The article I read saying the NLDS rotation would be Zambrano, Dempster and Lilly.

I hope that’s only if the Cubs don’t clinch by the last weekend . . . Harden not being in the top 3 is ludicrous.

What is disturbing is the errors, walking batters and not hitting with runners in scoring position.
 One good thing is the Brewers go to Philly for four.

was pretty humiliating, maybe what they ultimately needed.

Also, I broke bad on the Bears yesterday. I like crow with hot sauce;)

a spark to ignite this team and it is named the St. Louis Cardinals. Hopefully Lou and our boys in blue remember this is the rivalry of the century and play accordingly. If the Cubs can’t get up for the evil Cardinals, who can we get up for? No time like the present to get back to winning.

Only 3 teams have lost 6 games in a row during the regular season and gone on to win the WS. Al mentioned 2 of them, the 2006 Cardinals and the 2000 Yankees. I forgot who the 3rd team was.

Take it for whatever it’s worth.

of the late season woes of those WS winning teams. If this year’s Cubs were the Yankees, the Yankees’ fans wouldn’t feel like the ship is sinking, simply a bump in the road on the path of winning yet another Series. We as Cubs fans have only seen and felt frustration and heartbreak in our lifetimes because of the 100 year drought. In our hearts, we know this team is better than any of the past contenders, and if we play to our potential in the playoffs, WS bound. We are used to seeing failure and lost chances late in seasons and in post seasons. This year has to be the breakthrough year, or it will only intensify the feelings we have for most of us.

The Rays and thre Diamondbacks are in a losing stretch right now.

What is disconcerting to me is how lethargic and burnt out this team appears. Lou Piniella utilizes his 25 man roster about as good as anybody, so I’m not sure why so many butts are dragging on this team.

What conerns me the most about the postseason is our pitching. If Harden is not in a position to serve as ace and Zambrano is much less than 100% then it will be first round exit guaranteed. I also think our bullpen is in a fragile state right now. Kerry Wood in a pressure packed tight ballgame that defines playoff baseball? Chad Gaudin with a bad back that doesn’t appear to be getting any better? The possibility of going with two raw young pitchers in Jeff Spellcheck and Angel Guzman on the post-season roster? Neal Cotts reverting back to his crappy and inconsistent ways?

The optimism is appreciated!

I think this team will be fine, though we can’t expect near perfect performances by Chris Young everyday to sustain this.

What struggles? Last week is so…last week. Let’s move on.

Thanks though Al, for being a constant voice of reason and sense.

just got back on the lap top, and word on more call ups with Iowa being done ???

just annoyed by this stumble. Watching the Cedeno play makes me sick, till tomorrow.

In 2007, the Cubs only went 2-5 from Sept. 3-9. The Cubs got swept by that team below Georgia in 3-game series Sept. 25-27. The Cubs still won the division.

I’m looking for 10-9 record overall down the stretch win a 3-3 record against Milwaukee to clinch the division.

The Cardinals were overachievers all season long but are now clearly out of it. But they don’t like the Cubs and will be jacked to piss on our parade these three games. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we see tempers flare.

…I guess I will go ahead and pay for my post-season tickets since payment is due today, maybe that will reverse the slump we are in.

be mandatory reading for every Cub fan. I just can’t imagine going through life expecting the worse at every turn.

but for a minute there I thought I saw it sagging in the middle.
I think the Stl trip is exactly what this team needs. Division rival, late in the season. This could be the positive turn-around we’ve all been looking for to get this team back on track.

Hearing about all of those other teams makes me feel much better. I can’t wait till they get back on the winning track and we can read some more of that “remember every moment of this season” stuff you like to write. October can’t come soon enough!

Remember the whole quote is " Those who can not remember their past are condemned
to repeat it" I don’t think this is the best idea in light of the Cubs past.

That’s seven different championship teams in the last eight years; every single one of them (including the 2003 Marlins, who I glossed over) struggled in September, but righted the ship once October started.

That’s practically worthy of a conspiracy theory…

They almost completely blew it, yet pretty much TORE through the playoffs.

This year’s Cubs are the team we’ve seen over the long haul. You don’t just lose all ability in a week’s time. Teams evolve over a full season- progressing, regressing and sometimes just treading water.

Teams are never as unbeatable as the appear during a hot streak or a bad as they appear when they slump. Look at the whole picture, not just a small corner if it.

