Who's season would you like to see the Cubs end more in the Playoffs; Mets or Brewers?

by lemon20pie on Sep 23, 2008 11:20 AM CDT Comment 48 comments

This really is a tough choice for me and which team I'd like to see win the Wild Card. Not because I'm worried about either one, but for other devious reasons.

On one hand, if the Mets win the Wild Card, the Cubs would face them in the NLDS and it would be fabulous to not only end the Mets season and whatever hope the fans recovered by making it into the playoffs, but it'd be appropriate to end the Mets last season in that dump of a stadium.

On the other hand and of personal interest, if the Brewers win the Wild Card, I'd be able to see the Cubs in the NLDS as my father has Dodger season tickets (and I have Angel season tickets, but I refuse to get my hopes up and look that far down the road) but the Dodgers I think will be the Cubs toughest opponent, but I still have zero doubt that the Cubs would beat them.

Now here's why I am kind of rooting for the Brewers to win the Wild Card: if the Cubs played the Brewers in the NLCS and the amount of money scalpers and even Brewer fans could get for tickets from Cub fans, it is conceivable that the Cubs could basically have Home Field advantage in all 7 games. That'd be just hilarious and something Brewer fans would never ever be able to live down.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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In this perspective, the brewers.

They are much closer to home, and it would easier to get tickets to miller stadium.

by xene on Sep 23, 2008 11:49 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

your point about being able to go to the dodgers nlds vs the cubs

is moot bc i just check their website and there are TONS of seats left…..therefore it doesn’t matter whether or not your buddy has season tickets

and i don’t think the cubs would have home field advantage at miller, i think brewers fans come out in huge numbers at home

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 23, 2008 11:54 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

moreover

you are the first person i heard that thinks the dodgers would be the toughest opponent

for one they don’t have much for starting pitching, the bats consist mainly of manny and furcal (when healthy)

so my choice would be the dodgers

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 23, 2008 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Dodgers weren't an option.

The Dodgers have better starting pitching over the Mets or the Phillies. Over the last 30 games, I am not absolutely positive and too busy too look up, but I believe the Dodgers over past 30 games have the best record in the NL. Lowe is hot, kuroda owned the Cubs this year and Billingsley is more than capable of shutting down an Offense.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Sep 23, 2008 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

are serious?!

you would rather face johan, pedro, maine over lowe, kuroda, and billingsley? you are CRAZY

lowe doesn’t scare me, i don’t care how hot he is…..kuroda hasn’t proved anything yet and i’m not even going to address chad billingsley

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 23, 2008 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather face the Mets too...

The Cubs have pounded the Mets this year (3 wins in 3 games) and scored a ton of runs in the process… Here’s how they match up with the possible first round teams… (At this point, Mets or Dodgers)

Vs. Dodgers… Only Theriot and DeRo have hit the Dodgers for better than a .300 mark this season (Hoff is 1-for-2, which is too small a sample size to include). Lee, Soto, Johnson, Ramirez, and Edmonds are all at .222 or lower. This is against the team as a whole.

Vs. Mets… Ramirez, DeRo and Johnson are hitting above .350, and in limited duty Theriot (3-for-3), Pie (4-for-9), and Blanco (1-for-2) have done well. The only guys hitting under .250 with more than 4 AB is Soriano (0-for-5) and Cedeno (.214).

Looking at their batting averages, it seems the Cubs do better against the Mets.

It really doesnt matter who the Cubs draw in the first round, as the playoffs are quite different than the regular season, but the matchups (as they are NOW) tend to favor the Cubs over the Mets much more than Cubs over Dodgers.

(Also, lets consider the Mets’ blackhole at the end of their bullpen now that Wagner is gone and specifically how important relievers are in the playoffs… think: Marmol, 2007, v. Arizona)

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Sep 23, 2008 6:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chad Billingsley

is one of the best young pitchers in the league. You don’t want to address him because you know nothing about him, I’m assuming?

I agree about Johan over any of the other pitchers named but as far as overall staffs go, starters and bullpen, any scout in the league will tell you the Dodgers are superior. Period. I would much rather face the Mets.

by underdog on Sep 24, 2008 1:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just to follow up

Chad Billingsley:
16 – 10
3.17 ERA
199 K’s (highest total for a Dodger in a number of years)
He’s had one bad start in his past ten.
Scouts rave about him.
I’d rather have the cubs face Maine.

by underdog on Sep 24, 2008 1:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

To answer your question cubswynn....

….hell yes and Maine won’t be starting and if anything will be coming out of the pen. As dashiell pointed out, Billingsley is a good pitcher and apparently you are confusing him with someone else and as I mentioned, Kuroda in 2 starts against the Cubs this year has a 059 ERA with a complete game shutout.

