[RubberMallet]

zambrano can not start game 1. he just can't.

[01LUGrad]

After last night's tantrum on the mound in NY, there is no way he can go in game 1 and 5 if necessary. I would much rather have Dempster's calm, cool demeanor out there for a big game...especially at home.

By the way, the Mets' bullpen is absolutely terrible, but the bottom half of their order couldn't hit beach balls if they had to. Last night must have been no bueno for Ed.

[Schfourteenteen]

By the way, the Mets' bullpen is absolutely terrible, but the bottom half of their order couldn't hit beach balls if they had to.

Yep - once you get to #6 in the lineup the inning is over.
Also, once you get to the 8th inning, the game is over

[RubberMallet]

After last night's tantrum on the mound in NY, there is no way he can go in game 1 and 5 if necessary. I would much rather have Dempster's calm, cool demeanor out there for a big game...especially at home.

By the way, the Mets' bullpen is absolutely terrible, but the bottom half of their order couldn't hit beach balls if they had to. Last night must have been no bueno for Ed.

he stated today that he shouldn't start game 1 and that demptster should.

[01LUGrad]

woah. I didn't hear that. Glad to see he grew up since last night.

[01LUGrad]

Dempster just announced as NLDS game 1 starter. Glad to see Lou and Hendry were paying attention to this board.

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

which is good news. Hoffpauer is tearing the Mets apart tonight

[SwitchHitter]

Yeah I think this could be the Cubbies year. But who knows, there's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says. "Its better to be lucky than good." I've seen it happen year after year, a team catches fire down the stretch and nothing can stop them, even a good team. They'll catch all the breaks no matter how much it looks like they should lose, they find a way to win.

I saw it with the Marlins when they beat the Yankees in 03, I saw it with the Red Sox the year they came alive to beat the Yankees in 7 games and go on to win the WS, I saw it with the White Sox, I saw it with the Detroit Tigers, and last year I saw it with the Colorado Rockies. While a Cinderella story is nice in sports, I think that the team that works the hardest over the regular season and wins the big games should hopefully go where they need to go, the World Series!

All we can hope is that the Cubs don't go up against a lucky team or they might make an early exit from the playoffs.

[krautmasterflex]

I say Go Cubs and I hope the Twins make a run too, since my Yankees are out. Also it would be funny if Torre and the Dodgers could somehow find a way to win it all this year. Imagine the storyline...Yankees give Torre the boot because they link their not going to the World Series to him and then he wins with another franchise that has a much smaller payroll. That would be a nice story. Torre was always a class act and I wish him well. The Yankee organization didn't really treat him with the respect he deserved in the end.

[Sly Fox]

Bud Selig appears to be doing everything within his power to see the Chicago club have a direct path to the Series.

[01LUGrad]

Bud Selig appears to be doing everything within his power to see the Chicago club have a direct path to the Series.

You are right. I can't believe this hasn't been brought up already. Bud has been fixing games all year so that his team's rival will win the World Series. He gave all of the Cubs' opponents sleeping pills and even used sorcery to give everyone bad ju-ju that came to Wrigley this year. He also made it a rule that the juiced balls would be in play every time the Cubs would be up to bad, then they would be replaced by dead ones when the opponents would bat. These rules were in place for each of the 96 wins the Cubs have amassed thus far this season. He had to suspend the rules for the other games so it wouldn't look too obvious, but it didn't work! You caught on!

Sly, I normally respect everything you say on this board, but c'mon man, two games in Milwakee didn't make the season for the Cubs. Tell you what, take those wins away. What do you have? The same results.

As for the Astros, they caught a really bad break. I fell sorry for them, but at some point you have to realize that it is what it is and you have to get out there and play the game.

[01LUGrad]

If Homerun Howry (Batting Practice Bob) is on the playoff roster, I have some serious questions for Lou.

The bullpen is scaring me a little right now. Still, time to bring on the Dodgers!

[Sly Fox]

My most recent comments were made in jest. But you the Milwaukee games are one of the biggest travesties I have seen in years by a commissioner. By no means am I saying the Astros should be in the playoffs. But they were in a very difficult situation thanks to Bud they had to play 4 more road games than home this season. That is enough to tilt the balance.

