Yardbarker: Cesar Izturis

Playoffs Roundtable Discussion

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:52:33 -0500

Lou has said they'll wait to set the playoff roster until they know who they are playing so they can match-up better with that team if possible. Do you see any reason to try and match-up against the possible opponents or would you rather just go with the 25 best? If you were in charge of setting the roster, what would your 25-man roster be? CLARK KELLOGG: I think it's important to match up against your opponent. How many good, left-handed hitters does the opponent have that you'll want to match-up with late in a ballgame? If we end up facing the Dodgers, we'll want to match-up with Andre Either, who is a .318 hitter against righties and only a .250 hitter against lefties. James Loney is a .306 hitter against righties and a .255 hitter against lefties. Loney has faced Neil Cotts once, the result was a GIDP. Inexplicably, Juan Pierre is hitting .340 against lefties while hitting .243 against righties, so you don't bring in the lefty to face him. If we end up facing the Mets, Carlos Beltran is a much better hitter against lefties than righties, so we don't need the extra lefty for him. However, Delgado's average is about the same against righties and lefties, but his ops drops about 90 points against lefties. Ryan Church is a marginally worse hitter against lefties. Therefore, I do want two lefties in the pen - Marshall makes my roster. Here's the 25 man roster I'd go with, with my condolences to Felix Pie: A OF: Soriano, Edmonds, DeRosa, Fukudome, Johnson, Hoffpauir, Ward. INF: Ramirez, Theriot, Fontenot, Lee, Cedeno, Soto, Blanco. Pitchers: Zambrano, Harden, Dempster, Lilly, Marquis, Marshall, Cotts, Gaudin, Samardzija, Marmol, Wood. MLB began allowing teams to bring 25 players on their "playoff roster" in 2005. Before that, teams were only allowed to bring the players they had. So yes, I agree. TYGER: You can't change the 25-man (playable) roster between rounds except due to injury, right? If so, then I see no reason to wait. You may know who you're playing in the first round, but you still have six other teams you might encounter later. Being as the Cubs have a dominant 1-2-3-4 SP and can set it up how they want for the first series, I can't imagine the 24th or 25th man is going to make that much of a difference in the first round. And since the best teams have locked up their spots, I can't see waiting to see who the 6th, 7th or 8th playoff team will be to set your roster. SP (4): Zambrano, Harden, Dempster, LillyA A A A RP (7): Cotts, Marquis (!!!), Gaudin, Marshall, Samardzija, Marmol, Wood A Pos (8): Soriano, Edmonds, Fukudome, Ramirez, Theriot (!!!), DeRosa, Lee, SotoA Bench: Cedeno, Pie, Johnson, Fontenot, Hoffpauir, Blanco Most of the guys speak for themselves. I like Hoffpauir over Ward, cuza?? why not? Cotts BABIP is .333, and, other than homeruns, his number of hits allowed is the only peripheral that isn't really good. The HR's are a concern, but I'd rather take Cotts instead of Howry, Wuertz or Guzman. CCD: The playoff roster does not concern me that much. I realize that Lou is going to go with veteran players when all things are equal. In the end this is probably what's best for the club.A So is there a case where matchups would be important? I don't know, the only thing that I can think of is possibly there might be a team where you would want two lefties in the pen (Cotts and Marshall) and with most you would be fine with one. If I were setting the roster I would probablyA do everything Lou does, with the exception of Bobby Howry. I wouldn't keep him on the roster. At this point that is not going to happen. BELLWETHER MELTDOWN: Go with your 25 best, no single match-up is going to give you enough of an advantage to overcome any sort of averages. A I would go with Catchers 2 (2) Soto *Blanco A Infielders 6 (8) Lee Fontenot Theriot Ramirez *Cedeno *Hoffpauir A Outfielders 5 (13) Soriano Edmonds DeRosa *Pie *Johnson A Pitchers 12 (25) Dempster Harden Zambrano Lilly *Wood *Marmol *JeffF7 *Marquis *Cotts *Marshall *Howry *Gaudin I expect the Cubs will take Ward over Hoffpauir, which is justifiable, and Fukudome over Pie, which is not. PMAYO: Position starters: Lee, Ramirez, Theriot, Derosa, Fontenot, Reedmonds, Soriano, Soto Starting staff: Harden, Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly Backups: Blanco, Hoffpauir, Pie, Cedeno, Fukudome Bullpen: F7, Wood, Marmol, Guzman, Cotts, Marshall, Marquis PERKINS: I would go with the 25 best. It would have to take some ridiculous split for a particular player on the bubble to make it (for instance, if Daryle Ward had hit like 36 for 50 against Brett Myers) to make matchups affect my decisions. My roster would be as follows: A Rotation: Dempster, Zambrano, Harden, Lilly Bullpen: Wood, Marmol, Samardzija, Marquis, Marshall, Cotts, Ascanio (really anyone not named Howry would be acceptable) Starting Lineup: Soriano LF, DeRosa RF, Lee 1B, Ramirez 3B, Edmonds CF, Soto C, Fontenot 2B, Theriot SS Bench: Ward, Cedeno, Hoffpauir, Pie, Blanco, Johnson I don't see a reason to carry Fukudome when even Blanco can probably hit better than he can, and Pie is an adequate defensive replacement. For all the shit people like Joe Morgan say about manufacturing runs in the playoffs, I'd rather carry another bat than another glove. The fact that I'd take Ward over Fukudome is mainly based on his power, as they've both sucked out loud this season. BOOMER: Being that the 25 man is all but set I suppose I will just say that I definitely think Felix Pie should be on this roster, he is the best pinch runner and defensive replacement we have available. And then it's Daryle over Micah, at least in round one. There's going to be alot of pitchers in the playoffs Daryle is familiar with and Micah has never seen, I think that's key in terms of PH. JOHN (http://WWW.CUBSCHATROOM.COM): This was really just Lou's tactic for getting the press off his back. In reality, the last hitter and the last pitcher on a roster rarely makes a difference in a 5 game series. A That being said, here are my 25: A 1. Soto 2. Blanco 3. Lee 4. Derosa 5. Ramirez 6. Theriot 7. Soriano 8. Edmonds 9. Fukudome 10. Blanco 11. Johnson 12. Cedeno 13. Ward 14. Hoffpauir A 15. Dempster 16. Zambrano 17. Harden 18. Lilly 19. Marmol 20. Wood 21. Marshall 22. Marquis 23. Sarmadijza 24. Cotts 25. Howry A 14 and 25 are scary, but you gotta pick somebody. JACK: This seems like a pretty easy question to me. I don't think there's any doubt that at this point you have to go with your 25 best. I understand that Lou might be debating the amount of pitchers he wants to have on the roster, but any suggestion that personnel decisions will be influenced by our opponent is probably just Lou dodging questions about the final position player spot. If Lou thinks he can get by with just 11 pitchers then the last spot will go to Hoffpauir. He certainly didn't hurt his cause in going 5-5 with 2 long balls in the final game of the Mets series. I'm not sure if there is a wrong answer here, but if it were up to me I think I'd rather have the 12th arm. My playoff roster would look like this: Position Players Rotation Bullpen Soto Dempster Wood Lee Harden Marmol Fontenot Zambrano Marshall Ramirez Lilly Cotts Theriot Marquis Soriano Samardzija Edmonds Howry DeRosa Gaudin Blanco Ward Cedeno