IMO it’s a no brainer who I’d rather face in the playoffs between the Mets and the Dodgers. Kind of moot though I guess as I think the Cubs will beat either one.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Sep 24, 2008 2:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yah i meant to correct myself on maine.....got busy at work though

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 24, 2008 7:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

no my point about chad billingsley

is that you can’t predict what young pitchers will do in the playoffs, so until he proves himself, i’m a doubter

plus for everyone that wants to face the mets over the dodgers, i have yet to hear anyone address the lineups…..?

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 24, 2008 7:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Phillies scare me the most

So as long as we could beat down the Mets, I’m happy.

Chicago Cubs Jokes, Humor and Parody at The Cubs Brickyard

by AceCubbie on Sep 24, 2008 7:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I might be able to buy tickets

but I’d rather have a ticket given to me and not pay a dime. Although I would have to cover the beers, which knowing him, could get pricey.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Sep 23, 2008 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yah you're gonna end up losing out

from my experience with dodger stadium last year, i’d rather pay the $26 bleacher seats than buy beer all night

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 23, 2008 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You really think that Brewer fans would come out in HUGE numbers????

I personally know a couple Brewer fans who have season tickets and they both said they would not be able to resist the amount of money they could get from Cub fans for their tickets. I imagine that goes for many a Brewer fan. Cub fans are pretty much willing to pay whatever they can for a ticket.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Sep 23, 2008 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I must admit...

…it hadn’t occurred to me that, if the Brewers made the postseason, the Cubs would essentially have home field advantage throughout any series they play. Sure, perhaps that’s a bit of an exagerration, but not that much. Interesting point.

The Chicago Cubs: 2008 Central Division Champions

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 23, 2008 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the brewers haven't made the postseason in how long?

yes i believe the brewers would have a big home field advantage in terms of crowd size

plus they have to know they put all their eggs in this year’s basket and if there was ever a time to get it done, this is it……so logic to me says they’ll dominate cubs fans at miller

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 23, 2008 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not so sure.

Football appears to be much more popular than baseball up there. And this Brewers team has probably lost a lot of momentum with its fanbase. I’m not saying it would be 80-20 Cubs fans, but I could see it being 60-40 Brewers fans or even 50-50.

The Chicago Cubs: 2008 Central Division Champions

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 23, 2008 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

there’s no way i’m going to argue baseball is more important than football, however remember last year when we went to arizona and everyone thought we’d have a home field advantage? that definitely was not the case

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 24, 2008 8:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Brewers

If the Brewers win the wild card, that would reflect well on the NL Central. The Cubs need to get past the NLDS before they can worry about the NLCS. I would like the Cubs to beat the Brewers in the NLCS. Oops, the Cubs’ to be determined opponents in the division series haven’t gotten the memo yet that they are supposed to roll over and let the Cubs win.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Sep 23, 2008 12:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Who cares?

Tough competition is everywhere. Any of these teams have had impressive victories against top teams, so catching a hot team is hard to predict. Do we really care who we have to play?

I’m all for winning 101 games and beating whoever comes between us and a World Series title.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Sep 23, 2008 12:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

Really does it matter? You have to beat whoever you play, so what difference does it make. Bring on whoever and let’s get it on.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Sep 23, 2008 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh my god

chill out guys…..just bc this guy wants to discuss who you WOULD want to play, doesn’t mean you need to bash him

for some of us it’s a fun topic to discuss, if you don’t want to read about it, move on….it’s that easy

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 23, 2008 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nobody did any bashing. My point was that I don't care who we play. I didn't

say it wasn’t worth discussing, just that my opinion is I don’t care who we play. You can discuss it till the cows come home, that’s your right. I just gave my opinion, no bashing there.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Sep 23, 2008 1:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

fair enough...

maybe it’s overconfidence or something.

I guess on that scale, I would like to beat both the Brewers and the Mets to a pulp equally.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Sep 24, 2008 9:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree 90%...

…but I think that the Cubs might lose some of that “Cubbie Swagger” if they get sent to Arizona for the NLDS again… While it seems unlikely that the DBacks would get in at this point, dont underestimate the mental edge that they would have over the Cubs after last year’s NLDS.

Other than that, since its such a short series it doesnt matter THAT much who they play. I just hope it isnt the DBacks.

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Sep 23, 2008 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also...

Lets not forget that the DBacks have the toughest 1-2 punch that the Cubs could possibly face in the first round. It comes down to…

Hamels and Blanton/Moyer – Hamels is solid, but Blanton seems hitable… Moyer could be tough
Lowe and Kuroda/Billingsly – Nothing special here, in my opinion. Maybe weakest SP in playoffs
Webb and Haren – Toughest front two in the game, outside of the Cubs, in my opinion.
Santana and Pedro/Perez – If Pedro pitches like Pedro… but how likely is that?

Looking at that, I think the Cubs should match up well against everyone BUT the DBacks…

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Sep 23, 2008 6:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I will point out here...

… as I did in another thread: if AZ’s staff is so good, why are they on the brink of elimination?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Sep 24, 2008 4:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Again....

