The World Series drought is now 101 years and counting.
Gibsons' Ryan Dempster and the Chicago Cubs were bounced from the post-season party before it really got started as the Los Angeles Dod-gers swept Chicago in the best-of-five National League Divisional series.
The Cubs led the National League Central or shared the lead from May 11 on, clinching the division on Sept. 20, and finished with a record of 97-64 - the most wins for the franchise since 1945, the last year the Cubs reached the World Series.
But the Cubs never lived up to the high expectations put forth by Cubs fans as the Dodgers outplayed them in every facet of the game during the series.
Dempster got the start in game one on Oct. 1 and struggled with control throughout. Leading 2-0 in the fifth inning, Dempster walked the bases loaded. He looked like he would get out of the jam, as he was one strike away from getting the last out, when James Loney hit a 1-2 pitch over the wall in centre for the grand slam that gave the Dodgers a 4-2 lead. The Dodgers padded the lead in the later innings off the Cubs' bullpen and went on to the 7-2 win.
Dempster lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up for runs on four hits, and matched a career high with seven walks.Things didn't get much better for the Cubs the next night in game two, as four critical errors opened up the floodgates as the Dodgers blew out the Cubs 10-3.
The series shifted to California on Saturday night, but the Cubs inability to get a key hit continued to plague them as the Dodgers won 3-1 to sweep the series.
Dempster boldly predicted a championship at the start of spring training, but admitted after the game one start that he just didn't have it that night. Dempster had won 14 games at Wrigley Field and 17 overall."I sure put myself in a tough situation," he said during post-game interviews.
The defence failed in game two, and the offence did little the entire series as the Dodgers outscored them 20-6 in the series.
Dempster is in the final year of his contract with the Cubs and hopes to sign a new deal with the club in the off-season.
Along with other potential roster moves, there's another important issue to address. Tribune Company is still trying to sell the team and Wrigley Field.
The Dodgers advance to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship series that got underway Thursday night.
In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox will square off for the league championship. Tampa beat the Chicago White Sox in four games while Boston beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem, also in four games. The series between the Sox and Rays starts tonight (Friday) in Tampa.
