard will hurt us. Let’s just hope it’s not in a situation where it really matters.
Even Dave Kaplan, WGN radio host, was getting on Soriano tonight. From what I’ve seen Kaplan is one of the biggest Cub fans on television.
I don’t even care how much money Soriano makes. I know what his lucrative contract is. It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t like when people bring that argument up. So are you telling me that guys who make $20 mil a year should play harder than guys who make the league minimum?
Play the game the right way…whether you make millions or play Little League in front of dozens of your family members.
Physical mistakes happen all the time. I know that.
I’ll even take the occasional mental mistake. I know the 162 game season is grueling and not every player is “with it” at every moment.
But, there is no excuse for not hustling and playing hard.
I know there are others like Soriano. He is in no way the only one out there.
Is it too much to ask for everyone to be like Ryne Sandberg???
Well, the Cubs dropped their 5th straight tonight in a 4-0 loss at home to Houston. Hopefully, they can regroup with an off day tomorrow and get things going in Cincinnati on Friday night. But enough about the 5 game skid. I'm confident we'll turn things around. This team is too good and veteran-led to keep losing. Plus, Milwaukee has hit a skid so we're still sitting pretty atop the division.
I need to rant about a certain player: Alfonso Soriano
Before I get going let me acknowledge that Alfonso is an amazing talent on the field. His home run swing is a beautiful thing. He can single-handedly carry a team for weeks at a time with his streaks of hitting where he is simply boiling hot and just hits the cover off of every baseball he comes in contact with.
That being said...Tonight was just one more example of how Mr. Soriano lacks energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and overall pride in his play and the game of baseball.
In the 5th inning of tonight's game, Soriano hit a single into left field with Ronny Cedeno at 2nd base. Cedeno was sent home, and there was a play at the plate. The throw was on the money and Ronny was tagged out at home.
Meanwhile, Alfonso is still standing at first base. With the time it took this play to happen, Alfonso could have walked to second, yelled out to the beer vendor in left field, and ordered an Old Style.
This man is a rare 5 tool player. It's simply sad and frustrating watching him choose to not use each tool to its capability.
Numerous times this season Alfonso has failed to run hard on the bases or lazily jogged after a ball that got past him in the left field
For one example, leading off the big four game series in Milwaukee in late July, Soriano smoked a ball off the wall in left center. He put his head down out of the box, thinking it was a home run. As he rounded first base he realized the ball was not gone, and he barely made it to second for a double as the throw from left was just late.
Now tonight’s lack of hustle didn’t hurt us in the game really. The inning was over shortly afterwards anyway. However, eventually his inability to play the game hard will hurt us. Let’s just hope it’s not in a situation where it really matters.
Even Dave Kaplan, WGN radio host, was getting on Soriano tonight. From what I’ve seen Kaplan is one of the biggest Cub fans on television.
I don’t even care how much money Soriano makes. I know what his lucrative contract is. It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t like when people bring that argument up. So are you telling me that guys who make $20 mil a year should play harder than guys who make the league minimum?
Play the game the right way…whether you make millions or play Little League in front of dozens of your family members.
Physical mistakes happen all the time. I know that.
I’ll even take the occasional mental mistake. I know the 162 game season is grueling and not every player is “with it” at every moment.
But, there is no excuse for not hustling and playing hard.
I know there are others like Soriano. He is in no way the only one out there.
Is it too much to ask for everyone to be like Ryne Sandberg???
Monday, September 1, 2008
Monday, September 1
My name is Morgan Hawk. I’m a senior at the University of Iowa. I have been a Chicago Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. I will be blogging about the Chicago Cubs push to the Major League Baseball playoffs and their hopes of winning their first World Series championship since 1908.
The month of September has begun, and for baseball fans that means the final month of the regular season. After the past three days some Chicago Cubs fans, me included, have gotten a little nervous. The Cubs have lost 3 home games in a row for the first time all year.
