Go Cubs Go - Um, Next Year I Guess

Wow, I barely had time to be excited for the Cubs in the playoffs! That was one of the worst playoff performances ever - embarrasing, pathetic, worthless. It would have been better if they had not even made the playoffs rather than get in and not put up any fight and get bounced in three games!

What happened? Well here's a few of my reasons:

1. Manager Lou Pinella yanking P Carlos Zambrano in the first game when the score was tied 1-1. Pinella wanted to save Zambrano for Game 4. Um Lou, first you have to win a game to get to Game 4! Zambrano had only thrown 84 pitches and was pretty dominating. He should have kept Zambrano in and then decided later if he could pitch Game 4. If not, throw out Sean Marshall or something and use Zambrano for Game 5 if necessary.

2. Mark DeRosa's double-play in the 6th inning of Game 3. Livan Hernandez had walked the bases loaded. DeRosa had a count of 3-1. You have to take that pitch, there is no reason to swing! If he throws you a strike, well then the count is 3-2 and he has to throw you another strike (bases are loaded remember!). What does DeRosa do? Swings at ball 4 and hits into a double-play. Nicely done.

3. The money men - Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez - were awful. They get paid big bucks to perform in situations like this and they all failed. Funny that Soriano never seemed to make an out when he was with the Yankees and playing in the post-season. But with the Cubs he can't get a hit.

4. The starting pitching after Zambrano. What the heck happened?? The worst was Rich Hill's gopher ball to Chris Young to start Game 3. Young can only hit fastballs, witness his .222 average this year! So what does Hill give him for the first pitch? A fastball down the middle of the plate. Nice job scouting.

And how does Arizona all the sudden turn into a hitting machine? They haven't hit all year, yet they looked like the Yankees lineup against the Cubs. Now they won't hit anything versus Colorado.

Here's an article on the pathetic Cubs. Now with them out I resort to my old playoff tradition of rooting against the Yankees and being the biggest fan of whomever is playing them. Go Cleveland!

Also, here's a rumor that the Cubs should trade Ramirez and sign A-Rod. First off, the Cubs have been searching for a 3b ever since Ron Santo left. They have had Ramirez for a few years now and he's one of the better 3b in the game. He's not the greatest defensive player, but his offense is pretty good and I don't think there is any reason to send him off. Second, the chances of them getting A-Rod are pretty slim. I don't think he'll leave the Yankees and if he does he would probably go to Boston or L.A. before Chicago.