Well I've heard it a few places now and it seems to be official that the Cubs have acquired Nomar Garciaparra for Alex Gonzalez, Francis Beltran, and Brendan Harris. There's been about a billion other deals today, including Esteban Loaiza for Jose Contreras (who may be used to fish for Carlos Beltran?), Derek Lowe to the Twins, but NO word yet on Randy Johnson. Then again, who cares? The Cubbies have Nomar AND Clement, and Jim Hendry is officially a genius.

Update- Here's the details, courtesy of baseball.com...

Cubs get- Nomar, minor leaguer Matt Murton, and cash from Red Sox
Red Sox get- Orlando Cabrera from Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz from Twins
Expos get- Francis Beltran, AAA player Brendan Harris, and Alex Gonzalez from Cubs
Twins get- lefty minor leaguer Justin Jones

It seems like the Twins should be getting something else, possibly, but no other details.

By the way, Maddux goes for 300 tomorrow, in case you forgot.

- posted by Mike J. @ 4:09 PM
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The Cubs managed to solve Eric Milton this time around, tagging him for 6 ER to stage a comeback and help Mark Prior avoid a loss on one of his worst starts ever. Only once has he given up more earned runs (7, way back in his third major league start, June 1, 2002), and never has he given up 4 home runs in one game.

The Cubbies caught Philadelphia coming off a terrible series against Florida, where they were outscored 33-9 on the wrong end of a sweep, and it showed why Philly is mired in a 5-game slump. During the 6th inning, Jose Macias hit a chopper to third, and instead of going for the out, David Bell threw home to try and get Michael Barrett out. Barrett was safe, and the inning marched on. The actual error came later in the game in a bizarre series of events involving Kyle Farnsworth at the plate, which is recapped quite well over at and another thing!, so I won't bother.

Of course, its good to see the Cubs score runs without the dinger, and it makes their home run capabilities even more impressive to watch. Aramis Ramirez hit three home runs yesterday, outslugging Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu, who had two each. (I'd like to take this parentheses to point out that Bobby Abreu is probably the best player in the big leagues you never hear a thing about. 303/430/563, 22 HR, 74 RBI, and oh yeah, 26 stolen bases.)

I'm not too concerned about seeing if Matt Clement can solve Abreu and the rest of the Phillies bats, because he's pitching very well still. We'll see if the Cubs can muster more than 3 runs for Matty today, because if they do that pretty much means a win.

- posted by Mike J. @ 11:14 AM
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I turned on the TV yesterday just in time to see Sammy hit a mammoth of a home run to left-center field in the sixth inning, but the real excitement came as Corey Patterson stepped up to the plate with 1 out in the same inning. Patterson laid down a beauty of a bunt that stopped dead in its tracks, leaving reliever Dave Burba no chance at a play as he scampered down the line for a single. A bit of luck followed, as Corey should have been out at second on a stolen base attempt, but instead kicked the glove right off of Bill Hall's hand. Sure enough, with Aramis at the plate, he scores on the next hit, a double to left field.

This would have been the highlight of the game for Patterson, but in the bottom of the same inning, with Craig Counsell on second, Lyle Overbay hammered one to the warning track, but Corey sprinted to the ball and caught it before bouncing off the padding for the final out, most definitely saving a run. These two plays weren't exactly difference makers, but they added to and protected the lead for the Cubbies.

Corey is still a long way from being a very good hitter- he's batting only 271/324/437 this year, which is way down from his numbers before his injury in 2003. However, he's taken a lot more walks this year already and is driving in his share of runs. Utilizing the bunt is the most promising sign, however, because it shows that he's not thinking about the home run every plate appearance, and it also shows the Cubs' coaches are indeed somewhat concerned with the lack of small ball this club is capable of.

Speaking of, Michael Barrett perfectly executed the hit and run in the top of the 8th, advancing Derrek Lee to first on a single to the right side. It didn't amount to anything, but if (or should I say when, because they better) the Cubs do fill their hole at shortstop with a better bat, these kind of plays will go a long way.

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Trade winds say that a deal for Cabrera is still likely at this point, and nothing is being whispered about a move for Nomar. Ugueth Urbina's name is being thrown around as well in Cubs' trade talk, and the move to get a proven closer may be just as important as having a new shortstop down the stretch. However, is Urbina the right pick? He's got a high ERA at 4.35, but he's only blown 2 saves in 18 tries. The question may not be "is he the right pick?" as much as it is "who the hell else is there?"

