Dempster named Opening Day starter

[love_that_reefer]

Ryan Dempster will start on Opening Day for the Cubs.
Cubs manager Mike Quade made the announcement Monday morning at spring training. Dempster, 33, finished 15-12 with a 3.85 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 208 strikeouts last season over 215-plus innings and will again be a valuable fantasy starter this year. He will be followed in the Cubs' rotation by Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza. The final two spots will be claimed by a combination of Randy Wells, James Russell, Carlos Silva or Andrew Cashner.

Zambrano will be pissed but with the way he acted last year, he doesn't deserve the honor. Dempster, Zambrano and Garza make for one solid 1-3 and the Cubs should be an improved ball team over last year's.

[missionhockey21]

Dempster definitely deserves it. He's pitched in whatever role has been needed and has put up some good numbers while doing it. Zambrano, even for the baby he is, couldn't have thought he would get named. Game 1 starters are largely symbolic, outside of playoff situations where they are more strategic. And with what Big Z did last year, he doesn't deserve any anything that would be considered an 'honor.'

[Kingdom]

Go with the most clinically sane one.

[Trendy Bastard]

I don't think Zambrano will care. Especially after him getting destroyed on opening day last year.

[catman]

Really, if the Cubs are a "team", no one should care who gets the opening day start. It is Quade's job to pick the guy he wants to take the ball first.

[Trendy Bastard]

From what I've read, Quade handled the decision way better than Lou ever had. He took all three of them(Z/Demp/Garza) and told them his decision and why. Zambrano was even said to congratulate Dempster and said he was happy for him.