Is It Alive?

I still don't think that the Cubs have been reanimated. Hell. Look at the NL East. Every team is over .500 and the Nationals are in first place. Without Jose Vidro!

This team is still fundamentally flawed and is not a playoff team as currently constructed.

That said, this road trip was the first time all season that the Cubs outplayed reasonable expectations (another reason not to believe - play over expecations a few more times and show that you are serious). In fact, coming off a 6-4 homestand (where 7-3 would have been what was expected from a solid ballclub), the 6-1 trip covered a multitude of sins.

So, whom do we owe for this mini-resurgence? Is it Derrek Lee? Is it Neifi Perez? Is it the now alive bat of Aramis Ramirez?

I give the credit to Padres manager Bruce Bochy.

In Saturday's game, the Cubs were ahead, but you just weren't confident that they could keep the lead. Greg Maddux is usually good for 3 or 4 runs to an opponent. In the 5th, the Cubs started with Lee, Burnitz and A-Ram all getting hits. With first base open, what does Bochy call for? An intentional walk.

To Korey Patterson.

Instead of throwing Korey nothing by backstop-high fastballs and getting a probable strikeout, Bochy decides it's better to face Michael Barrett. Six runs later, and the Padres are shell shocked. They die a slow death Saturday and then phone in Sunday's game.

It's going to be tricky to improve this team. With so many teams close to first place and/or the Wild Card, the trading partners are going to be few.

Don't be fooled by how good they look right now. This team is a leadoff hitter and an RBI guy away from being dangerous.

But with St. Louis not that good and a lot of bad teams to fatten up against, there's no reason for Jim Hendry not to make some moves and make a run in 2005.