And if you need evidence of what a joke the situation was just look at what Mr. No-No has done since that ridiculous scenario where players had to try and catch a flight to a game on about an hour's notice despite trying to clear out driveways to get their car to a closed down airport. Oh yeah, with only spotty cell service about allegedly half the team had to be notified by franchise members driving around town to find them. Of course this played no role in performance on the field.

The Cubs were the best team in the division and deserved to get another chance to choke in the next week or so.

But Bud's forcing those games in the Cubs backyard and refusing to consider any other stadiums in Texas that were available is beyond ridiculous.

[01LUGrad]

Z has stunk it up since the no-no. No doubt about it. But if you had a chance to see the game (I know, you didn't have power), you would also realize that no one was going to beat him that day. He had super-nasty stuff. Maybe the stros would have put a hit or two on the board, but it wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome of the game.

As for Bud's decision to move the game to Chicago, I mean Milwakee, the Astros' owner is more at fault. Everyone in the western hemisphere knew the games that weekend would not be played in Houston. He had pleanty of time to work with the Cubs and MLB to come up with a better solution. Instead, he chose to wait until things were totally out of control to make the call.

Anyway, on to the playoffs.

[Sly Fox]

Drayton's plan to was to play the games in Round Rock. Bud refused saying no MLB games should be played in a minor league ballpark. Of course he had no problem playing games in a 3rd rate field in Puerto Rico a couple of years ago. So North Chicago, er, Milwaukee was the obvious next choice. Right?

[01LUGrad]

Hey Sly:

And with that, I'm done discussing teams playing golf on Monday.

Let's go Cubbies! clap clap clapclapclap

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

Yeah I think this could be the Cubbies year. But who knows, there's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says. "Its better to be lucky than good." I've seen it happen year after year, a team catches fire down the stretch and nothing can stop them, even a good team. They'll catch all the breaks no matter how much it looks like they should lose, they find a way to win.

I saw it with the Marlins when they beat the Yankees in 03, I saw it with the Red Sox the year they came alive to beat the Yankees in 7 games and go on to win the WS, I saw it with the White Sox, I saw it with the Detroit Tigers, and last year I saw it with the Colorado Rockies. While a Cinderella story is nice in sports, I think that the team that works the hardest over the regular season and wins the big games should hopefully go where they need to go, the World Series!

All we can hope is that the Cubs don't go up against a lucky team or they might make an early exit from the playoffs.

The cubs have won all of those big games so far this season. They have been the best team for just about the entire year. I really dont think anything can stop them this year. Does anyone else remember the game in June, down 9-1, coming back in the last two innings to win it 10-9? Cubs have it all this year.

As for the arguments about the hurricanes, Houston was out of the Division by 11 games and out of the wild card by 3.5 games. Lets say that somehow they were able to beat chicago those two games played in milwaukee, they still are 9 games out of 1st in the division and 1.5 games out of first for the wild card. Besides that, they have been completely unreliable and streaky this year, hot for a week, cold for three. The brewers may at least win a few games in the playoffs as opposed to the astros who would have just been swept. The cubs are aiming for a world series, the astors were aiming for the playoffs.

Bud's team is in the playoffs. Why would he have helped out his biggest rival team?

[HenryGale]

**crickets**

[01LUGrad]

Funny Hank, I haven't seen you add much to this discussion until now...

[thesportscritic]

the cubbies lose 7-2. its awfully quiet around here cub fans

[01LUGrad]

Wow, it takes real guts to trash talk after a team loses and you haven't said a word one way or the other before the game started.

What's the tee time for the Braves pitching staff tomorrow?

[qkslvrsrfrboy]

its only quiet because we have a baseball game to watch, and our first thought isnt "hmm i should run to flamefans and talk about it"

Cubs fans, unlike fans of duke or UNC, dont root for a team for the sole purpose of being able to brag about it on flamefans.

[SuperJon]

I love how everyone's response is to make fun of Duke or Carolina fans. That's great.


On the one hand, it's easy to come on here and talk junk when a fan base has been saying they're going to win it and they're doing great.


On the other hand, it's idiotic to come on here the second a game is over when your favorite team is sitting at home.

Either way, have fun.

[RubberMallet]

this afternoon i told a guy at work that if we lose it willb e more than likely because of walks.. and dumpster goes out and walks 7. what a moron.

that ball that manny golfed out of there was insane...the wind was blowing in.

[sweetnahmah1]

Maybe this IS the Cubs' year!!??

NOPE