Posts tagged ‘C.C. Sabathia’

UPDATE 7/8: Hendry got the message and wasted no time in trading for SP Rich Harden

After recording today’s episode of Cubscast, Sheps, Sneetch and I debated how important homefield advantage was for the World Series this year. Being the wise pessimist that he is, Sheps claimed that there was no way a National League pennant-winning Cubs team would clinch on the road — that it would take at least 6 games.

I just hope his prediction doesn’t refer to home games that ultimately get played at Miller Park.

The Brewers put the league on notice yesterday and today by swinging a deal to get the best pitcher that will be traded during this season, C.C. Sabathia. Don’t tell me his record this season is poor or that he’s having a bad season — he isn’t. Before becoming a Brewer he led the AL in K’s and was 2nd in innings pitched and complete games. Complete games are like 5 for 5 days at the plate. You don’t see it very often at all (the Cubs only had 2 last season), and for me that is the scariest proposition about our rivals landing this guy. He is going to make their bullpen that much more stronger and fresh, and in this division of equally matched teams, I have a hard time predicting that the Brewers won’t overtake the Cubs at some point.

The worst of all would be if the Brewers find a way to resign Sabathia to a long-term deal. It’s unlikely, but so were their decisions to give big payouts to Eric Gagne, Ryan Braun, Jeff Suppan, Mike Cameron, and even Jason Kendall. The Brewers payroll is quickly approaching where the Cubs were a couple seasons before shelling out $300 million after finishing last in ’06.

This team is for real, and all my previous fantasies of the Cubs taking the division on the final day of August are dashed. Three weeks ago, on June 15th, the Cubs won on getaway day in Toronto, reaching 20 games above .500 for the first time in 2008. That same day the Brewers won, putting them 3 games above .500 but still a full 8 games out of first place.

It looked like the Cubs had the division in hand. Now that we assuredly don’t, let’s hope the Cubs can prove to the rest of the league that our hot start wasn’t a fluke, with or without the services of another starting pitcher.