Yep, this past week has been a “downer” Debbie. But it isn’t representative of the “whole”. The Cubs still lead the majors in wins (admittedly with the L.A Angels) and lead all of the NL by four games and the wild card by eight.

Frankly my only beef today is that we don’t get to play a game. I want the Cubs back out on the field as soon as possible and posting a win against the Cardinals.

Faith has several meanings, among them: “confidence or trust in a person or thing”, “belief that is not based on proof”, and “the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc., and the observance of this obligation”. Ya gotta have faith folks and think positively.

The Cubs will win the division and make us all proud in the playoffs.

Its been a while since I decided to write on here, let alone read it. It is so negative, so disturbing and everyone is tilting further and further to the edge…. and well, we all have the right to feel that way cause I am with the rest of you. But I decided to come on today to see how things are, and decided not to read the comments in the thread, but I did read Als “Remembering the Past” and I am very thankful for it. It made me feel alot better, this crap happens, although we all would prefer the Cubbies to remain playing how they were. Maybe some team in the future can look at the list of the past championship teams and see the Cubs on there where we lost 7 of our last 8 and still pulled it off!!!! O man o man, this rollercoaster is a doosey

This guy…

Big Z pitches his ass off, to the point of blowing out his arm, and we pretty much lose him forever.

BUT

Because of that effort, the Cubs win it ALL this year.

Would you take that offer?

Based on the fact that I am living in Houston and due to an administrative error my insurance policy got cancelled and I am without property coverage for the next few weeks combined with the fact that I have really good seats to all 3 games at the Juice Box, I estimate about a 90% chance that the Cubs never come to Houston. Everyone here is already talking evacuation plans.

In fact, I’ve been more positive this year than ever before. But the way this team is starting out September is downright infuriating. They are finding different ways to lose on different nights but if they can just figure out a way to get more clutch hits, it can mask some of the other failures. I can’t help but think that if the Brewers weren’t also slumping and were playing even decent baseball, we’d be in second place right now. We’ve got to turn this around before they do.

There, I’m glad to get that off my chest.

the following (unnamed) team that:

1. Had our cleanup hitter (let’s call him by the fictional name "Fatso") batting .167/.272/.179 in the last 21 games.

2. Had our expensive relief pitcher (let’s call him "Gagme") give up 11 homers for 175 batters faced in 37 2/3 innings, which ranks him about 11th in all-time worst baseball statistics (most homers for the same amount of batters faced) since 1901. He also gave up those home runs in pretty awful losing situations….

3. Had our manager consistently overwork our two premier starting pitchers, even letting one with a slight groin injury go 120 pitches his very next outing…and the other one…well, we all know about him :-).

It’s driving me CRAZY.

Sorry, but today the ‘reply’ button isn’t working – none of them are (link, bold, etc.). So you get what you get – lol.

It’s not the site, it’s where I’m at – I’m sure of it – just a weird connection – any button I click, the whole page scrolls back up to the top – not sure why – doesn it maybe once or twice a week.

2003 Marlins won the World Series having “settled” for the NL Wildcard. Nobody cares, least of all them.

Not worth a separate post but interesting

http://tinyurl.com/67hah8

all I have to say is this-
It has to start some place. It has to start some time. What better place than St Louis. What better time than tomorrow.
Doesn’t quite have the same impact as the Rage Against the Machine lyrics, but ya know what I mean.

YOU BEAT ME TO IT!!!! DAMN YOU!!!

No, seriously – HOW ’BOUT IT? What is up with both CIN and MIL? GOOOOOOOO DUSTY BAKER!!! MIL LOSES!!!

After surrendering three ninth-inning runs to the Reds tonight that cost the Brewers a badly needed victory and extended their skid to six losses in eight games — all at home — closer Salomon Torres brashly proclaimed that the reeling Brewers still would catch the Cubs
 

Boy, we know what that’s like to blow a game against the Reds that we thought was in the bag. I appreciate the Reds keeping it up against the Brewers and hope they can do it for 2 more games.

In the meantime, in recent years we have always played well against the Cardinals. Even in 2006, we were 11-8—and the Cards had to win 5 of the last 6 just to get that. It seems whether we are good or bad, we always raise our play to a higher level against Cards. Now would be a tremendous time to raise that level of play. I think they wiill. I will be at the game Thursday.

I think they WILL