Game One - National League Division Series
Cubs (97-64) vs. Dodgers (84-78) - Best of Five
Game Time - 5:30pm C.T.
Coverage - TV: TBS - Radio: 720 WGN, ESPN Radio, XM Radio Channel 184, 189
Location - Wrigley Field, Chicago
Ryan Dempster (17-6, 2.96/1.21) vs. Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24/1.13)
Baseball's second season begins today on the North Side of Chicago. After the final out was recorded last year, Lou Piniella met with the media and after answering all of the same questions finished with.... "This is just a start fellas. We are going to get better at this. This is just a start. We will convene next spring and take this thing further."
Lou Piniella has kept his word so far....as Jim Edmonds said to the team before the celebration escalated after clinching the division, "Keep your eye on the prize." The Cubs get back to work today, with the next step....BEAT L.A.!
Joe Torre's team has flown under the radar for the last month and could be the one team that no one wants to play in a short series. The Dodgers are not the same team the Cubs beat five times out of seven games at the end of May and early June. Not only did Ned Colletti add Manny Ramirez at the trade deadline but Casey Blake from the Indians as well. Rafael Furcal has returned from spending a majority of the season on the DL and is expected to make the start today at short and hit in the leadoff spot. The Dodgers could easily be the last team standing at the end of October.
The Cubs have been on a mission all season and today, like all game ones in a short series, will set the tone for the entire series. With the uncertainty that is Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster must put his team into position to win the game while the offense must not swing early and often against Derek Lowe. This lineup has struggled against Lowe and they must make him elevate his sinker.
The Cubs offense has shown throughout the season they are capable of taking pitches and making the opposition work, tonight will be the first test to see if they learned anything from the fantastic regular season they put together.
Patience, defense, pitching and more patience are the keys for game one....
The Cubs and Dodgers have been playing games since 1890 but today will be the first time they have faced one another in the post-season. The All-Time series is tied at 1,012 wins each (2,024 games in 119 years) and the Dodgers have one of the best post-season managers in the history of the game.
Any casual fan looking at this series might see a mismatch on paper, but the farthest could not be from the truth. In order for the Cubs to make it to the next round they will have to play mistake free ball and not give the Dodgers any help. The second half Dodgers are just as good as the Cubs, if not better.
The Dodgers posted a very impressive 17-8 record in September regardless of the opponents they faced (Padres, D'Backs, Rockies, Pirates and Giants) and the Cubs' pitching staff will have to deal with a loaded lineup that includes one of the best post-season hitters in the history of the game. Manny Ramirez has hit 24 career home runs in the playoffs and since being traded to the Dodgers his line is just plain scary: .396/.489/.743 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI's in 54 games.
The Cubs must make the Dodgers' pitching staff throw to them and get the ball up. With the cooler weather in Chicago along with playing at night at Dodger Stadium, home runs for the Cubs could come at a premium. The Cubs have won games all season without relying on the longball and in this series it must be more of the same. Smart baserunning, taking the extra base when possible, hustling out of the box, hitting behind the runner and both sacrifice flies and bunts will pay a huge part in getting past the Dodgers and into round two....in other words, smart, fundamental baseball.
'The Big Three' will play a huge part in the Cubs success but the depth at the bottom of the lineup will give Alfonso Soriano more opportunities to drive in runs. As much as the Cubs need a solid series from Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, players such as Geovany Soto, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Theriot and Jim Edmonds must continue where they left off against the Cardinals when the games "still mattered."
Another player Lou Piniella needs a contribution from is Kosuke Fukudome. It appears Mark DeRosa will be in right field but Fukudome should be inserted for his defense and in the eighth spot in the lineup. If Fukudome can give the Cubs anything at the plate, his defense will more than make up for his offensive defencies....every run and every base in a post-season game is important and Kosuke has the ability and experience in right field to change a game....or at least keep one close.
Ryan Dempster will make his first post-season start tonight after a very impressive year as a starter for Lou Piniella. Dempster was 14-3 in 20 starts at Wrigley this season with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP while holding opponents to a .229 batting average. Dempster was 7-2 in 13 starts in the second half and was 2-1 in 5 starts in September with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
Dempster faced the Dodgers twice this season and posted a 1-0 record in 2 starts with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP....the Dodgers hit .250 against him. Dempster beat the Dodgers at Wrigley on May 26th (3-1) and allowed 1 run on 7 hits in 7 innings with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. He received a no-decision at Dodger Stadium on June 5th. The Cubs won 5-4 and Dempster allowed 3 runs on 3 hits in 5 1/3 innings with 4 walks and 7 strikeouts.
