Some Baseball

With the White Sox edging out a 1-0 pitchers' duel against the Twins, the playoff picture is finally set for the 2008 MLB postseason. Jim Thome delivered the decisive blow with a towering homer to deep center field. Starting pitcher John Danks pitched a gem with eight shutout innings. He then handed it off to Bobby Jenks who went 1-2-3 to close it out and make the Chicago White Sox the 2008 AL Central Division Champions. Just a week ago, the White Sox had a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins and effectively needed one win in Minnesota to wrap things up. Instead, they proceeded to go on a 5-game losing streak which would make them fall into second and stare elimination right in the face. But that would not be the end for the White Sox. They became the first team in baseball history to close out the season by winning three games against three different teams, completing their unlikely path to the postseason. Ozzie and the men in black must now turn their attention to the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that beat them 6 of 10 this season.

Enough about that team from the other side of town, what I really want to talk about is the fact that my Chicago Cubs are in the postseason back-to-back years for the first time since 1908. Oh, yeah, that's also the last time they won the World Series. It's like they say, anybody can have a bad century. The past is the past, and in the present it would be hard to argue that the Cubs are not the best team in the National League. So what makes this team's chances better than the 99 before them? It all starts at home. The Cubs have often had a reputation of being road warriors, but this year the Cubs won 55 games at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. The Cubs will have home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs, and that alone gives them a great chance to make it to the World Series for the first time since 1945. What's that? They got swept last year? Yeah, they did. The 2007 team had the worst record of all 8 playoff teams that year, and got to the playoffs by marching through a very weak NL Central Division. This year, the division was much improved, and not only did the Cubs win again, they won decisively.

Here are the top 5 improvements to the 2008 team:

5. Offseason acquisitions- In the offseason, Jim Hendry made spectacular moves in signing the Cubs' first Japanese player Kosuke Fukudome, and a great role player in Reed Johnson. Both players significantly improved the hitting and defense of the team. Also, draft pick Jeff Samardzija has been a key in middle relief.

4. Jim Edmonds- they were further complimented by the addition of Jim Edmonds. As a Cardinal, Edmonds was one of the most hated, and feared, players by Cub fans, but after being let go by St. Louis and having a poor run in San Diego, Edmonds found himself a free agent. Jim added some valuable veteran leadership to the bench, and came through in several clutch situations throughout the season, including a game winning home run against St. Louis.

3. Geovany Soto- With rookie of the year candidate Geovany Soto as the backstop for an excellent pitching staff, the Cubs fill a huge hole that they had last season. Soto has shown the poise of a veteran behind the plate and been a monster with the bat.

2. Rich Harden- The Cubs' rotation was solid to start the year, but many critics said that one more great starter could really make a difference between a good rotation and a great one. Hendry fixed that hole when he pulled of a six-player deal that would send Rich Harden to the north side. Since being traded he is 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA

1. Rotation/Closer shake-up- The most significant change from last year involved two players who had already been on the roster for several years. The decision to move Ryan Dempster out of his closer role to the starting rotation was a contriversial one, but he ended up winning 17 games and has an ERA under 3. Along with that move came the transitition of long-time Cub Kerry Wood into the closer role. While Kerry has developed a reputation for dramatics, he finished the regular season with 34 saves and a 3.26 ERA.

There is no doubt that this is the best chance for a Cubs championship any of us (under 100 years old) have ever seen. So what stands in their way? Here are the top 5 concerns for Cub fans.

5. Kosuke Fukudome- Kosuke, who had been a hit machine early in the year, really struggled towards the end. This puts Lou in the tough position of deciding whether to keep him in the line-up, or use one of the talented utility players on his bench in his place. If Kosuke can hit like he did earlier in the year, it could be the difference in getting the run production the Cubs need.

4. Streaky Hitting- The Cubs must avoid going on a cold streak with their bats. The team batting avg. is highest in decades, but overall they went through many slumps and hot streaks. Let's hope the bats are hot in October.

3. Middle Relief- In many ways, Marmol has become the premiere set-up man in the NL. However, he has shown that the pressure can sometimes get to him. Marmol, Howry, Wuertz, Cotts, and the rest of the gang must be able to bridge the gap between the starters and Kerry Wood. Otherwise, it could be a short postseason for the Cubbies.

2. Injuries- Alfonso Soriano has already served two stints on the DL this year, and Cubs can not afford to lose him in the playoffs. Also, starting pitchers Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano have appeared fragile at times during the regular season. It is imperitive that the rotation remain intact if the Cubs are going to win the World Series.

1. History- The players must put out of their minds everything that has happened in the last 53 years since Billy Sianis claimed that he cursed the Cubs because they wouldn't let his goat inside the ballpark. Curses do not really exist, but players' psyches do, and I can't help but believe that the 2003 players let things crawl inside of their heads after Steve Bartman inadvertently disallowed Moises Alou to attempt catch a foul pop up.

If the Cubs can manage to not let any of these things hurt them, there is nothing stopping them from becoming World Champions.

What's on Wednesday?
Of course, it is a playoff baseball triple-header on TBS.
2CT Milwaukee Brewers (Gallardo 0-0) at Philadelphia Phillies (Hamels 14-10)
5:30CT Los Angeles Dodgers (Derek Lowe 14-11) at CHICAGO CUBS (Dempster 17-6)
9CT Boston Red Sox (Lester 12-6) at Los Angeles Angels (Lackey 12-5)