Dodgers vs Cubs

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Why the Chicago Cubs will win the World Series

October 1, 2008

Jason Stark

Our friends from Chicago are already pleading with us not to write this column.

Sorry.

Our friends from Chicago think that if we pick the Cubs to win the World Series -- heck, if anybody picks the Cubs, whether it's an ESPN employee or the guy who changes their oil at the Express Lube -- it guarantees, absolutely for sure, that it can't possibly happen.

Sorry.

We're doing it anyway. We're predicting the Cubs will win the 2008 World Series.

This prediction comes with no warranty whatsoever, of course. If it causes you to invest heavily in Cubs futures at the Las Vegas Commodities Market, they won't be refunding your investment capital if you're wrong, even if you drop our name on them.

Matter of fact, they might even mention to you that we predicted last October that the Cubs would win the World Series, too. Thus inspired, they then went out and forgot to win one stinking postseason game.

But it seemed like a good idea then. It seems like even a better idea now.

Is it really gonna happen? Sure seems like the planets are aligning for the team that hasn't won it all since 1908.
We remind you that it was at exactly this point four years ago that we picked the Red Sox to win their first World Series since -- what was that year, 1782? We feel the same way about the Cubs this October that we felt about the Red Sox that October. It's all set up perfectly for them. And we're not alone in thinking that -- for a change.

Over the past week, we polled officials of 19 clubs to see which team they thought would win the World Series. The Cubs won the poll. Going away.

And even some of the folks who didn't vote for the Cubs felt compelled to put in a good word for them. Just to prove we're not crazy, we now present a couple of those testimonials:

"Assuming good health from [Carlos] Zambrano and [Rich] Harden, the Cubs will give any AL team a battle," said one AL GM.

"I think the Cubs, with a healthy Zambrano and Harden, have a shot," said an AL assistant GM. "To me, the biggest challenge for NL teams has been the lack of starting pitching that can handle AL lineups.Those guys can do that."

So there. See? We're obviously not completely insane. No more than usual, anyway.

This is a team with no real holes. It's a team four-deep in starting pitchers with the talent to two-hit you in a big game. It's a team with that scary Carlos Marmol-Kerry Wood bullpen tag team waiting for you at the end of the game. And it's a team for which every starting position player has at least a .350 on-base percentage except (naturally) the leadoff man, Alfonso Soriano -- who leads the team in homers.

We also want to remind you that there is no federal law prohibiting the Cubs from winning the World Series, even if millions of Americans suspect otherwise.

Fans' predictions

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote on why the Cubs will win the World Series.

So now we're asking you to blog with your predictions and arguments for why your pick will take it all.

Here's what some of you are writing already on upcoming rounds and the World Series. Blog
We know that because we checked out a few federal laws just the other day. We also know that because history tells us the Cubs have won the World Series.

Granted, that happened slightly before the invention of ESPN, Elvis and tanning salons, not to mention Jamie Moyer. But at least 1908 was well after the demise of dinosaurs, so it's not that long ago.

And now it's their time again. A mere century later. Timing is everything in life. And there's just something about years ending in "08" that works for this team.

"I just think it's their time," said an NL GM. "It's their turn. They're reaching a crescendo. They've got momentum. They've got above-average pitching. They've got a solid bullpen. They've got relatively good health. They've got a good lineup, very diversified -- speed, power, guys who hit for average. They've got a lot of things building for them at the right time of year.

"But most of all," he said, "it's their turn. I really think that. This is their time."

We regret to inform him that there are seven other teams in the field that think the same thing. All but one of them is going to turn out to be wrong. But after kicking this around with lots of people we respect, here's how we see this postseason unfolding:

National League Division Series

Cubs over Dodgers
Amazingly, you could make a case that the Cubs' Octobers have gone way better than the Dodgers' Octobers -- at least lately. Since 1989, the Cubs have won seven times as many postseason games as the Dodgers (7-1). And we see that trend holding up this year, too.

The biggest reason to pick the Dodgers would be their improved, Manny-fied offense, right? Well, what does it tell you that the Cubs outscored the Dodgers over the past two months (275-250) even with Manny Ramirez, and outscored L.A. by 155 runs over the course of the season? One NL executive's description of Manny's supporting offensive cast: "Thin."

We agree. The Cubs' pitching is rested and recharged. The Dodgers need too much to go right. Cubs in four.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

this is the same dum dum that picked the Braves to win it all in July haha

Edited by MDI, October 05, 2008 - 11:44 AM.

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#131 Jaime Quintanilla

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Dodgers vs Cubs

#121 DarthRekal

#122 Aceis²FresH

#123 Guest_Nissan_*

#124 MDI

#125 Kam

#126 DarthRekal

#127 MDI

#128 SaintNicholasVanExel

#129 MDI

#130 MDI

#131 Jaime Quintanilla

#132 Aceis²FresH

#133 SaintNicholasVanExel

#134 SILO

#135 Aceis²FresH

#136 Brand New

#137 Dodgers2213

#138 West Coast

#139 Icker

#140 MDI

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