Nineteen...

... years ago, something just like today happened to the Cubs.

They had lost four in a row, and despite the fact that they still had a six-game lead, we were worried.

They went to St. Louis on Sept. 21 and lost 8-0. The next day it rained. And rained. And rained, much like it has today in Chicago. At this writing, 5 pm, it is still raining, and appears that it will for at least three or four more hours, making the call to postpone the game the right one. To make players sit around for nine or ten hours, then make them play at 9 at night, isn't right. Better they should rest up at home for the DH tomorrow.

Anyway, the rest of the story from 1984 -- we were even more worried since the 8-0 loss made it five in a row, and doubleheaders do tend to split.

But on Sept. 23, 1984, a gorgeous day in St. Louis, by the way (I was there), the Cubs swept the DH, winning 8-1 and 4-2, and clinching a tie for the division title.

As of now the weather forecast for tomorrow looks OK -- just cloudy, no rain till evening, and so they ought to be able to get the DH in. WGN radio reported that Cubs management is in discussions with MLB for some way to get the game televised, at least in Chicago, since FOX-TV has exclusive rights to the noon-3 pm time period. Perhaps they will find a way to put the game on at least locally; surely that would generate more ratings for Fox-32, the local Fox station, than the Milwaukee/Houston game would.

Count on MLB to do the thing that makes the least sense, though.

It started raining only about 20 minutes to game time, and when it broke at 2:45 we were hoping it would break up long enough to play five innings, but they didn't even take the tarp off the field. Obviously, they knew it was going to start raining again soon, which it did about 3:20, and right now it is still raining hard and is very dark.

This is also the weekend of the Cubs' annual "tent sale", where they sell some game-used jerseys, bats, and other memorabilia and merchandise they want to clear out. They set up the tent near the corner of Addison & Sheffield, near the Harry Caray statue.

Unlike other years, they are restricting the sale to game ticketholders, and you have to enter through the Sheffield Grill inside the park. They are allowing bleacher ticket holders to walk underneath the stands to go to the sale.

We learned the reason for the restriction was that in the past, dealers were lining up to buy the most desirable stuff, clearing it out within the first hour or so, and not leaving anything good for the mass of the general public. So, I think this move made sense, and I did see a couple things I might pick up tomorrow, when they often bring out a bit more merchandise.

When the game was postponed, Wayne Messmer announced that tickets from today would be good "next year" since both remaining games were sold out. That brought loud boos from the remaining crowd. It is the only thing they could do; there was no option to play a split doubleheader tomorrow, since the Cubs have already used up their allotted 18 night games. (Playoff night games do not count against this limit.)

So, a bit wet, we are home to root on the Brewers tonight. I have learned that Wayne Franklin, tonight's Milwaukee starter, has a bit of extra motivation, having been the PTBNL in last year's Mark Loretta deal with the Astros, and having also (in his mind) not been treated well by the Astros organization when he was there.

Good. Whatever it takes. Go Brewers. Keep hope alive (and dry!).