Dodgers vs. Cubs
Manny in my mind could very well be the NL MVP as he has carried LA on his back. But let's be honest, the NL West was pathetic. Furcal could be playing in this series and if he's effective, that would help LA out. But this offense doesn't scare me. You pitch around Manny with runners on, this team is not gonna beat you. It's rotation has improved but it's decent at best. The key for the Cubs will be Zambrano. He comes back series over. I'll easily take the likes of Dempster, Big Z and Harden over Lowe Billingsley and Kuroda anytime anywhere. LA's BP is solid but you gotta have a lead. With that in mind I'm taking the Cubs in a sweep. This Dodger team has proven nothing to me beyond getting through an awful division.
Brewers vs. Phillies
The heroics of Sabathia are gonna cost Milwaukee in this series. Sabathia will most likely be unable to pitch more than once in this series and Sheets is not back to the level he needs to be at for the playoffs. A lineup with Howard, Utley, Rollins, and Victorino is something to be feared and this rotation has improved drastically throughout the season. You wonder how long Lidge will keep this up his perfect save streak but other than that the Phillies are the better team. C.C. probably wins his start but that's it. Phillies in four
White Sox vs. Rays
The Rays are the biggest mystery in the postseason. A team that relies on solid pitching and solid fundamental baseball. You don't know how much of a factor the inexperience will be for this team. Having said that, the Sox have had to use their starters late in the season and Vazquez may be forced to pitch more than they would like. An inconsistent rotation and bullpen and an offense that relies on the longball is not what the 2005 team was about and it will not get it done for the Sox. Tampa is also tremendous at home. Rays in 4.
Red Sox vs. Angels
This will definitely be the most entertaining series to watch. The Angels pitching staff is one of the best and if they're ahead in the 9th game over. K-Rod is amazing. Boston will be without Beckett until Game 3. They also don't have Lowell or J.D. Drew but this team will fight. Pedroia has been the MVP of this team and the AL and Big Papi could come alive. And with Beckett at least available they still do have a scary rotation. But in the end the Angels are the better team and will hold on in this series. Angels in 5
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Given the chance, Harden can be the man for the Cubs in the playoffs
When asked which Cubs pitcher can turn into a star in the postseason such as Josh Beckett in 2003, I think the typical response to that would be Ryan Dempster. I don't deny that and he is definitely capable of it. But I'm gonna say the pitcher I've been high on ever since the Cubs traded for him, Rich Harden.
Harden has some of the nastiest stuff you will see, especially his fastball and his splitter. Every start he has you can expect great stuff from him almost all of the time. The key will be does Pinella finally use him to his potential.
Since Harden has been known more to be on the DL than anything, Pinella at most would pitch him 7 innings a game. But more often then not he would go only 5 to 6 innings. One would think this would be so they could save him and he would be his healthiest for the playoffs. Well it's playoff time now Lou. It's time to unleash him.
If Lou is willing to let him go as deep into the game as necessary, he will be a valuable asset for the Cubs in the playoffs. But I'm not positive that will be the case as we saw even in the playoffs, Pinella puts almost too much trust in his bullpen. The example of that was pulling Zambrano too early in Game 1 against Az last year in a matchup with Brandon Webb. That decision cost the Cubs Game 1 and turned the series in the Dbacks favor. That will not cut it this time around. Harden needs to go 7-8 innings in his starts if he will be his most effective.
But if he is used to the best of his abilities, he will be the difference in the Cubs going to and even winning the World Series. Before Harden, the Cubs would have been looking at Lilly as their game 3 starter and Marquis as their Game 4 starter. A frightening prospect. Harden has given the starting ritation unbeliavable depth that will be a tremendous benefit in the playoffs.
As I said, this will be all on Pinella. If he is unwilling to unleash him on the rest of the Cubs opponents from here on out, it will be nothing but greatness and every Cubs fan will remember the name Rich Harden.
Harden has some of the nastiest stuff you will see, especially his fastball and his splitter. Every start he has you can expect great stuff from him almost all of the time. The key will be does Pinella finally use him to his potential.
Since Harden has been known more to be on the DL than anything, Pinella at most would pitch him 7 innings a game. But more often then not he would go only 5 to 6 innings. One would think this would be so they could save him and he would be his healthiest for the playoffs. Well it's playoff time now Lou. It's time to unleash him.
If Lou is willing to let him go as deep into the game as necessary, he will be a valuable asset for the Cubs in the playoffs. But I'm not positive that will be the case as we saw even in the playoffs, Pinella puts almost too much trust in his bullpen. The example of that was pulling Zambrano too early in Game 1 against Az last year in a matchup with Brandon Webb. That decision cost the Cubs Game 1 and turned the series in the Dbacks favor. That will not cut it this time around. Harden needs to go 7-8 innings in his starts if he will be his most effective.
But if he is used to the best of his abilities, he will be the difference in the Cubs going to and even winning the World Series. Before Harden, the Cubs would have been looking at Lilly as their game 3 starter and Marquis as their Game 4 starter. A frightening prospect. Harden has given the starting ritation unbeliavable depth that will be a tremendous benefit in the playoffs.
As I said, this will be all on Pinella. If he is unwilling to unleash him on the rest of the Cubs opponents from here on out, it will be nothing but greatness and every Cubs fan will remember the name Rich Harden.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Strongest performance and weakest performance every Sun.
For my weekly feature every Sunday, I will say which player I feel had the strongest postseason performance to benefit their team and which player had the weakest performance hurting their team the most. For this week, it will be who helped their team's playoff chances the most and who hurt their team's playoff chances the most.
Strongest performance-C.C. Sabathia
C.C. pretty much single-handely has turned around the Brewers. But today, he stepped up in his biggest start this season. He pitched his 7th complete game as Brewer giving up just 1 run on 4 hits and walking only 1. All this on his 3rd straight start with just 4 days rest. Milwaukee might have some solid players in the likes of Braun, Fielder etc. but this team is now a playoff team because of Sabathia. Also at the beginning of this week as well, Sabathia won over the Pirates pitching 7 innings and giving up 1 run on 4 hits again. He has stepped up and gotten Milwaukee into the playoffs and has easily earned my strongest "postseason" performance of this week, in that he definitely did the most to help Milwaukee's playoff chances.
Weakest performance-Javier Vazquez and Justin Morneau
It's very tempting to say the New York Mets for this category but instead I'm going with two players from the horrible AL Central.
