He is one of the best ballplayers in baseball that nobody talks about. He does all the little things well.

Three keys for the Cubs.

1. Key for the Cub offense is Alfonso Soriano. Last year against Arizona he vaporized. We’ve seen this year that when he hits the Cub offense usually flourishes.

2. Cubs have to play good defense against a Dodger team that, as you inferred, are good handlers of the bat. If Mark DeRosa is going to play right and Mike Fontenot at 2nd then our defense is compromised at two positions. But it is the right move giving the uselessness of Kosuke with the bat. DeRosa and Fontenot therefore become defensive keys to this game.

3. Cub starters are going to have to go consistently deep into games because I have little faith in anybody but Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood in that pen. Jeff Spellcheck appears to be running out of steam and has had increasing difficulty. Neal Cotts inspires little confidence. Jason Marquis has now officially pitched in one game out of the bullpen in his major league career. Bob Howry is awful and should be nothing but a mop up man. Sean Marshall can hopefully be effective like he has shown.

Linkeroo

It will factor into the proceedings, and I could easily see the home team winning all five games. So the key for the Cubs will be to play as airtight as possible on the road. This means:

• no trying to hit 7-run homers with one swing
• no bonehead baserunning
• no nibbling at the strike zone
• no temper tantrums if a call goes against us

Plan and simple. The key to the Cubs success is that simple word. Lets face it, not all three or four of our starting pitchers will slump all at once.

I know people say playoffs is all about pitching, pitching, pitching. Well when you have pitching like the Cubs do, clutch hitting is the difference. I would love to see the Cubs hitters challenge the Dodgers pitchers, and make them throw strikes and pitches the Cubs can hit.

Part of me feels that the pressure will get to a few hitters and they will start to press, thus starting to swing at bad pitches. I hate to do this to Soriano, but his first AB of the series will be very telling in my eyes. I can see first pitch fast ball fouled off, and 2 sliders in the dirt for a strikeout. He needs to have a good first AB, and know that he can take pitches.

And i am going out on a line here, but Fukudome needs to be in every game. I think the guy will be a big contributor to this team com Wednesday.

like I do?

I am so excited right now to get this postseason underway. I feel like I’ve been in a fog all week waiting for the regular season to wrap up and meet our opponent. It’s the Los Angeles Dodgers. California Dreamin’! Another west coast series with late start times, but we have HFA and that’s a key.

Anyone way you break it down…it’s the Cubs in the playoffs!! Let’s enjoy it and get it underway soon!!

2 days until the countdown from 11 begins.

GO CUBS GO!!!!

we were going to be more aggressive with steals, hit and runs etc. He said he doesn’t want to make the mistake like last year of waiting. I think this is good. Be aggressive and get after them. Teams that sit back get a back seat. These cubs need to drive the bus, not go along for the ride.

to score more runs than the other team does in each game. If this happens, then we will win.