That's what the Chicago Cubs and outlandishly expensive pitcher Jon Lester got last night in New York against the Mets --- a team many of you thought would be a pushover, leading to a Chi-Town sweep, or even a five-game cakewalk series win.
Tonight, it's Cy-Young worthy righty Jake Arrieta's turn, fresh off a historic August and September that bolstered talk of this team's first possible World Series crown in over a century.
But a few things have me concerned. The first was the Party-Like-A-Rockstar attitude from the boys in blue after eliminating their arch rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, in the NLDS.
The excitement, while understandable given the Cubs' past, was excessive. I know manager Joe Maddon is on-record saying his team should celebrate every win.
Just not to the degree it was taken to.
When I see photos splattered all over Twitter and Facebook of slugger Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber posing for selfies with scantily-clad blondes and brunettes for days after eliminating the Cards, it raises a red flag.
Now is not the time for such distractions, young men. Now is the time for making history, for curse-busting. And it's time for this team to realize there's no time like the present to mature.
I'm not trying to be a buzzkill. I'm just being a realist.
The Mets are no slouches, and are probably the most underrated team to make the postseason. They are the epitome of a team with solid pitching, timely hitting and fundamentals galore. You don't luck your way into beating a team like that by riding the coattails of your previous series wins. You do so by working your ass off and playing smart, fundamental baseball.
The Cubs looked like a team that was a deer in headlights last night. Even Joe Maddon looked flat, almost dejected and freezing cold in the visitors' dugout.
I noticed a number of key things:
1. Lester was not Lester-like. On the two homers he allowed, AND the RBI single on 0-2 to Granderson, he left pitches right over the heart of the plate. On the second homer, his pitch speed was a mere 87 MPH and a fastball. Is his arm hurting? He should be in the low 90s. Too many two-strike mistakes, and location mistakes.
2. Sending Starlin Castro...on the best outfield arm in baseball in Cespedes. Bad, bad, bad.
3. Kyle Schwarber's inability to throw out a runner at home on a 260-foot fly ball. Montero should get a little bit of blame for lining up behind home plate instead of in front of it, but that play NEVER would've been so close if Schwarber hadn't taken his sweet time catching, winding up and getting rid of the ball. His strong arm made the play close, but that guy would've been out by a mile with some basic fundamentals.
4. Poor hitting approaches and a lack of adjustments by Cubs hitters. Harvey was dealing fastballs on the outer half of the plate all night. Yet were the Cubs trying to go to right field? Not often. I saw a lot of big home-run swings and an unwillingness to modify approaches toward what Harvey was throwing. Veteran, experienced teams make these adjustments. The Cubs need to grow up fast and realize this.
5. Small mistakes. Bryant's dropped double play ball late cost the Cubs a run. And while no one play makes an entire game, those mistakes add up.
The good news is, Arrieta is on the hill tonight, but it still won't be easy. If the Cubs can win this evening then go to Wrigley for three, I like their chances. If they lose, I think they are in big...check that --- huge, trouble. They might be already, because their next two starters after Arrieta aren't nearly as skilled.
The bottom line is, if the Cubs want to make history, they're going to have to battle harder than this to do so. And remain lazer focused. Being aware of things going on in-game and adjusting to them is by far the biggest key to them winning.
Let's hope this young team matures quickly and realizes everything they've done prior to this doesn't mean squat. Only how they react tonight does. The Cubs looked their youthful ages last night, but thus far, they've reacted well to every bit of adversity thrown their way like champions.
The difference now is, tonight, they absolutely have to.
I noticed a number of key things:
1. Lester was not Lester-like. On the two homers he allowed, AND the RBI single on 0-2 to Granderson, he left pitches right over the heart of the plate. On the second homer, his pitch speed was a mere 87 MPH and a fastball. Is his arm hurting? He should be in the low 90s. Too many two-strike mistakes, and location mistakes.
2. Sending Starlin Castro...on the best outfield arm in baseball in Cespedes. Bad, bad, bad.
3. Kyle Schwarber's inability to throw out a runner at home on a 260-foot fly ball. Montero should get a little bit of blame for lining up behind home plate instead of in front of it, but that play NEVER would've been so close if Schwarber hadn't taken his sweet time catching, winding up and getting rid of the ball. His strong arm made the play close, but that guy would've been out by a mile with some basic fundamentals.
4. Poor hitting approaches and a lack of adjustments by Cubs hitters. Harvey was dealing fastballs on the outer half of the plate all night. Yet were the Cubs trying to go to right field? Not often. I saw a lot of big home-run swings and an unwillingness to modify approaches toward what Harvey was throwing. Veteran, experienced teams make these adjustments. The Cubs need to grow up fast and realize this.
5. Small mistakes. Bryant's dropped double play ball late cost the Cubs a run. And while no one play makes an entire game, those mistakes add up.
The good news is, Arrieta is on the hill tonight, but it still won't be easy. If the Cubs can win this evening then go to Wrigley for three, I like their chances. If they lose, I think they are in big...check that --- huge, trouble. They might be already, because their next two starters after Arrieta aren't nearly as skilled.
The bottom line is, if the Cubs want to make history, they're going to have to battle harder than this to do so. And remain lazer focused. Being aware of things going on in-game and adjusting to them is by far the biggest key to them winning.
Let's hope this young team matures quickly and realizes everything they've done prior to this doesn't mean squat. Only how they react tonight does. The Cubs looked their youthful ages last night, but thus far, they've reacted well to every bit of adversity thrown their way like champions.
The difference now is, tonight, they absolutely have to.
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