Pitching Pushes MLB Playoffs In Post-Steroid Era

There has been a paradigm shift in the post-steroid era of baseball.  Other than the Cubs, who always seem to be behind the learning curve, no longer are teams shelling out large contracts to older sluggers.  Instead, a lot of that money has been put toward younger talent.

And rather than seeing bulky boppers age in front of your eyes, the remaining teams in the League Championship Series are primed to take the next step because of their young pitchers.

For evidence of this shift in ideologies, look no further than the NLCS Game 1 match-up between the Phillies and Dodgers.

Philadelphia will send Cole Hamels to the bump looking to take a 1-0 series lead. Hamels was a postseason hero in 2008. Hamels posted a perfect 4-0 postseason record en route to the Phightin's world title. He allowed only 23 hits and 7 earned runs in 35 innings of work, while striking out 30 batters and walking only 9 all at the tender age of 24.  Hamels looked like he would have a breakout 2009, but struggled for the most part and finished with a 10-11 regular season record along with a 4.32 earned run average.

With a clean slate, Hamels can etch a new postseason mark against the Dodgers starting tonight.  Last year against the Dodgers, Hamels went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two playoff starts against Los Angeles, clinching the team's pennant with a win in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium -- where the two teams will kick off tonight's festivities.

Clayton Kershaw and his wicked breaking ball provides Hamels' competition.  You can add Kershaw to the list of Dodgers prospects to make an impact with the big league ball club.  It's why Los Angeles' original team is usually among the contenders.  His 8-8 record was pedestrian, but his peripherals are outstanding.  His 185 strikeouts and 2.76 ERA ranked as the best on LA's staff.

And in his first ever postseason start, Kershaw shut down the mighty St. Louis Cardinals offense as he scattered nine hits and allowed only two runs in a game the Dodgers would eventually win, 3-2.  Kershaw's gift basket to Matt Holliday should be arriving any day now.

Down the freeway, Jered Weaver will garner a start for the Angels against the Bronx Bombers.  Weaver went 16-8 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.242 WHIP in 2009 as he proved to be the ace of the California Anaheim Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  In only his third postseason start, Weaver puzzled Boston's hitters in a 4-1 Angels win.  Weaver struck out 7 batters in 7.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits en route to victory.

Of the three starting pitchers slated to go for the Yankees, CC Sabathia (28) is the youngest.  But what the Yankees lack in youth in its rotation, it makes up with young, flame-throwing relievers.

Phil Hughes, who was expected to be a front-line starter once upon a time, has excelled in the Yankee bullpen.  As a starter, he posted a 3-2 record and 5.45 ERA in seven starts.  But after being shifted to the pen, Hughes turned into one of baseball's most reliable set-up me as he went 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 51.1 innings of work.

Hughes' strikeout-to-walk ration jumped from 2.07-to-1 all the way up to 5-to-1.  His K/9 ratio elevated to 11.4 and his WHIP dipped to 0.857.

Then there's Joba Chamberlain, who made 31 starts for the Yanks in 2009.  However, the youngster is clearly more effective coming out of the pen.  His career splits tell the story.  As a reliever, Chamberlain owns a 1.50 ERA, 0.983 WHIP, 3.95 K/BB ratio, 11.9 K/9 ratio and has 79 punchouts in 61 innings.  As a starter, the WHIP jumps to 1.480, the ERA jumps to 4.18 and the strikeout-per-walk ratio gets cut in half.

The trio of Chamberlain, Hughes and Mariano Rivera makes the Yankees bullpen a scary proposition as we get later into October.

The youth has been served.

MLB Playoffs: It's LIke Deja Vu All Over Again

I know I was supposed to be on vacation, but...

The Cardinals crashed and burned in a way that I always thought was reserved for my beloved Cubs.  They forgot how to hit.  They forgot how to field.  And Joel Pineiro returned to earth as he allowed four earned runs in four innings of work.  This from a guy who won 15 games, struck out 105 batters and posted a 3.89-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.145 WHIP in a contract year.

Chicago Tribune baseball scribe Paul Sullivan (via his Twitter account) asks if Cubs fans are getting too much joy out of the Cardinals' postseason troubles.

In a word, no.  In two words, hell no.

It's almost as if the baseball Gods are righting the wrongs in baseball.  Everything Cardinals fans gave to Cubs fans last year is returning to Redbird nation.  My mother calls it karma.  I call it comedy.  Remember when the Cardinals and their patch-work 2006 team won the World Series?  How can that team be so much better than a team that won more than 90 games this season.

And to think,  Matt Holiday hit .253/.419/.604/.1.023 with 13 home runs and 55 runs batted in during his 63 game stay in St. Louis.  But unless he helps rally the troops from an 0-2 hole, he will always be remembered as a glorified Hans Moleman.

The literal crotch shot Holliday took was like the figurative one I (as well as the rest of Cubdom) took last October.  Whether it was James Loney's Game 1 homer which still haunts me today.  Or Mark DeRosa's stone hands in Game 2.  Or the overall collapse in Game 3.  That entire series was like taking a steel-toed boot to the groin over and over again.

As for the Cards,  watching the collapse via social networking couldn't have been more entertaining.

One status read: "I'm glad we traded the top player in our organization to get a guy who helps get us to the playoffs, then chokes it all up in the post season and will probably leave after it's all over. F*** YOU MATT HOLLIDAY!!!!! (AND YOU TOO RYAN FRANKLIN)"

Another: "This must. be how Cubs fans feel all the time."

And another: Dear Cardinals: I am very disappointed with you. -Me

It was like I had gone to bizarro world where hot snow falls up.  (Yes, two Simpson's references FTW!)

Via Twitter, Desipio said: So is this what it's like when other people watch the Cubs? Muahahaha!  Another status referenced players "Alfonso Holliday" and "Ryan Gregg."  Several others expressed their love for the west coast.