- posted by Mike J. @ 8:58 AM
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My partner recently wrote about the rejuvenated trade talks between the Cubs and the Red Sox, concerning a potential trade of Matt Clement and Alex Gonzalez for Boston shortstop Nomar Garciaparra.  He argued that the Cubs would be making a mistake by trading away Matt Clement who has bene plagued by some bad luck and is much better than his 8-9 record would indicate.  However, I am going to play a little devil's advocate and come out in full support of this deal.

The Cubs do not suffer from a lack of pitching, especially starting pitching.  The Cubs curently lead the league in overall ERA with a 3.69.  The Cubs arguably at this point have 7 potential starting pitchers which includes the current 5 starters, Glendon Rusch, and Ryan Demptser who is rehabbing right now in AAA.  Rusch has been amazing this year as a starter, going 3-1 with a 3.84 ERA.  While I can't believe this fairy tale will last all year, he would be more than a serviceable replacement until Dempster is ready to enter the starting rotation.  Dempster himself is not a perfect replacement for Clement but would be likely good enough to get this team to the playoffs at which point the Cubs would go to a four man rotation.  If this Cub team is going to make the playoffs, one of the starting five would have to move to the bullpen and with the way Maddux is pitching right now, that pitcher right now would have to be Clement.  If we will eventually lose Clement to the bullpen or free agency, why not get a bat for him now and use one of the countless pitchers this organization has to carry us to the playoffs.

Offensively, Nomar is obviously the best shortstop available.  While I still hold out hope that Orlanda Cabrera would benefit from a change in scenery much like Michael Barrett, his career numbers still pale in comparison to Nomar's.  It is rumored that the Expos are asking for Angel Guzman and Felix Pie which is a high price for a underachieveing shortstop.  If the Cubs were able to get Nomar he would immediately become the best shortstop in the National League and could fill the #2 hole in the everyday lineup.  Nomar is currently hitting .320 with 5 homers and 21 RBIs in 37 games.  His defense has been suspect lately, but that would be more than made up by the addition of his bat.  Nomar could be a welcome addition to an inconsistent lineup but this deal would really only be great if Nomar could be signed for a couple of years.

- posted by Mike R. @ 3:52 PM
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I wasn't sure how you give up 5 runs while still having the control to strike out 10 Milwaukee batters, but Kerry Wood showed me last night in a 6-3 loss to the Brewers. There's certainly a sense of urgency surrounding the Cubbies, and while they don't need to win every single game, putting a nice 4 or 5 game streak together would certainly help matters.

Of course, the offense doesn't seem to know how to do that, and I'm reconsidering the remarks I made yesterday involving the Clement and Gonzo for Nomar deal. Check back later today for reasons why it should go through from the other Mike.

- posted by Mike J. @ 11:08 AM
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Greg Maddux notched his 299th last night in another great performance, but why was I excited? Because the offense showed up early and scored a quick 4 runs off league ERA-leader Ben Sheets. Todd Walker had an amazing performance at the plate with a double and a home run in his first two at-bats, and the bullpen held on to Maddux's lead against an ailing Brewers offense.

There's been renewed talk about a trade for Nomar still being possible (head over to the Cub Reporter for more), but this time they'd be getting Matt Clement and Alex Gonzalez in return. In some ways, it does make sense. Glendon Rusch has been doing a great job this year while filling in for Wood and Prior, and its painfully obvious that the Cubs offense needs a shot in the arm to get them through their cold streaks. Clement will also be available for free agency at the end of the year, so the idea that the Cubs could get something for him now in exchange is a pretty big bonus. However, I'm not quite ready to say trade Clement just yet, because of a few reasons-

1) Ignore Clement's win-loss record, because it obviously doesn't show what type of year he's been having. Matt's 4th in the league in strikeouts (137) and average 9.09 K's/9 innings, and 7th in ERA (3.05). These numbers are nearly identical to Roger Clemens'.

2) He's only going to get better. With about 2/3 of the season done, Clement is having a far better year than last year (171 K's, 4.11 ERA in 32 starts). Why trade him when you know this guy is going to get better and better, especially with a near 300-win Greg Maddux in the same bullpen, feeding him knowledge every game?

