Some other thoughts....

A day off for the Cubbies and I don't really want to recall the horror that was this weekend (particularly Sunday's game). Easily should have been 2 out of 3 this weekend, particularly the bad defense yesterday which will never show up in any box score or stat, but yet we'll all know that not wearing your sunglasses and Grudz's wacky decision to not throw to 2nd coupled with Barrett not covering 3rd, pretty much cost us the game (Farnsworth's antics aside). In good news, we now have a 2 game lead in the Wild Card after a 6 game road trip which I believe we started a game back of the Padres(3 game swing is nice)

I think once a week I'll write about the rest of baseball, cause it's just kind of a fun thing to do.

- Cards acquire Larry Walker in something of a surprise trade. Good move for them as it seems to have cost them nothing and Larry Walker is still good. Not so good for the Cubs when the playoffs come.

- AL West- The Angels, Oakland and Rangers pretty much play the same competition over the next 2 months, and in particular the next month brings mostly patsies for all 3 teams. The Angels so far have have been taking care of business (took 3 from K.C. over the weekend) while Texas has not (been getting beat by the Orioles) and the A's have been locked up still with the tough teams. Their records so far vs. teams currently under .500 are Angels (30-8), A's (23-9) and Rangers (25-18). After today's games though, the A's only have a 3 game series versus the Red Sox, plus the normal back and forth between the Angels, Marines and Rangers that finish off the season, everyone else they play is close or under .500. The Angels and Rangers have series left versus the Yankees, Red Sox and Twins still. Currently you have to give the nod to the A's based on schedule. I think the Rangers will fade here at the end and the Angels definitely have a chance but need a little luck. Colon needs to continue to pitch well, b)Washburn and Molina have to come back from their injuries and c)Glaus needs to come back in September (highly unlikely).

- I was rooting hard against the Dodgers making the playoffs mostly cause I've never liked them or any of their fans. And the famous Dodger Dogs is a big sham. But the more I think about it, the more I like it so I can get playoff tickets when the Cubs come into town to kick their asses.

- Sosa is making me ill, he's best when he's patient and willing to take the ball to right field. Neither things he's attempting at this moment. As a manager Dusty's biggest job is to keep confidence in his players but he needs to seriously think about dropping Alou and Sosa behind Ramirez and Lee.

- Other than I think the AL West/ Wild card there is the potential that all of these races could be sewn up before September. The Cubs have the chance to beat up on the Dodgers and Padres this week and create some distance in the wild card, and the Braves/Dodgers/Cards are running away with their divisions. In the AL, the Twins have pretty much locked things up with Ordonez and Thomas out for the year in Chicago and I don't see the Indians contending this year. Yankees have wrapped up the East.

Padres come into town tomorrow and the Cubs can put a serious hurt on their season with another sweep just like in May. That would be nice.