- Blake DeWitt - 1-for-5 with a double
- Andre Ethier - 5-for-11 with 2 doubles and a home run
- Rafael Furcal - 6-for-28 with 3 doubles
- Nomar Garciaparra - 1-for-4 with a double
- Matt Kemp - 1-for-5 with a double
- Jeff Kent - 9-for-33 with a home run
- James Loney - 1-for-4
- Russell Martin - 2-for-7
- Juan Pierre - 5-for-12 with a double
- Manny Ramirez - 1-for-1 with a double
Derek Lowe has been one of the hottest pitchers in all of baseball over the past month. Since August 31st Lowe has allowed 2 earned runs on 21 hits with 7 walks and 21 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings (6 starts). In September, 3-0 in 5 starts with a 0.59 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP. Since the All-Star break Lowe is 7-3 in 14 starts (with a complete game) with a 2.38 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP while opponents have his just .226 against him.
If Lowe has a weakness, it is away from Dodger Stadium....5-6 this season in 17 games with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP with a .292 opponents batting average.
Lowe is 1-0 in 2 starts against the Cubs this season with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. The Cubs hit .204. Lowe received a no-decision at Wrigley Field on May 28th. The Cubs won 2-1 and Lowe allowed no runs on 4 hits in 7 innings with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. Lowe then beat the Cubs at Dodger Stadium on June 7th (7-3) and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.
The Cubs must make him work and run up his pitch count. In his last four full starts Lowe threw 404 pitches in 27 1/3 innings....an average of 14.78 pitches per inning. If the Cubs do not run up his pitch count they will find themselves in a 0-1 hole in the Best of Five.
- Henry Blanco - 2-for-6 with 2 doubles
- Ronny Cedeno - 1-for-2
- Mark DeRosa - 1-for-8 with 2 walks
- Jim Edmonds - 5-for-30 with a double and a home run
- Mike Fontenot - 3-for-5 with a double
- Kosuke Fukudome - 1-for-5 with a walk
- Reed Johnson - 4-for-11 with a double
- Derrek Lee - 11-for-28 with a double, a home run and 2 walks
- Aramis Ramirez - 2-for-13 with a double and 2 walks
- Alfonso Soriano - 13-for-53 with 2 doubles and 3 home runs
- Geovany Soto - 2-for-5
- Ryan Theriot - 2-for-10 with a double
Let's Talk 11 Cubs Baseball....
I think that the key to this series could very well be the homefield advantage.
If the Cubs and its fans(that means us) make wrigley field the last place the Dodgers want to be. Keep the intensity up. No let up. Make it feel like they have no chance in hell to overcome the will of Cub Nation(I know a little Cheesy, but you know what I mean). Then we can get by this first round. A sweep of the first two games would be big. Lets have "GO,CUBS,GO!!!!" sung so much that the Dodgers catch themselves humming it when they go back to LA for game three and four.
Total Domination. Make them fear us.
If you cant tell I'm starting to get hyped.
Lets do this.
LETS MAKE HISTORY!!!!!!!!
I'm with ya, man.
I bombed a spanish test. Halfassed my other classes. Reading nothing but Cubs stuff.
I CAN'T WAIT!
LETS DO THIS!!!!
Neil, I dont wanna steal your thunder.
So I'm just gonna tell you that the lineup has been posted on .com.
Why in the hell is Kosuke batting second?
Tell me about it!
I've been at work all day here in San diego and keep combing the internet looking for any Cub related news I can find.I found tickets for Saturday's game in L.A
I am SOOOOO ready for this to start.
From San diego,
GO CUBS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
(can you hear me?)
I can hear you here in Ohio, Bardo!!
Matt - Neil is slammed at work today, please post it for him.
Today's lineup:
1 Alfonso Soriano LF
2 Kosuke Fukudome RF
3 Derrek Lee 1B
4 Aramis Ramirez 3B
5 Geovany Soto C
6 Jim Edmonds CF
7 Mark DeRosa 2B
8 Ryan Theriot SS
9 Ryan Dempster RHP
Interesting to see #1 in the 2 hole, let alone in the line-up.
I'm wondering if Fontenot would be better suited to face Lowe instead of DeRosa.
If they couldnt hear ya Bardo....lemme help....
GO CUBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO READY!!!!!!!
I love the line up....I'll sacrafice Kosuke's bat for his defense and arm in a short series playoff....hopefully he can suprise and get the stick back going.....
Patience Hitters....just like all year....make Lowe work!!!!!!
Lou.....keep em all loose.......
