Don't look now..

[Rusch33]

The Cubs are 9.5 games out of the wild card.

 

Unbelievable, yes.

[A New Era]

I won't look.

[imb]

there are like a dozen teams ahead of them.

 

its not going to happen

[soccer10k]

Do you realize that even if the Cubs won their next 17 straight games, it would get them to .500 and if the Dodgers and Reds played .500 baseball over that time, they would still be 2 games ahead of the Cubs in the Wild Card.

 

The moral of the story: 9.5 games out can be deceptive.

[A New Era]

Do you realize that even if the Cubs won their next 17 straight games, it would get them to .500 and if the Dodgers and Reds played .500 baseball over that time, they would still be 2 games ahead of the Cubs in the Wild Card.

 

The moral of the story: 9.5 games out can be deceptive.

 

So you're SAYIN THERE'S A CHANCE!!

[C.C.]

Do you realize that even if the Cubs won their next 17 straight games, it would get them to .500 and if the Dodgers and Reds played .500 baseball over that time, they would still be 2 games ahead of the Cubs in the Wild Card.

 

The moral of the story: 9.5 games out can be deceptive.

 

So you're SAYIN THERE'S A CHANCE!!

 

I was just going to write that! LOL! Cubs fans grasp onto to any little thread they could find. I find myself checking the standings every morning...

[Scott G. F.]

YOUR NEVER A LOSER UNTIL YOU QUIT TRYING.

 

Miracles can happen. But don't demand or expect them. Just watch and see what happens.

[UMFan83]

Z hasn't given up, so neither should you

[badger1679666666]

We still got action dude. As long as we got action, we gotta keep trying.

[fiver]

Dear Dusty Jr's in this thread,

 

There are no '06 playoffs in the Cubs future. Let's not be delusional. Do we really want to focus on getting back to 5 games below .500, or do we want to thoroughly evaluate what we have for next season? Do we want to continue skipping the 5th spot in the rotation when able, or do we want to utilize the 5th spot to further evaluate a young arm?

 

We need to be working towards next season. Thanks.

[Brendan]

i would, in this case, remind everyone of the andy MacPhail rule: multiply the number of games behind you are by the number of teams ahead of you to get a true value of "games behind".

[CubColtPacer]

Dear Dusty Jr's in this thread,

 

There are no '06 playoffs in the Cubs future. Let's not be delusional. Do we really want to focus on getting back to 5 games below .500, or do we want to thoroughly evaluate what we have for next season? Do we want to continue skipping the 5th spot in the rotation when able, or do we want to utilize the 5th spot to further evaluate a young arm?

 

We need to be working towards next season. Thanks.

 

Nobody said we wanted to try to win at the expense of the young players. If we can continue winning like we have been lately though with many of the young players playing, isn't that the best thing? That means the young players will be playing very well, as players like Hill has done for us lately. Besides, it's more likely that skipping the 5th starter will give an extra start to a rookie at the end of the season as it will be to a veteran (when Marshall comes back we will have 3 rookies in the rotation, and so a 60 percent chance that the extra start it frees up will be given to one of Marshall, Marmol, or Hill). The problems with skipping the 5th starter have to do with 2 things-the stress on a player like Zambrano's arm, which I'm not sure about-and giving Mateo regular work instead of sitting him for 2 weeks and than sending him down, and I am one who sincerely hopes he at least puts in a couple appearances if not more in the next week and a half. Basically, I want us to prepare for next year, but if we can continue winning while we do that than that is just a huge bonus for me.

[MembersOnlyJacket]

i would, in this case, remind everyone of the andy MacPhail rule: multiply the number of games behind you are by the number of teams ahead of you to get a true value of "games behind".

 

104.5. yes! hurry back d. lee - the mathematics don't have us out yet!

[halplm]

This is why the seats will still be packed for the next month. this little run has made people think there's a chance... and Dusty and company won't stop saying so to anyone who'll print what they say...

 

We're doomed for more than this year, folks...

[RynoRules]

Lets just catch the Brewers and Stros.

[Guest]

We've been playing the kids more (starting pitching, at least, with Hill, Marmol & Mateo starting lately) and we've been winning more.

 

Dusty, are you paying attention?

[rawaction]

We've been playing the kids more (starting pitching, at least, with Hill, Marmol & Mateo starting lately) and we've been winning more.

 

Dusty, are you paying attention?

 

Of course he is! Who do you think is putting them in position to succeed?

[RynoRules]

We've been playing the kids more (starting pitching, at least, with Hill, Marmol & Mateo starting lately) and we've been winning more.

 

Dusty, are you paying attention?

 

Good point. I was also thinking that Izturis' arrival has forced Cedeo to second and Neifi to the bench. This is a good thing.

[CubColtPacer]

We've been playing the kids more (starting pitching, at least, with Hill, Marmol & Mateo starting lately) and we've been winning more.

 

Dusty, are you paying attention?

