Magic Number

The Cubs' magic number is 238.

That's what you get you take the number of batters walked by Cub pitchers and subtract the number of walks drawn by Cub batters.

Bad and Worse

In losing eight of their last ten games, including today's, the Cubs have kept pace with the Reds and D-Backs, and actually gained ground on the fourth-place Brewers. But at this point, even with a finish like the 1935 squad they'd still wind up below .500. Through Sunday they're still three wins shy of half the total of the last '06 Cubs. The 2006 Cubs' 81 losses matches the total losses in 1906 and 1907 combined (223-81).

I can't even bring myself to write about Michael Barrett's injury. Hurts just reading about it.

The Cubs have now set a team record with 19 DL appearances. Wade Miller was finally activated, those "couple of days behind Prior" totaling over 70, and hasn't yet appeared in a game. Prior is on the DL for the third time this year...

And just a comment on the fans, this thing about throwing back opponents' home run balls is getting old. Some little kid wound up with Barry Bonds' 729th homer today and, after much goading from surrounding bleacherites, threw it back on the field. That peer pressure could have cost the kid a year's college tuition or a shiny red convertible on his 16th birthday. A year from now with Bonds closing in on Bad Henry, it might have even brought more. Nice work, you idiots.