GO CUBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dodgers Line Up
1 Rafael Furcal SS
2 Russell Martin C
3 Manny Ramirez LF
4 Andre Either RF
5 James Loney 1B
6 Matt Kemp CF
7 Blake DeWitt 2B
8 Casey Blake 3B
9 Derrek Lowe SP
On the bench: speedster Juan Pierre, slugger Jeff Kent.
Kent is just coming back from a knee injury and Torre would rather keep the guy with more range in the line up and use Kent as a PH. Also, Furcal returns to the lineup after missing 125 games with a bulging disk....hopefully will show alot of rust!
Neil knows that, just as Smokey reminds us not to start forest fires, he must do his best to deter suicidal tendencies borne by some of the Faithful. And so Neil is very forthright in pointing out that we face a strong competitor tonight. His intro to "play ball" is highly informative and almost perfect. Neil does omit Reed Johnson from individual mention. I have ID'd Johnson as one of our standouts to be which (of course) settles that.
It looks like tonight's lineup stacks high OBP guys in the 7 and 8 holes for Soriano. It also looks like Lou thinks Dome is capable of an offensive contribution--however unpredictable that is based upon 2nd half performance. I was going to mention earlier today that I would start Johnson instead of Edmonds because of Johnson's far superior past performance against Lowe. I would have put the Riot in the two hole and Johnson in the 8 hole. But it could be that Edmonds will recall his post-season days of yester-years for us and be a standout contributor tonight.
My first wish tonight is that D has a 1, 2, 3 first inning. That would get the Blue settled down to taking care of business. We're with you Cubs....Win or Tie!
My guess as to why Fukodome is in the second spot is that:
One- Even when struggling he can bunt, move runners over, doesn't strike out much, walks a lot, basically he can do the little things that a #2 guys is suppose to do. Plus his pateince will set up the rest of the line up like earlier in the year. Believe its evidence that Lou expects a lot of small ball. Low scores.
Two- hitting second will give him some protection in from of Lee and Ramirez. Could just get him out of his slump.
Three- makes a righty, lefty, righty, righty, lefty matchup at the top of the lineup instead of righty, righty, righty, righty, lefty combo if they had Theriot there. Makes it harder in later innings to get favorable matchups for torre, which he likes to do. Will have to use several pitchers to get the right matchups to do it.
Its kind of a chance, its something that he tried earlier in the season that didn't quite work. But with the small ball factor it may be worth a shot. Fuko is a veteran(even though this is his first year here)and is use to big games. If he's going to break out this is the time to do it.
We'll see.
By the way, jimk
Good point about the OBP at the bottom in front of Soriano. Good Point
OK TBS just showed a priest in the Cubs dugout blessing the dugout and pouring holy water in there as well.......
Whatever it takes!!!!!!!
My wish: Soriano, D-Lee, and ARAM show up to the ballpark...
Remeber last year? They went 0-for...
Well, the time is here,
No reason to fear,
If your mind is unclear,
Simply have a beer.
It's postseason fun,
No way were one and one.
With ARam, DRos n DLee too,
Not to mention, good ol' sweet Lou,
Let us not fret on history low,
Instead let us yell with our hearts GO CUBS GO!
lets play some baseball boys and girls,
I feel great about this postseason.
"one and DONE"
need an editor
Well said.
Very well said Justin.
Lets do this...........
Fukudome is in there because Lou doesn't want to put DeRo in RF because of his calf so he plays second.
DOUBLE PLAY!!!
WOOHOO!
Let's hope for more of that from Manny!!!!
Nice start Cubbies!!!
Double Play!!
Thank you, Manny B...
Like Ernie said: "Let's play two!"
:-D
Good start for Demp. He's not getting the borderline calls tho... just as long as Lowe doesn't get loose calls either...
Nice inning for D. Ump not calling low stikes led to the walk, and D got Manny to hit into a DP. That IP should dismiss any early jitters. Now, can we show some offense in inning 1.
Nice job Dempt. How about we jump all over Lowe right away!!
Nice job Dempt. How about we jump all over Lowe right away!!
Is it just me or does this crowd seem unusually quiet?
Maybe there's too many stuffy high-rollers who can actually afford these tickets?
Whatever... lets give em something to cheer about!
Like myself, Eric, I think they are just plain nervous.
In Deff Leppard words....Hysteria!
Sori couldn't wait to SO on balls at his shoe tops. Lee gets a patient walk. Ump is squeezing Lowe too but he retires Aram routinely. Inning one belongs to the pitchers.
Aright --- Nice warm up inning for the offense made Lowe throw 20 pitches which ain't bad....
Cmon Dempster...