Heck, even Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright channeled his inner goat-blaming child, blaming the Dodgers' white towels for Holliday misplaying the ball.

The Curse of the White Towel?  Ha.  Welcome to Cubdom, Mr. Wainwright, we'll have a table for you shortly. 

What a difference a year makes.  Last year, I might as well have been literally beaten over the head, for figuratively, I was.  Via e-mail, text message, Twitter, Facebook ... I was reamed and cornholed 'till the wee hours of the next morning.

It was the kind of pain that could only be cured by heavy drinking and loose women.   Thank God I was in a college town.

Eventually, I recovered to become a normal member of society.  Whatever that's supposed to be.  And now, Cardinals fans are getting back what they gave almost a year ago.  But this time, actually getting hit in the baby-making factory.

And in the end, one text message kind of ties it all together for yours truly.

"I would like to send my sincerest apologies for the shit I gave you last postseason."

All is forgiven, my good friend.

Why I Hate Your Playoff Baseball Team

Confession: I am a baseball nerd.  Really.  When I was younger, I found myself watching playoff baseball despite the fact that my favorite team had been eliminated from playoff contention for a good chunk of those years.

But now, after back-to-back soul crushing playoff sweeps, my favorite team failed to make the postseason altogether.  I thought about latching myself to the bandwagon of one of the remaining teams.  Upon further review, I couldn't find it within me to do it.

And this is how "Why I Hate Your Playoff Baseball Team" got started.

The longest (and arguably most offensive to those of you who take your favorite team way too seriously) post in TBDS history after the jump.


YANKEES

Everyone hates the Yankees because they are what their favorite team is not.  Honestly, if your favorite team's owner/management group went balls out to put a winner on the field, how would you feel?  Whether it be through the minor league system or buying the open market's best player, if the Cubs did that, I would be happier than Derek Jeter on ladies night.

Speaking of which, screw you Jeter.  My one hope in life is to date one girl that is out of my league.  However, I can't because they're all swooning over you. His dating resume includes Jessica Biel, Minka Kelly, Mariah Carey and others.  Then there was this experiment with a college girl.  I have enough trouble dating girls my own age, Jeets, there's no reason to be dipping into my pool.

The One Thing I Like:  With all that said, I'd kill to be Jeter's wing man.  His sloppy seconds and rejects are 10s.  I'm down with OPP.

RED SOX

When I was younger, I used to like the Red Sox.  They were my "other" team.  My godfather played for the BoSox from 1989 'til 1993.  He always hooked me up with tickets and it was flippin' sweet.  I got autographed balls from Mike Greenwell, Mo Vaughn, Roger Clemens, Eric Wedge -- all those guys.  Heck, I got to meet Wedge and others one time when he was Cleveland's first base coach.

Those memories are gone, replaced with this story.

I went to a Cubs-Red Sox game in 2005 at Wrigley Field and hit it off with an attractive young lady.  A baseball fan with a passion for the game and the willingness to buy a then underaged Cubs fan a beer or two.  Then I told a funny joke.  A rarity still in this day and age ... she laughed ... and sounded like Peter Griffin.

Un.  Attractive.

We went our separate ways.  I wanted no part of that.  She's ruined Boston fans until I go to Boston and need a place to shack up.  I guess I could always hang out with Tom Brady.

The One Thing I Like: See first graph.

ANGELS

I'd be a terrible person if I wrote bad things about the Angels after the tragedy that struck them this year.  So I'll be kind.  Sorta.

I hate that you have baseball's best manager, Mike Scioscia.  He's awesome.  I hate that you reload, rather than rebuild.  I hate that you beat Dusty Baker in the World Series in 2002.  The loss cemented the end of Dusty's stay in San Francisco and began his run in Chicago, where he would go on to ruin the perfectly good arms of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.  His effect has also touched the careers of Matt Clement and has started to do so for Carlos Zambrano as well.

The One Thing I Like: Vlad.  VladGuerrero's style at the plate encapsulates my collegiate dating career.  Swing hard and hope you make contact.  However, Vlad's been a little more successful with his style.

Then there was this...

TWINS

I was ready to write this about the Tigers, but I've got my fair share of beef with the Twinkies.

First of all, thanks for Andy MacPhail you asshole pricks.  Thanks a f****** lot.  Never have I met such an egomaniacal baseball jerkwad.  Never.  That includes every Philly, Yankee, Red Sox, Cardinal, Bradley Braves fan I've ever met and despised.  A member of the lucky sperm club, MacFail was the sonofabitch whose 5 year plan didn't hatch a playoff team until 1998, and a division champion until 2003.

Then there's that whole cheaping out for Joe Mauer thing.  Mauer would look mighty fine in a Cubs uniform right now.  You know, that left-handed run producer Jim Hendry craves more than three dozen freshly baked jelly donuts.

The One Thing I Like: Oh yeah, and Favre can go to hell too.  Oh, this is where I say something nice.  Joe Mauer is a bad ass.  So is Joe Nathan.  If Mauer doesn't win AL MVP, someone should piss in the cereal of the baseball writers who voted for someone else.

PHILLIES

Philadelphia is looking to win its second straight World Series.  It won't.  Brad Lidge sucks and if he gets into the game, every other pitch he throws is going to end up putting another crater on the moon.  If the Phils somehow meet the Cardinals in the NLCS, they might have to put Lidge in the witness protection program.

Overall Philly isn't that terrible.  It's the place that helped raise The Fresh Prince, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Kobe Bryant.  On the other hand, it's the same town that throws batteries at Santa Claus when they don't get what they want for Christmas.

And you thought Jay Cutler was a whiny bitch.

