Top Ten Reasons Why Cubs Fans Should Panic

That was an ugly way to start the postseason.

Ryan Dempster throws a season high seven walks and the Cubs just couldn't get anything going offensively in the late innings.

Time to panic?

Maybe.

Decide for yourself with our Top Ten Reasons Why Cubs Fans Should or Shouldn't Panic.


Top Five Reasons Why Cubs Fans Should Panic

5. Dodger Stadium

The stadium you're playing in can make the difference in a series.

Dodger Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in baseball and the Cubs will have to win at least one to keep their season alive.

Here's how Baseball-Statistics.com describes it:

"The dimensions of the park don't look too bad in straightaway center (395 ft) or in the corners (335 ft), Dodger Stadium is one of the best pitcher's parks in the game because of it's gruesome power alleys. At 385 ft, they are simply graveyards for flyballs, especially at night - the ocean is just 20 miles away, and the cold, damp night air hangs heavy and holds balls up.

"Dodger Stadium has the lowest triple factor in the majors, in part because of the depth of the alleys but also because of the symmetrical walls with no odd corners. In addition, there is plenty of foul territory so that foul pops that would be in the seats elsewhere are caught for outs."

Yikes.

4. Dodgers Bullpen

We'll let Zach Martin explain this one for you.

This is from our Top Ten Cubs/Dodgers position matchups list on Tuesday.

"The Dodger bullpen has been flat out nasty this year. They are second in ERA, walks given up and are first in strikeouts, AVG against, SLG against, OBP against, blah, blah, blah. They are fucking sick. If the Cubs fall down early in games it WILL be hard to come back."

3. Alfonso Soriano

0-for-5 in Game One

Soriano looked absolutely clueless in the Cubs series against the Diamondbacks last season.

And if last night was any indication, you can expect the trend to continue.

To watch him swing away like he's taking meaningless BP before the game makes you wonder if he'll ever be able to deliver consistently in the postseason.

Everyone knows that when Soriano is hot he can carry a team on his back.

But what if it happens too late or never happens it all?

2. Manny Ramirez is UNSTOPPABLE right now

Any Cubs pitcher on the staff that watches the replay of Manny's homerun off of Shawn Marshall should walk away scared to the bone.

That was a damn good pitch and Manny bombed into the Wrigley night sky.

He went into the playoffs on an absolute tear and doesn't like he plans on slowing down anytime soon.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

1. 24 out of the last 28 times, the winner of Game One won the series

They flashed this up on the screen towards the end of the game last night and it's got to make Cubs fans everywhere just sick to their stomach.

There are always exceptions to the rule (see Red Sox down 0-3 to the Yankees), but more often than not history tends to repeat itself in situations like this.

The weight of expectations can crush even the greatest teams and the Cubs looked absolutely stunned when James Loney hit the grand slam off of Dempster. They got punched in the mouth and did nothing to try and fight back.

But the Cubs have nothing but history standing in the way of their World Series dreams. To a team that hasn't won a World Series in 100 years, a stat like this may not even mean anything.


Top Five Reasons Why Cubs Fans Shouldn't Panic

5. 'The Sod Father'
Roger Bossard

Five of the last seven World Series champs played on fields that Roger Bossard himself installed.

The White Sox, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Cardinals all owe a debt of gratitude to the 'Sodfather' and for all of you Cubs fans, pray some of that magic dust rubbed off on Wrigley this summer.

Because Bossard was the mastermind behind the project to redo Wrigley's playing surface.

It couldn't hurt right?

4. Rich Harden - Game Three Starter

While it may seem like Harden struggled down the stretch, know that he hasn't lost a game since July 21.

Know that on the road batters are hitting a measly .191 against him.

Harden is used to pitching on the West Coast and the Cubs will need a HUGE performance from him in their first game in LA.

3. Cubs Offense Can't Do Any Worse

Let's be realistic.

That's probably the worst you'll ever see this Cubs lineup swing the bat.

They led the league in most runs scored and more importantly, in OPS (ZDubs can't disagree with me now!) in the regular season. With a variety of ways to produce bunches of runs, it's only a matter of time before they figure out what made them so succesful during the regular season.

If the Cubs don't score at least five runs in at least three of the next four games I'll eat all the crow you can find.

2. The Friendly Confines

Being 29 games over .500 certainly isn't a fluke.

The Cubs may have technically lost the advantage of playing in Wrigley after last night's loss.

But Game 5 will be played in the Friendly Confines, giving the Cubs a huge advantage if this series goes the distance.

That place would be an absolute madhouse from start to finish.

1. Carlos Zambrano - Game Two Starter

Cubs fans, ask yourself one question.

At the beginning of the season, if I asked you to choose one Cubs pitcher to take the bump in the biggest game of the year, who would you have said?

Dempster?

Nope.

Harden?

Wasn't here.

Lilly?

Um, no.

That's right, the pitcher who 98% of Chicago considered to be the Cubs ace, Carlos Zambrano.

Yes, he is the biggest head case in baseball capable of blowing up at any given time.

But he's still one hell of a pitcher that delivers more often than not.

And in a MUST-WIN Game 2 tomorrow night, I'm not sure you'd want anyone else besides Z.