Ozzie Guiellen challenged Vazquez to step up and deliver them a win against the Twins this week. He said that Vazquez basically has never won a big game. For most players that would challenge them to step up and deliver when the team needs you the most. Instead, all Vazquez did was validate Ozzie's comments. In his start against the Twins he went just 4 innings giving 5 runs and 7 hits in a 9-3 loss, which would be his 15th of the season. But he was not done losing. In his start yesterday against Cle. he went just 4 1/3 innings and gave up 7 runs on 5 hits in a 12-6 loss which gave him 16 losses on the season and in total has bumped his ERA up to 4.67 When your manager calls you out and you make yourself look worse, that is why he is tied for this week's weakest performance.
I'm not just singling the Sox out however. My other weakest performance goes to Justin Morneau. Morneau is being considered as a candidate for AL MVP but after this weekend, there is no way I would give it to him. The Twins had prime opportunity to wrap up the AL Central but lost 2 of 3 at home to KC of all teams. And Morneau didn't contribute at all. He went just 1 for 12 in this series driving in just 1 run. Overall, he is 1 for his last 17. MVP's deliver in clutch situations especially during the end of the season in a pennant race. There is no way Morneau should get MVP after this pitiful performance. And that is why he was picked for the other weakest performance this week.
Fortunately, for those two players one of them will still be a part of the postseason. I find that pathetic and disgusting that either the Sox or the Twins will make the playoffs. Both of these teams are completely undeserving with how they finished the season. They're the examples of how not to play down the stretch of the season.
Next week, this will officially turn into the strongest and weakest performances of the actual playoffs for each week. Get ready because it's playoff time now. And it's who steps up and who doesn't that will determine each team's playoff fate.
Strongest performance-C.C. Sabathia
C.C. pretty much single-handely has turned around the Brewers. But today, he stepped up in his biggest start this season. He pitched his 7th complete game as Brewer giving up just 1 run on 4 hits and walking only 1. All this on his 3rd straight start with just 4 days rest. Milwaukee might have some solid players in the likes of Braun, Fielder etc. but this team is now a playoff team because of Sabathia. Also at the beginning of this week as well, Sabathia won over the Pirates pitching 7 innings and giving up 1 run on 4 hits again. He has stepped up and gotten Milwaukee into the playoffs and has easily earned my strongest "postseason" performance of this week, in that he definitely did the most to help Milwaukee's playoff chances.
Weakest performance-Javier Vazquez and Justin Morneau
It's very tempting to say the New York Mets for this category but instead I'm going with two players from the horrible AL Central.
Ozzie Guiellen challenged Vazquez to step up and deliver them a win against the Twins this week. He said that Vazquez basically has never won a big game. For most players that would challenge them to step up and deliver when the team needs you the most. Instead, all Vazquez did was validate Ozzie's comments. In his start against the Twins he went just 4 innings giving 5 runs and 7 hits in a 9-3 loss, which would be his 15th of the season. But he was not done losing. In his start yesterday against Cle. he went just 4 1/3 innings and gave up 7 runs on 5 hits in a 12-6 loss which gave him 16 losses on the season and in total has bumped his ERA up to 4.67 When your manager calls you out and you make yourself look worse, that is why he is tied for this week's weakest performance.
I'm not just singling the Sox out however. My other weakest performance goes to Justin Morneau. Morneau is being considered as a candidate for AL MVP but after this weekend, there is no way I would give it to him. The Twins had prime opportunity to wrap up the AL Central but lost 2 of 3 at home to KC of all teams. And Morneau didn't contribute at all. He went just 1 for 12 in this series driving in just 1 run. Overall, he is 1 for his last 17. MVP's deliver in clutch situations especially during the end of the season in a pennant race. There is no way Morneau should get MVP after this pitiful performance. And that is why he was picked for the other weakest performance this week.
Fortunately, for those two players one of them will still be a part of the postseason. I find that pathetic and disgusting that either the Sox or the Twins will make the playoffs. Both of these teams are completely undeserving with how they finished the season. They're the examples of how not to play down the stretch of the season.
Next week, this will officially turn into the strongest and weakest performances of the actual playoffs for each week. Get ready because it's playoff time now. And it's who steps up and who doesn't that will determine each team's playoff fate.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Hank needs to shut up
First of all I'm happy to say that this is probably gonna be the only Yankee related blog I will do since finally they will not be a part of the postseason.
But I never thought there would be more irritating than George Steinbrenner. But along comes the next generation of Steinbrenner. And he is even worse. When Wang got hurt, he said the National League should wake up and join the 21st Century and start using the DH. You serious Hank? Would you really be saying that if this had happened to Dice-K. You try to make it seem like you're arguing valid points but nobody can take you seriously since it's all motivated by selfishness.
His most recent complaining has been about how tough the AL East is and they should be a playoff team. First of all, that would probably only be true in the Central as the Angels still would have dominated andyou wouldn't have gotten the wildcard anyway. But second of all, there are tough divisions. If you focused on what your team needed to improve and not waste all your time complaining, maybe you would still be competing. There are certain divsions that are tougher than others. I don't wanna give credit to Mil but if they don't get in I don't think they'll be complaining about the Central being too tough and take responsibility for their play, something that maybe Hank should start to do.
Just because his last name is Steinbrenner, he thinks he has the right to argue the most pointless reasons why the Yankeees are a major disapointment. If I were the Yankees, I don't care if he is a Steinbrenner, I couldn't stand having someone like that be involced with the team. The only way Hank can make a positive contribution to running the Yankees is to keep his mouth shut.
But I never thought there would be more irritating than George Steinbrenner. But along comes the next generation of Steinbrenner. And he is even worse. When Wang got hurt, he said the National League should wake up and join the 21st Century and start using the DH. You serious Hank? Would you really be saying that if this had happened to Dice-K. You try to make it seem like you're arguing valid points but nobody can take you seriously since it's all motivated by selfishness.
His most recent complaining has been about how tough the AL East is and they should be a playoff team. First of all, that would probably only be true in the Central as the Angels still would have dominated andyou wouldn't have gotten the wildcard anyway. But second of all, there are tough divisions. If you focused on what your team needed to improve and not waste all your time complaining, maybe you would still be competing. There are certain divsions that are tougher than others. I don't wanna give credit to Mil but if they don't get in I don't think they'll be complaining about the Central being too tough and take responsibility for their play, something that maybe Hank should start to do.
