Let's speculate on Cubs v. Dodgers

[BigSlick]

i don't like the idea of zambrano vs. manny for some reason.

Lilly vs. Manny scares me much, much more

[Guest]

Hong-Chih Kuo is out for the NLDS. He has been really good for the Dodgers this season.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/09/28/dodgers.kuo.ap/

[Ski]

Dodgers in 3

 

Dodgers in 2.

Dodgers in 1.

[Brian]

Cubs already forfeited, sorry guys.

[cubsfan26]

I think the starting pitching will be good, and Marmol/Wood should be just fine. This series is gonna depend on how well we hit the ball, and if our starters don't go 7, who pitches the 6th and 7th. So if we hit like we did against the D-backs last year, we could easily get beat by this team. It never really mattered who we played in the playoffs, because were better then everybody in the NL. It all depends on how we play.

[NomarSammy]

Does anyone know when they will officially announce gametimes??

 

They certainly wont wait until after the whole WS/Twins mess clears up will they??

 

I am going thursday and want to make travel plans ASAP!

[Laura]

See the Heads-Up stickied thread on the top of this forum.

 

Looks like they will be early evening games.

 

TBS Announced their playoff times...

http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,154864,00.html

 

Bad news if you have to work next week or don't like day baseball

 

ALL TIMES EST

 

Wed:

1:30 pm or 3:00 pm – NLA

5:00 pm or 6:30 pm – NLB

 

Thurs:

1:30 pm or 3:00 pm – NLA

5:00 pm or 6:30 pm - NLB

 

Fri:

OFF

 

Sat:

5:00 pm or 6:30 pm – NLA

8:30 pm or 10:00 pm – NLB

 

Sun:

7:00 pm – NLA

10:30 pm – NLB

 

Tues:

5:00 pm or 6:40 pm – NLA

8:30 pm or 10:00 pm – NLB

 

NLA = Wild Card team vs. NL Division winner

 

NLB = 2 other division winners

 

So...........

 

Mets/Phillies win WC:

Game 1: Wed @ 1:30 or 3

Game 2: Thurs @ 1:30 or 3

Game 3: Sat @ 5 or 6:30

Game 4: Sun @ 7

Game 5: Tues @ 5 or 6:40

 

Brewers win WC:

Game 1: Wed @ 5 or 6:30

Game 2: Thurs @ 5 or 6:30

Game 3: Sat @ 8:30 or 10

Game 4: Sun @ 10:30

Game 5: Tues @ 8:30 or 10

[Schwarber Fan]

The later games would be better on all accounts

[ChiCubsFan]

I can't wait till Wednesday. Let's compete in this little playoff bracket thing to prove what 162 (or 161 for us) games apparently wasn't good enough to do.

[Mephistopheles]

Let's see

 

Game 1: Ryan Dempster (1.77 VORP/GS) vs Derek Lowe (1.38 VORP/GS)

Game 2: Carlos Zambrano (1.74 VORP/GS) vs Chad Billingsley (1.39 VORP/GS)

Game 3: Rich Harden (2.34 VORP/GS) vs Hiroki Kuroda (0.92 VORP/GS)

Game 4: Ted Lilly (1.08 VORP/GS) vs Greg Maddux (0.37 VORP/GS)

Game 5: Ryan Dempster (1.77 VORP/GS) vs Derek Lowe (1.38 VORP/GS)

 

You've got to like all of those pitching matchups. You've also got to like our offense over the Dodgers, if Soto's back. We'll survive without DeRosa. In case you're interested:

 

0.87 VORP/GS - Jason Marquis

0.58 VORP/GS - Clayton Kershaw

[Illini Iceman]

Let's see

 

Game 1: Ryan Dempster (1.77 VORP/GS) vs Derek Lowe (1.38 VORP/GS)

Game 2: Carlos Zambrano (1.74 VORP/GS) vs Chad Billingsley (1.39 VORP/GS)

Game 3: Rich Harden (2.34 VORP/GS) vs Hiroki Kuroda (0.92 VORP/GS)

Game 4: Ted Lilly (1.08 VORP/GS) vs Greg Maddux (0.37 VORP/GS)

Game 5: Ryan Dempster (1.77 VORP/GS) vs Derek Lowe (1.38 VORP/GS)

 

You've got to like all of those pitching matchups. You've also got to like our offense over the Dodgers, if Soto's back. We'll survive without DeRosa. In case you're interested:

 

0.87 VORP/GS - Jason Marquis

0.58 VORP/GS - Clayton Kershaw

 

I would rather the Cubs face any Dodgers starter than Johan Santana and since the Cubs may have had to face him twice against the Mets that makes the Dodgers a better match up IMO. Also, while Manny is scary he is really the only major offensive threat while the Mets had Delgado, Wright and Beltran so I think they were the better offensive team. The Dodgers also played an easier schedule being in the NL West and had a worse record so that also supports the Mets being the better overall team.

 

The Cubs could get beat in this series, but I don't think it is any tougher than the Mets would have been. Plus LA fans are not as obnoxious so that is a plus.

[inari]

Wait, if Soto's back? Is there any chance he won't be? I thought he was fine.

[Ender]

It'd be different if this were football or hockey or basketball, and the best team had a right to expect to win.