I don't mind Fuk in the lineup, but I question the 2 hole. Look up his stats in the 2 spot compared to 5. He has been flat out bad batting second. But that was the regular season, it is playoffs now, the past means naught!
On the crowd..the crowd just needs one big Cubs play to explode.
Nice Job Demp....
lets get them bats goin
Does TBS have the ability to show a replay or get real announcers? This braodcast is a joke. 2 close check swings for a potential strikeout and not a single replay.
DEROSSSSAAAA!!!!!!
YYEAHHH!!
DEEEEE-RRRRROOOOOOOO!!!!!
very nice... I like...
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
CAPTAIN DERO!!!!
D-Ro!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DEROSA!!!!!
I thought it was going to go foul....
I guess he's okay, hah!
OK, if they ever show that "Jumbotron over the scoreboard" graphic again, I might just punch my TV.
that's why Fuko is in the game...nice catch
This ump seems to have a VERY small strike zone
The Dodgers have not played a team over .500 for a month, and the last time they did they were swept in a 4 game series. I think they have inflated stats and a selfworth to go with that.
Is a check swing ever going to be called a strike?
C'mon Dempster...gotta throw strikes, quit helping them.
Demp is having a hard time throwing strikes!!
BTW, these announcers are the worst!!!!
Where did they get this announcing crew? I am surprised Chip Caray got sent to the Red Sox series... wouldn't have minded him...
Nobody with any Chicago connection here
4 walks already...eek...not good..that could definitely hurt at some point
Baron...I agree, small strike zone.
A VERY nice catch by Sori
Good job by Sori to get there.
Phew, I thought it was gone.
Nice catch by Soriano!
Theriot saved a run right there...
It's amazing that TBS doesn't have a better announcer than Dick Stockton. He should really stick to football, where he's marginal there at best.
HUGE strikeout for Dempster...32 pitches in the inning though.
Great job Demp getting out of it...lot of pitches thrown tho....Also, Lowe had to run the bases...
D-Lee seems to have shown up at the park...but Sori and ARAM are still missing...better tardy than never
OK...let's wake up the offense in our next turn...please! Tack on kids...
D has clawed his way through 4 with some good defense behind him. His hand warmer could be working better and his pitch count is up. I'm beginning to wonder what the pen may have tonight.
Let's go bats. Give us some more breathing room.
Come on Dempt, help your cause!!
I'm worried these walks are gonna catch up.
Sweating bullets, guys?
Can not put two guys on for Manny!!!
Matt, I am with you. C'mon Dempster throw strikes!
100+ pitches already... I would get Marquis up here -- This ain't a bad situation for him to throw 1-2 innings.
Come on Dempster get outta this!!
No freakin way...
This is F#$#$ bulls$%$ --- After 7 walks, when is enough enough on a guy.... what do you need 11 walks??? #$#$#$
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!!
oh boy...get to work offense!
On a 1-2 pitch. Dempster was amped. Incredibly bad timing for his worst outing of the year....
Terrible showing by Dempster. What the f@*k do you expect with 7 f@#*ing walks!!
LET'S GO OFFENSE, LET'S GO (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)!!!!!
Now it's time for the bats step up. Game 1 is huge in a short series, and we can come back. A great offense will do that.
Dempster pulled the same shit vs bridgeport earlier this year. offense better pick it up, if they get sweept I'm done! I can't have my heart being stomped on all the time by them.
Now Fukudome has to prove his worth.
And this crowd just seems a lot more docile than normal... I think someone here said they sense a lot of rich-folk non regular fans. I
m starting to think the same
Good job by Soriano...made it easy. Swung at 3 balls...
Where in the hell was Soto in all this mess? How pathetic was it that Lee had to go talk to Dempster.
I may vomit. Please offense, bail out Demps.
F#$#$# D.LEEE!!!
Instead of pulling fancy stuff like putting Fukudome at 2, Lou should move D. Lee to 5.
Disgruntled.
Still a two run game though.
Keep Faith Cubs fans!! Remember we're only down two..... if the offense gets going we will be fine.
I don't understand however why Lou let Demp hang himself out there.....7 walks???? WOW
Nice GIDP Lee. For Christ sakes, what is that....30 on the year? The F#$king Dodgers won 84 games this year, they shouldn't be sniffing our asses!!!!
Why can't they throw strikes? A 4-pitch walk to Lowe?!?!?! That is his second walk! How do you expect to win a game when you walk 8 guys?
Walked Lowe on 4 pitches???? Marshall needs to be beaten with a stick
Someone tell the Cubs pitchers they are aiming for the little white dish dammit
Nice comeback, Marshall....
