big_shooter17

Marshall can't go anywhere, especially with Dempster's pending FA status and Rich Hill's head still a mystery. Nevertheless, Marshall does not hold the trade value to bring us anyone of significance to put us over the top. We're better off hanging on to him. Dempster will be re-signed. Marshall has plenty of value as part of a package. I am not saying that Marshall should necessarily be traded, but that I think that they are looking to move him. In my opinion, Marshall has the makings of a solid middle of the rotation starter. He has good stuff and seems to have good composure as well. I just think that Dempster will be brought back and with Marquis still under contract, they will be looking at spare parts that could bring something in return. Marshall's more than solid performance in the postseason definitely increased his trade value.

I know what DeRosa brings but I also don't expect him to keep it up. Conversely, Soriano's abominations yet productive bat can be best swallowed in the infield. It's not going to happen, but would free up a corner outfield spot to go after a proven veteran with post-season experience and proven leadership (like Manny still was at the point he was being shopped around). We do not have the talent to acquire needs via trade, so the new owner must keep ponying up and going for the free agents. Furcal would fill two huge needs (SS and leadoff). I don't know what the other OF would be. Maybe it was just me, but I somehow feel like the Cubs used Marshall tonight to showcase him for a trade. Who knows, but I get that feeling when there were other options at that point in the game. Granted, Marshall was obviously as good of a choice as could have been made to go to there.

I don't buy that at all. We'll have even less competition in the Central next season (IMO). And as is becoming clearer and clearer, this playoff business is a crapshoot. That's what we say EVERY YEAR but somehow the Cardinals are always in it til the end and the Brewers will probably be there too. We have big problems in 2/3 of our outfield, 1B, and SS. Not to mention that piece of Howry in left field. If we make the playoffs next year, our fourth outfielder should start over Soriano. I am not joking. And how could they not give Reed Johnson a shot at the plate? He certainly wouldn't have done worse than anyone else and we all know that he wanted to win.

Why doesn't Lou get any blame. I know that he isn't the one who is performing on the field, but when you look at the body language of the players throughout the series, he simply did not do a good enough job of preparing and/or motivating the guys in the postseason. The Brewers were into it from the get go (I know that they were on home, but still) today while the Cubs looked dead after Soto's broken bat ground out. Lou Piniella has now managed the Cubs in two postseason series and both times, the team came out looking defeated. I can't completely blame the manager here, but the manager must motivate. If you go into the business world and you see a line of workers who are all underperforming, the management style immediately is examined. This is no different. The club needs to look at how Lou prepares his team for the playoffs and determine what needs to be changed in this regard.

I think that one way to make a big trade splash would be to sell Ryan Theriot while his value is at the highest that it will ever be. I am not saying this because I am not a big Theriot fan, but because I actually believe that we should be doing this sometimes. See 2005 Derek Lee.

This was heartbreaking, but would it have been any better had we won close? A loss is a loss and tomorrow we go get 'em. Also, the Angels look like they'll lose game one and there is no way that both the Cubs and the Angels are eliminated, so here we go, let's go get 'em!

If you want to prove that this matchup isn't favorable to the Dodgers, breaking out recent results might not be the best way to do it. Zambrano hasn't exactly been lights-out, other than one epic start. Then he is due for a good one. The more that I think about things, the more that I realize that my confidence level is higher for tomorrow than it was for tonight. Kyle, you are just building my confidence more and more because I am realizing that your arguments are not all that strong while there are many signs that show that Billingsley is beatable.

Another Billingsley stat that makes me feel good. He ranked 8th in walks this season and we have the team that takes the most walks. We just faced the guy with the 27th best BB/9 rate and Billingsley is 159th in the NL. Billingsley walks 3.59 batters per 9 innings. Just another statistic that shows that we should have a chance. Billingsley plays into one of our great strengths.

and in 24 of his 32 starts, he's given up 3 or less ER. Which one is more likely to happen? I dunno, I am looking for something. It is just that a lot of people are talking about Z's inconsistencies and looking at his numbers, he has been shelled in some games as well including one against the Pirates recently. Billingsley had a really bad start a few weeks ago against the Pirates. The Pirates. (It was 2 starts ago on 9/17: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER) His team is also is 9-9 when going on only 4 days rest. Zambrano is 2-1 with 7 days or more of rest.

and in 24 of his 32 starts, he's given up 3 or less ER. Which one is more likely to happen? I dunno, I am looking for something. It is just that a lot of people are talking about Z's inconsistencies and looking at his numbers, he has been shelled in some games as well including one against the Pirates recently.

I'm not sure why no one is pointing out how Billingsley has had struggles. In 8 of his 32 starts, he has given up 4 or more ER.

