Farewell to the Cubs

Dodgers-Rockies in Coors is going to be very different than Dodgers-Cubs in Chavez Ravine was. This should be obvious, right? It's going to be a very different kind of baseball. The pitchers won't be in control anymore. A two run lead won't be safe for all eternity anymore. And I think that clutch hitting won't be as important anymore. If the Dodgers can put men on base I think they'll come around one way or another in Coors more often than not. So going in I feel that this series is pretty even.


Game 124 Unfair Win Shares ( Dodgers )

Haeger -- 2
Blake -- 1

Both Blake and Kemp hit home runs on Saturday, but Kemp also lost a double in the sun, so Blake gets the nod. This was the game where Broxton pitched the eighth and Sherrill pitched the ninth. Three things about that. First, Broxton looked better than Sherrill in that game. Second, Torre should do this more often when the eighth inning looks like the more dangerous inning. Third, I don't think it truly matters what order they go in, since they're both good pitchers.

I haven't said anything about Haeger. What can I say? Only that if Padilla ever gets a start instead of Haeger I will be very upset.


Game 124 Unfair Loss Shares ( Cubs )

Bradley -- 1
Fukudome -- 1
Theriot -- 1

There were three major reasons I thought the Cubs would not be very good this year. Bradley, Fukudome, and Soriano. I thought Bradley would be injured a lot and the other two just not very good. Soriano of course has been terrible. Fukudome and Bradley have done okay. But not on Saturday. They went 0-8 with 5 strikeouts. And Theriot grounded out to end the game with the tying run on first base, so he gets the last unfair loss share.


Game 125 Unfair Win Shares ( Cubs )

Dempster -- 2
Fox -- 1





Game 125 Unfair Loss Shares ( Dodgers )

Billingsley -- 1
Hudson -- 1
Manny -- 1

Before the game, Dempster vs. Billingsley seemed like an even match. But what if you had known beforehand that both pitchers would do well through five, and that the game would turn on who mastered the sixth inning? When the matchup is looked at that way, it becomes a lot clearer that Dempster is the favorite, given Billingsley's recent struggles in the sixth inning and later. And so it turned out. Billingsley faltered in the sixth, and though he had a decent game, it wasn't what the Dodgers needed from him Sunday.

Hudson pinch-ground into a double play in the eighth inning and Manny was just putrid all game. Lately there has been too much of Manny being fanny.