3) I don't trust Glendon Rusch that much. Sure, he's a king among men this year when it comes to being a backup starter and a reliever that can pitch as many innings as you need, but let's face the facts here. Before this year, Rusch struggled mightily with the Brewers and put up Shawn Estes-like numbers, and this year, while he's got 5 wins, he's still got a 4.00 ERA. You can forgive Maddux for having an ERA like that, but Rusch doesn't have the credentials (*cough* 4 Cy Youngs *cough*) that Maddux does.

4) As soon as the Cubs trade Clement, they'll regret it. Boston will give him all the run support he needs, which isn't much to start with. At the end of the year the win-loss record will actually reflect his numbers, and while its probably too late to win 20 games, you can be sure he'd get close. This year Clement learned how to be clutch, too. Back when the Cardinals were behind us in the divison, Clement pitched a stellar game at Busch Stadium in the rain to help split the series, stepping it up a notch when our bullpen was having trouble closing the Cards out. You can't win in the playoffs without these type of performances.

Now I know that the Cubs have to get to the playoffs first, and filling the shortstop hole with Nomar would certainly help. What Nomar won't do is magically fix the problems the rest of the Cubs hitters are having. Every few innings there'd be one less automatic out in the 7- or 8-spot, but 1-6 still need to learn how to hit when a pitcher isn't giving up home runs left and right.

The Cubs have hitters. Are these hitters consistent? Not by a longshot, and as much as I'd like to believe one guy can help fix their problems, it ain't gonna happen overnight. Dusty and the Cubs could do a lot with what they have if they settle on a lineup and learn how to work a pitcher better. Think about this, too- If the Cubs find themselves in the playoffs, they'll almost certainly face the Cardinals. Are they planning on outhitting them? If they are, it'll be a short playoff run. Pitching is this club's strength, and the Cubs would be foolish to trade a great starter entering his prime and risk a hole in their rotation when other options exist.

- posted by Mike J. @ 12:55 PM
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Matt Clement, giving his usual effort, finally posted a win last night after a 3-run rally in the 7th inning sparked by a Derrek Lee solo home run (which caused me more agitation than joy after posting my prediction last night).  It's good to see the Cubs finally give some run support to a guy that could easily be 15-5 right now had they scored a few more runs each game. Not much to say beside that, the Cubs needed the win to stay in the Wild Card race, which needs to be the goal they strive for right now. I won't say its impossible to win the division at this point, but start with baby steps, then we'll see what happens.

Besides the Wild Card Race watch on the sidebar, the latest change is the Cubs' Ace, who is now 38-year-old Greg Maddux. This is a pretty easy decision, considering Zambrano's recent implosion and Maddux's back-to-back complete game wins. It looks like he's captured the magic finally, and now that Clement's shrugged off that losing streak, the Cubs have a solid portion of their rotation to rely on and keep them in the playoff race. However, Maddux faces a big test tonight when he squares off against Brewers' strikeout king Ben Sheets, and considering the Cubs all-or-none offense, it looks to be a low-scoring affair.

- posted by Mike J. @ 8:51 AM
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It's as simple as that. The last few games have proven what I've thought all year of the Cubs' offense: they live and die by the home run. About a quarter of the way through the season I noted that all the Cubs needed was to learn to play small ball to be real contenders. Let's take a look at the last 5 games for the Cubbies-

The Wins
July 21st- 5-4, all runs provided by 3 HR's
July 22nd- 13-2, an amazing 10 runs provided by 4 HR's
July 23rd- 5-1, all runs provided by 3 HR's

The Losses
July 24th- 3-4, all runs provided by 3 solo HR's
July 25th- 2-3, all runs provided by a double (finally)

Even in a losing effort the Cubs manage to hit 3 home runs, but no one was on base, because the Cubs can't seem to get plain old hits to save their lives or their playoff hopes. I'm not saying stop hitting home runs in favor of hits, but I'm saying stop acting like Sammy and be consistent: you might hit the game-winning home run (July 21st), but 2 times out of 3 you'll strike out and get booed like crazy at Wrigley. If they started acting more like, oh I don't know, the RBI and home run machines at the corners of the St. Louis Cardinals' infield, they'd be a lot better than 10 games back right now, and I'd have more to talk about on this blog.

Matt Clement tries to break out of his "slump" tonight against the Brewers, which happens to be the same type of slump Randy Johnson is in. Clement is winless in his last 8 games, yet he's posted an ERA under 3.00 in those losses and no decisions. Its 0-0 going into the bottom of the 2nd as I post this, and if I had to put money on it, I'd go with the bullpen blowing this one in spite of a pair of solo home runs by Alou and Derrek Lee.