Johnson Fukudome Neither Howry nor Gaudin have really pitched their way onto this roster, but I just don't think there are any alternatives. Maybe Gaudin's back isn't 100% and Lou decides he'd rather hang on to Micah Hoffpauir. Wouldn't be the end of the world. But this is just how I'd draw it up. ANTI-GOAT: A I like Lou's playoff roster. I would make no changes to it DON QUIXOTE: IA would set my roster based on who the opposition would be.A In the case of an offensive minded team like the Mets, I could make a case for 12 pitchers.A However, in the case of the Dodgers, I would go with 11 pitchers since you areA facing a team dependent on pitching and defense to win their games. A Here is what my 25 man roster would be against the Dodgers. A C - Soto, Blanco IF- Lee, Fontenot, Theriot, Ramirez, Cedeno OF - Soriano, Edmonds,A Johnson, DeRosa (RF), Pie, Ward, Fukodome A SP - Dempster, Harden, Lilly, Zambrano RP - Wood, Marmol,A Samardzija, Gaudin (assuming he is healthy), Cotts, Marshall, Marquis A I would leave Hoffpauir off the roster since he does not have the experience of Ward.A Since I expect all the games to be very tight against an elite Dodger pitching staff, I think Pie's speed off the bench can make a tremedous difference while he can also serve as a defensive replacement in both CF and LF.A Since the Dodgers have aA spacious ballpark, I like the ability to use Fukodome as a defensive replacement in RF in a spacious ballpark like Chavez Ravine.A He also has the ability to draw a walk off the bench although I don't have much faith in his offensive ability. A Please note I would not give once ounce of considerationA for having Bob Howry on this playoff roster despite the fact he is a personal favorite of Lou. MADLARKIN: Since the 25 man roster is already set, I will just bitch about Howry and Cotts being on the roster. What a joke. Wuertz might be a better option. As long as the Demp, Harden, Z, and Lilly can get to through the 7th the Cubs will be fine with Marmol and Wood. MADDOG: Howry shouldn't be anywhere near a Major League roster. Not in the regular season and definitely not in the postseason. I also think it's difficult to argue that Kosuke Fukudome belongs on the 25-man roster as well. Other than that, I think the choices are rather obvious. Starters (4): Dempster, Zambrano, Harden, Lilly Relievers (7): Wood, Marmol, Samardzija, Wuertz, Cotts, Marshall, and anyone else not named Bob Howry Position starters (8): Soto, Lee, Fontenot, Ramirez, Theriot, Soriano, Edmonds, DeRosa Back-ups (6): Blanco, Johnson, Cedeno, Ward, Hoffpauir, Pie What one thing concerns you the most about this team? Do you have any other concerns? CLARK KELLOGG: The weakest link on this team is the shortstop position. Can Ryan Theriot make the plays he's supposed to make and play smart baseball? (Eliminate the Tootblan?) That's the biggest concern. Secondary concerns are some of the things that have come-up in the past: Wood hitting a batter when he's ahead in the count, Lee GIDP with a rally going , Soriano not catching it when it's hit to him (hopefully the moon won't get in his eyes) and Harden requiring too many pitches to get through five innings. The Cubs need Aramis to be Aramis this year a?" none of this going 0 for 12 or whatever it was in last year's post-season. Swing at the strikes and take the balls. Stay out of the bases-loaded, GIDP Mark DeRosa. Easy huh? Cubs hitters need to be patient, like they have been all year long. Then we'll be fine. Good question. My husband and I had our honeymoon in Maui in 1991. We named our dog after him. TYGER: Ryan Theriot, Kosuke Fukudome and the CF platoon. I've freely admitted all year long to openly rooting against Ryan Theriot. I never even veiled it in the "Well, since he's in there, I hope he does well" sense. I had no confidence that he'd sustain his success from early in the season. The longer he succeeded, the more time he'd have to "get it together" when he reverted to his norm. .666 post-ASB OPS, .467 in Sept. He earned his spot playing SS no matter what for the playoffs, and he's already meanly regressed to his mean. There's no way Cedeno gets meaningful at-bats over him in the playoffs. At this point, I have to change my stance and cheer for the fucking bastard. Fukudome: We've discussed him enough here, soa?? no need for me to do so. Even if the Cubs put Fontenot or Cedeno in at 2B w/ DeRose in RF, they aren't much better offensively. While I think the statistically-improbable positive production is likely to continue, there is the possibility that Johnson and Edmonds don't keep it going. Combine that w/ Theriot and the RF/2B situation, there is a possibility (maybe moreso than any small sample size deviation that the playoffs usually provide) that this offense can have three blackholes that it hasn't really seemed to have had all year. CCD: Middle relief isA myA main concern. They have struggled now for over a month. In the back of my mind I am interested toA see how the offense responds to their chance at redemption. Last year they were so cold in the AZ series. I don't think history repeats, but I will be interested to see how these players respond. BELLWETHER MELTDOWN: I'm a mathematical fatalist when it comes to the playoffs. AL Home field in the world series gives the Cubs slightly worse than a 1 in 8 chance to win the World Series. I think the top end of the Cubs rotation probably makes up for the deficit, but doesn't bring it up any better than 1 in 8. Go out there, play your best ball for a month, get a little lucky, let the chips fall where they may. PMAYO: A The bullpen. They must pick up their game. Also, Derosa's calf problems may limit his outfield availability. PERKINS: The bullpen is my biggest concern, particularly in any game Harden pitches, since they'd be almost guaranteed to have to pitch 3-4 innings. I'm more or less confident in everything else, though Zambrano's last couple of starts have been pretty rancid. BOOMER: The one thing that concerns me about this team currently is the lack of a true loogy. The only thing that really worries me is the late game situation when Fielder/Delgado/Howard/etc end up at the plate and Lou likes to play the matchup. Also the 7th inning could be an issue, but I think Samardzija shines in the playoffsa?? JOHN: 7th inning is the biggest concern. Lou will not pull the starter early like in game 1 last year. But, if the starter has already thrown a bunch of pitches (or if Harden is starting), somebody in middle relief will need to step up for 3 outs. JACK: The Cubs' biggest competitive advantage heading into the postseason is supposed to be their potentially dominant front end of the rotation. However, I have my concerns about both Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden. It seems odd saying that with Carlos just 3 starts removed from tossing a no-hitter, but he has to be considered a major concern going forward. In August and September Big Z posted a 7.28 ERA while walking 5 batters per 9 innings and surrendering 1.7 HR per 9 innings. Those numbers are downright awful. If Carlos can't right the ship, the Cubs' chances of winning their first World Series Championship in over 100 years will take a serious blow. For what it's worth, 2008 will see Carlos Zambrano fail to reach the 200 inning plateau for the first time since 2002 while posting a career low K/9 rate (6.2/9). Meanwhile, Rich Harden has managed to maintain most of his effectiveness while seeing his peripherals decline over the past 3 weeks. Since his August 13th start in Atlanta, Harden has posted a walk rate of 4.2 per 9, while failing to pitch into the seventh inning in all but two starts. If Harden can continue to suppress his opponents' batting average, which currently sits at a measly .187 (.265 BABIP), then he'll manage to get away with it. Needless to say, Harden isn't nearly as big a concern as Zambrano at this point, but I'd be a little more confident if he weren't walking so many. Other than those two, I'm somewhat concerned about the Cubs' middle relief corps. Jeff Samardzija has walked 6 batters in his last 4.2 IP spanning 6 appearances. His BB/9 comes in at just a tick under 5. Bob Howry is sporting a 5.35 ERA on the year and has allowed 6 ER in his last 6.2 innings. Chad Gaudin has missed time with some back issues and has given up 8 hits 3 walks and 7 ER in the 4 innings he's thrown since returning from Arizona. ANTI-GOAT: The Bullpen. It's not a big concern. I am nearly positive the Cubs are, far and away, the best team in the NL. Basically I have no concerns, but if I did, it would be the bullpen. Namely Gaudin. He is a waste of skin DON QUIXOTE: 1. The injuries to Soto and Derosa - Will they be fully recovered come theA start of the playoffs? How will the long layoffA impact both players at the plate? A 2.A Why is Zambrano starting Game 2 when he was the least effective starter in the rotation the last couple of months?A I would start him no higher than # 4 behind Dempster, Harden, and Lilly. A 3. The health of both Zambrano and Harden - If neither goes deep into a game, I am afraid that Lou will useA the Cubs worst pitcherA on the staff, Bob Howry,A to get key outs in a game. A 4. The bullpen - I have little faith in the bullpen outsideA of their 3 power arms - Wood, Marmol, and Samardzija - Hopefully, the Cubs won't need to useA the other guys very much.A I could see Cotts or Marshall being used asA a lefty specialistA to retireA guys like Ethier and Loney. MADLARKIN: My biggest concern is Harden and Z. Those two have to pitch at their most dominant if at all possible. Since outside of Manny and Martin no other Dodger hitter has uber high OBP skills, and their offense is still mediocre, I think Z and Harden can keep the BB under a combined total of 20 million. biggest secondary concern: DeRo and Geo's health. Those two have been crucial to this lineup all year, Drunk Uncle Lou needs those two in the lineup every game for us to have a chance. MADDOG: The bullpen has been awfully bad lately. The fact that Bob Howry is going to make the roster gives us an idea just how bad it has been. Wood and Marmol have been pretty solid most of the year, but other than them, it's been hit or miss. What aspect of the Cubs do you think is superior to any other playoff team. I have a feeling we'll all have similar answers here, but I'm just wondering. CLARK KELLOGG: I believe starting pitching is our biggest strength; that's a good thing for a playoff team. Our offence is probably superior to the other NL teams as well; if we get quality starts, our offence should generate enough runs to get us to the promised land. I get this question all the time and usually try to avoid it. I'll answer it this one time and I never expect to see it asked again. We are only friends. TYGER: Pitching. One through four in starting pitching, and the short bullpen we'll see in the playoffs. The offense is better, too, but I have much bigger concerns about it (see above) than I do of Zambrano, Harden, Dempster, Lilly, Marmol and Wood. CCD: Unless I missed it, I don't believe CCD responded to this one (let me know if you did!). BELLWETHER MELTDOWN: On paper the Cubs have the best roster of any team save maybe the Red Sox. For what that actually means, see above. PMAYO: Defense. This is probably the best defending team all around in either league, definitely on the NL side. Pitching and defense should keep the Cubs in every playoff contest. PERKINS: I think the starting pitching, at least its potential, is superior to every other playoff team. Zambrano has had a mostly excellent year, and Dempster has obviously been phenomenal. Harden can miss bats very well, and Lilly has finished very strongly. I see no reason the pitching can't hold down any offense in MLB, and I actually think even the Angels should fear it. The corollary to that is that the pitchers need to work efficiently, because the middle relief is quite capable of blowing a 6 run lead, especially since Lou has guaranteed Howry a roster spot. BOOMER: The Cubs can hit, plain and simple. I'm thoroughly impressed with the hitting prowess of this team, even off the bench. You saw it today when our B team beat up on the Brewers. JOHN: Depth? The Cubs have the best 25 man roster in the NL. Unfortunately, that doesn't really matter in the playoffs. JACK: Despite my concerns, the Cubs do havea?"at least potentiallya?"the best 4-man rotation in either league. When you can justify not running out Carlos Zambrano for Game 1, and when Ted Lilly is your fourth best starter, you know you've got something good going. If Harden and Zambrano can grind out a few more starts each then the Cubs might be able to pitch themselves all the way to the title. There are three other areas where I think the Cubs are superior to at least the entire NL. First, their roster is probably the deepest and most flexible in all of baseball. Cub hitters posted a VORP total of 303, good for tops in baseball despite not having a single hitter finish in the top 30 in VORP (Aramis Ramirez is 32nd as of this writing). Secondly, Wood and Marmol have got the swing-and-miss stuff you love to see from the back end of a bullpen. The two of them make up perhaps the best 8th/9th inning combination in baseball. Thirdly, the Cubs very well may be the best defensive club in the NL, finishing the season having allowed the fewest unearned runs among playoff teams. Only Tampa Bay finished with a higher Team Defensive Efficiency in all of baseball (.717 to .712). ANTI-GOAT: The Cubs are superior to any other team in the NL. I think the Cubs ability to hurt you 1-9 in the lineup is what makes them so good. Fukudome is a liablilty at the plate, other than that the Cubs have no holes. The starting pitching is lights out, the BP is decent, and they score a lot of runs. This is easily the best Cubs team I have ever seen. DON QUIXOTE: Assuming the Cubs are healthy, they have a very deep lineup #1-#8 with no easy outs assuming Fukodome is not starting.A They have a solid rotation assuming Zambrano and Harden are healthy and pitching effectively.A They are solid in the back end of their bullpen which will be vital in close low scoring games against the Dodgers.A MADLARKIN: The OBP is huge for this offense. Cubs slug well, but the OBP is the true strength of this offense. That is where we really shine. If you asked Dumbass Kruk or Peter *Red Sox Stripper* Gammons who the best offense in the NL is, they wont say the Cubs. Despite the fact that they have the most runs scored in the NL and have scored 56 more runs than the nearest competitor. That's not even close. This lineup can rake. They can bail out this team even if Z and Harden go haywire. MADDOG: The starting pitching, 1 through 4. In a short series, this question is