Who The Heck Are We Fooling?

Yes, the Cubs are still two games in first place. But after another display of offensive impotence in today's quick (2 hour, 5 minute) 2-0 loss to the Cardinals, I wonder how long we can keep fooling ourselves into thinking we can make the playoffs as the team is currently constituted.

The Cubs clearly miss Sammy Sosa. Indications are that he might be ready to come off the DL when he's eligible to, this Saturday. That'd be great, since he always hits well in Enr -- er, Minute Maid Field, the Juice Box. The club needs his bat; the lineup as currently set is ice-cold. It didn't help running up against Matt Morris, the Cards' best pitcher today.

Still, Carlos Zambrano matched him pretty much pitch for pitch, encouraging news. Between him, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the club has three guys who go out and shut the opposition down almost every start. But again, defense did the pitching staff in; the club's twelfth pitcher error (I misspoke earlier when I said it was already more than all of last year -- it's not. Last year's staff had 13, not 11, though this year's club is well on the way to breaking that dubious mark), an ill-advised throw by Zambrano on a bunt, led to the Cardinals' first, unearned, run. Kyle Farnsworth gave up a long home run later, but that didn't matter -- the Cubs weren't going to score off Morris today anyway.

I'm going to continue my soapbox of "GET RID OF TOM GOODWIN, HE'S USELESS" until someone does something. He pinch-hit again today; at least he hit the ball this time (flying out) instead of striking out. He's 5-for-33 with no walks. C'mon, Jim Hendry. Talk to Dusty. Tell him this move didn't work.

I got better news today when I balanced my checkbook; I had inadvertently entered the wrong amount for an automatic payment last month and discovered I actually had a significant amount of money in my account, more than I thought. Cool news to end this gloomy weather and baseball day.