- posted by Mike J. @ 7:17 PM
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Son of a bitch.

- posted by Mike J. @ 9:34 PM
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I, being the foolish Cub fan that I am, somehow wasn't worried going into the all-star break.  I was so sure this team would come out of the break fired up, and healthy, and would play the kind of baseball that I dreamed about in the off-season.  Unfortunately, I was dead wrong.  While a series split with the no longer bad news Brewers is not shameful, considering how close this team came to a sweep leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I figured that a rested, healthy, and potentially fired up Cub team (thanks to the crucial won last Sunday) would come out of the gates on fire but it seems rather that fire is one of the many things this Cub teams lack right now.

I have railed on the inconsistency of this Cub offense all season but unfortunately I have to do it again.  It pains me to watch teams that execute well offensively because I wish for just an instant that the Cubs could show the same skill.  When Scott Posednik led off the 6th with his gift triple and then eventually scored on the sacrifice fly I winced because deep down I had the feeling that the Cubs would mess that same situation up.  It seems to me that this team cannot play fundamentally sound offense.  I hope that Aramis Ramirez can help this team now that he has returned because he seems to have a nose for RBI situations and in my mind is one of the few Cubs who I want up with a man on third and less than two outs.  He just seems to get the job done, as opposed to some other players on this team.

The one bright spot in yesterday's game was the outstanding performance of Kerry Wood who allowed only one run which probably would have never scored if Sammy wasn't trying to be a highlight reel.  Kerry has been solid in his two starts back from the DL and the Cub's need him to get strong again so he can go late in the games and take some pressure of this struggling bullpen.  In my book, he is the most fun Cub pitcher to watch when he has his stuff because that stuff can be so electric.  He is going to need to anchor this staff if the Cubs hope to make a prolonged run in this second half.

Speaking of making a run, the Cardinals are in town tonight for the last two games of the season series.  I would be lying to you if I said it wasn't absolutely necessary for the Cubs to sweep the Cardinals in this series.  If the Cubs hope to make a push for the division they basically have to trim the lead to 6 games very fast.  While I still think the Cubs could do it if they split, the job becomes infinitely harder in that case and almost impossible if the Cubs get swept.  If the Cubs do sweep, it could give them the spark they need to start a nice stretch of baseball.  Then if the Cubs make a move soon, as I believe they will, the Cubs would be in business to perhaps take the division back or at least secure the wildcard.  Either way, I hope the Cubs at least come out with some fire tonight, and hit Carpenter like last Sunday night.

- posted by Mike R. @ 12:31 PM
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Several things to talk about today.
 
First, ESPN reports that the Randy Johnson trade rumors seem to have solidified into one real possibility- he wants to go to the Yankees, and that's about it. Johnson also would consider the Cardinals (eek), but apparently they wouldn't be able to afford the $24 mil left on his contract. A Cubs-Red Sox-Diamondbacks trade is pretty much dead in the water, which means that the Cubs will most likely sign Orlando Cabrera before the deadline. Cabrera's been slumping so far this year, but come on, he's an Expo. That's what the Expos do. In any case, there's a chance that his bat will come alive in Chicago, as opposed to the sheer impossibility of Alex Gonzalez hitting well any time soon.  With the likelihood that Randy gets traded, that means-
 
Yankees- Dear God
Boston- It's Wild Card time
Cubs- No Nomar, but Cabrera will do just fine
 
There's only one problem for the Yankees, and it's that they don't have the young blood the D-Backs want. It's easy enough to throw money at a player, but it'll be interesting to see what they can offer Arizona.
 
Second, the vaunted Cubs rotation, finally whole, lasted all of 1 and 2/3 innings into the second half. Mark Prior went down with a right elbow injury, being described as "tender." This is probably not a passing injury, since he's felt the same pain before in Spring Training. Of course, this means I'm about to declare Glendon Rusch MVP for the Cubs, because he came in out of nowhere to work a scoreless 5 1/3 innings and win the game. This guy minimized the loss of Kerry Wood in spectacular fashion, and now it looks like he'll be stepping up once more. At this point all I can do is try not to think about Prior needing Tommy John surgery, but I suppose, like always, we'll have to wait and see.
 
