The 2010 National League All-Division Team

This is the Part Two of the two post series MLB's All-Division Team.  The first part was published on September 17th, and the reason for the delay of this post is the huge time commitment it takes and the postseason has been a busy one.  For this post I profiled 160 National League players, including even situational stats as you will read.  The National League was tougher to decide than the American League because there are more teams in the NL and there were also more competitive teams.  The team below won't disappoint, though, with a few surprises in there, too.  The same rules stand as the AL edition, where 'best' is defined as most important to his team.  There is also an extra incentive to being consistent for an entire season, and although not every player here was exactly a model of consistency in 2010, this is the reason Troy Tulowitzki, for example, didn't make the team.  Tulowitzki had "video game stats" for September going on an unbelievable tear but the fact is his power was missing for five out of six months of the baseball season, and Jose Reyes was more important to the Mets.  Again, this is not at all a popularity contest like the All-Star team is.  My goal in this series to get past that, and actually establish a foundation for the best players in baseball.



National League East

C Brian McCann, ATL
Too bad the Braves weren't able to take advantage of his biggest hit of the season, a go-ahead three-run double in the All-Star Game that gave the National League a win securing home field advantage in the World Series.  McCann, though, picked up plenty of other big hits for the NL Wild Card Champion Atlanta Braves.  One of the National League's best hitting catchers, he has hit 18 or more homers and 77 or more RBI each of the past five seasons.  He is a durable and able catcher, catching in 136 games and setting a career high at 30% baserunners caught stealing against him.  Opponents: Josh Thole (NYM), Carlos Ruiz (PHI), Ivan Rodriguez (WAS), and Ronny Paulino (FLA).


1B Adam Dunn, WAS
During a down year from Ryan Howard, Dunn walks away with the hardware this time.  Hitting a team-high 38 HR and 103 RBI, Dunn remained to be a glue piece to the Nationals' rebuilding efforts.  Washington slipped to 69-93 but were a winner early on and much of that had to do with Dunn.  All positive reviews from his two year stay on the Beltway, Dunn completed his initially surprising contract with a lasting effect on the young players who look up to him.  Opponents: Ike Davis (NYM), Ryan Howard (PHI), Gaby Sanchez (FLA), and Troy Glaus (ATL).

2B Dan Uggla, FLA
Okay, let's get the screaming negative out of the way.  He can't field for crap.  Glad to get that over with.  Okay, so now lets stare at his 33 homers, 105 RBI and 100 runs, which helps him get the win in a very tight race with Atlanta's Martin Prado.  Uggla is just another one of those guys to come out of the Marlins' system who owns.  He is their main power threat especially after Jorge Cantu got traded to Texas.  The offensive leader of this young team (sorry, Hanley Ramirez) deserves this spot.  Opponents: Adam Kennedy (WAS), Luis Castillo (NYM), Martin Prado (ATL), and Chase Utley (PHI)

3B David Wright, NYM
Wright quietly had a great year in the power department (29 homers) not having lost his speed quite yet (19 steals).  His strikeout rate badly increased for a season total of 161 and his batting average was a career worst .283 (which isn't saying much), but the fact is he is a franchise player and he needed a good year this season to prove his continued longevity as a Met, not just a product who had a few great years. The Mets faded at the end there, but their run in first for a while later than most expected wouldn't have been possible without Wright.  Opponents: Chipper Jones (ATL), Ryan Zimmerman (WAS), Placido Polanco (PHI), and Wes Helms (FLA).

SS Jose Reyes, NYM
Much said about Wright can also be said about Reyes, who needed to prove he could steal use the speed that gave him 258 steals between 2005 and 2008.  He needs some more work on regaining plate discipline, but Reyes took 30 bases in 40 tries in nearly a full season.  Also now the Mets won't have to play him conservatively and will let him run free.  Reyes gave the Mets that spark, the energy, that completely escaped them in the nightmare that was 2009 Mets baseball.  Opponents: Jimmy Rollins (PHI), Hanley Ramirez (FLA), Ian Desmond (WAS), and Alex Gonzalez (ATL).


LF Raul Ibanez, PHI
In a weak running in this division, Ibanez still wins despite being a shadow of his 2009 self.  It took him a long time to come around to hitting like he does and his Phillies were incapable of getting on a roll until he started contributing.  Sure enough, the Phillies started winning consistently and Ibanez was doing what he does best: driving in runs.  Opponents: Josh Willingham (WAS), Melky Cabrera (ATL), Jason Bay (NYM), and Chris Coghlan (FLA).


CF Angel Pagan, NYM
Hmm.  Imagine if he were still on the Cubs.  Lead off issues solved.  Pagan had his finest season yet thanks to the injury to Carlos Beltran.  Pagan stole 37 bases and batted .290, playing his first full season in the majors.  He also saw time at each outfield position, and durability is key in today's game.  Opponents: Nyjer Morgan (WAS), Cameron Maybin (FLA), Nate McLouth (ATL), and Shane Victorino (PHI)

RF Mike Stanton, FLA
Wake up.  You're drooling on your keyboard.  Stanton's huge power cranked 22 homers in a bit less than a full season after getting the call-up in early June.  He led National League rookies in homers and other offensive categories.  He only batted .259 but has time to improve.  Fans came out to see this guy because of his track record.  He is a gamer, future face of the franchise.  He had a terrific rookie campaign of 2010, but for now he is stuck staring at Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla before the team truly becomes his.  Opponents: Mike Morse (WAS), Jeff Francoeur (NYM), Jason Heyward (ATL), and Jayson Werth (PHI).


SP Josh Johnson, FLA
'JJ', as he's known to Marlins fans, cooled off slighly towards the end of the 2010 season.  He didn't start after September 4th after the Marlins shut him down which caused him to fall short of 200 innings at 183.2.  However, he averaged more than 6.1 IP per start and carried a ridiculous 1.72 ERA heading into August before having a rough month and finishing at 2.30.  He was in control all season, being yanked in the middle of an inning only three times out of 28 starts.  Oh, and he also struck out 186 and walked only 48.  Opponents: Johan Santana (NYM), Livan Hernandez (WAS), Tim Hudson (ATL), and Roy Halladay (PHI).


RP Billy Wagner, ATL
Wagner's career is now over after retiring at age 38, but it's a darn shame because he hasn't lost anything at all on his stuff and is still one of the most exciting closers to watch.  He finished with a 1.43 ERA and 37 saves in 71 games and 69.1 IP.  He struck out a ridiculous 104 batters while walking only 22!  His fastball consistently hit 98 like it has his entire career and his 2010 performance highlighted one of the best bullpens in baseball on the Atlanta Braves.  He retires 5th on the all-time saves list with 422, the Astros all-time saves leader, 4th on the Mets all-time saves list, tied for 9th on the Phillies all-time saves list, 6th on the Braves single season saves list, and struck out 1196 in 903 career innings.  Wow.  Opponents: Francisco Rodriguez (NYM), Brad Lidge (PHI), Leo Nunez (FLA), and Matt Capps (WAS).


National League Central

C Geovany Soto, CHC
'Geo' went under the radar in 2010 and had a great year although injuries still got to him.  Playing only 105 games still got him the hardware.  He really worked hard on losing weight and increasing mobility behind the plate, and it showed although he only threw out 22% of baserunners.  Soto was on pace to hit more than 23 homers, his output in his rookie year but finished with 17 and also 53 RBI, batting .280.  Soto showed a newfound patience especially early in the season when his walks outnumbered his strikeouts, a stat no one saw coming.  Opponents: Yadier Molina (STL), Ramon Hernandez (CIN), Ryan Doumit (PIT), Humberto Quintero (HOU), and Jonathan Lucroy (MIL).


1B Joey Votto, CIN
As Reds TV play-by-play announcer would tell you in a second, Votto was one of the best hitters in the National League and will get many MVP votes.  He tore up the league smashing 37 homers and 113 RBI, batting .324 with an OBP of .424 due to his 91 walks.  He could not be kept off the basepaths in 2010, and although Albert Pujols had a fine season of his own, Votto was a better all around player this season.  Votto threw in 16 steals too.  Opponents: Albert Pujols (STL), Derrek Lee (CHC), Garrett Jones (PIT), Lance Berkman (HOU), and Prince Fielder (MIL).


2B Jeff Keppinger, HOU
Before you tell yourself that the writer of this blog is crazy, consider this stat: 36 strikeouts in 575 at-bats.  Keppinger was statiscally the hardest batter to strike out in the National League.  He led all full season Astros players with a .288 batting average, and was a great veteran presence for a rebuilding team.  He was the guy that kept the offense moving in Houston and was reliable all season for a team that saw lots of young players come and go.  Opponents: Skip Schumaker (STL), Ryan Theriot (CHC), Neil Walker (PIT), Rickie Weeks (MIL), and Brandon Phillips (CIN).

3B Scott Rolen, CIN
One of the best comeback stories in baseball, Rolen suffered through two injury-filled seasons with the Blue Jays before being dealt to Cincinnati midseason 2009.  Rolen cooled off at the end but still hit 20 homers and 83 RBI in 133 games, batting a surprising .285.  As always, Rolen played just superb defense.  He was an influential veteran on this young Reds team.  Opponents: Aramis Ramirez (CHC), David Freese (STL), Casey McGehee (MIL), Pedro Alvarez (PIT), and Chris Johnson (HOU).


SS Starlin Castro, CHC
While his offensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement, a sabermetric stat) was only 1.6, he did so much for the Cubs offensively.  He loosened the pressure on the veterans, being the 20 year old high energy kid that he is.  Castro should improve in the future because of his ability to hit everything.  He goes to all fields and doesn't have a weakness in the strike zone, although he is least effective when jammed inside.  He had serious trouble defensively and contributed to the Cubs ranking first in baseball in errors, but he has plenty of time to fix it.  Without Castro, I don't see the Cubs winning more than 72 games in 2010.  Opponents: Tommy Manzella (HOU), Ronny Cedeno (PIT), Alcides Escobar (MIL), Orlando Cabrera (CIN), and Brendan Ryan (STL).


LF Matt Holliday, STL
This guy was the only hope for a Cardinals team that forever struggles with lineup protection for Pujols.  Holliday didn't disappoint, playing in 158 games hitting 28 homers, 103 RBI, and a great .312 batting average.  He got on base at a .390 clip, exactly what the Cardinals want from the guy behind #5.  Opponents: Alfonso Soriano (CHC), Jonny Gomes (CIN), Carlos Lee (HOU), Jose Tabata (PIT), and Ryan Braun (MIL).


CF Andrew McCutchen, PIT
'McClutchen' hit .286 but .315 with men on base, although only one of his 16 homers drove in more than himself.  This guy right here is marketing the Pirates to Pittsburgh, putting fans in the seats with his exciting play.  The fact that Pittsburgh still finished 15th in the NL in attendance tells you how bored the city is with this losing pandemic on the Pirates.  McCutchen stole 33 bases and was fifth in defensive range factor in center field.  Opponents: Marlon Byrd (CHC), Colby Rasmus (STL), Carlos Gomez (MIL), Drew Stubbs (CIN), and Michael Bourn (HOU).


RF Hunter Pence, HOU
The duck-footed kid had another fine year, consistent again for 25 homers, 91 RBI, and a .282 batting average.  He nearly hit the 20-20 club with 18 steals and is pretty much the face of the franchise with Carlos Lee having seen better days.  Pence was the heart of the offense and one of the formidable outfield trio in Houston with Lee, Bourn, and Pence.  Opponents: Tyler Colvin (CHC), Jay Bruce (CIN), Ryan Ludwick (STL), Lastings Milledge (PIT), and Corey Hart (MIL).


SP Brett Myers, HOU
Surprise, I know.  Shout out to Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, both did a great job but still don't get my award.  Myers wasn't expected of much by the baseball public when he signed with Houston, but has made such an incredible change on the pitching philosophy.  He was yanked from a start in the middle of an inning only four times in 33 starts, and had a streak of pitching at least six innings all the way until the last start of the season.  The results: 223.2 IP, 3.14 ERA, 180 K to 66 BB, 14-8 record.  And now he has the #3 starter, young J.A. Happ, to tutor.  Opponents: Ryan Dempster (CHC), Adam Wainwright (STL), Bronson Arroyo (CIN), Yovani Gallardo (MIL), and Paul Maholm (PIT).


RP Carlos Marmol, CHC
Breaking Eric Gagne's record of K/9 IP, Marmol's 138 K in 77.2 IP topped all NL relievers by a long shot.  He also came six short of Randy Wells' K total of 144, although Wells needed 116.2 IP more to do it.  Marmol saved 38 games with an ERA of 2.55 and although he did walk 52, he only allowed 40 hits.  Incredibly, he allowed one homer and even more incredibly, it was to Jeff Clement of the Pirates in May, an opposite field shot at Wrigley.  Marmol is, without Cubs bias, the most dominant and intimidating reliever in the National League.  Opponents: Francisco Cordero (CIN), Ryan Franklin (STL), John Axford (MIL), Brandon Lyon (HOU), and Octavio Dotel (PIT).