Just because his last name is Steinbrenner, he thinks he has the right to argue the most pointless reasons why the Yankeees are a major disapointment. If I were the Yankees, I don't care if he is a Steinbrenner, I couldn't stand having someone like that be involced with the team. The only way Hank can make a positive contribution to running the Yankees is to keep his mouth shut.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Between NY and Milwaukee, who's capable of not choking?
Despite Santana's solid performance tonight, the Mets fate has not yet been sealed. Even though the Cubs have clinched homefield in the NL, it doesn't mean they're not capable of ruining the Mets and the Brewers postseason hopes. And frankly, as a Cubs fan, I don't think it's completely clear what to root for.
The Mets have the clear history of blowing tremendous opportunities to advance to the playoffs. They also don't have the bullpen and no solid starters after Santana. I suppose it would potentially be better if Arizona finds a way to win the West. I don't think any Cubs fan wants to see the Dbacks. On the other hand, it has recently been brought to my attention that we could see Santana twice and if Lou doesn't use his starters effectively again, then Santana will probably beat us in the playoffs. Also, the worst case scenario would be if somehow the Mets catch the Phillies. The Phillies will be a tough first round matchup.
Milwaukee, doesn't appear to be a threat right now to make it to the NLCS and if it means we play LA, then I absolutely wanna face the Dodgers in the first round. It's very tough to tell with the Brewers though as Sabathia and Sheets will be a test. The Cubs have done very well against C.C. though providing him his only NL loss and should have beat him earlier this season. They're also more capabale of taking down Philly in the 1st round then LA or Az would be even though it didn't look that way a couple of weeks ago.
The bottomline is it doesn't look like either team wants the wild card. These teams have much more potential than they're showing and are definitely capable of more than they're doing right now. I think I have to say whatever gives the Cubs the easiest road to the World Series is all that matters. The longer we avoid playing the Phillies the better. The Cubs end with both of these teams so in my mind neither team has a clear advantage beyond the game and a half lead the Mets currently have in the wild card. So who is actually capable of not choking. Nobody can tell because both of them are doing that right now.
The Mets have the clear history of blowing tremendous opportunities to advance to the playoffs. They also don't have the bullpen and no solid starters after Santana. I suppose it would potentially be better if Arizona finds a way to win the West. I don't think any Cubs fan wants to see the Dbacks. On the other hand, it has recently been brought to my attention that we could see Santana twice and if Lou doesn't use his starters effectively again, then Santana will probably beat us in the playoffs. Also, the worst case scenario would be if somehow the Mets catch the Phillies. The Phillies will be a tough first round matchup.
Milwaukee, doesn't appear to be a threat right now to make it to the NLCS and if it means we play LA, then I absolutely wanna face the Dodgers in the first round. It's very tough to tell with the Brewers though as Sabathia and Sheets will be a test. The Cubs have done very well against C.C. though providing him his only NL loss and should have beat him earlier this season. They're also more capabale of taking down Philly in the 1st round then LA or Az would be even though it didn't look that way a couple of weeks ago.
The bottomline is it doesn't look like either team wants the wild card. These teams have much more potential than they're showing and are definitely capable of more than they're doing right now. I think I have to say whatever gives the Cubs the easiest road to the World Series is all that matters. The longer we avoid playing the Phillies the better. The Cubs end with both of these teams so in my mind neither team has a clear advantage beyond the game and a half lead the Mets currently have in the wild card. So who is actually capable of not choking. Nobody can tell because both of them are doing that right now.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Nicely done Brew Crew. Enjoy missing the postseason.
Can someone tell me what the Brewers management was thinking? I know you're struggling and you're basically giving away the wild card spot by constantly losing. But firing Ned Yost with only a couple of weeks left in the season? When you're tied for the wild card, no less. Tell me how that move will benefit the Brewers in any way.
They're about to begin their biggest series of the season at Wrigley and will also host the Cubs at Miller Park to close the season. This team does not have the experience down the stretch to come together at the end of the season under an interim manager. An interim manager who was also under consideration to be fired. The only thing I can think of is they know they're finished and need to make a change. But why have that attitude when you still are tied for the wild card?
This team already was in a significant amount of trouble considering the best team both the Phillies and the Astros play the rest of the season are the Marlins (with the exception of 1 final game against the Cubs for Hou when the Cubs will have clinched the Central already). But now Milwaukee has to face a Cubs team that is clearly back on track without their manager who they have been very accustomed to playing under for the last 4 seasons.
This team is done. It'll shock me if they find a way to overcome this adversity and get into the postseason. When they acquired Sabathia they appeared to be a shoe-in to at least make the playoffs. But now a huge slump has cost them their manager and it appears their season. I just don't see it happening for the Brewers now.
They're about to begin their biggest series of the season at Wrigley and will also host the Cubs at Miller Park to close the season. This team does not have the experience down the stretch to come together at the end of the season under an interim manager. An interim manager who was also under consideration to be fired. The only thing I can think of is they know they're finished and need to make a change. But why have that attitude when you still are tied for the wild card?
This team already was in a significant amount of trouble considering the best team both the Phillies and the Astros play the rest of the season are the Marlins (with the exception of 1 final game against the Cubs for Hou when the Cubs will have clinched the Central already). But now Milwaukee has to face a Cubs team that is clearly back on track without their manager who they have been very accustomed to playing under for the last 4 seasons.
This team is done. It'll shock me if they find a way to overcome this adversity and get into the postseason. When they acquired Sabathia they appeared to be a shoe-in to at least make the playoffs. But now a huge slump has cost them their manager and it appears their season. I just don't see it happening for the Brewers now.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Top 10 Most Memorable Moments
10. Vince Young carries Texas to the win in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
This was coming off of a season in which USC was supposed to win their 3rd consecutive national championship. With only 6:42 left in the game the Trojans had a 38-26 lead. Young took over accounting for 70 yards in route to a Texas score. And Young won the game on his 3rd rushing touchdown. I have never seen one player dominate a college football game the way Vince Young dominated the Rose Bowl.
9. Lance Armstrong wins 7 consecutive Tour de France races.
Lance Armstrong is one of the more remarkable stories in sports. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and the cancer had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Undergoing chemotherapy is one of the most grueling experiences people can go through. The fact that Armstrong not only had the strength to make a comeback into cycling but be the most dominant athlete in the sport is unbelievable. He may not be done, however as he announced his comeback from retirement last week.
8. Michael Phelps winning 8 gold medals.
You could argue that there have been better individual Olympians, but Phelps dominated in a way that hasn't been seen before. As dominant as everybody knew he was, I was always hearing that he couldn't control the team races or it was just not possible to get gold in every single race. But Phelps proved all of the doubters wrong and is now the most successful Olympian ever.
