by Cliff Nader
It’s been noted by several local and the national media that the Chicago Cubs are in the rare position of, essentially, being able to hand-pick their opponent for next week’s NLDS. You see, despite having clinched the National League Central Division (for the second straight year, a feat never before accomplished in this city) and home field advantage through the National League playoffs, the Cubs still very much have something to play for. Or, considering they are facing the Mets and have an upcoming series against Milwaukee to close out the season, maybe not play for.
With the Mets 1.5 games behind Philly in the East, and the Brewers and Mets within .5 games of eachother for the wild card, the outcome of these final two series will essentially determine the NL playoff plcture.
In the NL, the only team having clinched a playoff spot is the Cubs. Having the league’s best record, they would either play the wild-card team or the division-champ with the worst record in the short, best-of-five, Division Series. Of the six teams vying for the final three spots (Milwaukee, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Arizona), the Cubs CANNOT play anyone from their division, so we’ll leave the Astros and Brew Crew out of our discussion. Much like the National League is probably going to leave them out of their playoffs.
The team I would LEAST like to see in the first round is Philadelphia. I would love to see them miss the playoffs altogether. That would require the Mets winning the division and one of the Central team taking the wild card. Neither of those looks likely the way the contenders are playing. With their lineup, driven by Utley, Howard, and Rollins, and a rotation led by future Cy Young Cole Hamels, I don’t like the way the Cubs match-up, period. I saw it first hand when they came to town in August, the Fightin’ Phils are a scary team, and the Cubs know that.
If asked a week and a half ago, whom I would like to see win the wild card, I would have eagerly answered Houston. That would mean Milwaukee would miss the playoffs, despite selling out to win this year, and the NL East would only get one entrant. That would leave the Cubs with the NL West “Championâ€. With last year’s playoff foes, the Arizona Diamondbacks, choking in their dry heat, likely this is going to be the Dodgers spot to lose. An oft-injured, consistently inconsistent team, with only one man in their lineup that makes you think twice. But that man is Man-Ram. With the way the Dodgers’ starters have been pitching, and the effectiveness of their now-healthy bullpen, quite frankly, I want no part of this team in a short series.
But now, I’ve had the chance to see the Brewers and Mets in game action, and I would LOVE to see the Cubs take on either (or both) of them in the playoffs. Granted, the Cubs can’t face the Brewers in the NLDS, but they clearly have Milwaukee’s psychological number, and there’d be no place for the Brewers to call home in that series. So that leaves the Mets. Watching them Monday, against a Cubs team with nothing to really play for, facing fifth-starter Jason Marquis, and getting smoked, let me know there is no fight in this Mets team. Granted, they came back last night, defeating sixth-starter Sean Marshall and the rest of the Iowa Cubs, using a fluky, broken-bat, infield single, by Pitcher Johan Santana, to get their offense going, with two outs in the firth. They also have no bullpen to speak of, using Washington Nationals cast-off Luis Ayala to close games.
So now, we must root, root, root for the Cubbies, cause if they don’t win it’s a shame…but maybe not…this week.
[tags]chicago cubs, new york mets, philadelphia phillies, milwaukee brewers, mlb, baseball, mlb playoffs, NL Central[/tags]
