Looking Back, Looking Forward

As noted in one of the comments, the Cubs really didn't finish their first month too far off from what was expected. This page suggested that a 15-9 April was in order for a team with this level of talent and post season aspirations. They finished the month at 12-11 with one game rained out.

So, they were 2 1/2 games back of where they should have been. That doesn't sound bad until you look at their opponents, the games they blew, and that 15-9 was a base. They were free to exceed expectations.

What does a contending Cubs team do with May? Well, given their schedule, 16-9 would work. Considering that they got off to an 0-4 start, they have a lot of work to do.

And also considering that they were 2 1/2 games off their expected pace coming into the month, their workload is pushing insurmountable.

With the one April rain out, this team should be 30-18 by the end of May. That means 18-3 for the rest of the month. That's as likely as my being named Mark Shapiro's replacement at ESPN.

Then again, I'd bet I could come up with better programming than "Tilt."