These are the Chicago Cubs we’re talking about. A franchise that hasn’t won a World Series in nearly 100 years. They always break our hearts, why should 2008 be any different? I’ll tell you why – because this is the best Cubs team in years, and the best in the National League, maybe the majors. Up until basically last week, nothing has gone wrong for the Cubs. The rotation has been great (and healthy). The bats have been hot, the bullpen – solid. Zambrano, Harden, and Dempster were the big 3, Lilly and Marquis would pick up the pace at times. Ramirez and Soto couldn’t be retired and Edmonds was the Edmonds of 2004. Kerry Wood and Carlos Marmol were unhittable. The Cubs swept a 4 game set in Milwaukee.

Welcome to September 7th; the Cubs have just lost 7 of 8 and 5 of those to the Reds and Astros. Zambrano and Harden and hurt. Lee has no more power… Fukudome just isn’t the player he was in April and May. Kerry Wood is blowing 3-1 leads to the Louisville Bats. I mean, Jolbert Cabrera, come on now. Lucky for the Cubs, their NL Central cohorts the Brewers have been just as cold. Coming off a 4 game split with the majors’ worst San Diego Padres, where they scored only 7 runs themselves, the Brewers still sit 4 back of the Cubs. Despite the fact that the Cubs lead on a playoff spot will be only 7 with a Phillies victory tonight, the magic number continues to drop with each Brewer loss.

So it’s September 7th, and the Cubs still have a 4 game lead despite going through their toughest slump of the year, bar none. Even though we’ve seen it all before with the Cubs, they are going to make the playoffs one way or another. But for now, the slump rolls on.

Better now than October.

Mike