7. Boise State's Fiesta Bowl win over OU
This was the best college football game I have ever seen. The great thing about this was Boise State won using almost every trick play in the book. And the Statue of Liberty play just blew my mind when I saw it. It was the best fake I have ever seen. You didn't realize that Ian Johnson had the ball until he was just about in the end zone. In a game where Boise State lost an 18 point lead, it showed just how resilient they truly were and is now giving the small conferences the credit they deserve.
6. Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open while injured
The 2008 U.S. Open showed that Tiger Woods is the most dominant athlete currently in sports. He hit a clutch 12 foot putt to tie Rocco Mediate and force a 18 hole playoff. But he tops that by forcing sudden death with a birdie. A few days later, we find out that he tore his ACL and is out for the rest of the season. That was definitely one of the best performances in sports and to do that with a major injury makes it that much more impressive.
5. The McGwire/Sosa homerun chase in 1998.
This revitalized baseball. Mark McGwire the last couple of seasons had been coming closer and closer to breaking Roger Maris' record of 61 homeruns in a season. Everybody expected him to make a run or break it in 1998. Sammy Sosa was a complete surprise. The fact that these two were such close friends gave this even more hype than it already deserved. What was great is this race didn't get put away until the final weekend. McGwire put it away in the last weekend and finished with 70 hr's, Sosa with 66. Baseball regained all the popularity it lost from the strike with this incredible homerun chase.
4. The NY Giants upset New England and their undefeated season in Super XLII
Nobody knew what the Giants were capable of. In addition nobody knew what Eli Manning was capable of. The Patriots were already being called the greatest team in football and even the greatest team in sports. Tom Brady had a record 50 TD passes. But the NYG front line harassed Brady giving him by far more pressure than he's ever seen in a game. But the real magic came with the Patriots up 14-10. Eli Manning miraculosly escaping a sure sack, then throwing it deep and David Tyree making one of the best catches ever pinning it against his helmet. After that the winning TD was easy as Manning threw to a wide open Plaxico Burress. This is defintely one of the biggest upsets football has ever seen and in a team that was highly criticized going into the season came together and pulled off a tremendous postseason run winning all their games on the road.
3. The Boston Red Sox coming back from a 3-0 ALCS series defecit against the Yankees
This appeared to be another Yankee series win over Boston. But in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and Boston trailing by a run, pinch-runner Dave Roberts steals second and would eventually score on a 2 out hit sending the game to extra innings and revitalizing the Red Sox for the 1st ever comeback from a 3-0 defecit in baseball. The Red Sox would go on to break the 2nd longest drought and win the 2004 World Series. But it will be that epic comeback in the ALCS that will be talked about in terms of Boston breaking their curse.
2. John Elway finally wins the Super Bowl.
This was a game that the Broncos at the time were the largest underdogs in Super Bowl history. Terrell Davis was the MVP rushing for 157 yds and 3 td's despite having to leave the game due to a migraine. But the play that will be remembered was Elway getting hit and flipped, sacrificing his body to get the 1st down. That is my favorite play in football that I have seen to date. It showed Elway's toughness and his willingness to do anything in order for Denver to get the win.
1. MJ's last shot as a Chicago Bull.
This is not just the most memorable moment of the last decade. It's the most memorable moment in sports period. From the beginning of that play where Jordan snuck up on Karl Malone and stole the ball, you knew something incredible would happen. He had the ball in his hands the entire time and had the best crossover to school Bryon Russell and hit a wide open jumper to give the Bulls their 6th championship. He would end game 6 of the NBA Finals with 45 points. He is the reason I am into sports and I will never think any play or moment in sports will top this one. It is very hard to believe that this occured 10 years ago. I was never more proud to be a Bulls fan than I was at that very moment. I'll repeat this one more time. This is the best play in sports period. Simply amazing.
This was coming off of a season in which USC was supposed to win their 3rd consecutive national championship. With only 6:42 left in the game the Trojans had a 38-26 lead. Young took over accounting for 70 yards in route to a Texas score. And Young won the game on his 3rd rushing touchdown. I have never seen one player dominate a college football game the way Vince Young dominated the Rose Bowl.
9. Lance Armstrong wins 7 consecutive Tour de France races.
Lance Armstrong is one of the more remarkable stories in sports. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and the cancer had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Undergoing chemotherapy is one of the most grueling experiences people can go through. The fact that Armstrong not only had the strength to make a comeback into cycling but be the most dominant athlete in the sport is unbelievable. He may not be done, however as he announced his comeback from retirement last week.
8. Michael Phelps winning 8 gold medals.
You could argue that there have been better individual Olympians, but Phelps dominated in a way that hasn't been seen before. As dominant as everybody knew he was, I was always hearing that he couldn't control the team races or it was just not possible to get gold in every single race. But Phelps proved all of the doubters wrong and is now the most successful Olympian ever.
7. Boise State's Fiesta Bowl win over OU
This was the best college football game I have ever seen. The great thing about this was Boise State won using almost every trick play in the book. And the Statue of Liberty play just blew my mind when I saw it. It was the best fake I have ever seen. You didn't realize that Ian Johnson had the ball until he was just about in the end zone. In a game where Boise State lost an 18 point lead, it showed just how resilient they truly were and is now giving the small conferences the credit they deserve.
6. Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open while injured
The 2008 U.S. Open showed that Tiger Woods is the most dominant athlete currently in sports. He hit a clutch 12 foot putt to tie Rocco Mediate and force a 18 hole playoff. But he tops that by forcing sudden death with a birdie. A few days later, we find out that he tore his ACL and is out for the rest of the season. That was definitely one of the best performances in sports and to do that with a major injury makes it that much more impressive.
5. The McGwire/Sosa homerun chase in 1998.
This revitalized baseball. Mark McGwire the last couple of seasons had been coming closer and closer to breaking Roger Maris' record of 61 homeruns in a season. Everybody expected him to make a run or break it in 1998. Sammy Sosa was a complete surprise. The fact that these two were such close friends gave this even more hype than it already deserved. What was great is this race didn't get put away until the final weekend. McGwire put it away in the last weekend and finished with 70 hr's, Sosa with 66. Baseball regained all the popularity it lost from the strike with this incredible homerun chase.
