Cubs ready to play regardless of opponent
CINCINNATI -- Only Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramirez and Kerry Wood remain from the 2003 Cubs team that lost to Florida in the NLCS after coming within five outs of going to the World Series in Game 6.
But that doesn't mean the Cubs will be without playoff experience when they open the NLDS on Wednesday at either Arizona, New York or Philadelphia depending on what happens today among those three teams.
"We just feel good about getting in," said manager Lou Piniella. "Whoever we play in the first round, we'll be ready to play and looking forward to the challenge."
The Cubs were 2-4 against Arizona this season, 3-4 vs. Philadelphia and 2-5 vs. the Mets.
Derrek Lee was on that Marlins club that won the World Series in '03. Alfonso Soriano played in two World Series with the Yankees, including the one against Florida. Jason Marquis has pitched in two World Series games for the Cardinals.
The list goes on as 18 Cubs have some sort of postseason experience, not to mention the fact Piniella won a world championship with the Reds in 1990.
"It helps to have experience, but we might play a team with a lot of guys with playoff experience too," Ramirez said. "You've just got to go out and get it done."
Zambrano will start Game 1 of the NLDS, and it will be his fourth postseason start. He went 0-1 with 2 no-decisions in 2003.
"I would like to think it's just another game and to go out and have fun and whatever happens, happens," Zambrano said. "I just want to go out and throw my game."
The danger whenever Zambrano pitches is for him to be too keyed up, and in the playoffs the emotions go up for everyone. Zambrano said he has worked in his last two starts to relax more, and it has paid off in 2 wins and 13 straight scoreless innings.
"I will do the same thing I've been doing my last two starts -- be aggressive but at the same time be calm and just make my pitches and get ahead in the count all the time," Zambrano said.
Ted Lilly will start Game 2 on Thursday followed to the mound by Rich Hill in Game 3 at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Marquis might or might not start Game 4, according to Piniella.
The only Cubs without playoff experience that play regularly or semi-regularly are Ryan Theriot and Matt Murton. Pitchers Hill, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall and Michael Wuertz never have thrown in the postseason.
"I would tell them to just relax, it's just like another game," Ramirez said. "If you try to do too much and put pressure on yourself, you won't accomplish anything."
Soriano has this advice for those teammates new to the playoffs.
"Every play counts, every strike, every ball, every play," Soriano said. "It's a short series. It's not like a 162-game season."
Playing the Diamondbacks would offer Soriano the chance for some payback satisfaction from 2001 when Arizona beat his Yankees in that memorable seven-game World Series.
"Every team that goes to the playoffs is a very good team," Soriano said. "Maybe we'll have a chance to play Arizona, but whoever it is, I have to play good."
Ramirez says to throw out the window the Cubs' combined 7-13 record against the Diamondbacks, Phillies and Mets. The teams that pitch the best now will advance.
"Good pitching stops good hitting, so I don't think a great offense is going to take you deep into the postseason," Ramirez said. "You've got to pitch to go deep into the postseason.
"You're going to face everyone's No. 1 starter or No. 2 starter. You won't face a No. 4 or No. 5 starer. You're going to face quality guys that are in the postseason for a reason. That's why I think you've got to play small ball and smart ball."