Boy, Cubs baseball -- if it were easy, it wouldn't be right...
like I said...we need to have Sori and ARAM show up to the plate with some authority
Hey..comeback time, right now!
After throwing 39 pitches in the first 2 innings, Lowe threw 41 in the next 3 -- make this fool work...!!!!
Now we get back in it.
Come on Offense!! Nice start Rami!!
nice start by ARAM
God damnit Geo...
We have GOT to stop swinging at that crap
Stay hot DeRo!!
I know there is a lot of game left, but man I hope Big Z and Harden bring their "A" game the next two.
What's uip with the fans? Early in the game there was no noise until two outs two strikes. Lets make it seem like were the home team.
Murder me...
I know he is good, but god I can't stand Manny.
This cannot be happening again.
We're the Cubs.
Didnt you get the memo.
Nick...by "this cannot be happening again"...do you mean the offense not showing up?
The Cubs could be on their way to losing their SIXTH CONSECUTIVE playoff game...
let see if we can put something together with a new pitcher in
come on alf
Inconsistent ass strike zone..
Fukudome should not play another game. He is a crap hitter ---
Soriano is walking to the plate swinging again.
Fonty at 2B
DeRo in RF.
Wade, a hard worker from Indy who prepped at that baston of major leaguers, Kentucky Weslyan, wasn't intimidated by Sori and Dome.
That is exactly right Matt.
Can't throw strikes...
Get Samardjia out of there....
This has been a putrid pitching show..... DISGUSTING
it looks like gaining momentum in September was important...Dodgers had it...we didnt
Yes it has Baron. I really hope the good Z shows up tomorrow.
Well......still hoping for a comeback....
Hopefully Z brings the A game tomorrow.....we cant afford a letdown.....
Luckily we do have the rotation to get us through if the f&*cking offense shows up....
When will a cubs team really show up to play postseason baseball? Lou said it, it's time to play, not talk. When will we stop predicting a ring and play for a ring. October really kills my self esteem, my heart, my soul, and my psyche. We need to come back from this, or I don't know if I can....
Time for one of our 5 or 6 run innings we've had so many of this year.....CMON GUYS!!!!!!
The fans on road games are more into it than this. Get on your feet and will the team to a comeback. You paid a fortune might as well sit there like a lump on a log.
Lou made 2 ass-clown moves today..
a) putting a .257 hitting flailing guy at the 2 hole
B)leaving Dempster in after 7 walks...
Piniella has a bit of Bobby Cox syndrome that he needs to get out of the system. A first round loss is as good as 100 regular season losses...
Man, we just look flat tonight.
It looks like the Blue will have to even it up tomorrow. The pitching was not good enough tonight, and the hitting, except for DeRo, wasn't much either--especially in the latter innings. Z needs to bring his A game tomorrow.
I'm embarassed for the team and Cub fans everywhere. It's not easy being the laughing stock of the league. Looks like history's longest running joke will continue.
We look like our heart is in the locker room, it needs to be on the field.
Yep, they will need to look a lot better than this tomorrow, becuase tonight, they just didn't have it.
Baron you are right about Dome, IF he is in there he needs to be batting 8th, sure the hell not second!!
9 hits and 8 walks by Cubs pitching..... a complete Disgrace.....
It's hard to be a true blue Cubs fan. Our bruises hurt, our muscles are weak, our bones are brittle, but our minds and hearts are pure and genuine. At least we don't bail when things get bad or have a second team to route for in the postseason. It's not easy, but God Damnit, I am proud to be a Cubs fan. Especially in todays McDonalds culture, who's winning, I love them mentality. The sour can only be sour, when we know that there is sweet. I love sweets.
Listening to these announcers is just pissing me off more....Stockton freakin sucks!!! Darling is annoying. Gwynn is normally good...I like when he pairs with our local Padre guys.....
Might have to listen to the radio....I hate Jon Miller...but at least he has Rick Sutcliffe with him not Joe Morgan....
Matchups aside, lets play the lineup that got us here.
Lets bat Theriot second, please?
baron...5 of those hits went for extra bases
We didn't let Manny beat us...instead we let the rest of their entire team beat us
and now this is a complete taunt . and nose rub in..
throwing in Maddux to close a 5 run ball-game... this is a COMPLETE HUMILIATION
CUbs are done...game is over....series is over....sweep...Don't believe me? Look, I'm a huge Cubs fan..probably been so longer than most of you on here....in fact, I booked flights for myself and my wife to CHicago in October....
This team sucks...plain and simple, and I know I'll catch flack for saying it, but we are the worst 97 win team I've ever seen.
