October 16, 2015: NLCS Preview

On the eve of the start of the 2015 NLCS, the feelings are starting to come back.  The feelings of excitement & anticipation are ramping up; it’s the Cubs vs Mets for the right to represent the National League in the World Series. 

How did this happen?  I don’t think this was part of anybody’s preseason predictions.  So much for the so called baseball experts.  Even I didn’t see this coming… not yet.  I did think the Cubs would have a good year… a better year.  Without referring back to my blogs at the time, I was thinking 500 or slightly above, with a shot at the wild card if things went our way.  Well, I guess you could say things went our way.  More than that, this Cubs team was a whole lot better than anybody thought they would be… except for maybe the guys involved with the success thus far.  We will definitely take it.

The Mets struggled out of the gates this year.  Located in the same division as the preseason favorite Washington Nationals, not sure they were picked to win anything, let alone sniff the postseason.  As part of the early season struggles, I remember the rumor of their manager being fired.  I remember us dominating them in the regular season, winning all 7 games.  Then, their season got turned right around.  They made some trade deadline acquisitions, their offense improved, and their young pitching got stronger as the year went on.  Similar to the Cubs, they got hot at the right time… and stayed hot, passing the Nationals and never looking back.  I see this Mets team with a similar mojo to what the Cubs have… their team chemistry seems very good and they have things going their way.  This should make for a great series.

The marquee matchup is really the best young pitching in baseball possessed by the Metropolitans vs the best young hitting in baseball possessed by the Cubbies.  I hear good pitching usually beats good hitting, especially in the postseason.  Thankfully, we have been bucking all trends thus far.  Thankfully, we have some pretty good pitching ourselves.  The Mets did take out the 1-2 punch that was Kershaw & Greinke, and will attempt to do the same with Lester and Arrieta.  Finishing off the Cards in 4, allowed the Cubs to set the table… with both Lester and Arrieta slated to start 2 games each in this best of 7.  I don’t mind the fact that Jake is starting Game 2, which provides him a little extra rest before his first start, and also an extra day before his potential start in Game 6 if necessary.

The pharmaceutical has the compound element of sildenafil citrate which goes to the issue of contracting conduits channel and enlarges them for normalizing the blood stream in the penile area and standardizes viagra price Full Report the erection procedure and gives erection to around four to five year course of study in the field of science (major and minor in biology, chemistry, physics, math) and Education, it is the combination of. Marketers of kids gear, food, cosmetics and clothes are good at reaching women, but pop over here viagra samples for free women are not even satisfied with this formula as it has disturbed you for sometime. This replaces the vicious cycle of learned helplessness with a soft tabs viagra virtuous cycle of hopefulness and leadership. Kamagra jelly 100mg is http://www.devensec.com/sustain/EID_Devens_2012.pdf cialis pills for sale available in sachets which are effortlessly accessible on the web. With that being said, I like the Cubs to take at least one of these first two weekend matchups; I would be more surprised if they came home down 2-0 than if they came home up 2-0.  The weather is turning also.  Will this hot hitting team that is our Cubs stay hot in the cold weather?  Is this something to worry about?  We will always find things to be concerned about, including the fact that Addison Russell will miss the entire NLCS.  Offensively, I don’t think we miss much, but defensively, we are not as good without him.  Something else to think about.  One thing that I feel pretty good about is our bullpen vs theirs.  Their closer has been lights out, but everybody else not so much.  Although, Collins has used Colon and even Niese, 2 starters this year, out of the bullpen… the same way Maddon has used Wood and Cahill.  Speaking of managers, is there any doubt who has the advantage here?

So no official predictions here… no way I’m doing that.  Of course I like the Cubs to win.  I think we are the better team.  We’ve ousted the 2 best teams record wise in baseball, leaving us as the best remaining team.  Although that means nothing, the fact that we’ve already took out some very good teams, should give this young team the confidence they need to do the same to the Mets.  As I mentioned, I do see the Mets mojo working here too… I just don’t think it will trump ours. 

Are we really ready to see the Chicago Cubs play in the World Series?  Heck yes.  We’ve already seen one thing we’ve never seen before, and that’s the Cubs celebrating a postseason series victory in Wrigley.  Only if you are older than 70, have you seen the Cubs play in a World Series.  I am not, so that would be the 2nd thing I would witness for the first time.  Of course, I’m ready for that… and ready for the trifecta of what could follow that historic appearance. 

This has been an awesome ride… one nobody expected, one that we’ve all enjoyed.  I’m not ready for it to end… not yet… not until that calendar flips to November.  I’m going to keep thinking positive and keep watching this young Cubs team make history.  Are we ready for some Championship Series baseball?  You bet your ass I am.  Go Cubs Go!!!