Dropped Third Strike

IMHO - 10.5.08

What a week - not only did the Mets miss the playoffs, but the two teams that caused this are playing each other, so one of them will get to move on.

The Cubs, however, will not get to move on. I feel badly for Cubs fans (at least they made the playoffs...), but I don't care that they have waiting 100 years. I have not been alive for most of those 100 years, as is the case with the vast majority of the Cubs fans, so lets stop using that battle cry. I thought this might be the year though, they just ran into a Dodgers team that played very well.

I am sorry to see that the Phillies moved on - I was hoping for a humiliating defeat. Maybe the Dodgers can do this. The Dodgers have been good - Manny has been huge, and Joe Torre is one of the best. What if the Dodgers played the Red Sox in the World Series. That would be some story line - Manny coming back to Fenway, and Joe Torre vs. the Sox yet again. This won't happen though, I think the Rays will come out of the A.L.

Good for Joe Torre, finding success in L.A. It goes to show you, he wasn't the problem in NY, it was everyone else. I wonder how the view is from third place.

It's not fair, I have been to Rays games when there were 7000 fans in attendance. They become successful, and I lose a lottery to get tickets to a playoff game. Meanwhile, the other winners are selling them on Ebay. Oh well, at least a soda doesn't cost $5 when I watch the game at home.

IMHO - 9.13.08

The Mets started the day at the dreaded 145 game mark - at that point last year, they were up by 7 games with only 17 games left to play. It seemed almost impossible for them to not make the playoffs, but, they ended up one game behind the Phills - Mets fans will never be the same, myself included. We will never be comfortable with a lead again.

This year, however, I think will be different. The resurgence of Carlos Delgado, the emergence of Pelfrey, and the presence of Santana change the dynamic of the N.L. East race, and the Mets are a much tougher team to beat. Jon Niese looked good tonight, too.

I keep reading about teams' payrolls and who they can afford to sign this off-season. It is a little interesting, but I just don't care how much is spent on players. There is this backwards notion that ownership and management really care about winning and fans really care about the bottom line. As a fan, I only care about seeing my team win. I don't care how much they spend to do it. I will never say, "oh, I don't mind that they finished last because they have a $30M payroll, at least they turned a profit." For the owners, this is a business, and if they go bankrupt, winning the wild card doesn't make it any better. For them, it is all about the bottom line.

That being said, if another person tells me how great the Marlins did this year considering their payroll, I may throw up. The Marlins are full of good players who are under team control. Give me a break, every infielder has at least 25 home runs, that's ridiculous. They are loaded with great talent, and still no one goes to the games! If you are a Marlins fan and you are upset that some of your players might not be back next year, then go to some games. You can't pay salaries if you aren't making money on ticket sales. It is all about the bottom line. The Marlins management has down a good job securing great talent on a pathetic budget. Imagine if they were selling out some games...

The AL East race is a little too close for comfort. The Rays let the Sox sneak back in, but I still think Tampa Bay will hold on. It is a great story, but not as great as the story about the other New York team that is sitting in fourth place. That's right, I said it, the other New York team, the Yankees. Hank is nuts, I think he will sink one of the greatest ships in baseball, if not sports, history.

IMHO - 8.19.08

We are half way through August, and things are getting interesting in some divisions, and pretty boring in others.

- The Angels, Rays, and Cubs should be a lock for the post-season. The Rays and Cubs don't have huge leads, but I don't see anyone catching them. All of the other races should make for some exciting September baseball!

- The A.L. Wild Card winner looks like it could be the Sox, I don't mean the Red ones. A Boston and Yankee-free post season will be nice. With the Yankees' season ending at the end of September, Sidney Ponson will have a full winter to hibernate!

- If the Mets can figure out their bullpen mess, the will easily win the East. The only reason it is close is because of all the blown saves. The Mets having good starting pitching. Johan has been excellent (more on him in a second), Ollie has been much more consistent, and Mike Pelfrey has continued to improve throughout the season. John Maine is back, and Pedro has been effective. The bullpen, however, is still a mess.

- I still think the Dodgers will win the West - I have said that all year.

- Johan Santana has been excellent - and has been clutch. Like I said last week, the Mets' bullpen has blown six of his wins - with those he would 17-7 (pretty good for August). His ERA is 2.75, only 0.15 higher than the league leader. The bullpen has cost him a shot at the Cy Young.

- I enjoyed Lee's article about the Twins - maybe someone should forward it to Hank and George Steinbrenner, and teach them to win and save a few bucks. Maybe they need a good mascot. How about someone like Mr. Moneybags - he looks like Mr. Met, but he carries around bags of money and throws excess cash at over-aged, over-rated baseball players.

- Riveraveblues.com speculates about the future of Derek Jeter. I couldn't imagine him somewhere else, I am sure the the Yanks will throw huge amounts of money at him, too. I mean, he is worth more than Jorge Posada, who they over-paid for. Maybe Ford will kick in some, I heard he drives a Ford Edge... Yeah, he's got an edge. (I am so sick of those commercials).

IMHO - 8.9.08

So, it looks like Manny may want to be a Yankee next year, maybe for a chance to get back at the Red Sox for the awful way they treated him. They were pretty awful too him, the whole $160M for 8 years really dampened his spirits. What's worse is that they expected him to do his best work. It hardly seems worth it for only $20 Million per year. Then they have the nerve to get mad at him for faking an injury - those knees seem to be working in L.A.

Speaking of $20 Million, Johan Santana is definitely earning his... The Mets owe him something for ruining his shot at a Cy Young, and blowing 6 potential wins for him. Do you realize that if they didn't blow those games he would be 15-7? I get tired of reading all of these stories about what a waste of money he is, and how he isn't living up to the hype. The bottom line is that he is, and the Mets can seem to back him up. A couple of years ago Steve Trachsel won 15 games with an ERA right around 5. At this rate, Johan might not win 12 with an ERA under 3.

The Rays are for real. We are in the middle of August, and they are up by 3.5 games. Two teams will make the playoffs from the A.L. East - and one of them won't be the Yankees. The Yanks starting pitching is a mess - I am not a doctor, but Joba's injury may have had something to do with him being switched to a starter in the middle of the year. Mike Mussina is having a nice year though, and could sure-up his Hall of Fame hopes with a 20-win season.

If they Rays win the division, Evan Longoria should be given strong consideration for MVP. He has 22HR and 71 RBI, and he wasn't even on the opening day roster. He always seems to be in the middle of their wind. MVP voters always seem to look at the playoff teams for candidates. He is the best player on the best team in the A.L. East - and maybe the league.

Jose Reyes is quietly having an outstanding year. People wrote him off with his poor finish last year and poor start this year. He is batting over .300, leads the N.L. in hits and triples, is second in stolen bases, and fourth in runs. If the Mets win the division, maybe he is an MVP candidate?

Speaking of the Mets - I think they should pick up Delgado's option for next year. He will cost $4M if they don't, so to keep him will only cost an additional $8M on top of that to keep him ($12M total). Can they get someone else who can produce for $8M? Probably not... Keep Delgado, spend the money on a big outfield bat. The guy is still hitting.

Are the Cubs really this good? I hope they do not go to the World Series, then what would we talk about? Baseball needs a team to feel sorry for.

Mark McGwire should be in the Hall of Fame. Seriously. He may have been the single biggest reason baseball recovered from the 1994 strike. As a fan, I stopped caring after 1994, and couldn't stop watching McGwire in 1998. We don't know for sure what he did (although some people claim to know), and he was hitting against pitchers who were probably juicing. I am sure he hit against Roger Clemens. His power numbers are outstanding, and he was a hero when baseball needed one. He hit 49 homers in his rookie year, weighing in at 185 pounds - can anyone admit that he just knew how to swing a bat?

The Washington Nationals are pretty bad...

I saw the Houston Astros' fans boo Carlos Beltran the other night. I can see why they would have bad feelings towards him, being as he played there for all of a couple of months - Didn't they know they were just getting a rental? Probably not, mlbtraderumors.com wasn't running then.

Why do the Astros keep looking like buyers? Has no one told them yet that they have no chance - they must not watch Baseball Tonight, or maybe the think they still play in the N.L. West.

That's all for this week.

Leave us some comments and tell us your opinions...

