Have I missed anything?

I was really hoping to be able to update this space more often this spring and summer, but things have conspired against me. The biggest of which was a major family medical emergency, which I'll write a lot more about if I have more time. Things are getting better there.

The good thing about all this is that I have missed the Keystone Kubs annual slide into oblivion. I've only watched maybe 5 innings of baseball since the last time I posted anything here. On April 25th, the day of my last post, the Cubs were 5 games back of Milwaukee after beating them. Today, they're 7 1/2 back after losing their 10th in 12 games. The Cubs have gone two weeks without beating anyone but themselves and they're only 7 1/2 back of the Brewers and one game out of second place. Man, does this division stink. Five of the six worst teams in the NL (based on current record) are in the Central. There are only five teams in the other divisions in baseball with a worse record than the second-place Pirates. It does give me some pleasure to see that the Yankees are on that list. Has Steinbrenner's head exploded yet?

But, I digress. So, the good news for the Cubs is that they aren't so far gone that they can't still win the division. The bad news is their ace pitcher is a better hitter, and especially a better boxer, than he is a pitcher, and the bullpen is only a relief to the opposition. Also, the outfielders catch fly balls like their gloves are made of flubber, and love the cutoff man too much to hit him. And finally, the Cubs must still be giving away free beer in the dugout because baserunners will do anything, no matter how stupid, to get back there as fast as they can. Alfonso Soriano has been picked off of first base three times that I know of - and I missed almost the entire month of May. The latest dumb play came yesterday, when a the would-be tying run got caught stealing at third in the eighth inning with no outs. The baserunning has been so bad that good baserunning would be news.

Has Lou Pinella's head exploded yet?