Will Manny get a chance to be Manny? (And a little news.)
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The Dodgers will be led into the playoffs by a guy who, when he's happy, is generally seen as one of the greatest right handed hitters of his (or any other) generation. And right now, Manny Ramirez is happy. He and his pedigree of recent postseason success will loom large in the heart of the order, giving teammates and fans alike a warm, fuzzy feeling. The big question, though, is if he'll actually get a chance to swing.
If I'm Lou Piniella (first of all, I'm probably doing some prep work for the series and not writing this post) I'm not pitching to Manny. At all. Not unless the situation demands it, and even then, only under a flag of protest. Roll the ball to him if need be. In a short series, one decision to get macho and "send my best against your best" can swing a game and scuttle a team. That's why over the last couple weeks, as we've been kicking around the Blue's postseason chances, I've emphasized the importance of the other guys. Offensively, the Dodgers won't win this series with Manny, because I can't imagine Piniella will let them. It'll be the other guys. Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Casey Blake, Russell Martin, James Loney, Rafael Furcal (I think he'll play), etc.
It's not just the dudes protecting Manny by hitting behind him, but also the guys in front of him. If men are on base when Manny rolls to the plate, Piniella has fewer options. Manny could have big hits against the Cubs, but only if his teammates give him the opportunity.
In other news:
Let's not forget that this, like any five game set, is really about pitching. Along those lines, get well Derek Lowe. He's been lights out in the second half, and the Dodgers need him to stay that way.
Interested in finding out how the Cubs got where they are? This'll help. Interested in finding tickets for Games 1 and 2 at Wrigley? Heaps of cash'll help.
The Sons of Steve Garvey would like to remind you that writers don't know much about anything.
True Blue LA has their Game 1 preview. ToyCannon has good news for those of you scared of Ryan Dempster:
"...The Cubs are throwing their most consistent starter at us in game one thus making sure he will get two starts at Wrigley if the series goes 5 games. Dempster is not however the Cubs best pitcher as that honor belongs to Rich Harden. Dempster does have a sterling ERA+ of 152 as he had his career season at age 31. The starter turned closer turned starter shocked the analyst world with his exemplary season. The expectation was that he would eventually come down to earth after only posting a K/9 of 5.4 in April with an expected ERA of 4.66 but as the season wore on his peripherals got stronger. When the final bell tolled he had put together an excellent season. His dominance went from 5.4 in April to 8.1 in Sept and even hit some high points of 9.9 in August. This is a good pitcher but he's not a sub 3.00 pitcher. He's had some good luck with his BABIP and his expected ERA is 3.80 almost a full point higher then the 2.96 he posted. Dempster has just about zero experience in the postseason throwing one inning in the playoffs last season. At home where he will be pitching at least once and possibly twice he is a bit better with a 2.86 ERA. I like the fact he's hit 7 batters at home but zero on the road..."
I realize they're "the enemy," but this is a pretty cool website, what with the illustrations and all. Another good Cubs Blog (with a great name) delivers a nice primer on the Chicago roster.
See you at the chat.
BK
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Forget that Freeway Series stuff. Angels vs. Dodgers in the 2008 WS should be dubbed "Dread Wars", or "So-Cal Dreadmatch" or something WWE-esque like that.
Manny vs. Vladi
Bring it!
Posted by: Nils | September 30, 2008 at 09:40 AM
As good as Harden is, he's always one pitch away from a season- or career-ending injury. The Cubs deserve credit for taking a chance on him, and it may pay off - or it may not.
Posted by: WBB | September 30, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Nils...one step at a time...we don't want to overlook anyone...that's how you fall into their trap and lose
Posted by: K T | September 30, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Considering the national media's love/obsession with the "Cubbies" and Piniella (who mailed it in while at Tampa), I really don't understand why the Dodgers are bothering to show up in Chicago.
Posted by: Chunkdog | September 30, 2008 at 11:55 AM
The Dodgers should sign Manny for $65 million over 3 years with 2 additional option years @ $25 million per w/20% bailout/buyout on remaining monies. He's already brought in $10 million in add'l ticket & merchendising sales.
3rd year he'd be going for 600 HR's.
Posted by: A Scanner Darkly | September 30, 2008 at 03:41 PM