probably silly, but it's something I'm going to ask anyway. Which Cubs player do you feel is most important to this team's ability to move deep into the playoffs? CLARK KELLOGG: In a short series, the most important player is the pitcher that will potentially make two starts; the playoff opener and game four or five if needed. I think Lou is leaning toward giving Dempster the ball for game one, so the pressure is on Demp. I'm confident in Dempster. He's worked hard on throwing that breaking pitch for strikes and deserves the success he's having this year. If the Cubs were down two games to one, would Lou give the ball to Lilly or Dempster for game four? I sure hope we don't face that dilemma. What? TYGER: I'm going w/ Derrek Lee. I still think his potential, especially for a playoff series, is as good as Soriano's power but with walks. However, he's obviously performing, and likely will perform, far under that potential. In terms of where one is likely to produce compared to the maximum potential a hot streak can bring, I think Lee has the biggest difference. Maybe I'm being to hopeful. Soriano, Ramirez and Soto will produce. Edmonds and DeRosa likely will, too, but at a slightly lower level. Theriot and Fukudome/Cedeno/Fontenot won't produce. The difference between Lee producing like DeRosa (likely) or like the best offensive player on the team has the biggest potential unexpected impact for the playoffs. (I suppose Edmonds has a similar, if not better, likelihood of producing big power, but he'll be platooning-I assume-so his impact would be less than Everday D.P.Lee.) CCD: The offensive player that canA carry this team all by himself is Soriano. At the backend of games, Marmol and Wood will be big too. That's three answers! In order: 1. Soiano, 2. Marmol, 3. Wood BELLWETHER MELTDOWN: ...whichever one gets hot? I dunno. I feel like the Cubs (or any team) need two hitters, two starters and one reliever to get white hot. if that happens, they have a great shot of going all the way. If I had to guess, those guys will be Geo Soto, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden, and Kerry Wood. I have zero scientific evidence to suggest that any of this is likely. PMAYO: Carlos Zambrano. The team feeds off him and if he goes badly, the team could, too. Plus, he's the game 2 guy. If game 1 goes bad, he's got to come back and dominate in game 2. PERKINS: I would say Dempster would be the key player in the Division Series, since he's on the spot to start twice, if necessary. On offense, I'd give the nod to Ramirez, since he's done very well in his career with RISP. If he (and Lee as well) hit well, the whole lineup is dangerous. BOOMER: I really feel like Soriano is going to be the catalyst for this team in the playoffs. Get him going, get the team going. It might be a cliche about the leadoff position, but he truly does set the tone for this team. JOHN: Hmm, I'm not a regular reader, so I don't know who you are alluding to. There really are many to choose from. A IMHO, the answer is Wood or Marmol. Personally, I'm leaning towards Wood (see the game 7s in 2003). But, I could also pick Ramirez or Soto - gotta score some runs. JACK: I think as soon as Lou named Ryan Dempster the starter for Game 1 he became the most important player in the series. Winning the first game is always critical, especially in a best of 5 series, so it'll be up to him to set the tone. And if the series makes it to Game 5 he would take the ball again. Even if Game 5 never comes, I still say he is the key to the series. We all know how good he's been at Wrigley this season (14-3, 2.86 ERA), so home field advantage could prove to be huge. ANTI-GOAT: Zambrano DON QUIXOTE: Very tough to identify just one player - However, I would go with Marmol since he will be called uponA in close games to hold leads in the 7th or 8th in order that Wood can save them in the 9th.A A Marmol may also be called upon to hold the Dodgers or PhilliesA at bay to give the Cubs offense a chance to break a tie game.A When Marmol is on,A he is arguably the top set-up man in the game.A MADLARKIN: Most important player(s): Demp, Z, Harden, Lilly, Marmol, Wood, and the functional parts of the Cubs outstanding defense. Essentially, our high strikeout pitchers/ high leverage pitchers and the defense. I answered it this way because it is a somewhat silly question and it takes a lot of players to effect the probability in such a small sample of games played. MADDOG: Ryan Dempster. He's starting Game 1, which means he'll also start Game 5 if necessary. Offensively I'd say the most important player is Derrek Lee. We know what we're going to get with most of the other offensive players, but Lee has not been very good since April. The Cubs can obviously win with him producing as he did, but it would be much easier if he were to start producing like some believe he's still capable of. Fukudome. We've talked about him and his inability to hit for 4 months now. What do the Cubs do with him in the playoffs? What should they do? CLARK KELLOGG: The Cubs should keep him on the roster for defensive purposes and as a pinch hitter to lead off an inning or to hit when all we need is a base runner. I don't want him pinch hitting with men on; if he concentrates on getting on base rather than driving men in, I believe his offensive performance will improve. We really need his defense though. He is a superior defender to DeRosa in right; Fukudome can catch it and throw it. I want him out there in the 9th if we have the lead. You must be confused because I don't have record of any player by that name. TYGER: I think they have to start him. As Maddog showed, w/ his great defense, he's still a positive contribution. Very positive. In these series, where luck plays such a factor in batted balls going for hits, I think a manager reduces that luck w/ a better defender. The alternatives are Hoffpauir (which would suck on defense) and Fontenot or Cedeno, which aren't much better, if at all, offensively. Anyone can suck on offense for the whole playoffs, so if he does, no big deal really (for me); his defense will still be there. However, even David Eckstein can be World Series MVP, so there's hope for his bat over a 3 or 4 week period. And if he gets lucky, and brings the stick along w/ his glove, he could be one of the best players on the team. CCD: I know that I am in the minority on this, but I think Fukudome could get some bigA AB's for this club in October. He will not be an everyday player. He'll be used mainly as a late inning defensive replacement and occasionally get a spot start. Still in the postseason big AB's don't always go to your best offensive players. BELLWETHER MELTDOWN: Leave him off the playoff roster. Pie plays a better CF, is a better option as a pinch runner, and is probably equally as effective at the dish. PMAYO: Until Derosa pulled up lame, I'd have said leave him off, but if Derosa can't play RF regularly, then you have to keep Fukudome around. PERKINS: I would leave Fukudome off the roster. Pie can do whatever Fukudome can do. Maybe his glove isn't quite as good, but Fukudome is almost as guaranteed an out at this point as Cesar Izturis or Felipe Lopez. Since Lou will probably keep him on the roster, I wouldn't put him in the starting lineup, even with a 3 game lead in a series. BOOMER: I know Fukudome has slumped hard, but I feel like if there's