….the question wasn’t who do you NOT want to see the Cubs play, as I thought I made it perfectly clear in my fanpost that I really am not all that worried about any NL team, but Who’s season would you like the Cubs to end more, the BREWERS or the METS?

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Sep 23, 2008 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

like i said above... fair enough.

it’s a worthy discussion, but my opinion of the Brewers or the Mets is roughly the same.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Sep 24, 2008 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hands down

The brewers. I want to crush the Mets here in the regular season, continue their misery, and crush their puny hopes of even making the playoffs. Nothing would please me more than to end their season in the last season of that pit they call a stadium.

Time is an illusion--lunch time doubly so.

by snowyman28 on Sep 23, 2008 12:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

This scenario

presumes that the Brewers, should they make it, would be able to defeat Philly in a 5-game set. I’m sorry, but that doesn’t seem too likely to me. If the Brewers get in, IMO, they might meet a swift and cruel fate…

"They played the best all year, so they're the winners." ~Tony LaRussa on the 2008 Cubs

by Goodie1969 on Sep 23, 2008 12:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Idk about that...

Granted, the Brewers are playing horrible baseball… but in a short series I think CC would counter Cole Hamels quite well… and from there, I think both teams are equally lacking in their rotation. The Brewers can slug with the best of them, and if they can get into a battle of bombs, I think the Brewers could pull it out. Not a favorite to win or anything, but not a pushover either.

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Sep 23, 2008 6:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think a lot depends on Ben Sheets.

If he’s done for the season, or even diminished to marginal effectiveness, the Brewers and Mets are essentially the same team. One ace starter, a far-from-intimidating rotation otherwise, powerful offense (which good pitching can still shut down), mediocre-to-awful bullpen and no closer.

Sheets’ status still appears to be up in the air. The most recent article I could find on mlb.com was this one, and it still leaves open the possibility of Sheets making one more start but nonetheless ends on a fairly foreboding note. So, for me, either one is fine. And I still kinda want to the Brewers to complete their collapse…just because.

The Chicago Cubs: 2008 Central Division Champions

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 23, 2008 12:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow...

At the grammar.

by lamentir on Sep 23, 2008 12:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

No doubt.

I was completely sober to boot.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Sep 24, 2008 2:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Come on.....the answer is the New York Mets under this scenerio

They have to beat the Brewers in a one game playoff using CC in that game.

CC out till Thurs where they pitch him on 3 day rest…..

Cubs win series in 3 or 4…..

LA/Philly series goes 5 using up Lowe and Hamels where LA wins…..

Cubs play LA who have to travel from Philly to Chicago on 2 city road trip……Cubs win in 5…..

Cubs-Sox series……no real home field…..advantage no travel…Cubs win in 6

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Sep 23, 2008 1:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That sounds good to me...

…though are you really picking the White Sox to make it to the World Series?

The Chicago Cubs: 2008 Central Division Champions

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 23, 2008 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Obviously, Tampa, LA and Boston have decide to cooperate and

make sure that the sox make it to the WS.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Sep 23, 2008 1:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

that would suck.

"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella

by drewishdrewid on Sep 23, 2008 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I would amend Ivy Wall's prediction there as follows:

Cubs-Sox series……no real home field…..advantage no travel…Cubs win in 6…rioting ensues…Chicagoland area burned to ground…local waterways choked with bodies of the dead…National Guard, FEMA called in, too late…end of line.

The Chicago Cubs: 2008 Central Division Champions

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 23, 2008 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

worse than that.

we might lose. Can you imagine how difficult WS fans would be if the Cubs lost to them in the first WS the Cubs played in a century?

"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella

by drewishdrewid on Sep 23, 2008 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That is truly a nightmare scenario.

The Chicago Cubs: 2008 Central Division Champions

by dat cubfan daver on Sep 23, 2008 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jeez, now you did it. I won't sleep for a week. We would never live

that down. We would all have to leave the city of Chicago en masse. Perish the thought. Excuse me as I go screaming into the night. AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Sep 23, 2008 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know, I think it would be cool

and it would lend some legitimacy to the somewhat manufactured modern rivalry spawned by interleague play.

My next sig line quote will also be from Lou Piniella, and the first word will be either "Look", or "Listen", followed by a comma.

by JohnM on Sep 23, 2008 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Which is exactly why I have a couple of my friends

who are diehard Twinkies fans put the jinx on the Sox tonight. If they beat the Sox tonight and then tomorrow Slowey does his thing as expected, look for a Twinkies AL central title. They stay at home to face KC, the Sox go home to face the Tribe, with Cliff Lee going Sunday on 4 days rest compared to Beuhrle on only 3 days rest.

This way, we never, ever have to envision that nightmarish scenario. The ChiSox can’t be the Cubs if they don’t make the WS (I know….duh!).

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Sep 24, 2008 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs