Hope: They'll play some consistently good baseball, has yet to happen, if it does, the Cardinals, Brewers, et al will be in the rear view mirror. Expectations: Well it's the Cubs so, I expect the worst and hope for the best that being said, I'd expect: 1. Soriano to continue slumping in fact, to go homer-less until the last week of season on his way to setting career lows in BA, HR, RBI and a career high in K's 2. Ramirez DL'ed for the remainder of the season within 10 or so games of the second half 3. Soto to never regain his ROY form 4. Fukudome to continue slumping, more Fuku-copters to come 5. Lee to hit the DL with neck spasms 6. Dempster because, he's a Cub, to take far longer than normal to return from a broken toe 7. Basically everything that's gone wrong to continue doing so and somehow get worse while of course, Albert Pujols and the Lilliputians win the WS