The One Thing I Like:  Ryan Howard.  I drafted Howard in my fantasy league and traded him at the All-Star break for Alex Rodriguez.  In the second half, A-Rod hit .310/.394/.518/.912 with 13 homers, 50 RBIs and 11 steals en route to a fantasy title.  Howard performed well, but my third baseman prior to that trade was Mark Teahen.

ROCKIES

As a Cubs fan, I'd like to thank the Rockies for Don Baylor.  Not.  Don Baylor sucked.  He was a terrible manager who promised free agent hitters would come in droves to Chicago.  And the best we got was Moises Alou, who absolutely tanked in his only year under Baylor.

Then there's the Jason Marquis factor.  Did you know every team Marquis has pitched for has made the playoffs.  He's Dave Kaplan and Steve Stone's golden boy, despite the fact that neither of them were crying a river of Cubbie blue tears when he was shipped out west.

In total, Colorado sucks for many other reasons.  It's cold.  Who wants to play baseball in the snow?  No one with a brain.  Your big tourist attraction is skiing in mountains.  The only thing that would be as dangerous would be if Florida tried to sell vacation plans in which tourists would hang out in the swamps with gators not named Tim Tebow.

The One Thing I Like:  Thanks for Jeff Baker, pricks.

DODGERS

The Dodgers are lucky to even have a baseball team.  Their fans are a joke.  They come early and leave early.  They have a rich history, most of which revolves around the team's Brooklyn roots.  Oh, and the entire NL West can screw itself.  Two transplanted New York teams, two expansion teams and a team that had to build its ballpark so it wouldn't get crushed by one player that retired three years after the damn thing opened.

Back to the Dodgers.  They're blessed with one of baseball's best minor league systems, hence the team's young and talented roster.  They also have Alyssa Milano who is absolutely smoking hot.  And she's only a fan because her daddy was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan.  I would give up five Wrigley Field bleacher babes for one night with Alyssa Milano.  And that is after taking into consideration she's been in more major league clubhouses than Milton Bradley.

Also, it was the Dodgers' sweep of the Cubs that sent me into a heavy drinking binge last October.  Like, heavy.  I mean, cashing a bottle of Jack Daniels and a case of Miller Lite and waking up wishing I hadn't, kind of binge.

One Thing I LIke:  Vin Scully.  He's the sh*t.  The best announcer in any sport, ever.  Better than Marv Albert.  Better than Joe Buck.  Better than Jack Buck.  Better than Harry Caray.  Vin Scully is the Jay-Z of broadcasters.  I'd go out of my way to listen to Scully.  It's too bad Dodgers fans or too much of uberdouches to realize they are blessed with greatness.

CARDINALS

What can I say about the Cardinals that hasn't already been said about herpes, chlamydia or genital warts?  I would rather see eight more years of George W. Bush running this country than see one more St. Louis championship.

Mark DeRosa will make his third straight playoff appearance and is bound to break the hearts of Cardinals fans just as he did Cub fans, right?  He was the man who turned a 3-1 count with the bases loaded against Livan Hernandez into an inning-ending, rally-ending double play.  He was the man who couldn't handle what should have been an inning ending double play ball against the Dodgers last year as L.A. completed the sweep.

Yet, women love him ... why?  Because of his stubble.  F*** his stubble.  If that's all they loved, I would have been knee deep in 20something college co-eds since I was 12.  Go choke, DeRosa.  History tells me you will.

One Thing I Like: I know a pretty girl that happens to be a Cardinals fan.  A.  Pretty.  Girl.

At least I'll always have this to keep me warm at night.

Stat Boy Speaks: Hey Manny, You Owe Me A NLCS Appearance

Last year at this time, the Chicago Cubs were cruising right along toward a 97-win season and home field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.  They were on a collision course with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were being sparked by Manny Ramirez's .396/.489/.743/1.232 line.

And as Stat Boy will present to you, what a difference a year can make.

Manny really hasn't been Manny since being slapped with that 50-game suspension earlier this season.  And when he struggles, so do the Dodgers.  Specifically, right fielder Andre Ethier.

Ramirez is 4-for-25 (.160) over his last 10 games which spans his last 39 plate appearances.  In the month of September he has posted a .229/.407/.486/.892 line.  A far cry from the .370/.465/.753/1.218 line he posted over the last month of baseball that included 8 homers, 7 two-baggers and 28 ribbies.

As Ramirez goes, Ethier usually follows.  The lefty-swinging Dodger right fielder is 2-for-32 in the last 10 games he has seen action in -- and has been held hit-less since Sept. 24.  The drought spans his last seven games, 21 plate appearances.  The numbers get uglier when you get closer with a magnifying glass as Ethier is struggling through a 1-for-22 slump over from Sept. 24 to Sept. 30.

This month, Ethier has batted .212/.304/.394/.698.  In the final month of the 2008 baseball campaign, Ethier hit .462/.557/.692/1.249.

Ramirez continued to pummel the baseball when the Dodgers came rolling into the playoffs, posting a .500/.643/1.100/1.743 line.  Along with James Loney's soul-crushing two-out, two-strike grand slam that yours truly had to witness at Wrigley Field, that's all Los Angeles would need to pull past the Cubs.

Now, I'm not one to bitch about what coulda, woulda and shoulda been.  But this Manny situation has got me feeling a bit slighted.  I mean, if not for Manny's torrid run with the Dodgers, they would have clearly been after thoughts in the NL West.  (See: If he's not BALCO'd Up, the Dodgers are D.O.A.)

Arizona wins that division, and maybe the Cubs slip past the Diamondbacks and with home field advantage are able to get past the Phightin' Phillies.  Then, possibly the Cubs, working with the momentum of finally making it past the NLCS for the first time since 1945 are able to knock off the upstart Tampa Bay Devil Rays to win the franchise's first World Series title since 1908.