Oh yeah, the Cubs offense showed up last night and beat the Brewers 4-1. And how about Corey Patterson? Good plays in the outfield, 3 hits and a stolen base for the center fielder, who's now batting a more respectable .280. Kyle Farnsworth almost blew it in the eighth with the bases loaded, but got a huge strike out on Bill Hall to get out of the jam. The Cubs stay seven behind the Cardinals, but widen the lead over the Brewers just a bit. A sweep would be really nice, and considering how the Cardinals are playing, practically necessary.
 

- posted by Mike J. @ 8:41 AM
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After a long hiatus from posting I have returned to take a look at how the Cubs fared in the first half of this season. While the Cubs stand at the All Star Break with a respectable 47-40 record, they are a disappointing 7 games behind the division leading Cardinals. However, the Cubs are only a game behind the Giants in a tight, NL wild-card race which features five teams all within three games of the lead. While the Cubs have not played poorly overall, they have fallen victim to some rough stretches which happened to coincide with some ridiculous play from the St. Louis Cardinals. It seemed that everytime the Cubs got hot the Cardinals kept winning and every time the Cubs played poorly the Cardinals kept winning. This Cub team has seen some production from surprising places while seeing inconsistency from normally solid players. Let's take a look at some midseason Cub awards.

Cub MVP: Aramis Ramirez
I don't see how this could be anyone but Aramis Ramirez. Ramirez has been the Cub's most consistent hitter and RBI man despite hitting in several spots. Ramirez hit for a .326 average, 16 homers and 56 RBI in the first half playing mostly in the 4 and 5 spot. When Aramis was forces out of the lineup with a groin strain the Cubs' offense disappeared, scoring at one point only 7 runs in 6 games. Ramirez has shown the ability to hit for average, drive in runs, and most importantly get the clutch hit. Ramirez has also turned himself around defensively, committing only 6 errors. At this pace Ramirez would only commit 12 errors, a huge step up from his 33 last season. While the decrease in his errors might be partly explained by Derrek Lee, Ramirez has surprised everyone with his glove and has been an integral part of the 3rd best fielding defense in baseball. I can only hope that Ramirez can continue his tremendous play, and anchor this lineup into the second half of the season.

Cub Cy Young: Carlos Zambrano
Carlos has emerged as one of the top young pitchers in the National League this season. Zambrano pitched beautifully in the first half, posting a win-loss record of 9-4 and an ERA of 2.61 while striking out 104 and walking 47. Carlos has anchored the staff in the first half and has been consistently the Cub's best starting pitcher. While he has at times shown why his emotions can cause him trouble, he has still been the best pitcher the Cubs have had and he has held together a staff that was missing Mark Prior and Kerry Wood for much of the first half. Carlos seemed to tail off near the end of the first half and Cubs' fans can only hope that this break energizes Zambrano and he continues to pitch well. Honorable mention must go to the pitcher formally known as Glendon Rusch who has pitched out of his mind in place of Kerry Wood this half. As a starter Rusch had a record of 3-1 and a 3.43 ERA which is astounding considering last year he was 1-12 with a 6.42 ERA. Glendon has done an amazing job and hopefully there will be a place for him on the team when everyone is healthy.

Cub Gold Glove: Corey Patterson
This first half has seen a much improved Cub defense which has been anchored by Patterson in center field. Corey has been fantastic defensively, committing only 1 error and posting the second best zone rating among NL center fielders. Corey has shown great range, especially considering that Moises Alou and Sammy do not run very well. Corey has shown an ability to get to most balls and improved decision making. While Corey may have struggled at the plate, his defense all year has been solid. Mention should also be made of Derrek Lee who has gobbled up everything hit in his direction and has helped to eliminate countless bad throws. Lee has been a brick wall at first, and seems to scoop out every bad throw that comes to first. Lee's solid performance was especially important because the Cubs were not expected to be particularly good defensively.

2nd Half Outlook
It will be a tough battle if the Cubs want to come back and win the division in the second half of this season. The cubs face a tough seven game deficit with only two more head to head games left with St. Louis. However, if the Cubs can sweep that series they are suddenly looking at a five game deficit which was roughly the same position they faced last year. The Cardinals have played great baseball but I have no reason to believe they are a .621 baseball team. Even if the Cubs cannot win the division they are in great shape to win the wild-card as the top teams in both the East and the West continue to knock each other around. The Cubs have not had a dominant run yet this season and one would have to believe that now that they are total healthy this team could very well go on a run. The presence of 4 or 5 stoppers in the pitching rotation makes in unlikely that the Cubs will face another 4 or 5 game losing streak and if this staff can return to its dominant form, the Cubs will be in business. The Cubs also seem to be in the works on a lot of deals, including potentially Ugueth Urbina in the closer role and possibly Nomar or Orlando Cabrera at short. If this Cub team can get hot they most definitely have a shot at the division and an even better shot at the wild-card. Hopefully they can get the 2nd half started right with a win on Thursday. It will be an interesting second half.