National League West

C Buster Posey, SF
In a very weak division for catchers, there may now be at least one star for a long time in the future.  Bengie Molina, the incumbent catcher playing in his fourth season for San Francisco, was traded to make room for Posey.  I didn't believe all the hype in Spring Training about this guy, but I'm a believer now.  Posey whacked 18 homers and 67 RBI in 105 games, and what's really remarkable is that he's generating the power from a small 6-1 frame.  Posey will be a fan favorite for the next decade.  Opponents: Yorvit Torrealba (SD), Miguel Olivo (COL), Russell Martin (LAD), and Miguel Montero (ARI).


1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD
'A-Gon' has been the face of this franchise for at least four years, as if there was any competition.  Gonzo's 31 homers led the Padres, ahead of the second place Will Venable by 18.  The hispanic star has been thrown around in trade rumors and needed a winning team this season to avoid getting dealt, probably to Boston.  It is good for the game of baseball, though, that his .298 batting average, 93 walks and 160 games played in 2010 stayed in San Diego.  If the Padres could ever get him some support, he could be an even better player with more baserunners to drive in.  Opponents: Aubrey Huff (SF), James Loney (LAD), Todd Helton (COL), Adam LaRoche (ARI).`


2B Kelly Johnson, ARI
Probably the biggest surprise on the offensively-exciting D-Backs, Johnson led the NL with 12 homers at one point.  He fell way behind in that race, but still he had a great year of 26 homers and 71 RBI, batting .284.  While Johnson set a career high with 13 steals, he needed this year to reinvigorate his career after really looking bad and getting kicked out of Atlanta.  Opponents: Freddy Sanchez (SF), Blake DeWitt (LAD), David Eckstein (SD), and Clint Barmes (COL).


3B Ian Stewart, COL
This is not the division to look in for a good third baseman.  That said, Stewart is at least consistent while Mark Reynolds, who hit 32 homers, batted .198.  He provided his regular low average yet abundant power in 2010 with 18 homers in only 386 at-bats.  He played only 121 games and the Rockies counted on him over the summer as Troy Tulowitzki wasn't getting the job done powerwise.  His 18 homers was third on the Rockies.  Opponents: Pablo Sandoval (SF), Chase Headley (SD), Mark Reynolds (ARI), Casey Blake (LAD).


SS Juan Uribe, SF
Who saw this coming?  Uribe, after wearing out his welcome with the White Sox, was picked up by the Giants before 2009 and has been great since.  Uribe set a new career high in homers with 24 and a new career high in RBI with 85, while being a huge part of a Giants team that relied on his pop.  For only $3.25 million, he has been a huge steal for San Francisco.  Opponents: Rafael Furcal (LAD), Troy Tulowitzki (COL), Everth Cabrera (SD), and Stephen Drew (ARI).


LF Carlos Gonzalez, COL
The Cubs certainly remember how good this guy is.  Gonzalez hit for the cycle against the Cubs in August, the biggest highlight of his monster season.  Gonzalez did it all batting .336 with 34 homers, 117 RBI, and 26 steals.  There is no doubt Gonzalez was the best player on the 2010 Rockies and one of the best in the National League.  He will get plenty of MVP votes.  Opponents: Manny Ramirez (LAD), Pat Burrell (SF), Gerardo Parra (ARI), and Scott Hairston (SD).


CF Chris Young, ARI
Young nearly made the 30-30 club for the second time in his career, but arguably had the best season of his career.  After disappointing many with such a low average in 2008 and 2009, it's good to see a guy with such great talent work his way back to where he needs to be.  Young hit 27 homers and stole 28 bases, batting .257, not great but acceptable.  The 26 year old also set a career high in walks for an Arizona team that struck out the most in baseball.  Opponents: Dexter Fowler (COL), Matt Kemp (LAD), Tony Gwynn Jr. (SD), and Aaron Rowand (SF).


RF Andre Ethier, LAD
It was a down year for the Dodgers and a less exciting one for Ethier, but he still got the job done.  Hitting .292 with 23 homers and 82 RBI, Ethier continued to become even more of a fan favorite.  With Matt Kemp playing alongside Ethier in center, the two make make one of the best outfielder duos in baseball, and Los Angeles has fallen in love with the play of the two stars.  Opponents: Justin Upton (ARI), Ryan Spilborghs (COL), Nate Schierholtz (SF), Will Venable (SD).


SP Mat Latos, SD
This 22 year old is a stud and a capable ace of the Padres.  Going 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA in his first full season, Latos struck out 189 in 184.2 IP.  He also walked only 2.4/9 IP, keeping his pitches under control especially his fastball which lights up the radar gun.  Latos was vital to the Padres team that came a game from getting to the playoffs as the biggest surprise in baseball.  Opponents: Tim Lincecum (SF), Ubaldo Jimenez (COL), Clayton Kershaw (LAD), and Ian Kennedy (ARI).


RP Heath Bell, SD
Bell's 47 saves were critical for a Padres team that needs to hold a lead when they get one, because it's unlikely the offense will get it back.  Bell was second in baseball in saves only behind Brian Wilson.  He was the old man of the bullpen at 32 and his 1.92 ERA was topped by a few guys in the best bullpen in baseball.  Bell may be a big man with limited mobility, but he is a great pitcher with a lively fastball and he struck out 11.1 batters per 9 innings, more than good enough for a closer.  Opponents: Brian Wilson (SF), Jonathan Broxton (LAD), Huston Street (COL), and Juan Gutierrez (ARI).



The amount of representatives is somewhat conducive to success of the team:

3 players: FLA, NYM, CHC, HOU, SD
2 players: ATL, CIN, SF, ARI, COL
1 player: WAS, PHI, STL, PIT, LAD
0 players: MIL

Interestingly, no National League team finished with more than three representatives; as opposed to the American League, where the Rangers topped it with six.  This team is obviously in my opinion so it is a cumulative mix of stats and sabermetrics with opinion.  I thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it.

NOTE: I'm currently working on a project to improve the blog.  Coming soon is the ability to search a player by last name and get all the posts with that player in it, as I am tagging the posts.  I will write when the project is completed.