Lou Piniella won't have to call for Jim Hendry to blow up the team.  Mark DeRosa and Kerry Wood never leave as both would offer to play at Wrigley Field for free.  Kevin Gregg never comes, and neither do Aaron Miles or Milton Bradley.  Knowing Hendry's love for not changing things for the better, the Cubs would have likely fielded the exact same team in 2009 as he did in 2008.

By then, Jim Edmonds would have forgotten how to hit or field a baseball as age would have finally caught up to the aging outfielder.  Aramis Ramirez would have never hurt himself trying really hard to get a ground ball down the third base line because he'd be thinking "fuck it, we won a World Series last year" as the ball trickled down into the left field corner.

It is quite likely the Cubs would have imploded again, but in a more spectacular way with it being under different circumstances and all.  But I wouldn't give a damn.  Because they'd have their World Series and I'd have my memories until the day I'm stricken with Alzheimer's.

TBDS Late Night: Manny Ramirez Returns

I'm not going to bore you with a Manny shot. Here's hottie (and Dodger fan/baseball enthusiast) Alyssa Milano via Chickipedia. I know I'm not the only guy out there that finds a pretty girl with a baseball glove to be attractive.

A long time ago in a blogosphere far, far away, this blogging outfit presented a feature called TBDS Late Night which reported on late-breaking news and provided games to watch for and links to read at your own peril. Once in a while, yours truly will revive that segment when necessary.

This is one of those times.

The Los Angeles Dodgers welcome the return of All-Star outfielder Manny Ramirez from his 50-game drug suspension, much to the chagrin of L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke. The Dodgers went 28-21 in Ramirez's absence as Juan Pierre starred in left field and the bats of youngsters Matt Kemp and James Loney rose to the occasion in ManRam's stead.

And yet, in the 50 games Ramirez was gone, no one was able to pass, let alone catch, the Dodgers. The San Francisco Giants are 7.5 games out of first, but are still one big bat short of being a real threat to Joe Torre's bunch.

The return of Ramirez makes me wonder if the Dodgers are now the team to beat in the National League.

The Cubs were favored to win the NL Central for the third straight year, but faceplanted coming out of the gate and really have not been able to find the "Cubbie Swagger" that has eluded the team since last September. The Mets have so many injuries, they're one step away from having an entire farm system on speed dial and on a direct flight to New York City. And the Phillies have the highest starter's earned run average in the senior circuit.

Meanwhile the Dodgers seemingly have the perfect mix of youthful exuberance and veteran know-how to get something done not only in the NL West, but in the entire league.

But they will only go as far as the beautiful Alyssa Milano will go. Somewhere, Dodger fans hope she goes all the way.

Quality Linkage:

• The 24 hours of Independence Day. [Made Men]
• Athletes who drank their American haterade. [Deadspin]
• Kissing Suzy Kolber's sexy tribute to the 4th of July. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]
• The history of fireworks in 60 seconds. [Asylum]
• The Celtics are looking for a few good (looking) women for their dance team. [SportsByBrooks]
• Eastbound and Down, coming to a DVD set near you. [Netflix]
  

Rafael Furcal's word is worth as much as your stock in Enron, just ask the Braves

After it seemed as if a reunion with the Atlanta Braves was imminent, free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal looks to have reversed his course and will likely return to the Los Angeles Dodgers.


Braves GM Frank Wren said the team and Furcal's agent came to an agreement on Monday night and apparently couldn't reach Furcal to sign the contract.

Sounds like code for "we're going to go back to the Dodgers and see if we can get some more." And it looks like they did.

Now, it's Thursday, and Furcal has agreed to a three-year deal worth $30 million to stay with the Dodgers.

This isn't the first time Furcal and his agents have played the bait-and-bail game while on the open market. Last time he was a free agent, Furcal looked to have a four or five year deal with the Cubs before his agents went to the Dodgers one last time and took the rug from right under Jim Hendry's feet as the speedy shortstop signed with L.A.

Look, Furcal is a good player and among one of the best offensive shortstops in all of baseball when he's healthy. He can hit you 10 to 15 home runs, steal you at least 30 bases and get on base at a 40 percent clip.

But if he continues to pull crap like this out of his Dodger blue ballcap, he will be forever known as a two-faced cancerous "me guy" only out for the money.

And a defensively inept shortstop.

Photo Credit: LA Times

Gettin' Silly in Philly

Photo credit: Getty Images.

This is part one of a two-part series in which I write about how jealous I am of the teams remaining in baseball's League Championship Series.

The Philadelphia Philles have a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, putting them one game away from their first World Series appearance since 1993.

As a baseball fan, there's a part of me that cares.

As a tortured Cubs fan, I want to say f*ck this series!

The Los Angeles Dodgers have no business being in the playoffs, let alone the League Championship Series.

I don't care what Ned Coletti thinks because if it weren't for Manny Ramirez the Dodgers would be watching the playoffs from the comfort of their collective homes.

OK, the return of Rafael Furcal helps (a lot) and Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and James Loney are solid youngsters that are budding stars.

But I still can't put together how an 84-win team in the worst division in baseball beat the team with the most wins in the National League that played in a division with four teams that were over the .500 mark.

I guess having the right combination of people that have been there, done that (Manny, Derrek Lowe, Joe Torre) and clueless youngsters (Kemp, Loney, Jonathan Broxton) can help you pull a surprise.

As for the Phillies, I understand how they got here, one game away from the NL pennant.

And as I look up and down the Phillies' roster, I'm jealous.

Not just because they're on the brink of winning the pennant, but because of what they've got.

They've got an ace starter in Cole Hamels, who is sane. Not that I don't like Carlos Zambrano's insanity because I think it brings something special to the team. It's a fire that doesn't come in most players.

They've got speed with Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, who combined to swipe 83 bags this season.

The Cubs only stole 87 bases this year led by Ryan Theriot's 22.

