Right now you gotta give it to the Brew Crew. With Sheets performing and staying healthy and the addition of CC who should dominate the NL they they have the best 1-2 punch. That is assuming that CC will quickly adjust to the hitters in the NL and go right threw the lineups. This was said about Johan Santana and has not been true thus far. Arizona is a close 2nd although Webb has been mortal the last month. I’d say the team to watch out for in terms of their 1-2 starters would have to be the Mets if Johan goes on one of his 2nd half tears like he usually does. John Maine is not quite up there with other teams 2s but Santana could propel the Mets to the top of the east.

That’s only a slight edge. I think the combo of Webb and Haren is slightly better than the Cubs combo of Big Z and Dempster and the Brewers combo of CC and Sheets. There’s not that much difference in quality among the three combos. That means the third starter on these clubs is really important. Lilly has pitched much better since his struggles early in the season. I like the potential Big Z, Dempster, Lilly rotation, if the Cubs make the playoffs. The Cubs should still try to acquire another starting pitcher.

That’s only a slight edge. I think the combo of Webb and Haren is slightly better than the Cubs combo of Big Z and Dempster and the Brewers combo of CC and Sheets. There’s not that much difference in quality among the three combos. That means the third starter on these clubs is really important. Lilly has pitched much better since his struggles early in the season. I like the potential Big Z, Dempster, Lilly rotation, if the Cubs make the playoffs. The Cubs should still try to acquire another starting pitcher.

In the playoffs that really matters. We had the best 1-2 punch in ‘03 with Wood and Prior and we all know how game 6 and 7 worked out. Livian Hernandez of all people shut us down last year, Josh Fogg was pretty good last post-season for Colorado; it comes down to who can put it all together for the stretch run.

I seem to remember C.C. pitching like garbage in the playoffs last year, and Sheets hasn’t even sniffed a post-season game in his career. With that being said, I like our 1-2 along with the D-Backs over the rest of the NL.

Not many teams will lie awake in fear of Ryan Dempster on the mound.

...I’d say it’s a draw between the Brewers and D’Backs at this point. The Cubs definitely come in after those two.

Oh, and about the Mets: I believe John Maine is injured at the moment. He doesn’t appear to have gone on the DL yet, though.

and i’ve enjoyed this discussion. We have two things to be concerned about. 1. Will Z go nutso if there is an error or a homerun and lose it completely? 2. Will Dempster hold up in his first season back as a starter?

Those are legitiment concerns. I agree our offense is more productive but I can’t get out of my mind what happened last year. The wild card is home field advantage and the right draw in the playoffs. We discuss Milwaukee and Arizona but may have to face only one of those teams in the right playoff situatiuon. It’s too early to tell who the best team to face right now would be.

So it really comes down to the fact would us as fans be more comfortable knowing we have another 1/2 type starter. Answer obviously yes. How about Dempster winning 20 games, on an absolute roll going into the playoffs. AWESOME! Could someone guarantee Z could 3 hit everyteam in the playoffs? And, we’ve seen him be that dominate but can it be guaranteed? For me, I’ll still take another pitcher. I can’t predict the future with Z and Dempster so give me another arm and I’ll feel a lot better going into the playoffs. And please, let’s lock up home field advantage, even in the world series. That would make me feel better too!

and this seems to be as good as any place to mention it. While ESPN was going on and on about the trade of CC they showed his stats against the NL Central. It was a small sample size, but the Cubs have absolutely abused him for an ERA north of 30. Take that and the way that it seems the Cubs have a tendency to take care of business against good pitchers(Peavy earlier this season) I can’t help but not be too worried about the Brewers. They remind me a lot of some of the past Cubs teams in that they always seem to make a multitude of mistakes.

He started 1 game in 06 only guys with abs against him from that game still on the team are ramirez and blanco

point is its a completely different team now

Injuries and situations will have more to do with the strength of a starting staff than what you see now.

I think right now the Cubs and Brewers are about even in their top 4 rotation with the Cubs having a better bullpen giving them a slight edge. Brewers might wear down a bit more because their defense and bullpen are more suspect so Yost & Co might be more inclined to pitch them an extra inning or batter down the last half. Especially since both Sheets and Sabathia will be FA next year.

Cubs appear destined and inclined to add another arm to the staff but willing to wait it out. Burnett (oh and by the way , thanks for the flames again folks, dyslexia is a tough thing but I see there are so many smart souls here, so smart that they show how absolutely wrong they are; let me just say how many of you were wrong about Edmonds or Dempster or Wood or Soriano or Fukudome….how many of you were wrong about Lee getting his power back or Pie or Hill and now Marshall).

Whether it is Harden for most of the AA squad or Burnett or Wolf, Cubs will need an additional starting pitcher to keep their position as best in the NL. My take is that all have risks as does Sabathia or what has shown to be Santana’s result.

I personally do not think either will cost as much as many believe. Harden because of his injury problem will probably be Pie, Veal and Ascanio or Ceda and maybe Hart or Wuertz. Burnett might be Marquis, Cedeno and Hart or Ascanio.

Harden might provide more #3 umphff….Burnett less injury risk more performance risk. Then again maybe Rothschild knows something about AJ and like Clement can keep him harnessed——who knows. Either way there are what 72-75 games remaining, 14-15 starts, the difference will be how much fewer times the Cubs don’t have a quality start.

Before the start of the season it is nearly certain if you asked for the best 1-2 punch
the answer would have been the Padres. They had TWO young studs (Peavy and Young one of whom was the reigning Cy Young and pitching triple crown winner. Neither pitcher ever had a serious injury. One bad comebacker and Young is down for a LONG time, Peavy tweaks something at Wrigley in May and is out for nearly a month. Strange thinks can happen and often do.

There, I said it. I love Carlos Zambrano a great deal. He is a true ace on this staff. But I healthy Rich Harden is in a league of his own. Oh how I would like to have the dilemma of Zambrano and Harden in the same rotation.

find myself agreeing with you suprisingly alot today

originally to MDBNIU but i’d have to agree with you his comment is more suited for a different fanpost

Z is comparable to any top rotation starter in baseball.

As of now Dempster is comparable to any #2. he just isn’t proven.

with a lot of arguments in this and the other Harden thread. I realize we all fear a regression from Dempster and many still do not consider him a true #2, but one has to give him credit for what he has accomplished.

Ignore his name, and Dempster is certainly a viable #2. His name might not be Sabathia, Hudson, Harden, etc. and he has never been hyped…but his stats (if they hold up) are just as solid.

I think it was SWL who repeatedly said that teams don’t fear pitchers; seeing a “Sabathia” or a “Dempster” should not really matter, as it ultimately comes down to performance on the field. Does anyone really think the name “Pedro Martinez” will scare hitters (on the longshot odds the Mets make the playoffs) even though Pedro has significantly regressed? No. Who cares what someone once accomplished…a team faces a pitcher as he is, not as he once was or (in Harden’s case) what he might become.

Seems everyone is a little obsessed with how sexy the name is…rather than the current performance.