4. The NY Giants upset New England and their undefeated season in Super XLII
Nobody knew what the Giants were capable of. In addition nobody knew what Eli Manning was capable of. The Patriots were already being called the greatest team in football and even the greatest team in sports. Tom Brady had a record 50 TD passes. But the NYG front line harassed Brady giving him by far more pressure than he's ever seen in a game. But the real magic came with the Patriots up 14-10. Eli Manning miraculosly escaping a sure sack, then throwing it deep and David Tyree making one of the best catches ever pinning it against his helmet. After that the winning TD was easy as Manning threw to a wide open Plaxico Burress. This is defintely one of the biggest upsets football has ever seen and in a team that was highly criticized going into the season came together and pulled off a tremendous postseason run winning all their games on the road.
3. The Boston Red Sox coming back from a 3-0 ALCS series defecit against the Yankees
This appeared to be another Yankee series win over Boston. But in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and Boston trailing by a run, pinch-runner Dave Roberts steals second and would eventually score on a 2 out hit sending the game to extra innings and revitalizing the Red Sox for the 1st ever comeback from a 3-0 defecit in baseball. The Red Sox would go on to break the 2nd longest drought and win the 2004 World Series. But it will be that epic comeback in the ALCS that will be talked about in terms of Boston breaking their curse.
2. John Elway finally wins the Super Bowl.
This was a game that the Broncos at the time were the largest underdogs in Super Bowl history. Terrell Davis was the MVP rushing for 157 yds and 3 td's despite having to leave the game due to a migraine. But the play that will be remembered was Elway getting hit and flipped, sacrificing his body to get the 1st down. That is my favorite play in football that I have seen to date. It showed Elway's toughness and his willingness to do anything in order for Denver to get the win.
1. MJ's last shot as a Chicago Bull.
This is not just the most memorable moment of the last decade. It's the most memorable moment in sports period. From the beginning of that play where Jordan snuck up on Karl Malone and stole the ball, you knew something incredible would happen. He had the ball in his hands the entire time and had the best crossover to school Bryon Russell and hit a wide open jumper to give the Bulls their 6th championship. He would end game 6 of the NBA Finals with 45 points. He is the reason I am into sports and I will never think any play or moment in sports will top this one. It is very hard to believe that this occured 10 years ago. I was never more proud to be a Bulls fan than I was at that very moment. I'll repeat this one more time. This is the best play in sports period. Simply amazing.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Zambrano's no-no a sign of good things to come
Let's be honest. Every Cubs fan was worried when the Cubs went on a long losing streak and thinking that this could be a sign of bad things to come. But luck has actually been on the Cubs side. Why? Because as bad as the Cubs were playing Milwaukee has played that much worse. Zambrano had been injured and when he had been pitching had looked awful. Not after tonight however.
In the first game after a few days off due to Hurricane Ike, the Cubs got a major break playing in Milwaukee for 2 instead of in Houston against a hot Astros team. The Astros have a right to be upset because they're the home team in this series yet the Cubs really have the homefield advantage in the 1st 2 games. And it showed. In Zambrano's 1st start back, he showed he was not just back to his old self but maybe better than he was before.
Zambrano pitched the 1st no-hitter for the Cubs in 36 years!!! I think this is definitely a sign of good things. Milwaukee no longer appears to be athreat to catch the Cubs blowing every possible chance they had to get closer to the Cubs. They have to worry about even making it as their lead over the Phillies and Astros keeps shrinking and shrinking.
The Cubs losing streak has actually given them just as much good luck as bad. Because with Milwaukee's struggles they keep increasing the lead. The way Milwaukee is playing, I don't see the Cubs losing either series they play with them. The only thing I hope though is the Cubs don't hurt Houston's playoff chances too much with a series win because I don't want to see the Phillies in the 1st round and if forced to face Hou in the NLCS, I like our chances especially with no Cubs killer Carlos Lee.
Zambrano with this performance is well on his way to showing that he is gonna put this horrible August behind him and is very much over his injury. With the Cubs ace back in more than top form now, the possibilities look great now for the Cubs.
In the first game after a few days off due to Hurricane Ike, the Cubs got a major break playing in Milwaukee for 2 instead of in Houston against a hot Astros team. The Astros have a right to be upset because they're the home team in this series yet the Cubs really have the homefield advantage in the 1st 2 games. And it showed. In Zambrano's 1st start back, he showed he was not just back to his old self but maybe better than he was before.
Zambrano pitched the 1st no-hitter for the Cubs in 36 years!!! I think this is definitely a sign of good things. Milwaukee no longer appears to be athreat to catch the Cubs blowing every possible chance they had to get closer to the Cubs. They have to worry about even making it as their lead over the Phillies and Astros keeps shrinking and shrinking.
The Cubs losing streak has actually given them just as much good luck as bad. Because with Milwaukee's struggles they keep increasing the lead. The way Milwaukee is playing, I don't see the Cubs losing either series they play with them. The only thing I hope though is the Cubs don't hurt Houston's playoff chances too much with a series win because I don't want to see the Phillies in the 1st round and if forced to face Hou in the NLCS, I like our chances especially with no Cubs killer Carlos Lee.
Zambrano with this performance is well on his way to showing that he is gonna put this horrible August behind him and is very much over his injury. With the Cubs ace back in more than top form now, the possibilities look great now for the Cubs.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Is Sabathia really worthy of the NL Cy Young?
C.C. Sabathia's presence on the Brewers have completely revitalized them from a team that was trying to get into the postseason to with the exception of the Cubs, maybe the most serious National League contender for the World Series.
With a 9-0 record and a 1.59 ERA, the question is despite how dominant Sabathia has been since he became a Brewer, should he be getting the NL Cy Young when he has only been in the NL for half of the season. Despite the fact that his last few starts, he's tailed off and has had a no decision, he still definitely has a shot. If he gets up to 13-0, then he if nothing else will be worthy of consideration.
You could argue that someone like Brandon Webb is a better choice as he does have 19 wins. Right now however he has had 3 chances to get his 20th win and has not been able to get it done. You gotta wonder if he gets 20 or 21 wins this season, with how long it will take him to get to the 20 win mark, is what Sabathia is doing more impressive?
I think that the impact you have on your team should probably be the deciding factor. And Milwaukee will almost definitely be a playoff team. Webb at the moment has not done enough to get Arizona into the postseason and after going to the NLCS last year, theyre having a very dissapointing season. Sabathia still has work to do because he could have already locked the Cy Young up with wins in his last few starts. But I think he's still on track to do something very rare, win the Cy Young when you've only been in a league half of the season.