Looking Back at a Few Trades

So now that we are a full weekend series past the trade deadline, I wanted to take a look back and see how some of the big trades that went down are working out. Yeah, I'm aware that it's been 4 days (including today) but who cares, some of them happened before the deadline anyway. So here we go:

Manny - So Manny has been tearing it up so far in LA and Boston fans have to be happy with the production they are seeing from Jason Bay so far. The Pirates - well, who cares about them since they don't really matter for the rest of the year. When this went down I thought the Sox would be hitting some kind of hardship, but it seems that isn't the case. Let's see how long it is until Ramirez is sidelined with knee pain, pinky toe pain, or the biggest ego on the West Coast.

Ken Griffey Jr. - If nothing else, this trade got me to order a new copy of Slugfest for the N64 on eBay (should be here in about a week!) So far he is played in 3 games for the ChiSox while hitting 3/7, scoring  1 run, and driving in 2 (including Jim Thome, not really a point for me pointing that out.) It looks like this trade will work out not too badly for Chicago as long as they don't play him every day in Center. If they do, who knows how long it'll be until he realizes he's got 2 more seasons after this one to mark the 4th decade in which he's played.

Tex to the Angels - Bottom line, not much to write here. Take one of the best players in baseball and add him to the best team in baseball and what's to discuss? The real losers here, the Braves who wasted their time getting him last year.

Nady/Marte - The part that makes this trade go almost no matter what happens is the fact that they grabbed these players for nothing. So far Nady has been ridiculously good batting .385 while belting 3 homers. Marte has been somewhat average, but whatever - Nady makes up for it. This trade is a win-win for the Bombers.

Pudge to NY - Any trade that makes Farnsworth go away is a winning situation for me. In his first few games in the Bronx, he has done a pretty good job including a homer in a big win against the Angels and catching Fatty McLoser (I mean Sidney Ponson) through a pretty darn good game. The only drawback is that Farnsworth is still hurting the Yankees by allowing a comeback win against the Rays.

All right, thats enough premature thoughts on trades. We'll see how they turn out at the end of the year.

DTS Top 5/Bottom 5 - 8.4.08

Each week here at DTS we will be picking the Top 5 and Bottom 5 teams in baseball. The writers here vote, and we will post our results here each Monday. First place (or last place for Bottom 5) are in parentheses.

Top 5
1. Angels (2) - What a great week it was for the Halos, going a combined 5-2 on the road in Boston and New York, and perhaps more importantly, picking up a much-needed power bat in Mark Teixiera. The Rally Monkey lives on!
2. Rays (1) - The Rays are ahead in the toughest division in the majors and nothing seems to be able to stop them.
3. Cubs - To go along with their impressive sweep of the Brew Crew this week, they also improved their already MLB-best run differential to +131. FYI - the second best in baseball belongs to Boston with +91.
4. Red Sox - Maybe trading Manny was a good thing - they haven't lost without him, and Jason Bay (I know he's not technically his replacement, but come on, you know that's how he's going to be looked at all year) is hitting .363 in those three games, and has even gone yard once.
5. Minnesota - He's baaack... Liriano looked good on Sunday.

Other teams getting votes: White Sox

Bottom 5
26. Braves - I pity the fools...
27. Giants - Put Tim Lincecum on a team that hits, at all, and he's a Cy Young candidate.
28. Padres - Which comes first - Hoffman retires, or they bring in the fences at PETCO? The are in last place in the weakest division in the majors.
29. Mariners - They gave up George Sherrill and "The Other" Adam Jones, among others, for Erik Bedard, who has made only 15 innocuous starts this year. It doesn't look like too many more are ahead for him in a Seattle uniform, either. Oops.
30. Nationals (3) - Does their broadcasting crew return from breaks with a hearty, "Welcome back to Major League Baseball...sort of" call, a la Harry Doyle in Major League 2? Is there anybody out there in the Beltway area who can confim this suspicion for me?

Other teams getting votes: Indians, Pirates

Email Q&A - 8.3.08

It's been a great first week here at Dropped Third Strike - We've had almost 2000 page views, from all over the U.S., and a few other countries. Here are the top 5 cities with the most readers this week:
1. New York
2. Los Angeles
3. Cincinnati
4. Chicago
5. Tallahassee (Go Noles!)

Each week, we'll be answering your questions. The person who sends the "question of the week" will win an awesome "Dropped Third Strike" fan pack. Here we go -

Steve in Atlanta writes:
Mike, why are you so hard on the Braves? The only reason they are sitting in fourth place is because of hard luck, we have had a ton of injuries. The Mets woke up today in third place anyway, that isn't much better.