Early in the season we were on a roll, and nobody...I mean, NOBODY could beat us....yet here's the kicker. We didn't play as well the rest of the way, and completely sucked ass in September.
I did my research, and found that in years we made the World Series...I believe it was only 1935 where we had a lackluster September (talking at .500 or like 3-5 games over .500).
Teams that play .500 ball in September usually don't do so well in the playoffs. The reason is MOMENTUM. And the Cubs don't have it, and WON'T get it back. I don't know the stats, because ESPN Baseball tonight mentioned it the other night and I can't recall, but it was astounding...something like 75% of the teams that win the first game of the series go on to win the series.
Cubs were up in '84, '03, and they still lost it though....maybe this team really is cursed...I don't know...I'm just beside myself right now.
You can shake it anyway you want...Dempster had a bad night, Edmonds just missed a home run, blah, blah, blah.
Well, the Dodgers also hit several balls hard, and Soriano made a nice catch, and a couple more were hit out there. They have 3 home runs: Loney, Ramirez, and Martin. Whenever our pitchers made mistakes, they made us pay. We didn't, plain and simple. They're clutch. We're not.
Does anyone else get that?!?!? or is it just me. There's a reason teams with AROD don't go far. He's not clutch. Ramirez is...Ortiz is...Pedroia is...Pujols is...etc., etc. Who do we have. All I've heard from Cubs players and fans alike is, "there's a different MVP every night." What does that tell you? Well, what it should tell you is there's NOBODY you can count on to be clutch. A player gets on base...maybe in scoring position, just as ARAM was, and we couldn't even get him in with NO outs. ALl you freaking have to do Soto is hit the ball on the ground to the right side..He strikes out, Edmonds grounds to second (would've scored the run), and DeRosa flies out I believe....that's not clutch, and that's not winning baseball, and I am embarrassed to be watching this joke of a team right now.
Hell yes I'm pissed. They were posers all season long. A 12-12 September?!?!?! By the supposed best team in the NL?!?!? That's laughable.
You know what else is laughable...when Lee walked up to the plate with a runner on, I told my wife GIDP. My wife said stop having such a negative attitude, and I told her...well, he's proven the whole year he can't hit clutch, why would it change now? Sure enough, GIDP.
Marquis...gives up a jack....Samardzija gives up a run. Did anyone think they wouldn't? It's NOT how your overall stats...It's how you FINISH, and neither finished particularly well, neither did Lee, neither did Soriano, neither did Zambrano, neither did Wood, etc., etc.
Let's not blame a manager for playing a highly touted player by many teams. Though I may not agree, I have never played a game of professional baseball. DRosa was questionable for RF, who else would we play, Ward or Pie (though I do like Johnson in RF in this situation against Lowe). Lou has given us 2 division title, not one other manager has done, since 1908. It falls on the player simply not performing in postseason play. They need to do what they are paid to do and play baseball in the postseason. No more excuses!
THe $136 million dollar man is 2 for 19 in his 2 post-seasons so far...... F#$# DONKEY!!
We'd best come out and play with some fire tomorrow..
David, I think you are completely valid in your frustration. If this is not a wakeup, then I don't know what is. The series is not over, though it is a heartbreaker. It is time to Panic.
DAMN IT............EVERY F-ING YEAR WE ARE F-ING LOSERS!! I'm sorry, but I think we are finished. I might scalp my f-ing ticket tomorrow and stay home. AND please no more "rah rah" it makes me f-ing sick......100 f-ing years!
I seriously don't understand why you put Fuk on the 2 hole. Lou, what is the world are you thinking!!! Theriot has been the catalyst all season and you replace him with a guy struggling for fifty some games; give me a break. If you put him in there for defense then bat him 8th rather than second. Very dumb call by a very good manager.
PS. Soriano... 0-5 WTF!?
I am just as pissed as anyone about this loss, but WOW!
The Cubs will win tomorrow, but that will be it for the year. Its not that the Dodgers have a better team, but its clear that they want it more. When I was sitting there watching Dempster (in only the 5th inning) walk the bases loaded with his 7th walk of the game, 101st pitch, and no pitcher up in the pen, I knew right then and there that this was not the year. There is simply no will to win or leadership on this rudderless team and its just as clear this year as it was last.
all u guys just stop pmsing its been 1 game were fine we got beat cuz demp couldnt throw strikes
Yes, this was a terrible game and a lousy loss. But it is only 1 loss.
Z pitches great tomorrow night and Harden wins game 3.
Did anybody think this would be easy?
