I thought this analysis is spot on. The only thing I would add is, Pinella lost game one. He waited far too long to pull Dempster. On the Yankees franchise, he would be history. Number 1 priority imo, Cubs need a left handed hitter that causes havoc, and bats #1 or #2.Someone like bad Darryl Ward with speed. Here is the Cubs roster in 2003. The one player I would take from that team is: Kenny Lofton http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=2003&t=CHN People forget. How many times did the Cubs play from behind this season? It was a warning sign of a structural flaw and demanded a trade. You can beat bad teams from behind, but against good teams? Good luck. In a best of five series? You might as well spot Usain Bolt a foot in the 100 meter race. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8642690/Cubs-should-learn-from-2003-Red-Sox nitro
These dumbass sportswriters need to let the Bartman thing go. I'm sick of reading at least one reference to it in every article about the Cubs. Every true Cubs fan I know doesn't even bring it up or use it as some type of excuse. Both pitching and offense lost this series. Zambrano may be injured and Ryan Dempster is not a #1 starter. He had a career year, and I wouldn't expect much more from him than that. The offense was stymied just as it was last year. The major reason being because they have no real "go to" guy. The Cubs have a lineup full of good hitters, but they don't have a great hitter. The Dodgers have Manny Ramirez, a future HOFer, who has the ability to carry an entire team on his back. The Cubs don't have anyone who can really compare. Derrek Lee had one spectacular season three years ago, but he's not a #3 hitter anymore. Aramis Ramirez' lack of patience is what has kept him from being and elite hitter. Soto is a good hitting catcher, but not a superstar. Nor is Soriano a lead off hitter. Having some pop is nice in the leadoff spot, but he lacks patience. He's be better suited in the middle of the order. If the Cubs want to be competitive in the playoffs, they need to pickup at least one big left-handed bat who they could place in the 3-hole. Soriano needs to be moved lower in the order, and the leadoff spot should be filled with someone capable of posting a .370-.400 OBP consistently. They also need to pick up at least one formidable #1 or #2 starter to place in the rotation. Zambrano's inconsistency leads me to believe that he may be injured. Harden, although a #1 starter when healthy, needs to prove that he can pitch a full season without injury. Dempster and Lilly would make fine #4 and #5 starters- probably the best in the league. I do agree with the writer on one thing though. Clinching the division early had some bearing on their poor play in the playoffs. When a baseball team clinches the division early, the manager typically rests several of the veteran players on the team. September call-ups allow for inexperienced minor leaguers to come up and get some playing time to prove themselves for next year. The veterans, although rested by the time the playoffs start, are also rusty. They seem to lose their competitive edge. I believe this is the reason why so many championship teams in recent years have either won the wild card or very tight division races. After all, in football you wouldn't rest your star quarterback for a couple games if you clinched the division early. I don't understand why you would do the same type of thing in baseball.
Alfonso Soriano SUCKS. Trust me. As a long time Yankee fan, I watched him fail time and time again against anything better than average pitching. He racks up stupid numbers against 4th and 5th starters and scrub middle relievers during the regular season. Unfortunately, in 5 and 7 game series those 4th and 5th starters never see the field. Check out his career stats coming into the postseason--- 38 games .233 BA 4 HR 18 RBI This year he was 1-14 with zero HR's and zero RBI's. He SUCKS.
I don't know if he sucks, but there is no way in heaven or hell that man is a leadoff hitter. He hits a fastball fine. Throw him a curve ball or anything outside away, and he is an automatic out. Derek Lee should be batting sixth. He was a double play machine most of the season, although he played well in game three. Why would you move Theriot from the two spot? All I can do is shake my head. More of the same mismanagement year after year. nitro
Only losers and idiot media that have zero creativity continue to harp on Bartman. The guy did ZERO to cost the Cubs that game. Alou admitted he had maybe 1 change in a 100 to catch that ball. I am 90 delta Geo was hurt. If you watch him closely, his hand did not look healed. If there is ONE guy you rest, it's your catcher. Zambrano stinks in cold weather. Therefore you saved him for the first game in LA. Harden has back troubles, cold weather only aggravates it. I would have started Dempster then Lilly for games 1 and 2 in cold Chicago weather, then Zambrano and Harden for games 3 and 4 in LA. So easy. nitro
I would have rather seen Lilly get the call over Harden. Harden's been decent, but I'd trust Lilly over him and his injuries. As far as Z goes, his fragile psyche cost us so much. Perhaps (just perhaps) if Lou would have started him in game 1, his confidence would have been increased . . . but that still doesn't excuse our shoddy offense. Or lack thereof. Bartman - such a joke. What a horrible copout to blame him for the past five years.