The National League divisional round is a stimulating series. Whether you bleed Dodger blue in L.A. or wave your cyan Cubs cap at Wrigley, an awesome week of baseball lies in wait. A nickel’s worth of games gets underway Wednesday when Ryan Dempster winds up for Chicago. The Cubs’ game one starter thrives tossing on his home turf. The Windy City has been quite kind to the BC native. The thirty-one year old ended 2008 with an envious 14-3 home record. I anticipate another Cub crushing.
Derek (Lowe) from Dearborn (Michigan) delivers for the Dodgers tomorrow. Lowe is no slacker, slewing his slick slider and posting 14 wins himself for L.A. The former Red Sox champion might be helped by the league’s best bullpen. The Dodgers are backed by a barrage of effective ERA efficiency leaders. Since Lowe can be lethargic on occasion, Clayton Kershaw and Takashi Saito need to be ready to provide a reliable relief core. Kershaw is a kid with a devastating fastball, resembling that of Sandy Koufax. I can’t wait to see Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee step into the batter’s box if Clayton gets the call. Chicago’s bullpen has perhaps just as much depth as the Dodgers. I think the game will come down to the late inning pitching. Jeff Samardzija, Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol will seal the win for the Cubs. They’ve been right on all year long and there is no reason they cannot come through again in this series.
Look for Manny Ramirez to make another playoff impact though. The clutch hitter and rapid run producer is L.A.’s toughest out. Dempster’s battery-mate, Geovany Soto, is another player to keep your peeps on. The likable Soto only sports a .285 batting average but he can sting with just one swing.
Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano are a solid one-two punch on the mound. Think Michael and Sonny Corleone, respectively. Harden is quietly lethal like Michael and Big Z is the flamboyant hot-head Sonny. Both are equally operational when they are on. Should this series go the distance, it will be interesting to see if Joe Torre uses his veteran, Greg Maddux. Maddux isn’t scheduled to start this series, but it’s curious to consider a contest opposite his former Cubs club. The Dodgers are less experienced, except for former all-star, Jeff Kent. And Torre has sniffed many a post-season. The 2008 Cubs are just the better, more complete team. They are hungry to break the 1908 hex and Lou Pinella is one of the NL’s best at managing a team.
Fun with the number 8:
Last time these teams were in the World Series:
Cubs: 1908
Dodgers: 1988
_____:2008?
Parting points: Rashard Mendenhall is probably out for the year for the Steelers. He was injured during Monday night’s win against Baltimore. I said before the key to the Steelers season was having a solid RB. With Parker already on the sidelines, the former Fighting Illini star was going to have to be special. So it’s disappointing he is out too and now the issue needs to be addressed in order for Pittsburgh to win that division.
Congrats to Brad Lidge on the comeback player of the year for the NL. He deserves it.
Jimmy Connors Saved My Life by Joel Drucker is a great read. Check it out.
Derek (Lowe) from Dearborn (Michigan) delivers for the Dodgers tomorrow. Lowe is no slacker, slewing his slick slider and posting 14 wins himself for L.A. The former Red Sox champion might be helped by the league’s best bullpen. The Dodgers are backed by a barrage of effective ERA efficiency leaders. Since Lowe can be lethargic on occasion, Clayton Kershaw and Takashi Saito need to be ready to provide a reliable relief core. Kershaw is a kid with a devastating fastball, resembling that of Sandy Koufax. I can’t wait to see Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee step into the batter’s box if Clayton gets the call. Chicago’s bullpen has perhaps just as much depth as the Dodgers. I think the game will come down to the late inning pitching. Jeff Samardzija, Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol will seal the win for the Cubs. They’ve been right on all year long and there is no reason they cannot come through again in this series.
Look for Manny Ramirez to make another playoff impact though. The clutch hitter and rapid run producer is L.A.’s toughest out. Dempster’s battery-mate, Geovany Soto, is another player to keep your peeps on. The likable Soto only sports a .285 batting average but he can sting with just one swing.
Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano are a solid one-two punch on the mound. Think Michael and Sonny Corleone, respectively. Harden is quietly lethal like Michael and Big Z is the flamboyant hot-head Sonny. Both are equally operational when they are on. Should this series go the distance, it will be interesting to see if Joe Torre uses his veteran, Greg Maddux. Maddux isn’t scheduled to start this series, but it’s curious to consider a contest opposite his former Cubs club. The Dodgers are less experienced, except for former all-star, Jeff Kent. And Torre has sniffed many a post-season. The 2008 Cubs are just the better, more complete team. They are hungry to break the 1908 hex and Lou Pinella is one of the NL’s best at managing a team.
Fun with the number 8:
Last time these teams were in the World Series:
Cubs: 1908
Dodgers: 1988
_____:2008?
Parting points: Rashard Mendenhall is probably out for the year for the Steelers. He was injured during Monday night’s win against Baltimore. I said before the key to the Steelers season was having a solid RB. With Parker already on the sidelines, the former Fighting Illini star was going to have to be special. So it’s disappointing he is out too and now the issue needs to be addressed in order for Pittsburgh to win that division.
Congrats to Brad Lidge on the comeback player of the year for the NL. He deserves it.
Jimmy Connors Saved My Life by Joel Drucker is a great read. Check it out.
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