Yes, I know the Cubs currently hold a 4.5 game lead over second-place Milwaukee.
Yes, I know two of those losses were to the strong offensive lineup of the pennant chasing Philadelphia Phillies.
Yes, I know the Cubs still own baseball’s best record.
However, I’m a Cubs fans and that’s why I’m concerned.
I mean it’s been a hundred years.
All you have to do is think back to the 2007 Mets, or the 2004 Cubs for that matter. Both teams lost leads in the final week of the season.
Carlos Zambrano has a “dead arm.” Yeah I understand this happens around this time of the season, but the Cubs organization hasn’t always handled injured pitchers perfectly over the years. ( Mark Prior )
Hopefully, a few days of rest will improve this “dead arm”, but only Cubs fans may understand why I’m concerned.
Another reason for concern: the dreaded September schedule. Cub fans have looked at this with disregard since opening day.
25 Total Games, 16 on the Road, including trips to St. Louis, New York, and Milwaukee to close out the season. The home schedule is no cakewalk either with a big home stand versus the Brew crew and the Redbirds in the middle of the month.
The other three home games are against the Astros and we’ve already lost the first one that series.
I’m not concerned about missing the playoffs. I think we have that wrapped up with roughly a 9 game cushion with the Wild Card in the mix. ( I hope) But, we need to win the division. I don’t know anyone who would dispute that.
The Cubs need home-field advantage, especially in that first round series which looks like could be against the three headed monster of Webb, Haren, and Johnson of the Diamondbacks.
I sound like it’s the end of the world.
Isn’t it nice to be concerned about the first place Cubs? I mean we could be Pirates or the lowly Nats.
Cub fans are never satisfied.
We’ve waited too long to be satisfied.
---Morgan Hawk
My name is Morgan Hawk. I’m a senior at the University of Iowa. I have been a Chicago Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. I will be blogging about the Chicago Cubs push to the Major League Baseball playoffs and their hopes of winning their first World Series championship since 1908.
The month of September has begun, and for baseball fans that means the final month of the regular season. After the past three days some Chicago Cubs fans, me included, have gotten a little nervous. The Cubs have lost 3 home games in a row for the first time all year.
Yes, I know the Cubs currently hold a 4.5 game lead over second-place Milwaukee.
Yes, I know two of those losses were to the strong offensive lineup of the pennant chasing Philadelphia Phillies.
Yes, I know the Cubs still own baseball’s best record.
However, I’m a Cubs fans and that’s why I’m concerned.
I mean it’s been a hundred years.
All you have to do is think back to the 2007 Mets, or the 2004 Cubs for that matter. Both teams lost leads in the final week of the season.
Carlos Zambrano has a “dead arm.” Yeah I understand this happens around this time of the season, but the Cubs organization hasn’t always handled injured pitchers perfectly over the years. ( Mark Prior )
Hopefully, a few days of rest will improve this “dead arm”, but only Cubs fans may understand why I’m concerned.
Another reason for concern: the dreaded September schedule. Cub fans have looked at this with disregard since opening day.
25 Total Games, 16 on the Road, including trips to St. Louis, New York, and Milwaukee to close out the season. The home schedule is no cakewalk either with a big home stand versus the Brew crew and the Redbirds in the middle of the month.
The other three home games are against the Astros and we’ve already lost the first one that series.
I’m not concerned about missing the playoffs. I think we have that wrapped up with roughly a 9 game cushion with the Wild Card in the mix. ( I hope) But, we need to win the division. I don’t know anyone who would dispute that.
The Cubs need home-field advantage, especially in that first round series which looks like could be against the three headed monster of Webb, Haren, and Johnson of the Diamondbacks.
I sound like it’s the end of the world.
Isn’t it nice to be concerned about the first place Cubs? I mean we could be Pirates or the lowly Nats.
Cub fans are never satisfied.
We’ve waited too long to be satisfied.
---Morgan Hawk
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