Chicago Cubs Baseball

The wait is over.  The Chicago Cubs starting rotation has been set for the upcoming NLDS playoffs.

Well, kind of. Sort of.  Maybe.

Less than one day after announcing what everyone in Cubdom assumed would be his playoff rotation , Cubs manager Lou Piniella pulled a flip flop that even would make John McCain smile. Which given McCain’s temperament in last night’s debate is quite an accomplishment.

Piniella’s Plan A came Friday when he set staff ace Ryan Dempster as the Game One starter, followed by the consistent Ted Lilly for Game Two.  Carlos Zambrano would get the the call in Game Three with Rich Harden set for Game Four, if necessary.

At face value it seemed like a reasonable approach.  Dempster has been by far the most consistent of the Cubs’ starters and has earned the spot as the staff ace.  Lilly, meanwhile, can be a bulldog on the mound, reminiscent of Greg Maddux, when he isn’t melting down like Game Two of last year’s NLDS.

Which brings us to today, and Lou’s Plan B. Dempster remains the starter for Game One, but from that point forward the similarities end - and quickly.  Lilly has been pushed back to the fourth slot, while Zambrano and Harden will take the ball in Games Two and Three, respectively.

Huh?

”I think before I announced anything, I said that I had confidence in all four of my starters,” Piniella said. ”All games are equally important. We chose to go this way.”

“This way” the placing of his two most unpredictable pitchers in the pivotal games of a short series.  No-hitter aside, Zambrano has been worth anything but his $15 million yearly salary this season.  Erratic, inconsistent and emotionally atom bomb at times, Zambrano has been the least consistent of the aforementioned.

Harden’s unpredictability rests solely on his health - and at times his control.  An ace in the hole? Definitely.   The Game Three starter?  Questionable.

I can think of two reasons for Piniella’s decisions.  And if Lou is right - as he has often been - it will be a masterful move for Chicago Cubs baseball.

First, I think Lou understands fully the precarious  edge to Zambrano’s emotional nature and equally abundant ego.  Moving Big Z up a game not only placates his enormous ego, but also gives the Cubs the best chance of getting Zambrano’s best.

Secondly, the way New York is continuing their meltdown, Piniella has to assume that Milwaukee will likely be the Cubs first-round opponent.  Neither Harden nor Zambrano will have pitched in this season-ending series, giving the Chicago Cubs the freshest arms and Milwaukee batters the longer looks between staffs.

But like any managerial move, it’s only brilliant if it works.  We’ve believed in Chicago Cubs baseball all season long.  Now it’s Cubdom’s turn to believe in Lou.