With a 9-0 record and a 1.59 ERA, the question is despite how dominant Sabathia has been since he became a Brewer, should he be getting the NL Cy Young when he has only been in the NL for half of the season. Despite the fact that his last few starts, he's tailed off and has had a no decision, he still definitely has a shot. If he gets up to 13-0, then he if nothing else will be worthy of consideration.
You could argue that someone like Brandon Webb is a better choice as he does have 19 wins. Right now however he has had 3 chances to get his 20th win and has not been able to get it done. You gotta wonder if he gets 20 or 21 wins this season, with how long it will take him to get to the 20 win mark, is what Sabathia is doing more impressive?
I think that the impact you have on your team should probably be the deciding factor. And Milwaukee will almost definitely be a playoff team. Webb at the moment has not done enough to get Arizona into the postseason and after going to the NLCS last year, theyre having a very dissapointing season. Sabathia still has work to do because he could have already locked the Cy Young up with wins in his last few starts. But I think he's still on track to do something very rare, win the Cy Young when you've only been in a league half of the season.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Too much emphasis placed on winning your division
This is a topic that I won;t just be reserving for baseball. But I'll start it out using the example of the NL West. Right now the Dodgers are leading the West with barely over a .500 record. The Diamondbacks are currently 3 games back at the moment and are under .500. There are currently 6 teams better than the Dodgers in the NL and there are 8 teams currently better than Arizona in the NL. Yet one of either LA or Arizona will make the playoffs simply because they won their horrible division.
Whether it be MLB, the NFL or the NBA, in my opinion winning your division is one of the most overrated ways of determining playoff seeds or playoff spots in general. It may very well be the worst in baseball where only 4 teams in each league can get a postseason bid. And in recent years, the wild card team, the one team that got in without winning their division has been the team to at least make it to the World Series, if not win it all. If you are in a very tough division and finish maybe in 3rd but still have a better record than another division winner, you get punished for being in a tough division while a team like the Dodgers will get rewarded for being in a division full of teams that would not come close to winning any of the other divisions.
In the NFL while it's only been one week, in the NFC the three best teams in my mind seem to be the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles. All of them come from the NFC East. Now the good news is they all can make the playoffs as there are 2 wild cards. But the bad news is what if they both have better records than at least one if not more division winners. They won't get homefield at all in the playoffs (although for NY that's not necessarily a bad thing as we saw last year). Having said that the NFC North looks to be awful right now as does the NFC West where Seattle typically wins with only 9 wins. You can be a team that isn't remotely worthy of a playoff bid but because they're in a horrible division they get in.
The NBA probably does the best job of managing this now because one team if they have a better record than a division winner will actually get a higher seed. In addition if the lower seed has a better record than the higher seed then the low seed will get homecourt in the series. Having said that there can be more than one non division winner that is better than a division winner and will get screwed out of a higher seed because they didn't win their division.
In sticking with baseball, overall, the Cubs, Milwaukee, the Mets, the Phillies, St. Louis and now even Houston are better than the Dodgers, and all these teams plus Florida are better than Arizona. But the NL West winner will get in over half of these teams because they won a horrible division. The postseason should be the teams with the best records and should have nothing to do with winning your division. Winning a tough division can be a huge accomplishment. But winning a weak division means absolutely nothing and should not mean anautomatic playoff spot.
Whether it be MLB, the NFL or the NBA, in my opinion winning your division is one of the most overrated ways of determining playoff seeds or playoff spots in general. It may very well be the worst in baseball where only 4 teams in each league can get a postseason bid. And in recent years, the wild card team, the one team that got in without winning their division has been the team to at least make it to the World Series, if not win it all. If you are in a very tough division and finish maybe in 3rd but still have a better record than another division winner, you get punished for being in a tough division while a team like the Dodgers will get rewarded for being in a division full of teams that would not come close to winning any of the other divisions.
In the NFL while it's only been one week, in the NFC the three best teams in my mind seem to be the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles. All of them come from the NFC East. Now the good news is they all can make the playoffs as there are 2 wild cards. But the bad news is what if they both have better records than at least one if not more division winners. They won't get homefield at all in the playoffs (although for NY that's not necessarily a bad thing as we saw last year). Having said that the NFC North looks to be awful right now as does the NFC West where Seattle typically wins with only 9 wins. You can be a team that isn't remotely worthy of a playoff bid but because they're in a horrible division they get in.
The NBA probably does the best job of managing this now because one team if they have a better record than a division winner will actually get a higher seed. In addition if the lower seed has a better record than the higher seed then the low seed will get homecourt in the series. Having said that there can be more than one non division winner that is better than a division winner and will get screwed out of a higher seed because they didn't win their division.
In sticking with baseball, overall, the Cubs, Milwaukee, the Mets, the Phillies, St. Louis and now even Houston are better than the Dodgers, and all these teams plus Florida are better than Arizona. But the NL West winner will get in over half of these teams because they won a horrible division. The postseason should be the teams with the best records and should have nothing to do with winning your division. Winning a tough division can be a huge accomplishment. But winning a weak division means absolutely nothing and should not mean anautomatic playoff spot.
Monday, September 8, 2008
If the Cubs wanna advance to the NLCS, their best bet will be takin on Manny and LA
I don't want to start panicking just yet but 7 losses in 8 games has me looking for any possible advantage the Cubs can have heading into the postseason. This team has a very difficult last month of the season not to mention potentially playing without Zambrano and Harden in the rotation for a couple of games.
With four possible teams that the Cubs could face in the NLDS (five I suppose, still holding out a little hope Col. can make a run to take the West) if the Cubs want a confidence boost and an easy series, then start rooting for the Dodgers, Cubs fans!! I don't care how much the Cubs are struggling right now, this is an extremely easy series for them.
Manny Ramirez, as everybody knows is a tremendous player and may very well give LA the advantage they need to take the West. But let's be honest, this is not a playoff team. Manny and Russell Martin are the only weapons that this offense has and I love the fact that pitchers such as Lilly and Marquis who can be solid, but you don't know what kind of performance you can expect from them, can gain a lot of confidence pitching in this series, if they even get to them which they won't because this series will be a sweep. They also have a few potentially decent starters but nobody that would remotely scare the Cubs offense.
In terms of the other potential NLDS opponents, the Mets are probably the most difficult team to read. With players such as Wright, Delgado, Beltran etc., this offense could do some major damage. When it's all said and done, however, with Billy Wagner out I don't see how this bullpen will hold any leads at all. And if you can get past Santana, the starting rotation really doesn't scare anybody.
