(It's my goal to use song lyrics for the titles throughout the post-season. Caution, I have eclectic music tastes.)
First of all, note the new blog a little ways down the right sidebar: that of the old man himself, Mr. Tony Clark. It'll be cool to get a little inside perspective for what hopes to be a fantastic post-season.
Lots of news again this morning, but I still don't see the official roster for the LDS. I've seen other teams'. I think the deadline is 10am, but I'm like Veruca, and "I want it now!"
Many articles compare different aspects of the Cubs and Diamondbacks - mangers, pitching, power. Two managers, two paths to success is a nice glimpse at who Melvin and Pinella are and a look at their managing styles. The AP has a story on the Webb vs Zambrano match-up, as does MLB.com which discusses aces and underdogs.
Nobody's picking the Dbacks (Republic) in this series, and I for one am glad of that. I think it's more fun to win as the underdog and throw it back at em than to try to live up to expectations. And the Cubs have 99 years of expectations to try and surpass. The Dbacks themselves (MLB.com) relish the underdog role too! There's a really nice story on Jose Valverde and his family (Republic) and the confidence his team has in his closing abilities.
The Dbacks bring a mighty 'pen (MLB.com) to the post-season with them, one that has accounted for 30 of our wins and 51 saves. But we all know how important it is for our offense to step it up (MLB.com) or at least to defy the numbers yet again.
There's a feature from MLB.com on Webb's readiness for Game 1. Also, from the Republic are notes discussing Webb's taste at the playoffs, tonight's starting lineup, and a slight injury to Mark Reynolds. The Republic also has a breakdown of the Cubs' road to the playoffs.
Good news - the O'Dawg can sit in the dugout (Tribune) for this series! There's also a really nice story on how a first baseman, a left fielder, and a second baseman walked into a bar. (Tribune) (Just trust me.)
MLB has worked hard this year to tweak the playoff schedule (AP) so as not to start two games at once or too early for the West Coast. Don't forget that all games are on TBS unless otherwise noted. (Game 4 would be on TNT.)
Oh and if you have some free time between 1 and 1:30 (PT) today, tune in to the Outsider Radio on MVN webcast to hear, at some point, a discussion on the Dbacks. I'll need some feedback! ;)
Tonight. 7pm. Game 1. Webb vs Zambrano. Be there!