They've got power in the middle with the lefty sticks of Chase Utley (33 HRs) and Ryan Howard (48 dingers) and the right-handed heavy hitter Pat Burrell (33 bombs).

Alfonso Soriano led the Cubs with 29 homers as the Cubs lead-off man. Aramis Ramirez, who hit 38 homers in 2005, has hit 26 and 27 in the last two seasons.

But at least his OBP continues to rise (.380 this year compared to .366 and .352 the last two years) and his defense has been Gold Glove caliber of late.

The point is that despite the wins, run differential and the ultimate motivation of being titleless since the dawn of man kind, the Cubs weren't able to do what they were expected to do.

Eh, what else is new.

Daily Dosage: Like life, baseball goes on

First of all, let the record show that Nick Cannon has no business being married to the beautiful (and a little bit loco) Mariah Carey.

Seriously, Mariah can sing her butt off and look good in it. Nick Cannon had that one song with R. Kelly and that other song with a bunch of rappers.

At least he has Drumline money to fall back on.

Still, it's unfair.

Moving on to the Dosage.

The Phreakin' Phils Are Having Phun! Through four NLCS games, Brad Lidge has proven to be the anti-Mitch Williams.

Lidge converted his first four-out save this season and he did it at a perfect time for Philly fans as the fans of the Illa-delph's baseball team were rewarded with a 7-5 come-from-behind victory.

The Dodgers bullpen (normally good) allowed five runs in four innings of work to a powerful Phillies offense that is one win away from its first World Series since 1993.

Remember the Wild Thing? Here's hoping Brad Lidge has a short memory. Remember the last time he was in a LCS clinching game?

[Phillies 7 Dodgers 5]

Rays romp in Boston. To quote Eminem in the great movie "8 Mile": "Now who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"

Not the Tampa Bay Rays.

In their first playoff appearance at Fenway Park, the Rays looked like a group of veterans, knocking around Jon Lester (surprising!) to the tune of five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings. Then the Rays knocked around Paul Byrd (not so much!) for four runs (all earned) in 3.1 innings.

Oh yeah, and B.J. Upton is turning into an October star.

His summer troubles were chronicled here at TBDS.

The good news for the Rays center fielder is that it's the fall.

He's batting .308 after a 2-for-5 day at the plate in which he knocked in three RBIs, scored a run and hit a loooong home run off of Lester in the third inning.

The Rays are up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

[Rays 9 Red Sox 1]

Quality Linkage:

• The SIU men's golf team posted its worst finish of the fall season. [Daily Egyptian]
• The Heisman Field is lackin' for talent. [The Big Lead]
• The best Madden glitches ever. [on205th]
• A victory for "baseball geeks" like me. [Gawker]
• Marshawn Lynch is just like me. And by just like me, I mean he's a blogger. [With Leather]
  

It ain't over 'til it's over: Why Cubs fans should continue to believe this is the year

Cubs fans, heed my advice.

Don't look back.

If Dusty Baker taught me anything in his four years in Chicago, it's that "the past is for losers and cowards, and I ain't neither."

While I could argue against the first part of the statement, I understand the gist of it. And even though you truly don't know where you're going until you know where you've been, sometimes you just have to move forward and forget the past.

With that said, there are plenty of reasons to hold out hope that the Cubs can make history, starting tonight.

Rich Harden is the best No. 3 starter in these playoffs

I already covered Harden in a previous post, but it's worth repeating.

He's awesome.

10-2 overall, but against NL teams he went 7-1 including wins against the Phillies and Brewers, both are in the playoffs this year.

Harden was on the wrong side of the 0-2 comeback in 2003. He's looking for payback.

Ted Lilly has been a beast in the second half

Many people ridiculed Lilly's four-year $40 million contract when it was signed, but he's been big money for the Cubs, especially in the second half.

Lilly finished the season with a 3-1 mark in September and an 8-3 record in the second half with a 3.32 ERA.

Not only will Lilly take that into Game 4, he'll be pitching in pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium.

That softens the blow a little.

Little Babe Ruth

I hope Kosuke Fukudome is going to be wearing some comfortable baseball pants because I doubt he'll be seeing any playing time.

In fact, K-Fuk won't get a chance to face fellow countryman Hiroki Kuroda, Mark DeRosa will get the start in right field as Mike Fontenot gets the start at second base.

Fontenot, who was acquired in the Sammy Sosa trade to Baltimore, has been one of the Cubs' best reserve players this year. He posted a .909 OPS this season and hit only one less homer than the Fuk in almost half the at-bats.

The kid's a sparkplug.

Payback

The 2003 Florida Marlins did it to us. They won three straight games with their backs against the walls and won the NL pennant and did it against Carlos Zambrano, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.

The 1984 San Diego Padres did it to us, too. They won three-in-a-row after being down 0-2 to Ryne Sandberg, Rick Sutcliffe and the rest of the gang. All they had was Tony Gwynn...and Steve f*cking Garvey.

Payback is a bitch.

A few years ago, I coined the concept that this would be the year that Cubdom would strike back - loosely based off The Empire striking back in Star Wars.

Return of Demp

Ryan Dempster hasn't had back-to-back bad starts all season. Why would he do it now?

After Harden and Lilly take care of business, the Cubs will have their home-field ace, a lot of positive energy and hopefully an excited crowd in Wrigleyville.

And then possibly Big Z coming out of the pen to go with Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood.

Lou's gotta pull out all the stops. And I expect him to do so.

Closing Argument

Ladies and gentlemen, these are the Chicago Cubs.

You should already know what to expect: heartbreak followed by hope.

You've been in this position before. You've been ridiculed by friends and co-workers for being a Cubs fan. Your girlfriend probably is angered by the fact that from April through October, your primary focus is on 25 guys instead of her.