Derrek Lee Postgame Video

Found this interesting postgame video with FOX interviewing Derrek Lee.  Why is it interesting?  This video is from the mid August trip to St. Louis, and this Saturday game was the second to last game Lee ever played for the Cubs.  He hit four homers on the weekend series in St. Louis including one off Chris Carpenter the day of this video.  He also hit two homers in his last Cubs game, as if he knew his days were numbered.

Bonds Era Over, Franchise Moves On

Unlike the Texas Rangers, pitching has been a big strength of the Giants when they've been good, specifically early in the 2000s.  In 2000 the team ranked 4th in Major League Baseball in ERA, followed by 11th in 2001, 2nd in 2002, and 3rd in 2003.  Those teams were powerhouses led by Russ Ortiz, Jason Schmidt, Kurk Rueter, Robb Nen, Jeff Kent, Benito Santiago, Reggie Sanders, and of course, Barry Bonds.  This era was great in its prime, with the Giants winning 483 games in five years between 2000 and 2004, but then it ended ugly as Jeff Kent signed with the Dodgers after 2002, Nen never played in another major league game after 2002, and only two years later from 2002 to 2004 only two starting position players remained, right fielder Bonds and first baseman J.T. Snow.  The majority of the middle of the 2000s for the Giants was disappointing and bad baseball, before they showed signs of hope in 2009.  The middle of the 2000s was dominated by Barry Bonds, but the team didn't do much else well.  The team didn't have a true ace during this time fielding a staff of mediocre starters like Jason Schmidt, Noah Lowry, Matt Morris, and a formerly mediocre Matt Cain.  The bullpen also had issues as Tyler Walker led the 2005 club with only 23 saves, Armando Benitez led in 2006 with only 17, and Brad Hennessey led in 2007 with only 19.  Even in 2004, when the team won 91 games just missing the playoffs, the leader was Matt Herges with 23.  With Tim Worrell saving 38 in 2003 and Nen getting 43 the year before that, very few teams can say their saves leader changed six years in a row.  In 2008, their dependence on the just retired Bonds showed as Bengie Molina led the team with only 16 homers and Matt Cain, owner of a good 3.76 ERA that year, finished 8-14 with little run support.  The fact that Tim Lincecum won 18 on his way to his first NL Cy Young award is amazing, and playing on a better offensive team Lincecum could've won upwards of 20, 21, 22, somewhere up there.

Progress was made in 2009 as the team won 88 games missing the playoffs but showing significant signs of improvement.  Pablo Sandoval became the first fan favorite on offense since Bonds hitting 25 homers and leading the offense.  The Giants led the league in strikeouts and the pitching overall was great.  This set the stage for 2010, when San Francisco put it all together.  Brian Wilson had another superb season saving 48 for the starters who were also very very good.  No Cy Young three-peat for Lincecum, but a great season nonetheless at 16-10.  Buster Posey fired up San Fran as a Rookie of the Year favorite and many surprisingly effective pickups like Juan Uribe and Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff hit stride to power the Giants to 697 runs, a lot for that franchise recently.  They allowed a ridiculous 583 runs thanks to an unhittable bullpen of Sergio Romo, Wilson, Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt, and Ramon Ramirez and the rotation of Lincecum, Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner, and Barry Zito all of whom who sub-4.00 ERAs except Zito.  The combination led to a winning team, a positive group of guys with no negative distractions like Bonds.  The cloud that hung over Bonds and steroid allegations made the club suffer the middle of the 2000s, but as we can see on the field last night and tonight, the San Francisco Giants franchise has moved on.  

Nolan Ryan Philosophy

It's hot in Texas.  The summer weather wears on the players, as Arlington hosts Rangers games regularly over 100 degrees in the summer.  The 'cool summer nights' are only about 80 degrees, which is no breeze.  The position players get to stand around and wait for something to happen, but the pitchers exert the most energy of anyone on the field on every play.  They sweat like dogs, but can't relax because a loss of intensity and focus will result in the hitters watching meatballs in one of the best hitters park in the league.  The obsession of the 2000s in the starting pitching world was one varying statistic: pitch counts.  Pitch counts have come to develop theories for pretty much everything from injury to sophomore slumps.  Nolan Ryan, however, isn't buying into any of that.  He walked and struck out many hitters resulting in high pitch counts early in his starts, but he didn't think that he was done just because he had thrown a lot of pitches.  This concept is called, "back to the future on the mound."  Ryan didn't try to make every at-bat perfect, he just scrambled to get outs as fast as possible.  In his words, he "had to develop stamina because my intent was to pitch a lot of innings."  Mike Maddux, brother of pitching great Greg Maddux and former major league pitcher himself, endorses the idea and has implemented it the last two seasons when Ryan first made headlines with this statement.  "The ceiling is off," said Maddux. "This is a mental thing we have to overcome. We have to change the attitude of the starters to want to go deep and believe they can."  He also thinks a pitch count is not what tells a pitcher he is finished, saying instead that "the hitters will let you know that."  The Ryan theory has pitching doing well, and the dramatic turnaround can be seen in the stats.  Not pitch count stats, but ERA.  The Texas Rangers have long been notorious for a high powered long ball offense with no pitching, a problem that plagued them eternally.  The offense finally paid off earning three meaningless trips to the playoffs in the late 1990s, but they had yet to overcome their issues pitching in the 2000s.

In 2008, led by staff ace Vicente Padilla's 4.74 ERA, the Rangers finished last in baseball with a 5.37 team ERA.  Closer C.J. Wilson had a 6.02 ERA and led the team with 24 saves, while five others also recorded saves.  While Josh Hamilton had an MVP caliber season, the Rangers were unable to hold any lead given and struggled to a 79-83 finish.  In 2009, the Rangers stayed in contention most of the season only to be beaten out by the Angels.  The pitching, however, finished with an MLB rank of 18th, a big improvement over that 30th in 2008 and 24th in 2007.  In 2010, the Rangers won the division and now head to the World Series having ranked 10th in ERA.  The transformation is complete.  For the first time in franchise history they will play for it all having allowing the sixth-fewest runs in the regular season since moving to Texas 39 years ago, and the 687 runs they did allow was the fewest since 1983.  So with pitching as a strength of the Rangers, finally, watch them in this series because we are watching history in the making.

Postseason Preview: World Series

After a one year absence, baseball fans will get their Cinderella team in the World Series again.  Actually, two.  Both the Giants and Rangers weren't given big consideration for the World Series heading into the playoffs, especially considering both were serious underdogs playing for the pennant against the Phillies and Yankees, respectively.  But for the media, the unthinkable has happened.  The 'Big Three' of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels has been beaten in a series nobody foresaw.  The invincible Yankees with their high priced bats and arms fell as the bats were silenced and the arms didn't silence anyone on the Rangers.