any team who can support an all-glove RF it's the Cubs lineup. Plus his ability to take a walk should show up in the playoffs as well and sometimes you just can't predict what will happen. His HR and stolen base today were definitely comforting. JOHN: DeRosa starts in RF in game 1, IMHO, he earned it this year. A After game 1, Lou plays the hot/cold hand between Fontenot and Fukudome in RF/2B. JACK: There were rumors that some consideration was given to the idea of leaving Kosuke off the roster altogether. Obviously that's not going to happen, but by now it's become clear that Lou has no intention of running him out there on a daily basis. I spent a lot of time this summer defending Kosuke, but at this point I have to agree with benching him. Maybe next year he can bounce back and make some adjustments, but right now I do not think he can justifiably be included in the starting lineup. Simply put, any time Lou has Kosuke in right field with Mike Fontenot on the bench, he's hurting the team. Fontenot and his .395 OBP need to be in the lineup. Kosuke can be an extra left-handed bat and a strong defensive replacement, but that needs to be the extent of his responsibility. ANTI-GOAT: They will play him, they should play him. DON QUIXOTE: If the Cubs were playing the Mets where you need all the offense you can muster up to compete with them, I might have been more reluctact to have Fukodome on the playoffA roster.A Instead, I would have had Hoffpauir take his spot on the roster.A However, I think he will hold great value defensively off the bench in bothA sunny Wrigley Field and spacious Chavez Ravine.A His contract will be aA major reason why no serious consideration is given to keep Fukodome off the playoff roster.A His contract may also be a reason why he works his way into the lineup at some point despite the fact theA Cubs are better off offensivelyA with Fontenot/Cedeno at 2B and DeRosa in RF. MADLARKIN: Fukudome= Japanese for most expensive defensive replacement ever. I hope that answers that question. MADDOG: Fukudome should not be on the playoff roster. He may be a slightly better defender than Pie, but he hasn't played enough CF to run him out there as a defensive replacement. DeRosa has been really good in RF and Fontenot has been at 2nd. Neither of those 2 need to be replaced late in ballgames. The problem areas for the Cubs on defense have been SS and LF. Jim Edmonds has gone back to his old days of playing excellent defense, but can one really expect that to continue despite 4 years in a row of declining defensive skills? I think not. Reed Johnson is pretty bad defensively and definitely should not be in CF late in a game the Cubs have the lead in. Felix Pie should take over CF late in ballgames. He's been as worthless at the dish as Fukudome has, but offers you more familiarity in CF and more speed. That being said, Fukudome will make the roster and I'm hoping instead of using him as a defensive replacement in LF that they will use him in CF instead. Open topic. Before we get to some predictions, is there anything else you want to add? CLARK KELLOGG: It's really nice to see the franchise become the dominate team in the Central Division a?" not for just for a single year either. Back to back division titles, a win total in the mid to upper 90's; this team should contend for years to come, unless the new owner turns out to be a complete jackass. The Cubs organization is superior to St. Louis' right now; this is something I haven't seen in a long time, maybe in my entire 42 years on the planet. Remember when we were signing the likes of Tony Womack and Phil Nevin? Now it's St. Louis signing guys like Felipe Lopez and Joel Piniero. (dying laughing). Yes. The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago, (the other being the White Sox) and they are one of the two remaining charter members of N.L. (the other being the Atlanta Braves). The franchise's 99-year title drought is the longest of major North American professional sports teams. The Cubs are often referred as "The North Siders" because Wrigley Field, where they have played their home games since 1916, is located in Chicago's north side Lakeview community, as well as "The Boys in Blue," referring to the main uniform color, and simply as "The Cubbies." Chicago's manager is currently Lou Piniella, and their general manager is Jim Hendry. In December 2007, Sam Zell completed his purchase of the club's parent organization, Tribune Company, and announced his intention to sell the team. The official Cub mascot is a young bear cub, which has gone through various transformations through the years. The Cubs have no official physical mascot, though a man in a 'polar bear' looking outfit, called "The Beeman" (or Bearman, B-man), which was not very popular with the fans, was employed by the club briefly in the early 1990s. However, the Cubs' unofficial mascot is a formerly homeless man named Ronnie Wickers, who goes by the nickname of "Ronnie Woo Woo."[28] Wickers is not employed by the team, but is seen daily at games and outside the park, dressed in full uniform, usually with a hula hoop or jump rope. Wickers is the second fan to reach this status, the first being "Gary The Drunk" in the 1980s through mid 90s, and was featured in Steve Stone's book "Where's Harry?" (Gary was featured in 2008, after having exchanged gloves with Luis Gonzalez for 13 seasons. He was also kicked out of Wrigley for 3 years after attacking a fan with a knife). Wickers, however, is much more popular. He is known for his trademark yelling, for example "Mark.... Wooo! Grace.... Wooo!," and has been adopted by fans as a part of the culture at Wrigley Field. Wickers has gained national fame, and has appeared on the Howard Stern and Mancow radio programs after the two paid for him to get his teeth fixed. Cubs telecasts are split three ways: WGN (both the local station and the superstation), WCIU (a local independent station), and CSN Chicago (with some games, often Wednesday night contests, aired on the supplemental channel CSN+). Len Kasper is the play-by-play announcer, and Bob Brenly, a former major league catcher and Arizona Diamondbacks manager, is the color commentator for the games. WGN also produces the games shown on WCIU; for those games, the score bug changes the "WGN" logo to "CubsNet." WCIU games additionally air over MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYS-LP (Channel 69) in the South Bend, Indiana market. WGN and CSN Chicago generally show an even number of Cubs games, while WCIU averages about 8 games per season. In addition, the club also produces its own print media; the Cubs' official magazine Vineline, which has eight annual issues, is in its third decade. TYGER: No. CCD: One of theA overlooked aspects of theA CubsA season has been the contributions they have gotten from the bench players. Ward, Fontenot, Cedeno, Johson, Blanco, etca?? It could come down to one of these guys late in a ballgame.A IA expect one ofA the lesser known playersA toA have a good series. (Not sure who, could be anybody). BELLWETHER MELTDOWN: My gut feeling tells me the Cubs are going to win it all. PMAYO: Anything but a World Series appearance is a failure for this Cubs team. PERKINS: I'd not hit Theriot above the 7 hole in the playoffs. He's been hitting like ass since the end of August, and the last thing the offense needs is a GIDP