The Phillies and the Dbacks scare me the most being a Cubs fan. With the likes of Howard, Utley, Rollins and Burrell, this offense already did a solid job a couple of weeks ago at Wrigley against the best of the Cubs rotation. For the longest time, their starting rotation was their weakness but what worries me is the likes of Hamels, Myers etc have seemed to step it up a notch and if the Phillies get anything from their starters, it'll be a bonus for them.
As for Arizona, every Cubs fan knows why I'm so worried about them. We know they're having a very bad season compared to last year when they got to the NLCS. And when I look at this lineup I'm honestly tempted to laugh half the time because only a couple of guys like Conor Jackson and Stephen Drew are good hitters. Yet somehow, when this lineup faces the Cubs starters, they know what it's gonna take to get hits and just play solid team ball. And we all know the main reason Az. is feared. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and especially in the Cubs case still, Randy Johnson. Those three starters can shut down anybody and don't be fooled by Webb and Haren's recent struggles. Because if there's any team I can see them righting the ship against it's the Cubs.
I think after a final month which will see us face STL, Milwaukee and the Mets just to name a few teams, the Cubs will need the easiest matchup they can get to get back on track and be an extremely confident team heading deep into the playoffs. Give the Dodgers credit for not giving up after looking like they were done a couple of weeks ago. Taking 5 of 6 against Az in the last two weeks has given them a 1.5 game lead. But when it's all said and done this is a mediocre team in a horrible division and a team that is not remotely capable of doing any sort of damge against the Cubs. I thought that a matchup against the Dbacks was inevitable, but luck really may be on the Cubs side this time coming in the form of the LA Dodgers.
With four possible teams that the Cubs could face in the NLDS (five I suppose, still holding out a little hope Col. can make a run to take the West) if the Cubs want a confidence boost and an easy series, then start rooting for the Dodgers, Cubs fans!! I don't care how much the Cubs are struggling right now, this is an extremely easy series for them.
Manny Ramirez, as everybody knows is a tremendous player and may very well give LA the advantage they need to take the West. But let's be honest, this is not a playoff team. Manny and Russell Martin are the only weapons that this offense has and I love the fact that pitchers such as Lilly and Marquis who can be solid, but you don't know what kind of performance you can expect from them, can gain a lot of confidence pitching in this series, if they even get to them which they won't because this series will be a sweep. They also have a few potentially decent starters but nobody that would remotely scare the Cubs offense.
In terms of the other potential NLDS opponents, the Mets are probably the most difficult team to read. With players such as Wright, Delgado, Beltran etc., this offense could do some major damage. When it's all said and done, however, with Billy Wagner out I don't see how this bullpen will hold any leads at all. And if you can get past Santana, the starting rotation really doesn't scare anybody.
The Phillies and the Dbacks scare me the most being a Cubs fan. With the likes of Howard, Utley, Rollins and Burrell, this offense already did a solid job a couple of weeks ago at Wrigley against the best of the Cubs rotation. For the longest time, their starting rotation was their weakness but what worries me is the likes of Hamels, Myers etc have seemed to step it up a notch and if the Phillies get anything from their starters, it'll be a bonus for them.
As for Arizona, every Cubs fan knows why I'm so worried about them. We know they're having a very bad season compared to last year when they got to the NLCS. And when I look at this lineup I'm honestly tempted to laugh half the time because only a couple of guys like Conor Jackson and Stephen Drew are good hitters. Yet somehow, when this lineup faces the Cubs starters, they know what it's gonna take to get hits and just play solid team ball. And we all know the main reason Az. is feared. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and especially in the Cubs case still, Randy Johnson. Those three starters can shut down anybody and don't be fooled by Webb and Haren's recent struggles. Because if there's any team I can see them righting the ship against it's the Cubs.
I think after a final month which will see us face STL, Milwaukee and the Mets just to name a few teams, the Cubs will need the easiest matchup they can get to get back on track and be an extremely confident team heading deep into the playoffs. Give the Dodgers credit for not giving up after looking like they were done a couple of weeks ago. Taking 5 of 6 against Az in the last two weeks has given them a 1.5 game lead. But when it's all said and done this is a mediocre team in a horrible division and a team that is not remotely capable of doing any sort of damge against the Cubs. I thought that a matchup against the Dbacks was inevitable, but luck really may be on the Cubs side this time coming in the form of the LA Dodgers.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
With Manny outta Boston, the AL now a complete tossup
It didn't really seem to matter to me that from the start of the season the Boston Red Sox had some important pieces injured, such as Dice-K, Big Papi, or Schilling's career ending injury. It didn't matter that Tampa a team that had finished higher than last place once was having their best season ever. I knew all that Boston needed to do was just get in the postseason and homefield or not they would take the AL easily. They were the team I worried about the most when it came to future World Series matchups for the Cubs.
Flash forward, the complaints from Manny about wanting to be traded out of Boston, which we had heard for the last couple of seasons and that I had never taken seriously finally became a reality. And all of a sudden, thinking about the Cubs future World Series opponent hits me like a blank slate. The AL just became completely wide open.
While Jason Bay is a solid player, he is not Manny by any means. And now the Red Sox are just like every other team in the AL, where they will end up come postseason is anybody's guess.
Everybody's new favorite is the LA Angels due in large part to a solid top 3 starters of Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana and John Lackey. But I have to be honest as great of a season it has been for the Angels, I still an not completely impressed. When you have an outfield consisting of Vlad Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Garrett Anderson, the offense should be unstoppable. But they all seem to be underachieving. They did get major help acquiring Mark Texeira, though. But they are on the verge of not even getting homefield throughout the AL. Are they this year's AL champs. It is far from clear.
When you look at the team currently with the best record in baseball, not just in the AL, it's the Tampa Bay Rays, not Devil Rays that was the name of a franchise going nowhere. The Rays however, are a young team on the rise. This team is the biggest mystery to me. Not only will they have the least postseason experience, but when Evan Longoria, the potential AL Rookie of the Year and Carl Crawford both go down with injuries, that was where there luck was supposed to finally run out. But this team continues to get it done and are looking at homefield throughout the postseason! But can I tell where they will end up. No way.
The last 3 teams that are competing for two playoff spots are the White Sox, the Twins and the post-Manny Red Sox. If I was close to certain of anything, I don't believe either of the two Central teams have what it takes. They won't be able to go on the road, the Sox starting pitching is extremely up and down and the Twins bullpen can't be relied on. But can I say this with 100% certainty. No I don't think I can.