On to this World Series.  It will begin in San Francisco on Wednesday night, playing there again the next night before heading off to Texas for three games.  Unfortunately, the schedule just works out so that the Giants barely miss a home game on a Friday, which would have had them wear the orange uniforms in the World Series.  No team has worn an alternate uniform in the World Series since the 2007 Rockies, most teams elect not to for whatever reason.  The first game was a great pitching matchup of Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee, probably not much of a better matchup could be asked for.  The two combined have gone 47.1 innings allowing just seven runs and striking out 64 with six walks.  The key for Cliff Lee is to control the tempo of the game like he usually does and to cool down Cody Ross.  He barely walks anyone so he needs to stick to his gameplan with men on base to avoid a flurry of hits resulting in a momentum shift.  Such momentum shifts, especially in the World Series, often decide the game.  The key for Tim Lincecum is to stay ahead of hitters and beware of the bottom of the lineup.  With these Rangers there are no easy outs except when Cliff Lee will have to bat in Game 1.  Bengie Molina has been huge for Texas batting out of the eight hole so Lincecum needs to control the likes of him and Mitch Moreland, another bat in the bottom who has been hitting well so far in the playoffs at .389.  There is no big bat to be scared of on the Giants, but there are so many guys who can beat you slapping big hits like Freddy Sanchez, Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey, Juan Uribe, and Pablo Sandoval.

Here is my pick.  TEX in 7.  This one will be very back and forth, but here's the order of wins I have: Game 1 is Texas, Game 2 is San Francisco, Game 3 is San Francisco, Game 4 and Game 5 are Texas, Game 6 is San Francisco, and Game 7 is Texas.  Neither team is afraid to win on the road, with both teams combining to go 4-2 in New York and Philadelphia.  The series MVP I believe will be Josh Hamilton, but that is nearly impossible to guess.

I am in the process of making an article for both teams, about what uniqueness has gotten them here.  So come back to read that!

Note: Bengie Molina can't be too disappointed with being traded from a contender.  His former team, the Giants, plays his current team, the Rangers in this World Series.  He earns a World Series ring either way, so it's a literal win-win.  Of course, the ginger ale celebration with his Rangers would be nice, so there's a bonus to that side of the win-win.

Cubs Hire Mike Quade As Manager

Apparently, there's enough room in Chicago for two 'Coach Q's.  The second, Mike Quade, was hired by the Cubs as manager on Tuesday.  Quade went 24-13 as the interim manager of the Cubs in 2010, one of the leading factors for the Cubs to choose him over Ryne Sandberg in a tight battle.  Quade was definitely the favorite among the players although many, especially those who had come through the minor league system, had good to say about Sandberg, too.  Quade earned a two-year deal after 17 years coaching in the minor leagues and the last four seasons spent as the Cubs third base coach.  This means he is very familiar with the Cubs organization and the players that play for it.  He also did not rule out bringing on Sandberg to the major league level to be a coach.

This decision could be a mistake.  Had the Cubs gone .500 under Mike Quade's interim trial, I would bet we would be sitting here talking about the hiring of Sandberg.  The main reason I have come up with for the team's vastly improved play in September is because the players were excited for a change.  Not that Lou Piniella wasn't doing the job, but just that the players woke up a little.  2010 was a dull season until Piniella retired and that was the first sign of change for after the season.  Players realized that now was the time to make their impression for 2011 because the fact that change would take place next year just got a lot more realistic.

I like Quade's attitude and baseball smarts; Cub fans now get a manager who completes his sentences and thoughts without seeming like he's daydreaming all the time.  The Cubs will be more open to change under Quade, this has already been brought up from what I've heard about the Cubs going for the low profile, in house replacement rather than going out and getting a guy like they did with Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella.  There will be no adjustment time on or off the field; the players already know Quade and most hold a high respect for him. This was the case for Baker and Piniella, as both said at one time that they 'didn't know what they were getting into' when they took the job.  Chicago is a lot to handle, but only if you aren't used to it.

Sandberg also knows almost all the players because at one point they have probably played in one of his four minor league teams, most recent Iowa (AAA) in 2010.  Sandberg also is a changed man since his playing days, as his understudies could tell you.  As a player, Sandberg is a Hall of Famer but was never a vocal leader, and kind of just settled into his role and did a fantastic job every year.  He always gave it everything, but didn't hold many negative opinions or criticisms about anything in general.  Now he criticizes what he doesn't like, a good trait of a manager.  You need somebody to be brutally honest if they are going to be a manager.  This sounds mean, but you can't let personal affection (player as a friend) get in the way of organizational decisions.  Sandberg had the traits to do it, but didn't get his name called.  Tough luck.  Sandberg will be managing in the majors within three years, I can absolutely guarantee that.  Mike Quade has a team to toy with, so Cub fans, we'll see what happens.

Update on Cubs Managerial Search

The front runners remain Mike Quade and Ryne Sandberg, reports Paul Sullivan of the Tribune (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-10-12/sports/ct-spt-1013-cubs-manager-chicago--20101012_1_mike-quade-chairman-tom-ricketts-manager-search).  That is a no doubter, but it will be interesting to see which one they choose because whichever they do choose will be negative effects on a greater group of people.  As a new ownership group, Tom Ricketts and family have to be conservative.  Especially, especially in a big market like Chicago with our tradition.  If they came out aggressive changing traditions and such at Wrigley, the people would react negatively because the public just isn't that used to change that quick.  However, if Quade is hired as manager then the question becomes what to do about Ryne Sandberg.  He could become the bench coach, but it makes for sense for him to continue managing.  Sandberg has done a great job in four minor league seasons with the Cubs, and other teams are interested.  The absolute worst case scenario for the Cubs is him being hired by someone else and catching on there, turning the team into a winner.  So if the Cubs hire Quade, they will really want Sandberg to be the bench coach.  If the Cubs hire Sandberg, then there might be some unrest within the team.  The players have spoken out unanimously saying they want Quade, which is surprising because he only was an interim manager for a month and a half and the Cubs are looking at some more high profile candidates.  I think they will go with Sandberg, but I don't know what this means for Quade.  The other candidates are long shots.  Bob Brenly ruled himself out for reasons he doesn't want to admit, and Eric Wedge was given a courtesy interview but doesn't have any experience in the Cubs system.  I see no reason for Joe Girardi to leave the Yankees, and just because he played catcher for the Cubs in the early 2000s doesn't mean he would want to come back here.  Cubs officials have been watching Girardi for any signs determining his desire or not to leave New York.  Basically, they've been watching him advance in the postseason once again and manage his bullpen over a chalupa (see video).  Not much to suggest he wants to leave.