early in the game. I'd also sub Cedeno in in the late innings for defense. Retarded as he may be, he can throw to first without a cutoff man BOOMER: JOHN: By far, this is the best Cubs team I have seen in my lifetime - even better than1984. If they don't make it to the WS, I'm not sure what will happen to me and the other Cub faithful. A (I feel a need to add Go Twins) JACK: The playoffs are a crap shoot and anything can happen, but the bottom line is the Cubs are the best team in the NL. The numbers speak for themselvesa?"855 runs scored (2nd in MLB, 1st in NL), 671 runs allowed (T- 3rd in MLB, 2nd in NL), +184 run differential (1st in MLB). This team will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs where they have dominated all year, they've got power arms in the front of the rotation and the back of the bullpen, they play great defense and are an extremely well-managed team. This team has a good a shot as any to take it all this year. ANTI-GOAT: DON QUIXOTE: I am very disappointed with the way Lou managed this final week.A I think had he taken the games more seriously like the final game of the season where heA used his worst pitcher, Bob Howry, in a 1-1 game, the Cubs might have forced the Brewers to play a tieA breaker against the Mets tomorrow.A Assuming the Mets won tomorrow, their rotation would be all scrambled up prior to the start of the playoffs.A Their bullpenA has been a liability all season long especially since Wagner went down, so I would have hadA confidence the Cubs could pull out any close games. A That would also have meantA a very dangerous Phillies team would have played the Dodgers who they split 8 games with rather than the Brewers who they dominated during the regularA season.A The net effect being the Cubs would more than likely have to face the Phillies (who are capable of sweeping the Brewers) in the NLCSA assuming they get past the Dodgers.A Unlike theA Mets, the Dodgers have had a chance to set their rotation and rest players since they clinched last week.A They are a very talented youngA team with some veterans mixed inA who have been peaking at just the right time since the addition of Manny.A Lou could have triedA harder to avoid playing this team.A I believe theA Dodgers are a vastlyA improved teamA from the oneA the Cubs battled hard to go 5-2 during the regular season. MADLARKIN: Also, cubs lead the ML in Ks for the 8th straight year. Seems like Hendry knows how to get people who ring up the Ks. Just thought Id add that. MADDOG: The Cubs are the best team in the National League. Predictions. Who wins each series in the playoffs up through the World Series? You may have to wait for this one until the final teams earn their spot in the playoffs, and if you don't have time to wait, don't worry about it. Winner gets a paid lifetime preferred membership to Bleed Cubbie Blue. CLARK KELLOGG: These predictions are based on the teams that are in, if the season were to end today: A A.L. a?" Angels over Red Sox 3 games to 2. Rays over White Sox 3 games to 2. Angels over Rays 4 games to 2 in the ALCS. A N.L. a?" Cubs over the Mets 3 games to 1. Phillies over the Dodgers 3 games to none. Cubs over Phillies 4 games to 2 in the NLCS. A World Series a?" I just can't bring myself to say that the Cubs are going to win the World Series. I can't bring myself to say that they'll lose it either. I'm flipping a coin right now; if it's heads Cubs win, if it's tails Cubs losea??it's HEADS!!!! Hey Hey and Holy Cow! My prediction is that Al leaves the man he's currently seeing and comes back to me. TYGER: Cubs over Dodgers Phillies over Mets Red Sox over Angels Rays over White Sox Cubs over Phillies Rays over Red Sox Rays over Cubs CCD: Cubs beat the Mets or Dodgers. They beat the Phillies in a close 6 or 7 game series. They lose to the Red Sox. So they win the NL pennant, but lose the World Series. That'll give them a reason to play next year. BELLWETHER MELTDOWN: Cubs over Mets in 4 Dodgers over Phillies in 5 Cubs over Dodgers in 5 A Rays over White Sox in 3 Red Sox over Angels in 3 Red Sox over Rays in 7 A Cubs over Red Sox in 6 PMAYO: ALDS: LAA vs. BOS----> LAA TB vs. MIN------> TB ALCS: LAA vs. TB------> LAA NLDS: CHC vs. NYM------> CHC LAD vs. PHI-------> PHI NLCS: CHC vs. PHI---------CHC WS: LAA vs. CHC------> LAA PERKINS: On paper, the Cubs should win the pennant (on paper, they're the best team in MLB, so I'll take it with a grain of salt). I see no reason the Cubs shouldn't advance to the World Series, and I'll guess they play the Dodgers in the second round (Dodgers over Phils in 5), having beaten the Mets in 4. In the AL, I'll guess the Angels win over the Red Sox, as they've owned them 8-1 in the season series. I'll say Rays over the AL Central winner, and Angels over Rays> Cubs over the Angels in 6 games for the World Series. BOOMER: All the spots aren't final, but let's just say Rays-Cubs. JOHN: forecastinga?? (1st round is pending on sunday's results) A cubs d mets dodgers d phillies A angels d bosox rays d twins (wsox) - who cares, both twins/wsox lose A cubs d dodgers angels d rays A cubs d rays chicago burns to the ground (again) JACK: Cubs over Dodgers in 4 Red Sox over Angels in 5 Brewers over Phillies in 4 Rays over Twins/Sox in 4 Cubs over Brewers in 6 Red Sox over Rays in 6 Cubs over Red Sox in 7 ANTI-GOAT: DON QUIXOTE: Cubs defeat Dodgers in 5 games with Dempster winning 2 games A PhilliesA sweep the BrewersA as CC won't be asA effective pitching on 3 days rest in Game 2.A A A Similar to the season series where the Phillies were 4-3 against the Cubs, I expect them to win this series too (4-3)A as their offense will give the Cubs rotation and bullpen fits.A I also believe Hamels, Myers, and Moyer all match up very well against the Cubs.A I also believe the combination ofA RyanA Madsen and JC RomeroA will do a superb job ofA setting up Brad Lidge in this series. A Angels in 4 games over a beat-up Red Sox team.A I think the injuries to Beckett, Lowell, and Drew willA make it very difficult to overcome aA healthy 100 win Angels team. A I think the AL East Champion Rays will defeat the Twins in 5 games with the home team winning all 5 games.A If the Sox win the AL Central, I expect them to be sweptA by the Rays since they are too overly dependant on the homerun for offense and have aA burned out pitching staff heading into the playoffs.A A I expect the Angels to defeat the Rays in 7 games thanks in large part to havingA home field advantage in this series.A The one thing that will come back to haunt the Rays in this series is having no defined closer with the nagging injuries to Percival.A I expect the Angels to defeat the Phillies in 6 games in similar fashion to when they sweptA a three game series from themA in Philadelphia during the regular season.A The deeper rotation and bullpen of the Angels will play a huge role in slowing down a very talented Phillies offense. MADLARKIN: Dodgers don't scare me too much I think the Cubs can make it to the WS. They are the best team in the NL, but the playoffs are such a crapshoot, who knows if they will even win a game. They probably have the best probability, at the beginning of the playoffs, to go all the way MADDOG: Cubs over the Dodgers in 3 Phillies over the Brewers in 3 Red Sox over the Angels in 5 Rays over the Twins/Sox in 4 Cubs over the Phillies in 7 Sox over the Rays in 7 Sox over the Cubs in 5