Ahhhhh jj, you do know that the winner of the first game of the NLDS has a 23-3 series record, right?
The normally pessimistic elliot is gonnna try to shed some optism. Derek Lowe came to pitch. He's been unhittable his past few starts. Good pitching ALWAYS beats good hitting. Just like the Cubs pitching shut down the best offense in the league in 2003. Cubs need to pitch, plain and simple. I'm hoping Zambrano, Harden, and Lilly can show up the next few games.
I was at the game to witness this pathetic attempt to look like a serious team. Dempster pitches with fear and it didn't take the Dodger bats too long to figure out he was frightened of them. Its freakin cool the winds blowing in, you have a team tht doesn't hit homeruns and either you can't get within a foot of the plate or are forced to throw one right down the pipe. Dempster throws two breaking balls that Loney missed by 6 inches each time and then throws one right down the middle on 1-2 after a high fastball that showed he had no command... that is unexcusable. This was a total lack of focus and I have to blame Lou on the lack of mental preparation and contingency planning. Tommorrrow, somebody needs to stand up and show some grit or this series is over.
The crowd was neither raucous nor subdued but reversing the 2 run advantge with the Dodger pitching was disheartening to all.
Lovable losers again?... seems to be looking that way. Let's hope the new owner puts a nasty team on the field and by the way...get a real number 3 hitter
i guarantee all u zambrano has a huge start tomorrow that pumps everyone up and we go on to win the series 3-1
Disheartening loss to say the least. Quick comment though, Fukudome in the 2 spot was not the reason we lost. I don't like him in the second spot either but he is not the one who gave up all those walks and runs. This loss is pinned (unfortunately) on Demps. The grand slam robbed the Cubs of any momentum, confidence, etc. The game might as well been over right then.
This is not a "rah rah rah" speech, but the BIG difference we have seen this year between past years is the come back attitude. I do not expect this team to lay down like last year. I expect a sharp Z tomorrow night and an offense that came to swing the lumber. Bad loss, but with this team, this is not over.
Justin, they already hit the panic button. You can tell by players faces. Did anyone else watch the Red Sox vs Yankees in 2004? THe BoSox players were let down by the first three games, but they panned to their faces after the games...guys like Lowe, Millar, Ortiz, Manny, Damon, etc....these guys all looked calm and relaxed, and like fighters.
We have a bunch of cry-baby pansies...Look, I love Wood, but feeling down and bad for yourself in the postseason is no recipe for success. The self-proclaimed "IDIOTS" apparently did not get the memo to feel down on themselves. Lee is pretty soft-spoken, Soriano is a selfish, star-crossed player, Z is a basket-case (and starting tomorrow in a VERY crucial game mind you), Dempster was supposed to be clutch for us...
THe only three guys that I see the killer instinct in is Soto (and he hasn't been hitting well lately) Edmonds, and DeRosa. Listen to them talk and you'll see why. Edmonds has postseason experience and success, DeRosa does too with the Braves, and Soto only knew winning since he came up, and even in the minors. Lee should be up here, but he seems more like an enabler and excuse maker than a leader.
If you surround a team with guys like Ortiz, Manny, Pedroia, in the postseason, they will have a different vibe, and totally different outlook if they're down. Lee, ARAM, and Soriano don't strike fear into anyone. IF they did, then their numbers would be dramatically different with each other in the lineup, wouldn't they?...just as Loney, Kent, Eithier, etc. all had their stats jump significantly with Manny in the lineup.
The Cubs that we HOPE exist...never, in fact, existed at all...that's all it's based on---HOPE.
Do not get me wrong. I love the Cubs, and desperately want them to go all the way....However, a weird thing happened to me in 2003. I stopped being solely eternal optimist...rather, I became eternal optimist AND realist.
I know some of you on here are the same way, judging by your comments. And I bet you are just like me...depressed. It's not a fun place to be, because while you root for the CUbs with all your heart, you still know they'll eventually find a way to lose, because nothing in your experience with them tells you otherwise.
As I said before, if you take the sample from the beginning of the year, NOBODY could beat us. We were literally unbeatable, and the bad games we did have, we still found a way to win...we did it because of timely hitting. Our guys were hot...much like the Dodgers were today...much like they were in all of September, which, again, is why we won't do much.