You've already wasted six months of your life, what's another few games? Do you have a hot date tonight? Probably not. So watch the game. Have a beer (or two or three) and a hot dog (or two or three).

If you're off the bandwagon and the Cubs somehow do the unthinkable, don't even think about coming back on. You're not welcome here anymore.

The Cubs have the Dodgers right where they want them. Lulled into a sense of security and thinking there will be clinching with Alyssa Milano downing Dodger Dogs.

The Cubs are going to win this series not because they have the better talent on the field. Not because of vodoo. Not because of some priest.

The Cubs are going to win this series because no one expects them to do so.

The Cubs won three games in a row 14 times this season. What's one more?

F*ck three games, how about 11 straight?

Let's get 'em!

"Make history or we're history"

Remember in the movie 'Fever Pitch' starring Jimmy Fallon where the Boston Red Sox were down 3-0 to the New York Yankees in the ALCS and Fallon and Drew Berrymore got together and then the Red Sox came all the way back to win the AL pennant and eventually the World Series?

That's the kind of storyline the Chicago Cubs are going to need in Hollywood and it all starts tonight.

Because this is Hollywood people, where dreams come true. Where hookers become housewives. Where actors become political figures. And where the Cubs are World Series winners.

The point is that anything is possible, even though everything isn't probable.

While many Cubs fans have packed it up and called it a season, I'm not ready to just yet. Believe me, I wanted to do so on Thursday night as I sat in Buffalo Wild Wings in Carbondale as Cardinals and White Sox fans rejoiced as the Cubs booted their chance to even the series at 1-1.

However, I just couldn't do it. Why? Maybe I like pain and suffering.

Or it could be the idea that if the 2008 season was truly meant to be a historical season that the Cubs would have to do something historical.

It's not like this hasn't happened before.

The Cubs won three games in a row many times this season. In fact, the Cubs won three-in-a-row against the Dodgers earlier in the season.

Oh, but the Doubting Thomas in you wants some playoff examples. Well, look no further than the Chicago Cubs.

In 2003, the Florida Marlins won three consecutive games (two on the road) to take themselves from the brink of elimination to an NL pennant and eventually the 2003 World Series title.

How about 1984 when the Cubs took a 2-0 lead into San Diego just to see Steve Garvey and the Padres snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with three straight wins against the Cubs.

How about the 2001 New York Yankees having to beat Oakland's Big Three to take the ALDS after being down 0-2.

How about the 2003 Red Sox that did the same thing to Oakland.

This isn't rocket science people, it's baseball!

Playoff baseball!

97 wins doesn't mean a thing without the ring and I think everyone realizes that.

It's time to write a true Hollywood ending.

Dodgers dump Cubs in 0-2 hole

[Editors Note: Let the record show this guy is a Grade-A douche. Not just because he's a Dodger fan, but he has better seats than I had at Wednesday night's bummer of a ballgame. I hope someone slaps him silly, calls him Suzie and gets stuck with a guy named Bubba tonight in Boystown. What? Was that harsh? F*ck him!]


Someone tell me who's the 97-win team and who's the 84-win team.

Someone tell me why the 84-win team has scored 17 runs in two games against the National League's second best pitching staff.

Someone tell me why 97-win team is on the brink of elimination.

(Silence)

That's right.

There are truly no words to explain what's going on here.

In the end, the Chicago Cubs, who won a league-best 97 games in 2008, are down 0-2 in the best-of-five series, which heads back to Los Angeles on Saturday.

The only thing keeping the Cubs from elimination is Rich Harden.

But we'll talk about that tomorrow. As for tonight, it's back to drinkin' the hard stuff.

It's the only thing keeping me from getting sad over this mess of a ballclub.

Cub flub: Manny, Dodgers take 2-0 lead over Cubs [Yahoo! Sports]

P.S. Hi Diana!!!

The weight - and wait - of a (Cub) Nation rests on Big Z's shoulder

Down 0-1 in the NLDS.

Backs against the preverbial wall.

A fan base on the edge, ready to jump.

This is why Jim Hendry and the Tribune Co. shelled out more than $90 million to keep Carlos Zambrano in Cubbie blue.

When Big Z trots out to the Wrigley Field mound tonight, the focus of Cubdom shifts squarely on the $91.5 million dollar man and the right arm that has brought joy and pain this season.

The question at hand is which Zambrano will show up at the Friendly Confines tonight?

Will it be Carlos Zambrano-no, who in 14-wins has 76 punchouts and a 1.53 ERA? Or will it be El Toro Loco, who posted a 10.53 ERA in six losses this season.

While the bandwagoners are jumping ship, continually awaiting doom, I will still have faith in the Cubs going into Los Angeles.

In Game 3, the North Siders will have Rich Harden, who went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA since joining the team in July. He's not CC Sabathia, but he's been just as dominant at times, striking out 89 batters in 71 innings in the familiar blue pinstripes.

Ted Lilly would take the bump in Game 4, unless the Dodgers pull of the unlikely sweep. Teddy Neversmile has been the Cubs' best pitcher down the stretch, and though he's prone to giving up the long ball, pitching in pitchers paradise Dodger Stadium lightens the load Lilly would have to carry.

Cubs fans: it's not over. It's not even close to being over. It's not time to be praying for a miracle.

This ain't your daddy's or granddaddy's or great-granddaddy's Cubs.

This ain't your 1909-2007 Cubs.

This is 2008. This is the team. This is the year.

Enjoy the ride.

And Go Cubs!

Dodgers take NLDS Game 1 from Cubs

[Writers note: It's not every day there's a Game 1 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. And that's why I had to be there. Even though the end result wasn't what I wanted, it was worth the 12-hour round trip drive.]

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster picked a bad time to have one of his worst outings at Wrigley Field.

Dempster struggled with his command all night and it caught up with him in the top of the fifth inning.

