Pressure?

Add comment October 4th, 2008

 

What pressure?

If the 0-2 Cubs have anything going for them right now, it’s that all the pressure is now on the Dodgers to close the deal.

Lou Piniella and company are no longer expected to win this series. Historically speaking, they are already eliminated.

After finishing the regular season with a National League-best 55-26 home record, who ever thought that a change of scenery might actually do the Cubs some good?  

Or, as a friend of mine put it: “If you’re not going to come home with two wins, don’t come home at all.”

OK, maybe some pressure.

Piniella’s right to be cautious

Add comment September 30th, 2008

 

After the Cubs clinched the NL Central title on Sept. 20, some (most notably Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein from 670 Score Radio) got on Lou Piniella’s case for taking a cautious approach to the playoffs. It’s no secret that the best team during the regular season doesn’t always win the World Series. Face it, if the Florida Marlins can win two World Series in seven years, the postseason is virtually a crapshoot.

Regardless of the fact that the Cubs are the best team in the NL, Piniella had plenty of reasons to be concerned with potential NLDS opponents like the Phillies and the Mets. And now that they officially begin NLDS play against the Dodgers tomorrow, a high level of concern is still warranted.

This Dodgers playoff lineup isn’t the Dodgers lineup the Cubs faced during the regular season, where the Cubs went 5-2.

Trade deadline acquisition Manny Ramirez easily makes a case that 53 games is plenty of time shore up an NL MVP. With Manny in the lineup for the last two months, the previously 54-54 Dodgers went 30-24 (17-8 in September) on the back of his .396 batting average, 17 home runs and 53 RBIs. 

Also, don’t forget that Rafael Furcal, who missed both series against the Cubs and almost all of the 2008 season, is now healthy.

Looking ahead, if Carlos Zambrano continues to break down in game 2, the idea of Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda pitching game 3 in L.A. is very concerning. A June 6 Cubs loss at Dodger Stadium saw Kuroda pitch a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts and zero walks.

And it doesn’t matter that Rich Harden–even with his 89 strikeouts in 71 innings for the Cubs–is Kuroda’s counterpart in game 3. Cubs bats have been notorious when it comes to giving Harden run support.

But, if there’s one reason (and there are many) the Cubs will win the series, it’s because they have the 17-win Ted Lilly waiting to pitch an “if necessary” game.

Cubs first under review

1 comment August 26th, 2008

 

Thursday’s 7 p.m. Cubs-Phillies game at Wrigley Field will be the first official MLB game under the newly approved instant replay system.

Does this go hand-in-hand with MLB’s push to speed up game-play?

It’s possible. Instead of having a manager storm out of the dugout to dispute a close home run decision for five to seven minutes, the review system could limit the confusion to only a couple of minutes. 

Then again, don’t think Lou Piniella will hesitate to argue with a TV monitor if a Cubs’ basket shot is reversed.

Brew-haha should keep Cubs on toes

3 comments August 5th, 2008

 

Last night’s dugout scuffle between Prince Fielder and Manny Parra is a clear sign of frustration among the second place Brewers (or Fielder’s attack on Parra could simply be a side effect of meat withdrawal). It’s very reminiscent of the scrap between Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett.

Now, I know it isn’t that surprising for tensions between teammates to breakdown now and then. But, last season’s dugout fiasco was a turning point that lit a torch under the Cubs (with a little help from Lou Piniella getting tossed after a dirt and hat kicking tirade the next game).

The Brewers situation can go one of two ways: they either continue to buckle under pressure that began with last week’s sweep or they use it as motivation, much in the same way the Cubs did last season.

Team meltdown or no team meltdown, sweep or no sweep, the Brewers aren’t out of the NL Central race by any means. So, the Cubs should continue to be on high alert.

Let’s just hope Ned Yost doesn’t get tossed from tonight’s game.

No easy homecoming

Add comment June 17th, 2008

 

Looking at the Cubs schedule before the season, a mid-June series against Tampa Bay looked like the perfect pick-me-up if the Cubs ever needed to break out of a slump.

Well, the Cubs obviously have avoided any serious droughts and the Rays are finally playing like an organization that belongs in Major League Baseball. Heck, Tampa Bay could even be the team that actually starts a Cubs drought.

It’s even gotten to the point where the almighty New York Yankees are fishing excuses for chasing Tampa Bay’s rear. 

Anyway, Tampa Bay welcomes back Lou Piniella and Larry Rothschild as the Cubs welcome back their red-headed stepchild Matt Murton.

Raging Ryno

Add comment May 12th, 2008

When Lou Piniella and Ryne Sandberg were hired to their respective managerial positions before the 2006 season, there was little wonder about who would have the most ejections after a season and a quarter.

Well, surprise, surprise. Ryno is putting Sweet Lou’s temper to shame. Since the start of the 2007 season, it’s Sandberg 7, Piniella 1.

Bobby Cox, watch your back.