Postseason Preview: LCS

So I got three of four series correct in the LDS.   The only one I got wrong was Phillies-Reds, and if I were to get one wrong that would be the one I would want because that was the long shot pick.  The League Championship Series on both sides should be exciting, but I have to admit my attention keeps veering over to the American League.  The Yankees are such a great team and do so much right, yet it's exactly a team like the Rangers that could beat them.  What the Rangers are doing right now is so incredible, and the fans have to be feeling it too.  The weird part is, the Rangers lost two games at home when they could've won the series only to take the finale in St. Petersburg, which wrapped up just a terrible home three game performance by the Rays.  It was the first time in postseason history a road team won every game.  Believe it or not, the Yankees and Rangers aren't all that separated when it comes to pitching.  The national media and MLB Network have mentioned that the Yankees should be glad that the ALDS went on so long for the Rangers, because now Cliff Lee won't start Game 1.  I see this differently.  I think it works out better for the Rangers, because in Game 1 Lee would be going against C.C. Sabathia and that is likely to be a low scoring game, and the Yankees have a better chance of beating Lee there which really hurts the Rangers chances.  It's C.J. Wilson starting Game 1, a 15-game winner whose 3.35 ERA is only 17 points worse than Sabathia's.  Anybody remember Sabathia's postseason struggles in 2007?  How about 2008?  2009 not so much, but it's hard to forget 20 ER in 19 IP with 17 walks and 27 hits over two seasons.  Wilson could easily pitch a good game and, with some run support, steal a win in the first one.  Phil Hughes went 18-8 but had an ERA nearly half a run higher than the less lucky run support recipient Colby Lewis at just 12-13.  That is pretty much an even matchup and could go either way.  Andy Pettitte goes in the third against Lee, and Pettitte's last season injuries may affect his performance.  Lee is on a serious hot streak and can't be stopped, here he gets the nod at home which he didn't have in either of his starts in the ALDS.  That is certainly a winnable game for the Texas Rangers.  They aren't afraid to win on the road.  With the increased intensity of the ALCS, I think the Rangers will also start winning at home now.  I'm going Rangers.  It's more realistic than it seems, as the Yankees will probably overlook them as Michigan would overlook Appalachian State (we all know how that turned out).  TEX in 6.

Over to Philly for Game 1 against San Fran.  Roy Halladay will not throw another no-hitter, and this time the Phillies need to realize their opponent has something the Reds didn't: momentum.  The Reds were sort of cruising along, clinched the title on a big homer then just relaxed until the playoffs.  The Giants are coming off this intense series with Atlanta and then it got emotional at the end with Bobby Cox.  All of this is why the Giants will be excited and setting up an offense against Halladay, if even just a bit.  Tim Lincecum was dominant his first start of the playoffs, and the Giants have a great shot to win if he does that again.  Jonathan Sanchez, not Matt Cain, goes in Game 2.  Interesting move by Bruce Bochy to save his #2 for Game 3 at home, which in my opinion is more important than Game 2 if the other team has home-field advantage.  The Phillies will likely go with Hamels and Oswalt in those spots, or possibly flipped.  I think it matters less to the series because the bottom line is both are real good pitchers.  Real good.  I like the Giants bullpen over the Phillies this season.  They have the setup men in place including a ridiculous run by Ramon Ramirez.  The always consistent Brian Wilson and Sergio Romo are the other two keys guys in play here.  The problem for me is, as much as I want the Giants to win, I know it's unlikely.  There is just too much to ignore with the pitching, and the chances the Giants escape and low scoring pitchers duel is unlikely because, despite the Phillies midseason offense struggles, they still swing the bat much, much better than the Giants.  Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey have all the power responsibility on their shoulders, and that's kind of a lot to ask for an above average vet and rookie.  Ryan Howard had one of the worst years of his career, which isn't saying much, and I think he will struggle in the series because of the power pitching mixed with the offspeed stuff.  With that heat the Giants have, it won't take much to smoke Howard.  Chase Utley is dangerous and pesky, while the definition of pesky is Shane Victorino.  The other offensive weapons in Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, and Jimmy Rollins do many things right.  The Giants were also not afraid to win on the road, so home field advantage may be overrated this year (home teams went 8-12 in the LDS).  PHI in 5.

Note: Goodbye, Bobby Cox.  I'm not sure what to make of the Braves hiring Fredi Gonzalez that very next day, though.  A great hire, but I'm not sure about the timing.  It's like they were trying to quickly forget about him or something, when I believe now is when the Braves and fans should have some time to reflect on his accomplishments.  In Spring Training some experts said the Braves would manage one last playoff spot for Cox, and I didn't think they could do it.  Hat off to you, Atlanta.

Playoff Pressure

Defensive meltdown from Braves' Conrad all too familiar for Cub fans
A rookie mistake(s)?  Not really.  Brooks Conrad cost his team the lead on the third of his three errors in a single game, the third game of the NLDS against the Giants.  This set an NLDS record for errors by a single player in a single game.  Brooks Conrad made his major league debut with Oakland in 2008, and has played only 139 games in the major leagues.  However, he is already 30 years old and no longer a kid.  After spending this much time in the minor leagues, maybe we understand why now.  Not to hate on the guy, but with the Giants winning 3-2 the next night and moving to the NLCS, you know he more than anybody is wondering what would have happened if they had won.  Interestingly, the Braves were able to overcome Conrad's first two errors because of Eric Hinske's huge go-ahead two-run shot in the 8th, which looked like a game winner at the time.  The fact that the Braves held a lead after the first two errors is different than another story Cub fans know.  In the 2008 NLDS the Cubs lost Game 1 being blown out by the Dodgers shocking Cub Nation.  This set the stage for Game 2.  The heavily, heavily favored Cubs would lose again easily to underdog Dodgers.  Conrad said after his bad game, "I wish I could dig a hole and sleep in there."  The entire Cubs infield would have liked to do that after Game 2 against Los Angeles in which every single infield starter (Derrek Lee, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Theriot, and Aramis Ramirez) committed errors in the same game.  Two of them, the ones shown in the photos here, set up a five run second inning that silenced the crowd and Cubs.  As if you have, don't forget about the Bartman game either.  Something about the playoffs makes fielding much harder than it normally would be and maybe the players are nervous or something.  But it seems like routine plays aren't routine in the playoffs.  As a fielder, you have to hang tough and keep focus on the ball.  As a fan base, there is nothing you can do to help your team except help the player forget it, like the Atlanta crowd did tonight in Game 4 when he was cheered despite his catastrophic game the game before and very bad defensive stretch to end the regular season.  The playoffs are where players reflect on their roots, and give it all they've got because as a player you never know if and when you will be going back.  The playoffs are where everyone tries to make a difference to the team in the way they know how.  It all comes down to the basic fundamentals you learn at a young age; the fielding fundamentals.  For as long as baseball is played in October, fielding will continue to have a big impact in both a positive and negative way.      

