Catching the Cards

Time to talk about something many of us thought was entirely impossible, or at the least ridiculously improbable - catching the Cardinals and winning the NL Central.  Just a few days ago, many of us believed that it couldn't be done (despite the fact that it was only May).  The Cubs season looked like a train wreck, the Cards looked invincible, and we seemed destined to fall out of contention.  Even the optimists were only talking Wild Card run.

What a difference a winning streak can make.  It's especially sweet when most of it is done on the road.  The naysayers will point out that three of those games were against the Rockies, and that the Dodgers haven't exactly been playing their best baseball lately either.  But the truth is that these are precisely the type of teams the Cubs couldn't beat consistently last year, so impressive performances against them now are welcome.  

Further fueling hopes of a comeback in the division is the Cubs resurgent offense.  Sure, there have been some solo homers, and some one-run squeakers.  But generally, the team has been hitting well.  We all know about the heroics of D.Lee and Neifi!, but Ramirez (barring further injury), Burnitz, and Walker seem to be rounding into form as well.  

Our pitching still scares me, but hopefully the make-shift staff can tread water until Wood and Prior return.  The pen seems to be performing much better, with Dempster stepping up to the closer's role and the cloud of foreboding that was LaTroy Hawkins gone.  

As for the team we are chasing, they are good.  But they aren't the same team as last year, and they are beatable.  We shouldn't lend them any Yankee-like aura of invicibility or awe.  We can take these guys - and the first step in doing so is believing it.

So, catch the Cardinals?  I think the Cubbies can do it.  If they are still around 5-6 back at the All-Star break, I'll still be optimistic.  What made it so difficult to even consider catching them last year was the fact that we'd already exhausted all our games against them.  This time, we will control our own destiny in the second half of the season if we can stay close throughout the first half.  

So, what's your take?  Take the poll.