Game 154 Thread / Cardinals @ Cubs (3 of 3)

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:21:59 -0500

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SP	Braden Looper	SP	Ryan Dempster
	12-13, 4.06, 96 K, 43 BB, 186 IP		16-6, 3.02, 182 K, 75 BB, 196.2 IP

CF	*Skip Shumaker	RF	*Kosuke Fukudome
RF	Ryan Ludwick	SS	Ronny Cedeno
1B	Albert Pujols	LF	*Micah Hoffpauir
2B	#Felipe Lopez	1B	*Darye Ward
3B	Troy Glaus	2B	*Mike Fontenot
LF	Nick Stavinoha	CF	*Felix Pie
C	Jason Larue	3B	Casey McGehee
P	Braden Looper	C	#Koyie Hill
SS	#Cesar Izturis	P	Ryan Demspter

Nothing like the post-clinch lineup...although you have to feel a little bad for Dempster who is trying to get win number 17 and retake sole possesion of the wins lead on the team. Cubs magic number to secure best record in the NL and homefield advantage is two. A loss by the Philles and Mets and a win by the Cubs would make the season ending road trip mostly irrelevant.

Game 153 Thread / Cardinals @ Cubs (2 of 3)

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:11:18 -0500

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SP	Joel Pineiro	SP	*Ted Lilly
	6-6, 5.24, 71 K, 31 BB, 135.2 IP		15-9, 4.13, 175 K, 61 BB, 191.1 IP

SS	#Cesar Izturis	LF	Alfonso Soriano
CF	Ryan Ludwick	SS	Ryan Theriot
1B	Albert Pujols	1B	Derrek Lee
2B	#Felipe Lopez	3B	Aramis Ramirez
3B	Troy Glaus	CF	*Jim Edmonds
RF	*Adam Kennedy	C	Geovany Soto
LF	Brian Barton	2B	Mark DeRosa
P	Joel Pineiro	RF	*Kosuke Fukudome
C	Jason Larue	P	*Ted Lilly

It be clinching day...we hope. Lou gets nostalgic with the lineup by letting Fukudome start again and Ted Lilly tries to tie Dempster for the team lead in wins. He'll also need to watch his head in case LaRussa tries to retaliate for Lilly's takedown of Yadier Molina last week.

Clinch! Clinch! Clinch!

Top 7 :: Modern-Day Franchise Players

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:58:02 -0500

In honor of one such player going down for the year this past week, the Top 7 looks at the biggest franchise players in sports. Here's a very loose definition: if you took the player off of the team, they become horrible, and almost unwatchable. You would have nearly no interest in their games even if you were a fan of the team, and absolutely zero if you are a casual fan. Obviously, the all-time franchise player is Michael Jordan, but these are just current franchise players.

7. Albert Pujols

Really die-hard Cardinal fans will say that they could never stop watching their team, but it's easy to forget years like 1995 when they have had success for nearly ten years. But when Albert Pujols is on the DL or taking a day off, you realize how much he means to the team. Having Skip Schumaker, Aaron Miles, and Cesar Izturis in your daily lineup is much easier to overlook when Pujols is in there too. And just to follow up on last week's list, Pujols is still the National League MVP. Now you hear people talk about CC Sabathia or Manny Ramirez being involved in the discussion, proving there is no real low to the level of people's stupidity.

6. Tom Brady

Here's a question for Patriots fans: do you REALLY want the Pats to continue to do well this year? Doesn't Brady's legacy mean more than that? Let's say that they go 13-3 and make the Super Bowl. Do you really want to hear people saying that it may be more the system than it is Tom Brady? It would be like hearing about how the titles were tainted because of the spying controversy, only much worse. Just wondering.

5. Peyton Manning

Anyone who had anything at all on last year's Week 17 Colts/Titans game knows how much Manning means to the Colts. They looked like a team barely able to compete in the local flag football finals. Even if he is only 60% like he was this past week, its still better than Jim Sorgi or anything else that they would throw out there.

4. Kobe Bryant

If you took Kobe off of the Lakers, they become the Grizzlies, especially since there are no lakes in L.A. and no bears in Memphis. The seats at home games would stay empty the entire game instead of until halfway through the second quarter. It would be like Wendy's getting rid of the spicy chicken combo. Sure, the fries are still a little tasty, and they know how to carbonate a beverage, but it's nowhere close to the same. (Editor's note: Joe Mustache deems the Wendy's comparison inaccurate and chooses the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and Frosty as the franchise combo.)

3. LeBron James

Lance Alfred, Daniel Gibson, J.J. Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Darnell Jackson, Tarence Kinsley, Sasha Pavlovic, Eric Snow, Wally Szczerbiak, Billy Thomas, Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Mo Williams, Lorenzen Wright. These are the other players on LeBron James' team. Yes, he is a franchise. It's like that old-school Bulls "six-pack" shirt that had five Michael Jordans and a Bulls fan on it. They should bring those six-pack shirts back, those were awesome.

2. Tiger Woods

Television ratings don't lie (at least, I don't think that they do). When Tiger Woods is in the finals of a major, ratings skyrocket. If he isn't involved, even the announcers have a hard time getting up for what is going on. Why else would they still show his final round even if he's down by 27 strokes? Until Tiger comes back, golf returns to its mid-1990s level of interest in casual sports fans, which is extremely close to zero.

1. The United States

This one is for the Olympics. If the U.S. is not involved in the event (or ok, fine, an extremely fast Jamaican trained in the United States), "Race to the White House 2016" on C-Span gets higher ratings. An example: you turn on swimming, you look for the flags at the start of the race next to their names. If you don't see the stars and stripes, you look for a Full House re-run. Did you ever turn on midday coverage this past summer and it was something like Greece versus Italy in water polo? You probably asked "what the eff is this?" and turned it off immediately. It must be tough to live in a country that only gets five medals in an entire Olympics. I wonder what they watch instead.

The Top 7 is written by Jason Major. He watched the broadcast of Croatia/Italy fencing match because he thought the fencers were actually beekeepers. Email him at jason@joesportsfan.com.

Game 146 Thread / Cubs @ Cardinals (3 of 3)

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:34:49 -0500

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SP	Rich Harden	SP	Todd Wellemeyer
(NL)	4-1, 1.50, 75 K, 18 BB, 54 IP		12-6, 3.74, 116 K, 51 BB, 168.1 IP

LF	Alfonso Soriano	SS	*Skip Schumaker
SS	Ryan Theriot	LF	#Aaron Miles
1B	Derrek Lee	1B	Albert Pujols
3B	Aramis Ramirez	RF	Ryan Ludwick
RF	Mark DeRosa	3B	#Felipe Lopez
2B	*Mike Fontenot	2B	*Adam Kennedy
C	Geovany Soto	C	Jason LaRue
CF	Reed Johnson	P	Todd Wellemeyer
P	*Rich Harden	SS	#Cesar Izturis

The Cubs last game for at least two days as they'll head home after the game and wait out Hurricane Ike. Rich Harden returns after skipping a start, now ready to throw 110 mph and strike out the 27 batters on 81 pitches...anything less would be disappointing.

Brewers and Phillies start a four game set, so there's a good chance one of the Cubs magic numbers will go down today although the playoff magic number is now muddled by the Cardinals and Astros who are tied with the Phillies in the lost column. The best thing is to just win tonight - let's say 15-0 - and then let the other teams duke it out while the Cubs watch the carnage over the weekend.

Game--4 Thread / Cubs @ Cardinals (1 of 3)

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:22:37 -0500

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SP	Ryan Dempster	SP	Kyle Lohse
	15-6, 2.99, 167 K, 72 BB, 183.2 IP		13-6, 3.76, 106 K, 44 BB, 182 IP

LF	Alfonso Soriano	CF	*Skip Schumaker
2B	*Mike Fontenot	3B	Troy Glaus
1B	Derrek Lee	1B	Albert Pujols
3B	Aramis Ramirez	RF	Ryan Ludwick
RF	Mark DeRosa	LF	*Rick Ankiel
CF	*Jim Edmonds	C	Yadier Molina
C	Geovany Soto	2B	#Felipe Lopez
SS	Ronny Cedeno	P	Kyle Lohse
P	Ryan Dempster	SS	Cesar Izturis

The Cubs and the Cardinals meet in the first of three at Busch and the first of six matchups between now and the end of the season. The Cubs lead the season series, 5-4, and have won 10 of their last 15 in St. Louis.

