I know it's still Cubbie Season.....but is anyone interested in fantasy football? I have a cbssportsline.com league that is private with 5 spaces left. Draft day is next Sunday at 9:15AM PST/11:15 CST.....Would love other Chicago Fans in on it...if interested please sign up ASAP so we know the league is full before draft day....

Here is the link:

http://freemeeting.0.football.sportsline.com/splash/invite/4714/281596/44213b7d9cce3ba5df4910beab331510

The league password is dabears

If you have trouble with the link just go to cbssportsline.com sign up for a fantasy team and then search private leagues with the draft date as mentioned above. League Name is San Diego Ballers.

Hope to see ya there!

Hoffpauir.......4 HOMERUNS IN SATURDAYS GAME???? Can we PLLLLEAAAASEEEEEEE bring him up and replace Ward????? Pinella must have something he doesnt like, because this kid has done NOTHING but produce whether in Chicago or Iowa this year!

The Cubs got a tired and flat Cards team for game 1 of this series, but they were well rested for game 2. Scoring 5 runs in 2 games while allowing 14, is not the "Brewer series" intensity I was hoping for, from the Cubs. Yes, it's only 1 loss (I hope Z does not do his August disappearing act again), but the Brewers are playing the 2 worst teams in the NL back to back, and I have a feeling that every Cub loss this week will be a game lost in the standings to the teams chasing them. So far, that's held true.
I am still bothered by the fact that this team appears to be one dimensional when it comes to its offense. If Soriano does not get at least 2 big hits, they don't score. This is the time of year where the big boys should step up their game, but Ramirez has only 9 RBIs in his last 23 games.
Have any of you glanced at the September schedule for the Cubs? To end the season, its Cards-Astros-Brewers-Cards-Mets-Brewers. The Cubs need to go full throttle now and build a cushion, because all but one of those September opponents will be in a playoff race. God help this team if Soriano goes down, because this season would be over.

Gary....excellent points.

Joe, I'm right there wih you. Ward has 4 hits off the bench this year. I would like to see him come up with case of ineffective-itis, go to the DL bring up Hoffpauir until the rosters expand. Lee needs more time off and so does Ramirez....further proving Gary's points as well.

Gentlemen, I don't know what you all saw yesterday but I am concerned about Zs overall "arm health." What I saw yesterday was ineffective fast balls and leaving the ball out over the plate way too many times. I am not sounding the alarms but I wonder if we should just stop talking about Cy Young for Z this year and Lou begin a very deliberate rest campaigne for the next month to ensure Z is ready for the post season which I do not think is in jeapordy today. However I do feel that if Z is not given a "max" pitch count plateau for the next few starts, we may see Z on the DL at exactly the wrong time.

Not freak'n out here but the goal is a World Championship. We have the arms to fill in until Z is rested for the big push. Zambrano has been the "workhorse" for 5 years now and oppurtunities like we have this year only come around what every 100 years or so?

Anybody think I'm smok'n crack? Over reacting?

I think everybody is overreacting just a little here. The makings of a great team are the fact that the big three in the middle of the lineup don't have to do it every day in order for the team to be successfull. Thats why you see a different player stepping up nearly every game. It's also why this team is so dangerous, because one day its Aram and Lee killing you, and the next its DeRossa, Johnson, Edmonds, or Blanco. We're playing like a team and winning games as a team, so I personally could care less that Z had 1 bad game, or the fact that Aram only has 9 RBI's in the last 23 games. Why? Because we're playing .600 ball since the break. Keep that up the rest of the season and we'll win 97 games for the year. That's a 12 game improvement after a year when we won the division.

If we win 97 we'll win the division and have the best record in the National league. Period. Again, why does anybody care how many RBIS an individual player has as long as the team wins.

Barry, I noticed what you did and with that said, take a look at these numbers:

Z's August numbers:

35 starts
11-16 record
2 complete games
1 shutout
4.06 ERA
1.33 WHIP

August is the only losing month in his career. He struggles in August...despite decent numbers in August of 2006 and a very good month of August in 2005.

Last August, 0-4 in 5 starts with a 7.06 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP.

I think he was 'amped' after not winning his last start that he said he was prepared to only go 5 or 6 innings. That is not his mentality. While Zambrano should be watched carefully, I do not think Piniella should give him "restricitions" before a start. Let him pitch, take it inning by inning and pitch by pitch....Zambrano appears to perform better under those conditions.

Don't just look at Saturday...see how he pitches in Florida next weekend. Yesterday was just one game.

One more thing. You can't rest both Z and Harden the rest of the season. Z is fine. He had one bad game. Relax. The guy has proven over the last 5 years he can throw 200+ innings with no problems.

Ryan,
When someone uses statistics to back what they are saying, it's not an over reaction, it's called proving a point. For a very long time, it's not been a different guy every day, it's been some guys, but not others. Lee had that one big hit against the Brewers, but He, Ramirez, Fukudome, and Soto, have been pretty much non-existent for a long time now. The Cubs are 3 games over .500 for their last 50 games. That's nearly 1/3 of the season. If they are going to compete with the Angles, they should be winning like them. Hell, if any team had a reason to put it on cruise control it would be the team with a 14 game lead in the standings. But they keep winning and winning at nearly a .700 clip.

Gary, I hesitate to say this but don't worry about the Angels....the Cubs play the Cardinals tonight.

Gary, a team can't be an odd amount of games over .500 during an even amount of games played. How can the Cubs be 3 over their last 50??? Can they be 26-23-1??? There are no ties in baseball.

Neil, I agree. No need to worry about the future. Just beat the Cardinals tonight. I have to endure Joe Morgan's craziness.

Oh Christ, you got me meatball, it's 47 games. It's not always just the game at hand when there is a realistic shot at the World Series. If so, no player would get rest, no future pitching match-ups would be considered, and no roster moves would be made. If you don't consider the future, how do you prepare for it?

I'm in the camp that thinks Z will be just fine, but I do give a thought to wondering if something came up in his two high pitch total games that we don't know about. I'm also O.K. with Lou's resting guys, even two or three on rare occasions, so the regulars won't be be running on empty in late September. I would change that view if we should fall out of the division lead.

I'm expecting 27-18 in the final 45 games, but, if we go 25-20 the rest of the way, we win 95. That should win the division. Ideally, it would be great if a two or three of those losses came at the end of the season with half the regulars on the bench--after we clinched the division.

Big Z will be fine. He won't fall apart in August like years past. All Z needs is to control his emotions and pitch dominating baseball. Demps will find a way to win tonight. I'll take 95 wins, but I'd rather take a World Series championship.

If Sori, The Riot and Fuks reach base with base runners with deep pitch counts against Carpenter, the Cubs may rock the Cards out of this world tonight. I don't see Carpenter lasting past 4 innings. Demps throws a complete game shutout would make my day.

We do have a realistic shot at a World Series, but lets clinch our division first and then prepare for the post-season.