- posted by Mike R. @ 2:26 PM
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The Cubs dropped yet another game last night, this time to the first place Cardinals, who are a solid 7 games ahead of the second place Cubbies. After that embarrassing series in Milwaukee (I attended the third game of the pathetic series, and that might have been one of the worst outings by the Cubs I've ever seen), the Cubs were in no position to challenge the red hot Redbirds and it showed. I'll admit- I didn't watch most of this game, but it was hard to keep my attention after Maddux gave up his first of three home runs in the 1st inning. I'm glad I didn't, because the Cubs left 6 men stranded throughout the course of the game. Blah.

This was the eighth game that Ramirez has missed because of his groin, and while cubs.com reports that he was able to run before the game on Saturday, he's still not close to being ready to return. Thankfully the All-Star break is right around the corner, giving him some extra time to heal before another big series against the Brewers. Ramirez's absence is being felt by the Cubbies, who have scored all of 3 runs in the past 4 games, and to get him back on the field would not only mean a big bat in the lineup, but one less sorry-looking bat in Rey Ordonez would be back on the pine.

After losing their fourth in a row and watching the Cardinals lead grow to the biggest its been all season, it begs the question of if its panic time on the North Side. The answer? Nope. Despite their recent losing streak, its hard to be pessimistic. The Cubs won 6 in a row before losing 4, helping to minimize the damage in the standings, and Kerry Wood returns to the mound on Sunday for his first start since the Dodgers series back on May 11. This won't make all of the Cubs problems magically disappear, but it'll boost morale at least. The season's only half-over, too: Wood and Prior will be fresh the rest of the season, and while the Cards are in position to hang onto this division lead, one wonders if their starters won't tire as the season wears on. Don't forget that despite the considerable gap in the standings, the Cubs can still win the Wild Card, and lead that race right now along with the Giants.

More to come on the Cubs progress soon, though. The midseason report will come along with the All-Star break, where hopefully Sammy will win the Home Run Derby contest and energize himself for the second-half.

- posted by Mike J. @ 9:38 AM
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I find myself more worried than I expected to be after winning a series against the Astros, mainly because their latest addition to the roster, Mr. Carlos Beltran, smacked 4 home runs in the 3-game series. What has become obvious, though, is that there are enough other problems with their roster that one man won't make a difference, despite his all-star performance. The bullpen and injuries are responsible for the 'stros two losses- David Weathers took the loss in game 1 and Brad Lidge gave up the walkoff today to Sammy in the 10th. Wade Miller is on the DL with a sore shoulder, leading to Pete Munro, a reliever, to start in his place, and Jeff Kent went down with a strained hamstring. Miller and Kent will be healthy eventually, but what about the bullpen? Carlos Beltran clearly adds a lot to this Houston team, but he can't win 'em all by himself.

Thanks to Sammy's dinger, the Cubs are now 3 games behind the Cardinals again, who were surprisingly swept by the only team under .500 in the NL Central, the Pittsburgh Pirates. I would take this opportunity to stick my thumbs in my ears and say "neener neener" to all the St. Louis fans out there, but I feel for you guys. I don't know how it happens, but just when it seems like you should be winning them all, you drop a few to the Pirates somehow. It figures that in the most competitive division in baseball even the stragglers are making life difficult for everyone.

Speaking of the most competitive division in baseball, Milwaukee is in sole possession of 3rd place, sitting pretty at 7 games over .500. They've made a good turnaround from last year, when at this point they were a lousy 33-47 and out of it for good. This time around they're a half game behind the Cubbies, who they haven't played one game against yet. I've talked about everyone in the division more than I have talked about the Brewers, but they're looking to give the Cubs a run for our money and they better watch out. Ben Sheets has 113 strikeouts and only 11 walks (!) so far this year, and Doug Davis has won his last 4 in a row. They're not perfect, but its surprising to see them with a better record than Houston at this point.

Then again, it may be simply because they haven't played the Cubs enough yet.


*That's it 'til after Independence Day weekend, check back then.

- posted by Mike J. @ 7:39 PM
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