The Chicago Cubs. The LA Dodgers. The Cubs, with the best record in the National League will kick off the NLDS Wednesday night in Chicago hosting the Dodgers. The Cubs ended the regular season a spectacular 13.5 games better than an LA team who looked dead in the water until getting Manny Ramirez right at the trade deadline from the AL Wild Card Boston Red Sox. Ramirez has been on a tear sence being picked up by the Dodgers, and helped carry the team into the post season.
At 5:30 Central time on Wednesday the first of October the Dodgers and Cubs will trot onto Wrigley field to face off in the first of a best of five series. The Cubs will send Ryan Dempster the reliever turned starter who won 17 games in the regular season to face Derek Lowe a 14 game winner. The Dodgers pitching staff that has the best ERA in the National League will face off against the highest powered offense in the National League. While the Dodgers offense, which was the 4th worst in the national league, will try to get their bats going against the Cubs who bring in the leagues second best ERA.
Of course the biggest story in this series will be the Cubs 100 year World Series drought. If anyone offers you a penny for each time any of the following are mentioned during a broadcast, or any other telecast, accept; 1945 (last WS the Cubs played in), Steve Bartmen (man who caught ball over wall in 2003), the 1984 Cubs disaster, being swept by the D-Backs last year in the NLDS, Kerry Wood becoming a closer, Manny going to the Dodgers, Joe Torre moving to the Dodgers and the Yankees missing the playoffs. The atmosphere in Chicago will be electric, Wrigley will be in danger of falling down due to crowd noise, the streets surrounding Wrigley, and greater Wrigleyville will be packed to the gills. Finding a ticket to any of the Chicago home games will more than likely be harder than finding a ticket on the first commercial space flight.
Another interesting story line will be the Dodger owner calling out his team on their need to win a championship. He said that winning a playoff birth was not good enough, but that they needed to win the WS. In all estimation this will be a tall feat against a Cubs team who has dominated all season. The Cubs went an impressive 23-10 against the NL West this season taking the Dodgers for 5 of 7 regular season games, winning all 3 in Chicago, and an even 2-2 in Cali. Having followed the Cubs closely all season it is easy to tell that Cubs fans, and players feel that this really is their time. Ryan Dempster said in the preseason that they would win the World Series this year. He has done his part to back up his words in the regular season, but only time will tell if he can continue to stand behind them when the hammer comes down and the gun goes off on the playoffs.
My personal feeling is that the Cubs should wrap this series up in LA, most likely in the first game, but definitely by the second. There will be no homecoming to Wrigley in the NLDS, a series decided by 5 games. The Cubs pitching staff is far too deep for the Dodger to handle, with all five regular starters having ten wins, and 3 of the playoff rotation having 14 wins.
No matter what stadium this series is in, be sure to strap on your blue, and be ready to rock. The Dodgers just closed out a tight NL West race, and the Cubs just might have a little tickle in them saying that, “Next Year is NOW!”