What's Up Doc?

Not the Reds hit total, that's for sure.  As you most likely already know, Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter against the Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS in his first career postseason game in 11 MLB seasons making it the second one all time in the playoffs after Don Larsen's perfect game in '56 with the Yanks in the Series, so this is the first one in the playoff rounds.  I know I had picked the Reds in my Playoff Preview that was published on Wednesday, but I must remind the reader that I said, "Halladay alone is why the Phillies will win Game 1 of the series easily," so I guess I got something right.  My purpose for this post is to talk about the effect of this game on the Cincinnati Reds, who can't be too happy with their performance against Halladay.  With a day off today, though, this may have lit a fire under the Reds.  I had the Reds winning in four games, and I still see them winning a game in this series.  This will motivate the Reds, and while the Phillies and the national media are still in super-Phils mode the Reds will make Game 2 a competitive one, and win either Game 2 or Game 3.  First baseman Joey Votto said about the game, "I hate to use a hyperbole, but he's an ace among aces.  It's not fun being up there and trying to hit nothing.  Tonight was a nothing night.  Sometimes you just don't get pitches to hit."  He is respectful about the performance, but also carries that 'man, this sucks' attitude which is how he should feel after that.  The only baserunner was Jay Bruce who walked, and he said, "He threw 25 balls.  He didn't give us anything.  He just didn't make mistakes."  Dusty Baker isn't my favorite manager, not by a long shot after he was kicked out of Chicago, but he isn't fazed by this no-hitter.  He has plenty of experience around no-hitters, you could say, after being the last out of Nolan Ryan's 5th no-hitter.  So I think the Reds will take this day to forget about this whole thing and the Phillies, still focusing on Halladay, will be surprised at what the Reds give them.  The Reds are too good to go down without a fight, just ask Thom Brennaman, Reds TV play-by-play man and Reds fanatic on the air.  During an NFL broadcast on FOX last weekend, FOX showed a promo in the game which promoted the MLB Postseason on FOX, and the highlight clips showed the Reds and when Brennaman mentioned the Reds as one of the teams he said they have "undoubtedly the league MVP in Joey Votto."  That doesn't exactly sound like an objective promo.  Congrats to Halladay and the Phillies defense that did their job, but I also issue a warning, look out for this newest Big Red Machine.        

Postseason Preview: LDS

2010 will have quite an exciting postseason as only one National League team returns from last season and in the American League only two teams return.  Preview and prediction for each series:

American League

TEX vs. TB: TEX in 4
The Rangers enter the postseason as the underdogs against a Rays team that has great starting pitching and smallball talent.  I think the difference maker in this series will be the crowd in Texas, who have not seen a postseason game since 1999, have seen only four postseason games in three postseason series (all losses) since the franchise moved to Texas 39 years ago, and have never seen a playoff win at home.  The Rangers lost to the Yankees all three times but this time draw the Rays.  The Rays will win Game One behind David Price, a low-scoring battle opposite Cliff Lee, but then the Rangers will take advantage of their dynamite offense and win three straight to take the series.  Evan Longoria has had a down year in the power department and Carlos Pena has hit the homers but finished the regular season batting under .200, so their offense isn't a sure thing.  The Rays had a perfect game tossed against them for the second straight year.  Matt Garza is inconsistent as a #2 starter and gives up a lot of homers, something the Rangers hit a lot of.

MIN vs. NYY: NYY in 4
It's been a wild run for these Twins, but it will stop here.  The Twins have lost Justin Morneau for the playoffs and even though they have won without Morneau the entire second half of the season, the Twins don't have enough in a short series to beat a team as deep as the Yankees.  The Yankees overpower the Twins on offense and beat them easily on the pitching side, as the Twins don't really have a go-to ace.  Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano are a good combo of #2 or #3 starters, but neither are aces of this staff.  Brian Duensing could be someone to watch in this series as he has pitched great all year.  Matt Capps has done a nice job in Minnesota, so the closer spot is no longer a weakness.  The Yankees, on the other hand, have the best infield in baseball offensively, and have a 21-game winner in the rotation in C.C. Sabathia, followed by surprising Phil Hughes.  The bullpen isn't perfect, but they do have this guy named Mariano Rivera in the bullpen, and he's not that bad for those that don't know.

National League

CIN vs. PHI: CIN in 4
In my biggest upset pick of the playoffs, the Reds will move on to the NLCS sending the Phillies home.  Critics of this pick will first mention the 'Big Three' as in the starting trio of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.  Halladay alone is why the Phillies will win Game 1 easy, but the Reds will give Oswalt and Hamels some trouble.  Statistically, the Reds are a better offense team than the Phillies in almost all categories.  Also, the Reds should be very tough to beat in Cincinnati, where the fans haven't seen playoff baseball in 15 years and will be filling Great American Ballpark for postseason baseball for the first time.  A capacity crowd could have as big an effect on the opposition as Citizens Bank Park, which has sold out every single home game in 2010.  The Reds only weakness may be starting pitching, but all their starters are capable of giving at least a mediocre start and eating up six innings.

ATL vs. SF: SF in 3
Bobby Cox won't be too happy if his Braves get swept out of the playoffs to end his career.  I think it will happen, though, with the way the Giants have played lately.  AT&T Park hasn't seen playoffs since 2003 and it was a big, loud home crowd in the 2002 World Series, just like they were on the last game of the season to win the NL West.  The Giants start Tim Lincecum against Derek Lowe, Matt Cain against Tommy Hanson, and Jonathan Sanchez against Tim Hudson.  While all are intriguing matchups, they are also mostly even considering Derek Lowe's hot streak in September (5-0) and Jonathan Sanchez's last start against the Padres.  The fact is, the Braves are roughed up right now.  The Braves lost Chipper Jones and Martin Prado for the rest of the season, and those two guys take a big hit to the depth.  Derrek Lee will be my difference maker in this series as if he can add his power bat with a high average as he did with the Cubs in 2007 and 2008 in the playoffs then the Braves might do alright offensively.  The Giants don't have a great offense either but they have more momentum heading in.  San Fran has four big potential 20 HR bats in Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey, Pat Burrell, and Juan Uribe.  Pitching should not be a concern for the Giants who have a tremendous bullpen topped out by Brian Wilson at closer.