Here's how I look at it: The Cubs lost the first game of the season this year. It sucked. Then they won 3 of the next 4. Then they hit the road and won 3 of 4. Then they won 3 of the next 4. They've won 3 out of 4 games lots of times this year. Course the Dodgers have won 2 of 4 lots of times too, I bet. But the point is, no one wants to hear objective analysis right now. They want to bitch and whine with other people who feel as bad as they do, and maybe receive a little hope if it's available from anyone. Going around showing off how uninvested you are in the team may make you feel all superior, but it's probably not helpful to very many people, just in case you were thinking it was. Thank you, someone else is getting it!

Too emotional Z isn't always bad.

A guy on WGN just was talking about how Dick Stockton cost us the game from what I think that I heard.

I wish that we played tomorrow afternoon, so that we wouldn't have to wait so long for the Cubs to get this game back.

Is it so hard to believe that maybe an intelligent person is just infuriated over horrible baseball and is simply overreacting. I'm not agreeing with a thing he said but what he posts late at night on a message board after watching his favorite team perform horribly in game one of the playoffs should not and can not determine a man's intelligence. Hey now, I'm actually quite calm. I'm not going to let a bad postseason format that gives way too strong a chance to inferior teams change my perception of this years' Cubs team. They were the best in the NL, they proved it, and the rest is just a sideshow. I'd like for them to win the sideshow, but I don't need it to validate the season for me. The format sucks and all, but the truth is that we all want a World Series not just a good regular season. Winning in the playoffs is all that matters in American sports, like it or not.

That right now has the potential of being the dumbest thing that I have ever heard and I have listened to my fair share of Hawk Harrelson. Unfortunately, you can put your comment on the board as he would say. It's also perfectly accurate. If you think that's accurate, then the statement wasn't just stupid, obviously the person typing it is stupid as well. I know we are all pissed off, so am I. But that was totally uncalled for. You are going to tell me that their was some wise thinking behind his comments? This guy came into the game thread and tried to rile people up and is continuing it now. Either he is a disturber or he is not very smart. Is it so hard to believe that maybe an intelligent person is just infuriated over horrible baseball and is simply overreacting. I'm not agreeing with a thing he said but what he posts late at night on a message board after watching his favorite team perform horribly in game one of the playoffs should not and can not determine a man's intelligence. I am pissed off and have been pissed off since the grand slam, but as this has sunk in, I think that we all need to come down a bit and not tell others that they shouldn't keep up hope. The truth is that the odds are against every team that makes the playoffs and so now we just have to overcome a little bit more.

This is getting way out of hand. Cool it with the personal attacks, please. I've been in the game threads all year. I've been on this board for quite awhile. I've got quite a history of posting positive things about the Cubs when the situations warrant it. I stick to the math, and the math told me the Cubs were winning division titles in 07 and 08 when a lot of people didn't believe it. And like it or not, the math sucks for the team that loses the first game in a five-game series. End of story. I agree that the odds have decreased, but don't try to say that there is absolutely no hope because, I'm sorry to say it, but it makes you sound foolish.

That right now has the potential of being the dumbest thing that I have ever heard and I have listened to my fair share of Hawk Harrelson. Unfortunately, you can put your comment on the board as he would say. It's also perfectly accurate. If you think that's accurate, then the statement wasn't just stupid, obviously the person typing it is stupid as well. I know we are all pissed off, so am I. But that was totally uncalled for. You are going to tell me that their was some wise thinking behind his comments? This guy came into the game thread and tried to rile people up and is continuing it now. Either he is a disturber or he is not very smart.

I was wondering that as well. If he doesn't get another chance to pitch, it definitely cost him money and likely cost him a chance to pitch in the blue pinstripes next year.

Fukudome didn't play bad tonight. He wasn't the reason the Cubs lost. I agree. He made a nice play in RF and had a hard hit ball to third that I thought should have been ruled a base hit. It wasn't a great game, but he wasn't terrible either. At the plate, he was asolutely terrible. He was swinging at garbage all night long. He also was stuck in a couple of bad counts when he was taking balls that were called strikes that completely changed the at bat.

That right now has the potential of being the dumbest thing that I have ever heard and I have listened to my fair share of Hawk Harrelson. Unfortunately, you can put your comment on the board as he would say. It's also perfectly accurate. If you think that's accurate, then the statement wasn't just stupid, obviously the person typing it is stupid as well.

Fukudome didn't play bad tonight. He wasn't the reason the Cubs lost. I just hope that he doesnt end up making Todd Hundly look like a good signing in the long run. Right now I care about this series. I don't. The odds of us winning it are about the same as the odds of a 3-run come back in the late innings. Possible, but not worth hoping on. That right now has the potential of being the dumbest thing that I have ever heard and I have listened to my fair share of Hawk Harrelson. Unfortunately, you can put your comment on the board as he would say.

Fukudome didn't play bad tonight. He wasn't the reason the Cubs lost. I just hope that he doesnt end up making Todd Hundly look like a good signing in the long run. Right now I care about this series.

Zambrano will define the season tomorrow either way.