Playoffs?!?! Are You Kiddin' Me?

Looks like the Cubs' coronation has hit a few snags. The cursed Cubbies dropped the first two games of their divisional series to Joe Torre's Dodgers and now the faithful are sitting on pins and needles as the teams head to L.A. for Game Three.

What's interesting to me isn't necessarily that the Dodgers are easily handling the best team in the National League, rather it's the reaction by the fans. In Philadelphia, the fans have been going crazy since the first pitch. In Chicago, it was like they either viewed the first series as a formality or they're waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was through the latter lens that Mets fans watched the final week of the regular seasons. Needless to say, it didn't work out too well for them.

Next theme for the playoffs: Whatever happened to good pitching beating good hitting? Yeah, Cole Hamels and John Lester were great, but established aces Carlos Zambrano, C.C. Sabathia and John Lackey all tasted defeat after nearly immaculate regular season performances.

It's not like they're the only All-Stars to come up lame so far. Vlad Guerrero's baserunning blunder may have cost the Angels a big inning in Game One against the Red Sox. And Alfonso Soriano continues to abide by his unwritten contract that he must swing at every pitch in the dirt. In October, it's small things like that that stack up and bite you.

On the positive side of things, Evan Longoria of the Rays made his bid for Mr. October status with 2 HR in his first 2 AB in a 6-4 win over the White Sox and Manny Ramirez hit another HR last night, his second in the first two games against the Cubs. Speaking of Manny, if you have, oh, three days and four nights, a six-pack of energy drinks, take a look at Bill Simmons' Magnus Opus to Ramirez.

What do you think? Is this legit? Or does it just read like some love letter designed to defend a secret crush? (If you believe it's the former though, you have to explain to me what the first section has to do with anything.)