Mike Says:
Steve, I am hard on the Braves because I hate them, you can thank John Rocker for that one, and by the way, I find it hard to believe that they have 2000 pounds of injuries this year... A ton is a weight measurement, not a number. Next time try saying a bunch of injuries.

First of all there is a huge difference between 3rd and 4th place in the NL East. The Mets are two out, and the braves are something like ten. Besides, I think the Mets have been hit pretty hard by the injury bug this year - Moises Alou, Ramon Castro, Brian Schneider, Luis Castillo, Moises Alou Again, Ryan Church, Pedro Martinez, Pedro again, John Maine, Billy Wagner, and Ramon Castro again. Don't tell me about hard luck...

Now, a couple of Manny questios (shocker):
Ed in Los Angeles writes:
Do you think Manny will re-sign with LA next year?
Kenny in Colorado (do you live in South Park?) write:
Hey Lee - looks like you got it wrong, Manny didn't stay in Boston. (Hey, Kennie, that's not actually a question.)

Lee Says:

Let’s Play “Who Wants to Sign a 36 Year-Old, $20M + Malcontent?”

So Manny Ramirez was dealt to the west coast on Thursday, essentially nullifying any fragment of credibility I had after my very first post on this site, proclaiming that Manny would in fact, remain in Boston, and reemerge as a productive member of the American League’s most frightening everyday lineup. What’s that, you say you’re still reading what I have to say? Fine then. As long as you’re still here, let’s try to figure out where America’s favorite showboating, lollygagging, and absent-minded outfielder will wind up playing in 2009. The way I see it, there are two very logical choices for Man-Ram…

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in California near the Pacific Ocean

I think Manny in SoCal is a great fit. Manny in the National League, turning 37 next May, however? Not so much. Clearly, Ramirez and his agent Scott Boras will be using the remainder of the 2008 season with the Dodgers as a glorified audition tape to send to potential suitors this off-season, and so far, so good. In his first three games with L.A. (8/1-8/3 vs. Ari), he’s hitting at a .615 (8-13) clip, with 2 HRs, 5 RBI, 2 runs scored, and one awesome jersey number (moving to L.A. and emulating Gretzky’s # 99? Classic.). And if the Dodgers somehow pull past Arizona and win the putrid N.L. West, this will only make him that much more attractive to their neighbor in the O.C., the Angels. They have three sluggers in their lineup whose contracts expire at the end of the 2008 season: Vlad Guerrero (although I would expect the Angels to pick up his option for 2009), Garret Anderson (who, like Manny, is a LF/DH type), and their own trade deadline acquisition, Mark Teixiera. Look for the Angels to be big players in the Man-Ram sweepstakes this winter, and if they’re lucky enough to come out the winner, to subsequently cut bait with Anderson, who’s the same age as Manny, but without the gaudy career stats.

New York Yankees

I know that the Yankees’ days of chasing big name free agents are supposedly over, in lieu of building from within, but really, how could Cashman and his brain trust ignore the old adage, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”? This guy has absolutely crushed New York during his time in Beantown, and “George, Jr.” just might be crazy enough to persuade the organization to make a run at Manny, if for no other reason than to spite the Red Sox. We know the Bombers have the resources to sign him and who knows, the money that they could offer, in addition to the chance to play in his hometown and go after the franchise that, at least in his mind, did him wrong, just might add up to Manny in the Bronx in 2009.

and now for the question of the week,
Bob B. in Shirley, New York writes:
Do you think Billy Wagner is overrated?

Mike: sometimes
Jack: yes
Lee: absolutely...

Hey Bob - that was actually a terrible question - but I picked it because I once lived in Shirley (proud Charles E. Walters Elementary Alum). So you get a DTS fan pack! Send us your address to dtsblog@gmail.com.

Send us your questions, next Q&A is next weekend! dtsblog@gmail.com

More Manny, Please...

I was shocked to wake up this morning and discover more Manny Ramirez headlines...

Scott Boras is saying the he had no contact with the Red Sox about Manny after the trade was completed. The two sides did, however, discuss other options or solutions before the trade was made. One of these solutions was the Manny would be okay staying with the Sox if they officially declined his option for next year. The Red Sox did not go with that, because they think he is an 8-year old in a 40-year old's body (they didn't actually say that, but I think it's what they meant).

