9-6 in August and an enjoyable run

The Cubs are 18-14 since the All-Star Break -- not too shabby for a team that looked like it was in total disarray the first half of the season. Chicago is playing good baseball right now with a lot of missing parts, but give Dusty Baker credit for rallying his troops. He's not a manager that has a reputation for playing youngsters, but with the emergence of Matt Murton (.379, 5 2B, 4 HR, 15 RBI), Angel Pagan (.315, 13 R, 3 SB), and Ronny Cedeno (.241, 3 HR, 3 SB) the past month, things are looking up in ChiTown.

I really want management to lock up 3B Aramis Ramirez and CF Juan Pierre for the next few years. Couple that duo with C Michael Barrett, 1B Derrek Lee, and SS Cesar Izturis, and that would be a pretty formidable lineup for the future.

If the Cubs could have somehow played .400 baseball in May/June, then Chicago would have been in the thick of a very mediocre N.L. Wild Card race. Here's hoping for a 5-3 or better home-stand vs. the likes of St. Louis and Philadelphia and a chance to be a major spoiler come Labor Day!