Ryan Dempster admits Cubs were not "prepared" for the playoffs (via Paul Sullivan with the Tribune).
"I think sometimes we almost expected it, go out there and play hard and we're good enough and just expect it to happen, and we'll win this series and then the next one and all the excitement will happen once we get to the World Series," he said. "Maybe L.A. was just a little more prepared for us than we were for them."
Is this Lou's fault? Weren't the Cubs in the playoffs the previous year? Weren't they swept then too? Weren't you on that team, Dempster? This isn't rocket science, it's playoff baseball... why does everyone else get it but the Cubs?
"Maybe we underestimated how prepared you have to be, how ready you have to be, especially in a five-game series," Dempster said. "It's like a short heavyweight bout. Ding, the bell is ringing, you've got to go."
Have you got it figured out now, Dempster? Good to go next year? You were the Game 1 starter; who else was supposed to be "ready at the bell" to be prepared?
What I think Dempster's really saying... Lou shouldn't have rested the bats the final games of the season, and the bats weren't "prepared" for the playoffs. Who gave up SEVEN walks to the Dodgers? THAT WAS YOU, Ryan, no one else. You had a bad game, everyone has them, but don't go blaming the manager. Lou has a ring, you don't. All the bats were quiet, all the pitching was brutal, and --in my opinion-- playing the Brewers hard the last couple games of the season wouldn't have changed all that.
Dempster started Game 1 in Chicago against the Dodgers and got the loss, pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up 4 earned runs (on a Grand Slam to James Loney), 4 hits and 7 walks against 2 K's for a 7.71 ERA.