I know all of this contract lingo is difficult for all of us regular people to understand, but doesn't a club option mean that it is the club's option? It is looking more and more like the Red Sox did the right thing by dumping their dead weight in Los Angeles. Jason Bay is off to a good start in Boston, and there are more hair salons in Los Angeles, so maybe Manny can find someone to do something about his mop.

It will be interesting to see where Manny ends up next year, and to see if he gets the money he wants...

Oh wait, it looks like Manny has decided he will stay with Los Angeles until the end of his career, how generous. He has really enjoyed all two days of his tenure there.

"The Dodgers brought me here to end my career in this city -- at least that's what I'm thinking. However, we haven't even discussed the future. I'm simply starting to know this team," Ramirez said. (from ESPN)

Oh did they? Maybe it's because you are free? The Red Sox paid them to take you. If the Red Sox paid me $7 million, I would let you come live with me too.

Ramirez continues, like a pre-teen in love:

"I want to even buy a house in Los Angeles. My kids go to school in Miami, and I'd like them to move with me [to L.A.] ...," Ramirez said. (ESPN again)

All this after two days...

Manny on getting a haircut:
"I told him that if the rule is to get a haircut, then I'll get one because I don't want any special privileges," Ramirez said. "But Joe replied by saying that I should get an apartment and take care of my personal stuff first, after which I should see a barber." (muchas gracias ESPN)

Right, because getting a haircut is that time-consuming... and of course he doesn't want any special privelages, he wants to be treated like any other liar that fakes an injury just because he is sad and his agent wants more money...

Curt Schilling stated the obvious (the same thing I mentioned yesterday):

"Boras definitely moved the pieces here," Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling stated in an interview with Boston's WEEI-AM radio station. "Scott Boras would make zero dollars if Boston exercised its options on Manny's contract." (also from ESPN)

Thank you Curt Schilling for being the beacon of truth.

Trade Deadline Winners and Losers

With the trade deadline behind us, it is time to take a look at our not-so-expert opinions of the days winners and losers.

Winners
Mike - Dodgers - This doesn't make the Dodgers the best team in baseball by any means, it doesn't even put them in the top five in the National League. What it does is put the Dodgers in position to take the West. That kind of move in such a weak division is huge. They are 13th in the NL in runs scored, and 15th in home runs. They are, however, first in ERA... They are only one game out... Watch out Arizona. Besides, what better place to send an over-paid, self-centered crybaby who can hit then to Joe Torre, who dealt with those kinds of players for years.

Lee - Angels - After a subpar showing in last year's ALDS, they finally got the power bat that they've been searching for to bolster their chances of defeating the Beasts of the East come October in Mark Teixeira. Although Teixeira and the man he's replacing, Casey Kotchman, have the same number of World Series rings (for those of you keeping score at home, that would be zero), you have to think that getting a guy with a higher slugging pct., as well as HR and RBI totals and runs scored, and for a worse team, mind you, is a significant upgrade. Angels management seems to be all in for 2008, and the folks in SoCal should applaud them for it.

Jack - Yankees - The Yankees are the clear winner at this year's trade deadline. Coming down the stretch, they had obvious needs at Catcher, Left Field, and in the bullpen. They turned out one of the best deals when they took a solid left fielder in Xavier Nady and a proven late innings pitcher in Damaso Marte from the Pirates for nearly nothing with 4 minor league prospects. They then picked up a solid veteran catcher with Pudge Rodriguez from Detriot for the useless, inconsistent pile of nothing named Kyle Farnsworth. They come into August looking much more solid and ready to take that second AL East playoff spot from the BoSox.

Losers

Mike - Mariners - Has anyone told them they are awful?? They asked too much for players that are either too old or just don't pitch that well. They could have come away with some pretty good young talent. It is time to take this team in a different direction. It's too bad the Mariners are so bad, I've seen Frasier, and the people of Seattle seem too nice to deserve this. In a very close second is the always pathetic Atlanta Braves. I am glad Mark Teixeira is worth all the talent they sent to Texas last year, he sure did help them. They re-gifted him to the Angels.