After loading the bases with Dodgers, Dempster surrendered a grand slam to Dodgers first baseman James Loney on a 1-2 pitch with two outs which turned a 2-0 Cubs lead into a 4-2 deficit.

The homer came one pitch after Dempster came "this" close to striking out Loney, who fouled off the pitch to stay alive in the at bat.

The boisterous crowd that felt as if it were on the brink of escaping another jam was silenced when the next pitch Dempster threw found the seats in left-center field.

After that, it was almost as if the air was let out of the balloon.

The Cubs were patient against Game 1 winner Derek Lowe, but were unable to string together enough hits to create or sustain a rally.

As for my fellow Cubs fans, after Mark DeRosa's two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning, they were quiet, for the most part. When they weren't quiet, they said things that I'm not sure I'm allowed to post on this site.

Cubs fans were critical of star left fielder Alfonso Soriano, and rightfully so. Soriano struggled mightily in last year's playoff series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and those struggles continued in tonight's game as the slugger went 0-for-5 on the evening.

Right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, the team's $48 million offseason pick-up, put together some quality at-bats in the No. 2 spot, but went 0-for-4.

Don't expect K-Fuk to hit second in Thursday's Game 2. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if manager Lou Piniella opted to use DeRosa in right field and Mike Fontenot at second base, despite Fukudome's defensive prowess.

In the end, a frustrated fan base goes home down 0-1 in the best of five series, but will come back with "ace" Carlos Zambrano to square off against Chad Billingsley.

Zambrano, who threw a no-hitter in September, struggled in his next two outings. The Cubs can't afford to head to L.A. down 0-2.

The weight - and wait - is on Zambrano's right arm.

Because remember kids: momentum is only good as your next day's starting pitcher.

Good night, from the North Side of Chicago.

Cubs fans, keep your head up. Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was this ball club.

Win 11 of the next 19 and we'll forget that this even happened.

Let's go out and get 'em tomorrow.

Cubs Magic Number: 11

The financial market is in a rut. Some geeks are trying to recreate the Big Bang. There's an African-American running for President and a woman running as a Vice President.

And the Cubs are 11 wins away from winning their first World Series since 1908.

Boy. It really puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Moving on to today's mini-preview.

A league-leading 97 wins were nice.

So were the 885 runs, also leading the National League.

Team's second straight playoff appearance, also, very impressive.

But beginning today, none of it matters.

For the Chicago Cubs and the seven other playoff teams, it's Opening Day all over again.

Screw the 100 years of suck thing, it's only fodder for columnists who aren't creative or talented enough to find something more intriguing to write about.

Let's talk about the playoff series between 2008 Cubs and 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Why The Cubs Should Win The Series.

The Cubs have a more talented team, up and down the 25-man roster. They have more talent in the everyday lineup and in the starting rotation.

They're motivated, especially after last year's sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Lou Piniella's got them focused, as a World Series title in Chicago would make him a shoo-in for a spot in Cooperstown as a manager.

Ryan Dempster was 14-3 at home, and Wrigley will be rockin'.

And not just because yours truly is going to be in the house, either.

Why The Cubs Could Lose The Series.

They're the Cubs. They haven't won a playoff game since October 11, 2003. They've never won a playoff game west of the Mississippi River.

Now that I got the lazy journalism out of me...

The Dodgers are playing with house money. They're on fire and are led by one of baseball's best managers (Joe Torre) and one of the game's best money players (Manny Ramirez).

Both have something to prove to the East Coast about what they have left in the tank.

What scares me most about this Cubs team is that it's basically the same lineup that was shut down by the D'Backs last October.

That bothers me.

That's all for now.

Let's play some ball, already!

Why the Dodgers will beat the Cubs

One of our two resident St. Louis Cardinals fans, "Big Stilley" has hopped on the L.A. Dodgers' ship.

Why?

Let him explain as Manny Ramirez continues to celebrate his walk-off shot from the 2007 ALDS.

I have been predicting for the last three weeks the Dodgers would win the World Series, so don't take this as a Cubs bashing. This is simply why I think the Dodgers will get past Chicago.

The biggest reason is Manny Ramirez. He has been the most dominating player in baseball since coming to L.A. and everyone knows Manny is an even bigger beast in the post season.

Ignore the AL/NL splits (which make no sense anyway) and Man-Ram has 37 homers and 121 RBIs.

That's sick.

I think Manny is one of the few players who has the ability to nearly carry his team to the World Series. He is one of the best hitters in baseball.

The Dodgers will need more than just Manny to win it all though. They're going to have to have some other players step up and play well.

Derek Lowe has shown in the past that he is a great post season pitcher. The way he pitched in 2004 when Boston won the World Series shows that he can dominate in October. Remember, he clinched every game for the BoSox that magical season.

I think Lowe will take Game 1 over Ryan Dempster. Dempster has been good at home for the Cubs this season, but he doesn't have near the post season experience of Lowe.

Carlos Zambrano has been on a roll this season. I don't think anybody is going to hit him, so the Dodgers might as well tack this one up as a loss.

Game 3 will likely be a match up of Rich Harden of the Cubs against Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda dominated the Cubs, pitching a four hit shutout in June. I see the Dodgers taking this one.

In order to avoid Big Z in game 5, the Dodgers will throw out Derek Lowe on short rest for game 4. The Cubs will likely throw Ted Lilly, but could possibly go with Dempster on short rest. I think this will be one of the higher scoring games, but the Dodgers will win and take the series in 4.

My surprise player for the Dodgers: Nomar Garciaparra. I see him stepping up and playing really well for L.A. He's going to end up being the difference maker for this team.

The last reason I think L.A. will win is my gut. I have always been a firm believer in trusting your gut instinct and for the last three weeks that instinct has told me the Dodgers will win the World Series.

Now a few reasons for why the Cubs won't beat the Dodgers.