Dempster won his only start this year against the Cardinals, allowing 2 ER over 6 2/3 in a 6-2 Cub victory in early August. Lohse is 0-1, 6.92 in a pair of starts this season vs. the Cubs, but is otherwise having a fine year, producing more ground balls, yielding fewer long balls, and allowing fewer walks than at virtually any other point in his MLB career.

By Baseball Prospectus's reckoning, the Cubs, 4 1/2 games up on Milwaukee, enter play with an 88.8% likelihood of winning the division, 10.3% chance of winning the Wild Card, and a 99.1% overall likelihood of reaching the post-season. The Cardinals, 9 games back of the Cubs and 4 1/2 behind the Wild Card-leading Brewers, come in at .2% / 4.5% / 4.7%. In other words, deprived of greater glory, Cardinal fans may realize no more significant joy in these last few weeks than seeing their heroes get in the way of a Cubs celebration.

Every time the Cubs and Cards meet and I enter the batting orders, I stumble as I remember to enter the St. Louis pitcher in the eighth spot. That led me to look up a few team season stats. First, what kind of production the Cubs and Cardinals are getting from their respective #8 hitters:

	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	HR	RBI
Cubs 8th-place hitters	.300	.362	.442	804	12	79
Cards 8th-place hitters	.196	.247	.292	539	8	51

Then from the #9 hole:

	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	HR	RBI
Cubs 9th-place hitters	.231	.271	.340	611	10	60
Cards 9th-place hitters	.266	.322	.323	645	2	34

The Cubs' #8 numbers have been helped by the fine season they have received from Reed Johnson. The Cubs #9 numbers reflect an offensively outstanding pitching staff (thank you, Carlos Zambrano!), one that's 105 OPS points better than the next best-hitting group of pitchers, which happens to belong to St. Louis.

And the Cardinals' production from the 9th place? That right there is what you call the handiwork of a former Chicago Cub, one Cesar Izturis.

Rob G: Just a little roster note that Felix Pie and Randy Wells will be joining the team. To make room for Wells on the roster, the Cubs have moved Jon Lieber to the 60-day DL.

Wellemeyer goes into eighth as Ludwick drives home three

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:21:03 -0500

Ludwick hits his 30th homer of the season while Wellemeyer pitches 7.2 innings.

Redbird Randoms...Looper, Carpenter, Izturis 8/13/08

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:28:49 -0500

Tidbits regarding the St. Louis Cardinals.

MLB Free Agent Specialty - Week 20

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:11:37 -0500

Not quite like Waiver Wire, this piece examines potentially available players that focus on a specific category. If you need some power, we have a suggestion. If you need some speed, we have a suggestion. If you need some K's, we have a suggestion. Unfortunately, these players will not help your fantasy team (most of the time) outside of the category they are listed.

No sweep for Cards as Manny goes deep again

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:36:04 -0500

Lohse was good, Kershaw was better. No sweep for Cards.

Phillies - Cardinals Series Recap

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:42:30 -0500

The Phillies came into Friday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals one game ahead of the second place New York Mets in the National League East standings. The Phillies currently stand two and a half games up on the now second place Florida Marlins, and three up on the now third place Mets after taking two of three from the Cardinals. The Marlins lost two games against the Colorado Rockies and the Mets were swept in Houston, extending their losing streak to four. Game 1 Cardinals 6 Phillies 3 In a surprising twist, Phillies' ace Cole Hamels struggled for the second start in a row, giving up five runs on eight hits in six innings. He gave up four runs in the third inning. Outfielder Skip Schumaker singled to start the third and Cesar Izturis walked ahead of Joe Mather, who hit his fifth homer. "Now that I think about it," Hamels said. "The big innings that I have given up (this year), the changeup has been up. I haven't really been able to locate it down in the zone." Hamels was barely outmatched by former Phillie Kyle Lohse, who went five innings and gave up three runs. Lohse failed to get an out in the sixth inning, and has gone seven innings only eight times this season in 24 starts. Coming into Friday, the Cardinals as a team have 25 blown saves this season and current beleaguered closer Jason Isringhausen has eight blown saves of his own and has already lost his job once this season. Nevertheless, he got the final four outs to close out the game for St. Louis on Friday, including two walks and two strikeouts. Game 2 Phillies 2 Cardinals 1 Friday's loss ended a five game Phillies' winning streak and the next day the Fightins did exactly what good teams do: they started a new winning streak. They rebounded nicely for Joe Blanton's first win as a Phillie, giving up just one run on four hits in seven innings. Blanton struck out five, all on called third strikes. Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs provided Blanton with all the offense necessary on two solo home runs. Blanton took care of the rest, giving up a solo home run to Ryan Ludwick, his third home run in two games. "He kept us off balance, moved the ball around the strike zone and just off the strike zone," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He did a good job of mixing things up." Blanton's opponent, former Mets' reliever Braden Looper, is 2-6 with a 5.53 ERA lifetime against the Phillies. Two of those loses have come this season. Game 3 Phillies 5 Cardinals 4 Phillies' closer Brad Lidge got his 28th save in 28 chances Sunday, but came very close to blowing his first save of the season. With the Phillies leading 5-3 coming into the ninth inning, Troy Glaus led off the inning with a solo home run, just the second home run given up by Lidge this season. The Cardinals then proceeded to load the bases with two outs and the situation was looking dire indeed. Then Lidge reminded us all why he is the best reliever in the National League. Instead of getting overwhelmed and cracking under the pressure, Lidge came back and struck out the next two batters to close out the game. Despite not getting the win, Brett Myers put together his second quality outing in as many chances. It appears that his three week stint in AAA helped him workout his demons and get him back on track. Myers allowed just two runs over six innings and continues to build the confidence he needs to lead the Phillies down the stretch. Down 3-1, the Phillies put together a four run eighth inning capped off by Shane Victorino's three run home run to put them ahead for good. "You kind of have an idea of what he has by watching video, and I was just trying to hit a ball I could drive," Victorino said. "It was a fastball. That's what I think it was." Pat Burrell continues to be the most consistent and timely hitter on the Phillies, getting a two-out RBI single off Cardinals' reliever Russ Springer immediately preceding Victorino. Coming into Sunday, the trio of Howard (31), Chase Utley and Burrell (27) combined for more homers than eight of the 30 major league teams. The Phillies are off Monday and look to extend their current two-game winning streak Tuesday in Philadelphia against the Marlins.

Redbird Randoms ... Lohse, Izturis, gamelive chat

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:31:08 -0500

Tidbits regarding the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pujols goes deep again, Cards pounce on Braves

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:06:47 -0500

You could say the Cards almost didn't win, not taking advantage of an overly injured Braves club until the ninth inning.

Redbird Randoms

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:38:47 -0500

Tidbits regarding the St. Louis Cardinals.

Looper deals, Mather launches, Molina runs and runs and runs

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:46:54 -0500

The St. Louis Cardinals took full advantage of a beat-up Braves team.