Lee - Red Sox - Me calling the Red Sox a bunch of losers? Sounds like any other Thursday, I'll admit, but today I actually have a reason. But to trade a future Hall of Famer because of what seems to be little more than a personal beef seems like a rather short-sighted and immature decision by Theo Epstein and Co., who are normally amongst the brightest at their jobs in the league. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I really think that if Boston management would have just held out past the deadline today, Manny would have flown straight for the remainder of the season, realizing that he was playing for his job in 2009. Instead, a career .312 hitter with 512 HRs and over 1,600 RBI, a man who is notorious for destroying the hated Yankees, both in the box score and in their melons, a man who is widely considered the greatest right-handed hitter since DiMaggio, has just been shipped 3,000 miles away for Jason Bay. The same Jason Bay who, when placed in the only remotely meaningful and pressure-packed situation of his major league career, the 2005 Home Run Derby, metaphorically crapped his pants on national television (probably the only time he's played on national television, of course). Perhaps I'm exaggerating a bit with my last point, but really, in my opinion the Red Sox are taking a huge risk by trading away one of most clutch right-handed RBI producers in recent memory for a guy who has proved absolutely nothing in a town where even the people who live there don't watch the team. And why? Because Manny hurt your feelings by saying some mean things to ESPNDeportes? Grow up. You may have set yourselves up nicely for the future, but rebuilding sounds like something more suited for a team in Pittsburgh than Boston, and that's not something I think the Chowda' Heads in New England will take lightly.

Jack - Pirates - It was a tough decision between the Bucs and the Rays, but how can I fault a first place team for sticking with what has been working? The Pirates sold off 3 of their biggest pieces and didn't get much in return. Xavier Nady is gone to the Yankees along with teammate Damaso Marte. In return for losing a solid outfielder and a proven set-up man, they received four minor leaguers; it seems everyone around agrees that this was a steal for the Yankees. Jason Bay is off to fill the whole left by the most self-centered man in baseball, Manny Ramirez. They do pick up Andy LaRoache to keep third base warm until Pedro Alvarez is ready to take over, but Brandon Moss taking over in left field is no replacement for Jason Bay.

American League Predictions by Jack

Since we've already got the NL picks up, I figured I'd toss in my picks for the AL.....here we go:

AL East - Tampa Bay Rays

As a Yankees fan, it more than a little bit kills me to say anyone but them will win the division, but it's time for me to accept the reality and hope for the wild card. With the great, young pitching rotation the Rays have put together combined with their great defense (seriously, does Aki ever not turn a double play), I think it will be hard for anyone to knock the rays out of first place. The only fall back will be that they seem to have trouble winning away from the Trop. Even if they don't take the division, at least they're a lock to set their franchise record for wins in a season. Their biggest problem along the way will be the Red Sox. With their run differential being more than double that of the Rays (+89 to +40) they could pose a pretty big problem. Either way, it's great to finally have more people cheering for the Rays at the Trop when the Sox come to town.

AL Central - Detroit Tigers

I'm going with a pretty big long shot here, but I think the Tigers will start producing like they should have been all season. Besides, I just picked up Pudge Rodriguez on my fantasy team, so I'm expecting him to hit another 50 or 60 home runs this year.

AL West - Los Angeles Angels

Really, no surprise here. Despite having who I consider to be the most overrated closer in the game (I'll be posting about that later), the Angels have the best record in the majors and are a virtual lock to make the playoffs (barring a downfall like the 2007 Mets.) With the addition of Mark Teixeira to their already solid lineup, they should do fairly well in October.

Wild Card - New York Yankees

While we can almost all agree that the wild card will come from the AL East, it's pretty tough to pick which teams will be around after September. Realistically, the Sox will be taking either the division or the wild card with the Rays picking up the other spot, but I can't bring myself to say this will be the first season since the Pre-Torre era that the playoffs will start without the Yankee pinstripes. With the impending returns of Phil Hughes and, dare I say it, perhaps Carl Pavano, the Yankees should have some late season pitching help right when they need it - for crying out loud, how long can we put up with Sidney Ponson? Also, the addition of Xavier Nady to help take the place Matsui and Posada should give them a pretty solid nudge in the right direction.

AL Champs - Los Angeles Angels
we can all still hope for the Rays or Yankees though

Also, just a quick word on the NL Central. Is there any way the Cubbies won't win it? I'm going to lean on the acquisition of Rich Harden and their major league best run differential of +118 (compared to Milwaukee's +22) to say that they not only take the division but also fair very well in the playoffs.

Just my thoughts - send me yours in the comments.....