Archive for the ‘baseball’ tag
Dodgers Cubs
Cubs Season Summary
97 wins, a divisional champion, and in the end the Chicago Cubs experienced the same result they have for the past 100 years; no World Series Championship. So what was it that had most Cubbie fans believing this was finally the year?
This Cubs team was loaded with talented hitters who beat on enough National League pitching staffs over the summer to lead the league in runs. The Cubs pitching staff and defense was above average so the three major pieces were in place to bring a World Series Championship to Chicago. Cubs GM Jim Hendry summarized the year this way; ”It’s a hard team not to like, it’s a team that hustled all year, a team that got off the mat when it had a few snags, a team where everybody contributed with a bench that Lou (manager Lou Pinella) used very well. We expected to be good this year, and we were very, very good. We just have to roll up our sleeves and get to work and keep plugging.”
So why did the Cubs go 3 and out?
Two major areas are readily apparent for the Cubs. First, in the playoffs, teams face the elite of their opposition’s pitching staff so runs are usually a premium. Getting the top of your order on base for the middle of your lineup is essential. This didn’t happen for the Cubs. Soriano is more suited as a 5 or 6 hitter in the Cubs lineup not as a lead off hitter. This will need to be addressed during the off season.
Second, the Cubs have no left handed hitters who pose fear to the opposition. Disagree? Look at how many left handed pitchers the Dodgers threw at the Cubs in their 10 total meetings this year. The answer is zero.
So what are the 3 top areas for the Cubs to address during off season?
1. Find a true lead off hitter with speed. Brian Roberts, from Baltimore, has been on the Cubs radar for some time now. The Cubs will need to get creative to find a way to wrestle him into a Cubs uniform.
2. A left handed power hitter. The ideal candidate for the Cubs would be a center fielder since it is likely Jim Edmonds will retire. Carlos Beltran would look good in a Cubs uniform, wouldn’t he?
3. The Cubs pitching staff needs one more starting pitcher, someone like CC Sabathia?
Mark DeRosa summed up the Cubs year best, “When you’re on a special team like this, it’s tough. There is nothing this team lacked. Nothing. So for us to go out and perform the way we performed for three days is shocking. It will stick with me for a while.” As Cubbie fans, we know his pain. But for its October flaws, there’s a lot to like about this Cubs team. If the Cubs can address the three areas mentioned above, the window appears wide open for multiple playoff runs and a World Series Championship.
About the Author
Successful internet marketing since 2005.
Dodgers-Cubs National Anthem Deven May
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Chicago White Sox Team Logo Lunch Bag $10.00 Take your favorite team to lunch with an officially licensed MLB soft lunch box. These lunch boxes feature a simulated baseball leather material around the perimeter and a pocket for a photo or trading card. Each lunch box features a logo on a baseball design on one side with a baseball diamond and team logo on the other. Availability: Usually ships within 1-2 business days…. |
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Seattle Mariners Team Logo Lunch Bag $9.75 Team logo lunch bag prominently displaying your favorite team’s logo on one side and a photograph pocket displayed against a baseball diamond on the reverse side (perfect for your favorite photo or player trading card). Each bag is a soft-sided zippered bag with the side panels and handle having the appearance of baseball leather…. |
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Washington Nationals Team Logo Lunch Bag $12.99 Team logo lunch bag prominently displaying your favorite team’s logo on one side and a photograph pocket displayed against a baseball diamond on the reverse side (perfect for your favorite photo or player trading card). Each bag is a soft-sided zippered bag with the side panels and handle having the appearance of baseball leather…. |
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Baseball’s Greatest Hits $11.98 This CD is an out of print collectible! It is the original Rhino release. There is a drill hole on the spine of the case…. |
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22 x 14 Wall Vinyl Sticker I Love Baseball $26.97 Product Number: 030-508941024 Wall peels are printed on a reusable vinyl with a special adhesive that sticks to walls without harming them. No tape. No tacks. No marks. * Measures 22″ x 14″ * Won’t hurt walls * Can be moved and reused… |
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21 x 7 Wall Vinyl Sticker Baseball Equals Life $23.97 Product Number: 030-508943953 Wall peels are printed on a reusable vinyl with a special adhesive that sticks to walls without harming them. No tape. No tacks. No marks. * Measures 21″ x 7″ * Won’t hurt walls * Can be moved and reused… |
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38.5 x24.5 Wall Vinyl Sticker I Love Baseball $32.97 Product Number: 030-508941022 Wall peels are printed on a reusable vinyl with a special adhesive that sticks to walls without harming them. No tape. No tacks. No marks. * Measures 38.5″ x 24.5″ * Won’t hurt walls * Can be moved and reused… |
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Hangman Game Anti Cubs Hardcore Baseball Fan T Shirt GILDAN ADULT HEAVY COTTON TEE 5.3 oz., 100% Cotton, preshrunk Cotton/10% Polyester). Seamless double-needle collar. Taped neck and shoulders. Double-needle sleeve and bottom hems. Any questions please call or email us. …2T- 13″ CHEST X 17″ LENGTH |
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As They See `em (Paperback) $11.88 There is one thing that fans of both the Yankees and Red Sox, or Giants and Dodgers, or Cubs and Cardinals can all agree on–the umpires stink. Human psychology dictates that the thousands of plays the umpires routinely get right instantly disappear fr… |
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The Quick Brown Fox Cub $4.9 When his mother moves their family to the city, Frisk, an adventurous fox cub, gets excited about exploring and, instead of sleeping during the day when it is safe, he begins following a girl to school and learning about “magic white marks” called lett… |
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Mew – And the Glass Handed Kites $7.23 Disc 1:Circuitry of the WolfChinaberry TreeWhy Are You Looking Graye?Fox CubApocalypsoSpecialZookeeper`s Boy, TheDark Design, ASaviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)Envoy to the Open… |
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Mew – And the Glass Handed Kites $14.24 Disc 1:Circuitry of the WolfChinaberry TreeWhy Are You Looking Grave?Fox CubApocalypsoSpecialZookeeper`s BoyDark Design, ASaviours of Jazz BalletEnvoy to the Open Fields, AnSmall Amb… |
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Baby Animals (Board) $5.93 Invites young readers to feel the textures of young animals, including a piglet, lambs, seal pup, and fox cub. On board pages. |
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Triple Play $17.6 Roy Tucker, rookie pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, first helps pull the team out of a slump and then joins them in their come-from-behind battle for the series title, and Dodgers manager Spike Russell tries to rally his team to a pennant victory. |
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Amazing Baseball Heroes (Hardcover) $19.57 The legendary Jackie Robinson broke major league baseball’s color barrier in 1947 when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. That same year he was chosen MLB’s Rookie of the Year. The first African American to play in the major l… |