Confidence in the air for National League's top team

The time for talk may be over, as Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Tuesday.

But that didn't stop Piniella or a few key members of the Cubs from addressing the importance of the business at hand.

After trying and failing to roll that rock over the hill in the 2003 and 2007 postseasons, the Cubs open the National League division series this evening against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field.

And it was a player long thought of as the enemy among the planned keynote speakers.

"I was planning on saying something today or tomorrow," said center fielder Jim Edmonds, a postseason player six times with the hated St. Louis Cardinals.

"We've been talking between a lot of us veterans, and everyone's got different ideas. I think everybody should speak up and input what they think might help, and just go out there and play.

"It's a very delicate situation because you don't want to go up there and speak to people who don't want to listen. Derrek (Lee) and I talked a little bit, and talking to Kerry (Wood) and Demp (Ryan Dempster), we're going to try and figure it out.

"It's really still up in the air, and we still have time to think about it. But this is exciting. We have a great team, and hopefully we play well."

The Cubs were swept out of the NLDS last year by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2003, they suffered excruciating heartbreak after being five outs from the World Series, only to fall in seven games of the championship series to the Florida Marlins.

This club exudes an air of confidence, perhaps because it has the best record in the NL or perhaps because it's opening at home or maybe even because last year's three-and-out left a bitter taste.

It begins playing out today at 5:37 p.m., when Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster takes on the Dodgers' Derek Lowe. For the Cubs, there seems to be a different feeling from last year.

"I think so," said second baseman-outfielder Mark DeRosa. "I think we had to grind so hard last year to get in. We didn't clinch until the last two or three days before the regular season ended. I think it's just a calming effect. We've been here as a group. We've added a lot of nice pieces along the way.

"I feel confident we can get it done. It remains to be seen what happens on the field, but there's an air of confidence about this team, and I think that's a direct reflection on Lou."

Piniella said he had "a little talk with them" before Tuesday's workout and that Lee "said a few good words, too."

"Look, the time for talking is over," Piniella said. "The time to get on the field and perform starts tomorrow. Our club is confident, as I'm sure the Dodgers are, and we're going to go out and play as well as we can, as hard as we can, for as long as we can.

"And that's it. We know what everybody in the city wants, and we're going to try to give it to them."

The Cubs are dealing with the weight of 100 years of having not won a World Series, a weight Piniella says doesn't belong on this team's back.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he doesn't believe for one minute that the Cubs are cursed.

"Cursed?" Torre asked. "You're dealing with a former Yankee manager who had a 3-0 lead against the Red Sox (in 2004), who went on to win the World Series. Sorry."

The Cubs and Dempster will face a Dodgers team that's much improved since they met in May and June. The biggest addition to the Dodgers was slugger Manny Ramirez. The Dodgers have shortstop Rafael Furcal back from injury, and they've pitched well all year.

Dempster predicted a World Series title for the Cubs on the first day of spring training. Like DeRosa, he knows the time now is to win two NL series to get to the World Series.

"I knew the ramifications of saying something like that, but at the same time, I believed it, and I wanted everybody in there to believe it, because we have the talent to do it, we have the ability to do it, and it just comes down to being healthy, being prepared and going out," Dempster said.

"And then when you get that out of the way, it just comes down to executing and playing the same game that we've been playing all year."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=23&type=video&item=16">Cubs fans rally in Chicago </a></li> </ul> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=239402">Quotes, images from Cubs rally </a></li> </ul <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=239413"><b>MIKE IMREM:</b> Piniella just latest not to get it <span class="date"> [10/1/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=239391"><b>BURT CONSTABLE:</b> Manny ain't no Sammy <span class="date"> [10/1/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=239418">Colletti's all about L.A. now<span class="date"> [10/1/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=239421">Piniella, Torre two old pros<span class="date"> [10/1/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=239422">DeRosa says he's ready<span class="date"> [10/1/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=239410">Cubs Question of the Day<span class="date"> [10/1/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=239336">Cubs pick up Piniella's option for 2010<span class="date"> [9/30/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>