 

Even if the Cubs were 2:1 favorites in both rounds (and nobody should be that big of a favorite in a baseball series), they'd still be favored to not make it to the World Series.

 

Face it: The odds are that the Cubs will lose in the national league playoffs. No reason to be disappointed if what the odds say should happen happens.

 

I sorta see your point with basketball or hockey but football playoffs are about as random as you can get. The Dodgers are very capable of beating the Cubs 3 out of 5 so I don't think they choked or anything if it happens. I'd expect fans to still be let down by it.

[Mephistopheles]

Let's see

 

Game 1: Ryan Dempster (1.77 VORP/GS) vs Derek Lowe (1.38 VORP/GS)

Game 2: Carlos Zambrano (1.74 VORP/GS) vs Chad Billingsley (1.39 VORP/GS)

Game 3: Rich Harden (2.34 VORP/GS) vs Hiroki Kuroda (0.92 VORP/GS)

Game 4: Ted Lilly (1.08 VORP/GS) vs Greg Maddux (0.37 VORP/GS)

Game 5: Ryan Dempster (1.77 VORP/GS) vs Derek Lowe (1.38 VORP/GS)

 

You've got to like all of those pitching matchups. You've also got to like our offense over the Dodgers, if Soto's back. We'll survive without DeRosa. In case you're interested:

 

0.87 VORP/GS - Jason Marquis

0.58 VORP/GS - Clayton Kershaw

 

I would rather the Cubs face any Dodgers starter than Johan Santana and since the Cubs may have had to face him twice against the Mets that makes the Dodgers a better match up IMO. Also, while Manny is scary he is really the only major offensive threat while the Mets had Delgado, Wright and Beltran so I think they were the better offensive team. The Dodgers also played an easier schedule being in the NL West and had a worse record so that also supports the Mets being the better overall team.

 

The Cubs could get beat in this series, but I don't think it is any tougher than the Mets would have been. Plus LA fans are not as obnoxious so that is a plus.

 

imagine though if the games are the 5 est start time. fans will start showing up in the 9th.

[Hall7810]

Wait, if Soto's back? Is there any chance he won't be? I thought he was fine.

 

Len said today that Soto is totally fine.

[C.C.]

Lets be honest, none of these playoffs team should pose a challenge. Anything less then a WS bid would be a major disappointment.

[Mephistopheles]

right...even if we had a 75% chance of winning each game (we dont) against the three nl playoff teams the chances we make the ws are only about 70 percent.

[killthegoat06]

I didn't want to make a new thread, so I'll ask here... when are the times going to be announced? Are they really going to wait until the AL Central is decided (that shouldn't affect the times...)?

[Old Style]

Lets be honest, none of these playoffs team should pose a challenge. Anything less then a WS bid would be a major disappointment.

+1

[B]

I didn't want to make a new thread, so I'll ask here... when are the times going to be announced? Are they really going to wait until the AL Central is decided (that shouldn't affect the times...)?

You didn't read this thread did you?

[killthegoat06]

I didn't want to make a new thread, so I'll ask here... when are the times going to be announced? Are they really going to wait until the AL Central is decided (that shouldn't affect the times...)?

You didn't read this thread did you?

There are days (Game 1, 2,3,5) when it's Time 1 or 2....they still haven't officially announced the actual times. So yes, I did.

[RammyFanny]

Obviously the times are above, but TBS said today that the times were still TBA. Maybe they just wait until the Sox/Twins is taken care of and announce everything at the same time?

[Sosa21MVP]

It'd be different if this were football or hockey or basketball, and the best team had a right to expect to win.

 

Even if the Cubs were 2:1 favorites in both rounds (and nobody should be that big of a favorite in a baseball series), they'd still be favored to not make it to the World Series.

 

Face it: The odds are that the Cubs will lose in the national league playoffs. No reason to be disappointed if what the odds say should happen happens.

 

I sorta see your point with basketball or hockey but football playoffs are about as random as you can get. The Dodgers are very capable of beating the Cubs 3 out of 5 so I don't think they choked or anything if it happens. I'd expect fans to still be let down by it.

 

It will be a huge letdown for me. People may not believe me but 2003 did not end up being a huge letdown to me because that team kind of came out of nowhere. They were 51-53 at one point and then surged big time to end the season. They won the division with 87/88 wins and certainly were not widely considered favorites in the playoffs. They beat a 100+ win Atlanta team for the first playoff series win since 1908. It was a fun, unexpected ride to me.

 

2007 sucked a bit more.....3 game sweep and gone. But still, last year's team wasn't great by any measure.

 

This season means more to me because the Cubs have been the best team in the NL for pretty much the entire season. We can actually sit here and say we expect to get to the World Series and not sound crazy. I know the playoffs can be cruel and the best team certainly does not always win a short series but man, that NL pennant is there for the taking and it looks so damn tantalizing. :beg:

[DiamondMind]

Sorry, I've been through enough playoff losses that I refuse to be letdown if they lose.

 

The Cubs were the best team in the National League, they've proved it, and I'm happy with that.

 

It'd be cool if they won, but I refuse to be disappointed or let down if they lose.

 

what planet are you from

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I didn't want to make a new thread, so I'll ask here... when are the times going to be announced? Are they really going to wait until the AL Central is decided (that shouldn't affect the times...)?

You didn't read this thread did you?

somebody didn't, and I'm not sure it was him