I don't think you're going to see the same Jim Edmonds you saw during the regular season for Chicago. I think he's going to struggle.

Ditto for Aramis Ramirez. He has hit .196 in 56 career post season at-bats. He's going to keep that streak up and the Cubs will fall.

The Dodgers may not be the more talented team, but I do think they will beat the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS.

The Curse of Dick?

Via Awful Announcing

First of all, do you see anything wrong with this picture?

I'm not sure when that billboard was put together, but that guy's no Nostradamus.

There is no playoff baseball in Gotham City. Plenty of time for the N.Y. media to salivate over Brett Favre's six touchdown passes and the New York Giants' hot start.

Anyway, this AA post brings more bad news to Chicago Cubs fans hoping that 2008 is indeed the year they can celebrate something more than an NL Central Division title.

Not only do the Cubs have to overcome the Los Angeles Dodgers of Chavez Ravine. Not only do the Cubs have to overcome black cats, billy goats, Bartmen and 100 years of ineptitude. They also have overcome the Curse of Dick Stockton.

God, I hate him. He's terrible.

Remember Adolpho Ramirez?

The Cubs were 0-3 when Stockton was behind the mic of FOX's MLB Game of the Week. They were also swept in last year's NLDS with Stockton (again) rockin' the mic, this time for TBS.

And to make matters worse, last year, after the Cubs were knocked out, he called three straight NFL games featuring the Chicago Bears.

The Bears lost each game.

Why couldn't I be treated to a Chip Caray "SWUNG ON AND BELTED!" call?

Hell, I would rather hear Joe Buck and Tim McCarver pontificate instead of Dick Stockton.

Thankfully, I'll be in Chicago for Game 1. As for the rest of the games, take full advantage of the mute button and find a radio powerful enough to catch 810 AM in southern Illinois and listen to Pat Hughes and Ron Santo.

Since I'll be in the house for Game 1, maybe I should just take things into my own hands.

Or maybe the Cubs will make this look silly and beat the Dodgers fair and square.

I like my chances.

The only thing left to look forward to

Well, let's be honest. The Cardinals are done. They're not coming back. No division crown, no wild card. Over, we are done.

I was feeling down about it until I realized something. The Cubs are in first place!

Most of you are probably saying 'Wait, I thought you were a Cardinals fan?' Yes, I am a Cards fan and yes, I hate the Cubs with a fiery passion.

That's why I'm so happy they're in first. I don't have to watch as whatever team goes and wins a World Series. I still have something to hope for. That something is for the Cubs to choke.

So, let's break down the possibilities:

Mets win East, Dodgers win West, Brewers win Wild Card

Under this scenario, the Cubs will go up against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. I love the Dodgers' chances here. They have been on a role since acquiring Manny Ramirez, who will undoubtedly earn another hefty contract in the free agent market.

Currently, they're my favorite to make it to the World Series from the National League.

If the Cubs do slip past the Dodgers, then they would go up against either the Milwaukee Brewers or New York Mets. In a five game series, I think the Mets take it.

In the Cubs-Mets NLCS, the curse of Ron Santo takes place. There is no way the Cubs are getting past the Mets with Santo still part of the organization.

Phillies win East, Dodgers win West, Brewers win Wild Card

In this scenerio, the Cubs once again face the Dodgers in the NLDS. My prediction stays the same as above.

Once again, if the Cubs do slip past L.A., I think the Brewers take care of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, so that sets up an all National League Central NLCS.

The Brewers fired manager Ned Yost. They're now the team that has no chance. In a series against the Cubs where no one gives them a shot, they prove that Billy Goats can cause curses.

Mets win East, Dodgers win West, Phillies win Wild Card

Ryan Howard vs. Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano, as much as this intrigues me, I don't see the Phillies beating the Cubs.

I see the Dodgers taking care of the Mets in that series, setting up Chicago to take a seat to Joe Torre ripping Yankee hearts out by making the World Series as Dodgers manager while the Yankees sit patiently at home waiting until CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets hit the open market.

I really don't care how it works out. As long as the Cubbies choke, I'm going into the offseason a happy person.

I love to see the Cubbies choke and all the sad faces on their drunk faces after it happens. The only thing that makes me happier is seeing St. Louis win.

Daily Dosage: "Horry Kow" A One-Hitter!

Seriously. Where is Hiroki Kuroda's unnecessarily offensive t-shirt? If he was a Cub, they'd definitely have one and if they didn't they would after Monday night's performance. Kuroda one-hit the Braves as the Dodgers won 3-0.

That makes Dodger fans happy. The fact that Frank McCourt nixed a possible CC Sabathia deal won't.

On the other hand, they do have the eye candy known as Alyssa Milano so I'm sure their focus is elsewhere.

Beasley 1 Rose 0. Is it too early for the Michael Beasley Fan Club to jump out of the woodwork and give Bulls GM John Paxson the "I told you so" treatment? Maybe. Nonetheless Beasley's 28 points in 23 minutes in the Heat's 94-70 victory over the Baby Bullies.

Joakim Noah was torched for most of those buckets...musta been the cognac.

As for D-Rose, 10 points 4 assists and 5 turnovers. Thankfully summer league games don't count for much....unless you take into consideration that Beasley picked apart the Bulls starting front court.

Quality Linkage

• CC Sabathia: Now Period Free. (The Canadian Press)
• Some AFC West love from Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez, who saved the life of a Chargers fan. (Arrowhead Pride)
• Some stripper claims to have reversed the curse. Is she moving to Chicago anytime soon? I'll foot the bill. (Boston Herald)
• Michael Vick is filing for bankrupcy. Dogs everywhere can celebrate freely! (Bloomberg)
• ESPN should sit back and take notes from this blog when they decide to make a series about the '08 Cubs. (Windy Citizen)