As for Boston, without Manny I don't see it. They still have Big Papi and a potential MVP in Pedroia. But Josh Beckett going on the DL is a huge loss since he thrives on postseason play. This team needs Manny if you ask me in order to do any playoff damage at all. But can they be completely counted out? I don't think so.
I didn't care that Boston was not having as great a season as expected. When Manny was still there I was positive we would see a Cubs Red Sox World Series. But now that Manny is off in Hollywood, this just makes the AL a complete tossup. And it is way too hard for me to predict who I believe the Cubs will be facing in the World Series. Because the American League seems completely even to me.
Flash forward, the complaints from Manny about wanting to be traded out of Boston, which we had heard for the last couple of seasons and that I had never taken seriously finally became a reality. And all of a sudden, thinking about the Cubs future World Series opponent hits me like a blank slate. The AL just became completely wide open.
While Jason Bay is a solid player, he is not Manny by any means. And now the Red Sox are just like every other team in the AL, where they will end up come postseason is anybody's guess.
Everybody's new favorite is the LA Angels due in large part to a solid top 3 starters of Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana and John Lackey. But I have to be honest as great of a season it has been for the Angels, I still an not completely impressed. When you have an outfield consisting of Vlad Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Garrett Anderson, the offense should be unstoppable. But they all seem to be underachieving. They did get major help acquiring Mark Texeira, though. But they are on the verge of not even getting homefield throughout the AL. Are they this year's AL champs. It is far from clear.
When you look at the team currently with the best record in baseball, not just in the AL, it's the Tampa Bay Rays, not Devil Rays that was the name of a franchise going nowhere. The Rays however, are a young team on the rise. This team is the biggest mystery to me. Not only will they have the least postseason experience, but when Evan Longoria, the potential AL Rookie of the Year and Carl Crawford both go down with injuries, that was where there luck was supposed to finally run out. But this team continues to get it done and are looking at homefield throughout the postseason! But can I tell where they will end up. No way.
The last 3 teams that are competing for two playoff spots are the White Sox, the Twins and the post-Manny Red Sox. If I was close to certain of anything, I don't believe either of the two Central teams have what it takes. They won't be able to go on the road, the Sox starting pitching is extremely up and down and the Twins bullpen can't be relied on. But can I say this with 100% certainty. No I don't think I can.
As for Boston, without Manny I don't see it. They still have Big Papi and a potential MVP in Pedroia. But Josh Beckett going on the DL is a huge loss since he thrives on postseason play. This team needs Manny if you ask me in order to do any playoff damage at all. But can they be completely counted out? I don't think so.
I didn't care that Boston was not having as great a season as expected. When Manny was still there I was positive we would see a Cubs Red Sox World Series. But now that Manny is off in Hollywood, this just makes the AL a complete tossup. And it is way too hard for me to predict who I believe the Cubs will be facing in the World Series. Because the American League seems completely even to me.
Monday, September 1, 2008
The city of Chicago may be in an uproar come October
I'm David Jaffe and for two days a week, I will be talking about the MLB Playoffs whether it be the different division races, comments on specific teams and their chances, overviews of the AL and NL or just interesting ideas that maybe not many people have considered heading into the postseason.
While the talk about Chicago baseball this season mostly with good reason consists of whether or not the Cubs will win their 1st World Series Title in 100 years, ironically the one thing that it's taken the city of Chicago even more than 100 years to see is both the North Siders and the South Siders in the postseason at the same time. The last time this occured was in 1906, 102 years ago! The rivalry between Cubs fans and Sox fans has always been extremely intense. Fans of these two teams will get in each other's faces whether one side is having a good season and even, like in most cases when they're not even close to competing for a postseason spot.
With the very strong possibility of both teams being involved in October play, the city of Chicago may very well end up in a huge uproar as we will see not only the fans, but the haters of both sides shown in the limelight as they look to a potential appearance in the World Series.
Chicago knows, however to not get ahead of themselves. Starting on the South Side, in the last month of the season, a division title and/or a postseason spot is still far from certain. With only a half game lead over Minnesota, and a schedule that consists of having to face the Angels, the Yankees and the Twins, the South Side's playoff dreams could be gone by the time the season ends. And the World Series would be a long road ahead for a team that presumably will not have homefield in the AL and an extremely inconsistent starting pitching staff.
The Cubs at least seem to have not only a playoff spot in their reach but most likely homefield throughout the NL playoffs. But as everyone knows, for the Cubs a World Series berth will have to be earned and not just expected. The only thing that appears to be able to stop the Cubs will be themselves and the curse that has been a monkey on their backs since 1908.
The buzz that will be seen in Chicago in the month of October may be something that has never been seen in any city for any sport if both teams are in the playoffs. With a month left though. there is still lots that can happen before we see an October with both the Cubs and the Sox. But 102 years later, if it should happen in 2008, Chicago should be a sight to behold on both the North Side and the South Side.
While the talk about Chicago baseball this season mostly with good reason consists of whether or not the Cubs will win their 1st World Series Title in 100 years, ironically the one thing that it's taken the city of Chicago even more than 100 years to see is both the North Siders and the South Siders in the postseason at the same time. The last time this occured was in 1906, 102 years ago! The rivalry between Cubs fans and Sox fans has always been extremely intense. Fans of these two teams will get in each other's faces whether one side is having a good season and even, like in most cases when they're not even close to competing for a postseason spot.
With the very strong possibility of both teams being involved in October play, the city of Chicago may very well end up in a huge uproar as we will see not only the fans, but the haters of both sides shown in the limelight as they look to a potential appearance in the World Series.
Chicago knows, however to not get ahead of themselves. Starting on the South Side, in the last month of the season, a division title and/or a postseason spot is still far from certain. With only a half game lead over Minnesota, and a schedule that consists of having to face the Angels, the Yankees and the Twins, the South Side's playoff dreams could be gone by the time the season ends. And the World Series would be a long road ahead for a team that presumably will not have homefield in the AL and an extremely inconsistent starting pitching staff.
The Cubs at least seem to have not only a playoff spot in their reach but most likely homefield throughout the NL playoffs. But as everyone knows, for the Cubs a World Series berth will have to be earned and not just expected. The only thing that appears to be able to stop the Cubs will be themselves and the curse that has been a monkey on their backs since 1908.
The buzz that will be seen in Chicago in the month of October may be something that has never been seen in any city for any sport if both teams are in the playoffs. With a month left though. there is still lots that can happen before we see an October with both the Cubs and the Sox. But 102 years later, if it should happen in 2008, Chicago should be a sight to behold on both the North Side and the South Side.
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