Road Trip Wrapup: San Diego, Houston

Record: 5-2
Final Record: 75-87 (End of Season)
Games Behind First: 16 GB (Eliminated from Playoff Contention)

After a disappointing homestand to end the year, the Cubs went right back to their winning ways on the road.  The season ended on a big positive as these two series again showed how the Cubs learned to win with pitching.  Carlos Zambrano started on Monday night in San Diego to kick off the road trip.  Matching up against Tim Stauffer, both threw zeros until Stauffer allowed an RBI single to Blake DeWitt for the only run of the game.  Zambrano went seven giving way to Sean Marshall who struck out two with no baserunners in his inning, leaving it up to Carlos Marmol.  Despite a walk and hit allowed, Marmol also struck out two to help him escape with save #35 on the season.  With the loss the Padres moved out of the wild card lead, giving it up to Atlanta.  The Cubs wouldn't make it any easier on them.  Mat Latos and Ryan Dempster blanked their respective opponents through four until Kosuke Fukudome doubled home a run and Starlin Castro reached base on an infield single driving in a run.  Dempster would give those runs right back to Nick Hundley who hit a two-run homer.  Latos would give up a two-run homer himself the very next half inning to Alfonso Soriano to give the Cubs the lead once again.  In the 8th Soriano homered again, a multi-homer game for his last homers of the 2010.  Marmol, with a nice three run lead, got his 36th save.  The Padres salvaged one game the next night to stay two games back in the NL West race, but it appeared to be very slim playoff chances for them at the time.  The Cubs were blanked by Chris Young and others, Young making his first start since early in the season.  The Padres got three off Randy Wells who finished the season 8-14.  Tom Gorzelanny blanked the Pads through six in his last start so did Jon Garland in his.  The game amazingly remained scoreless until the 9th when rookie Brad Snyder hit an opposite field single to take the lead, 1-0, off All-Star closer Heath Bell.  Bell got the loss and Marmol got the save, again.  The Padres managed only three singles in the entire game.  First baseman Adrian Gonzalez said postgame about the offense, "Man, it just hasn't been very good," understanding that he himself being a key part of the offense has not done enough as the Padres neared elimination.

The Houston Astros have been eliminated from playoff contention for quite a while, so there was no risk of being eliminated in this series.  Casey Coleman got the start in the opener and helped himself with an RBI double, although the Cubs wouldn't even need that run.  Welington Castillo's RBI double in the 2nd inning (everybody watch how well this kid swings the bat here) was the only run that mattered.  Marmol, again, got the save.  Marmol recorded his 38th and last save on this night, having saved all of the Cubs four wins on the trip so far.  The Cubs lit up J.A. Happ so they wouldn't need Marmol, after Marlon Byrd knocked in three and Aramis Ramirez topped it all off with a grand slam making it 8-0.  Zambrano finished his season with eight straight wins to go 11-6.  He was flawless until the seventh, when the Astros got three for their only runs.  The Cubs finished their season with a 4-0 shutout loss as Nelson Figueroa gave the Astros a great outing hoping to get a job next year.  Ryan Dempster got a tough luck loss allowing all four runs, most notably a Carlos Lee blast into the Crawford boxes in left.  Sam Fuld struck out looking to end the 2010 Cubs season on a fastball from Brandon Lyon, pretty pathetic if you ask me.  A good ending overall for both of these clubs, they finished just a game apart in the standings.  With that, the 2010 Major League Baseball season for the Cubs and Astros came to a close.

The Cubs season is now over with 75 wins, which is much more than it looked like they would have for most of the year.  Yet another solid road trip for these Cubbies.  I'm proud of how the team has played the last month and a half, but there is still a ton of work to do before we have a winner.  For complete season ending coverage on the Cubs, log on to see the final 2010 In Review post, a jumbo post that will come out after the end of the World Series.  For now here on the Cubs Insider blog, however, it's the postseason!  Come on back for playoff coverage all October.

The 2011 Schedule!

The 2011 schedule came out a week or so ago and the Cubs have some big games on the schedule.  I love when the new schedule is released, this is big for me.  The first thing one notices about it is that it starts on a Friday, something new.  I applaud Major League Baseball for this move as it will certainly draw more revenue for the teams in the second and third games of the year.  Luckily, the Cubs open at home against Pittsburgh and will see the benefits of this in the first year.  As always, the Cubbies will open at 1:20 in the afternoon on April 1st.  After three against Pittsburgh, Arizona comes in for three.  The first road trip of the year is to Milwaukee, Houston, and Colorado.  In April we play 18 of our 27 games against the NL West, the most competitive division in baseball.

Highlights:
-For the first time since the 1918 World Series, the Cubs will play at Fenway Park.  On May 20-22, a weekend, the Cubs kickoff interleague play against the Red Sox.  Fenway Park and the Oakland Coliseum are the only remaining AL stadiums the Cubs have not yet played at through interleague play.  The Red Sox came to Wrigley Field in 2003 and every other AL team has played at Wrigley Field, with the Angels doing so for the first time this summer.
-The Yankees come to Wrigley June 17-19 also for the first time since 2003.  The Cubs won two of three then in huge games with fans everywhere.  This is the first time the Cubs have played the Yankees since 2005 at Yankee Stadium when the Cubs were swept.
-The Cubs play the White Sox six times as usual.  They play at the Cell June 20-22 and at Wrigley as both teams close interleague play July 1-3.  The series at the Cell is in the middle of the week, but the Wrigley series is on the weekend.
-Like mentioned before, the Cubs open April 1 against Pittsburgh at 1:20 PM.  They open at home for only the second time in 12 years.  I like it, though.  Our fans get the first look at the team.
-As they have in recent years, the Cubs start the second half with a 10 game homestand this time against Florida, Philadelphia, and Houston.  This is followed by a 10 game road trip to Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh.
-The Cubs end the season with a road trip to St. Louis and San Diego.  The last homestand is against Houston and Milwaukee.

2011 Cubs Schedule
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=chc&m=4&y=2011