 

We've had better offense than we've had pitching lately-I think they still said that our ERA was over 5 on the homestand on Sunday, but things like Hill pitching instead of Rusch have meant a couple game difference, that's for sure. It's amazing when the offense can do to a ballclub when they have 4 hot players/positions (Ramirez, Barrett, Pierre, Murton/Pagan in LF)

[Jerry Mumphrey]

Just so everybody understands, a bunch of the teams ahead of us are going to be playing each other the rest of the season, meaning there are many guaranteed wins for teams not named the Cubs. This is why we were basically eliminated by the all-star break. Someone with some time and math skills should check to see the date it becomes mathematically impossible to slide into contention.

[Banedon]

Just so everybody understands, a bunch of the teams ahead of us are going to be playing each other the rest of the season, meaning there are many guaranteed wins for teams not named the Cubs. This is why we were basically eliminated by the all-star break. Someone with some time and math skills should check to see the date it becomes mathematically impossible to slide into contention.

 

There was a link posted to a site that tracks that day to day, and frankly I don't remember it now...I'm sure someone can repost it. And just to provide a bit of counterpoint, sure there are going to be some guaranteed winners, but there will also be some guaranteed losers...

 

Please note...I do not think we're still in contention...just thought it beared noting.

[goonys evil twin]

Just so everybody understands, a bunch of the teams ahead of us are going to be playing each other the rest of the season, meaning there are many guaranteed wins for teams not named the Cubs. This is why we were basically eliminated by the all-star break. Someone with some time and math skills should check to see the date it becomes mathematically impossible to slide into contention.

 

FWIW:

 

 

• NL Central W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
  Cardinals 61 50 .475 86.9 75.1 73.03671 8.68237 81.71908
  Reds 57 55 .481 82.3 79.7 20.19954 16.14856 36.34810
  Astros 53 58 .462 78.2 83.8 4.55633 4.18596 8.74229
  Brewers 52 59 .452 76.7 85.3 2.13132 2.08386 4.21517
  Cubs 47 64 .443 70.9 91.1 .07583 .06619 .14202

 

The Cubs elimination number for the division is 38, it's 42 for the wild card.

[USSoccer]

Just so everybody understands, a bunch of the teams ahead of us are going to be playing each other the rest of the season, meaning there are many guaranteed wins for teams not named the Cubs. This is why we were basically eliminated by the all-star break. Someone with some time and math skills should check to see the date it becomes mathematically impossible to slide into contention.

 

FWIW:

 

 

• NL Central W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
  Cardinals 61 50 .475 86.9 75.1 73.03671 8.68237 81.71908
  Reds 57 55 .481 82.3 79.7 20.19954 16.14856 36.34810
  Astros 53 58 .462 78.2 83.8 4.55633 4.18596 8.74229
  Brewers 52 59 .452 76.7 85.3 2.13132 2.08386 4.21517
  Cubs 47 64 .443 70.9 91.1 .07583 .06619 .14202

 

The Cubs elimination number for the division is 38, it's 42 for the wild card.

 

.14202%. Those are betting odds. :P

[Banedon]

Just so everybody understands, a bunch of the teams ahead of us are going to be playing each other the rest of the season, meaning there are many guaranteed wins for teams not named the Cubs. This is why we were basically eliminated by the all-star break. Someone with some time and math skills should check to see the date it becomes mathematically impossible to slide into contention.

 

FWIW:

 

 

• NL Central W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
  Cardinals 61 50 .475 86.9 75.1 73.03671 8.68237 81.71908
  Reds 57 55 .481 82.3 79.7 20.19954 16.14856 36.34810
  Astros 53 58 .462 78.2 83.8 4.55633 4.18596 8.74229
  Brewers 52 59 .452 76.7 85.3 2.13132 2.08386 4.21517
  Cubs 47 64 .443 70.9 91.1 .07583 .06619 .14202

 

The Cubs elimination number for the division is 38, it's 42 for the wild card.

 

.14202%. Those are betting odds. :P

 

We've got action!

[RynoRules]

Just so everybody understands, a bunch of the teams ahead of us are going to be playing each other the rest of the season, meaning there are many guaranteed wins for teams not named the Cubs. This is why we were basically eliminated by the all-star break. Someone with some time and math skills should check to see the date it becomes mathematically impossible to slide into contention.

 

FWIW:

 

 

• NL Central W L Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
  Cardinals 61 50 .475 86.9 75.1 73.03671 8.68237 81.71908
  Reds 57 55 .481 82.3 79.7 20.19954 16.14856 36.34810
  Astros 53 58 .462 78.2 83.8 4.55633 4.18596 8.74229
  Brewers 52 59 .452 76.7 85.3 2.13132 2.08386 4.21517
  Cubs 47 64 .443 70.9 91.1 .07583 .06619 .14202

 

The Cubs elimination number for the division is 38, it's 42 for the wild card.

 

.14202%. Those are betting odds. :P

 

We've got action!

 

Someone loan me a dollar! Its like that line Back to the Future II: "Wish I could go back to the beginning of the season and put some money on the Cubbies!"