Phillies 17-8 in September
Dodgers 17-8 in September
Brewers 10-16
Cubs 12-12
Angels 17-9
Red Sox 16-10
Rays 13-14
White Sox 12-15
It's only too bad the BoSox and Angels play, and the two worst play each other--Rays vs Sox...if only we could've had a say in who we played...hmmmmmmmmmm...Oh, wait, we did---but blew the series in Milwaukee, and our chances to play the much weaker Mets. There's a reason both us and the Brewers lost today----neither were good enough to play in the postseason, and on top of that, we probably should not have even won the division had the Brewers not opened the month and gotten Yost fired with such a deep slide. We were practically begging them to take it from us, and now, as last year, I almost think it'd be less painful if we didn't even make it, and I could go on already about how to improve the team.
#1- get a proven winner (ie.-Lowe, any of the BoSox starters, and any of the Dodgers pen members, or even swap Jamie Moyer for Marquis)
#2- trade Soriano for Manny straight up...if they're that dumb to do it
#3- please, God, can we find a taker for DLee? and just give Hoffpauir 1B
#4- let Howry leave via FA
#5- trade for Beltran in the Mets firesale and give him CF
#6- ask any Japanese team if they'll take Fukudome back
#7- trade for McLouth, and let him play CF, and switch Beltran to RF, or let him play RF
We need a groundball pitcher badly, and that's why you pick Lowe. I'd then trade Lilly while his stock is still high, and replenish the system with talent to compensate for the Beltran and McLouth trades.
McLouth
Theriot
Manny
Beltran
ARAM
Soto
DeRosa
Hoffpauir
Z
Dempster
Harden
Lowe
Guzman
IF Z, our "ace", shows up tomorrow, we still have a chance. Series tied and Harden faces their #3. Harden has #1 starter stuff. Cubs go up 2-1. While I would like to say Lily (who has been VERY good lately), closes it out at LA, I think we drop a close one, setting up a Ryan Dempster redemption game. And then either great excitement, or even more crushing defeat.
sorry, almost forgot...Teixeira is available...I'd take him over Hoffpauir anyday if we could get him, and if you can't get Beltran or McLouth, at least get Milton Bradley. HOpefully new management will open the pocketbook, and get rid of horrible deals for horrible years---(Soriano, Marquis, and Lee---in that exact order)
I have been trying to get my comment out for awhile now. I want to see if there is anyone that feels the way I do. It will make a lot of people mad and make them leave rude comments, but I know what I'm talking about. I have watched the Cubs for over 20 years and I don't think even Ronnie is a bigger fan than me, so here goes: LOU NEEDS TO BE FIRED!!! Yes I said it. I have been sick all week thinking about having to play the Dodgers the first round and tonight showed me why. We could have avoided them the first round by playing our players more in the Brewers series and putting them out and letting the Mets in. In my opinion the Phillies and Dodgers are the two hottest teams to be in the playoffs and if we would have played the Mets we could have let the Phillies and Dodgers beat up on each other in the first round. Am I the only person that has thought of this? I haven't even seen this brought up anywhere. Players play the game, but the coaches make the decisions and that was his decision. Smaller issues I have is him not even knowing some of the names of the players on the team or names of players on teams we are playing against. I really believe not putting the Brewers out of it with our best players should cost him his job. I understand wanting to rest players, but that was too much rest and look at tonight, they were rusty. Even if all the rest they got was from Sunday to tonight, well that's a full 3 days rest and that is plenty for players that are used to playing every day. So again, I would just like to know other people's opinions on Lou and not playing players the whole series against the Brewers and putting them out. We could have played the Mets instead of the best and hottest team in the playoffs!!! Thank you.
Holy Crap???!!!! What is with all the pissing and moaning??? Damn, I hated the game too....sucked that Demp walked 7...sucked Lou left him in too long....but shit guys it's one game.
There were many pissing and moaning comments on here...but David--no disrespect--your two "essays" stood out....especially the one talking about our team being a bunch or cry babies? Well, read your rather lengthy posts....isnt that sort of what you are doing???
Hell be disappointed....we all were. Be pissed. But all this crap...oh woh is me it's all over. You shouldnt call yourself a fan of the team. I dont care what the history of the team is. Like Lou says...this team is not the teams of past....and Lou has done what no other manager has done in 100 years and led us to the playoffs back to back years.
We have alot to keep our heads up for....we have one of the best offenses in baseball. Even the best can disappear at times. We still have three pretty damn good pitchers to go in Zambrano Harden and Lilly. And if it bounces back to a game 5 back at Wrigley and Dempster....I'm betting he doesnt have back to back shitty games.
So for crying out loud people.....be a fan of the team and cheer the team on....and quit whining about it. If it's really that bad for anyone....perhaps tune in Nickelodeon and watch a Spongebob marathon.
Joe, you took the words right out of my mouth.
I am pretty sure at the top of the page it clearly says "a site for the Cubs Faithful"