0-ctober

For the first time in 11 years, four friends dating back to high school went out without kids or spouses. They had face value tickets to a baseball game in Wrigley in October that were just to the first base side of the pressbox. They laughed, told a few jokes, reminded each other of some long nearly-forgotten events, and enjoyed a hot October evening.

They were completely bored by the sporting event on display.

As soon as the Mark DeRosa GIDP in the 5th, they headed to the rooftop cafe behind the pressbox, had a few beers, and essentially ignored the rest of the game.

It was an appropriate response for a team that basically ignored the game was well. This site talked about the four key players and if they would be Tops or Flops? Well, Carlos Zambrano can have his opera hat. For Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, and Aramis "As many hits as team wins" Ramirez, to use the term flops to describe them would be insulting to shower shoes.

Despite the debacle, there are some positives to come from the sweep:

1) Cubs fans should be applauded for not only not cheering the team as the game ended, but actually booing Lee, Ramirez and especially Soriano off the field after their final at bats. How refreshing.

2) The douchbag near-felon who had the signs all over the place in the Red Sox Font is now back to the category of the ignored.

3) Jim Hendry, completely undeserving of praise for overspending on bad players and winning a weak division, will come under much closer scrutiny than he would have in a close series. This is especially so given how bad his money players performed while being outplayed by players Hendry didn't even envision on the roster on Opening Day (Geovany Soto and Ryan Theriot come to mind).

4) Lou Piniella will insist on further roster changes before 2008 begins. He's already rid this team of the Michael Barrett's and Ceasar Izturis's. The Scott Eyre's and Jacque Jones' are next.

5) The Cubs will have a new owner in the next 180 days. While this is not a result of the playoff loss, it is a tremendous potential positive.

This was a stepping stone season, Cub fans. Believe it or not, some good may rise from the Phoenix-created ash pile of the 2007 Cubs.