Never mind division; time to think big

It seems like only yesterday that the correspondence was rushing in at an alarming rate -- and with a somewhat disturbing tone.

At the top of the list was the suggestion that there had been significant use of mind-altering substances, not limited to the bentgrass one finds on a finely groomed golf course.

Close behind was the possibility that inbreeding had caused something of a deficiency in one lobe or another, and there were many others of many varieties and worlds, referencing this life and perhaps the next.

All because on May 31 it said here that the Cubs would win their division.

Of course, on May 31 the Cubs were 7 under .500 (22-29), 6ˆ¨ games out of first, only 3 games out of last, having lost four straight and eight of 10.

And, oh, yeah, they had just been thumped 9-0 by the vaunted Marlins.

But manager Lou Piniella was beginning to exert his influence on the roster, and there remained no team in the division that could match the Cubs' talent either individually or as a group, on the field or in the rotation.

Simply put, someone had to win a terrible division and the Cubs had the best players, despite their awful record.

This is not exactly the stuff of genius.

And while there's still a long way to go, the idea of the Cubs winning a weak division is not looking quite as insane today.

Hey, even a blind squirrel bumps into another blind squirrel occasionally, so it must be time to dip our toes back into the quagmire again.

We're here to tell you that the Cubs also should wind up with the best record in the National League -- home field for the first two rounds -- and it's for the same reason.

There just isn't anyone else.

The Dodgers looked to have the most balanced club a month ago, but their pitching staff has been devastated by injuries.

The Padres haven't hit all year, and catcher Michael Barrett is working his magic on the San Diego pitching staff, which also has been struck by ailments.

The Diamondbacks are a cute story, and they can pitch, but they're awfully young and can't match the Cubs player for player.

The Mets without Pedro Martinez don't scare you, the Phillies' pitching staff is a disaster, and the Braves' lineup got better with Mark Teixeira and they bolstered their bullpen, but will their starters hold up?

You can see what's happened to the Brewers already, and they've still got injuries waiting to happen.

The National League is wide open. The pennant is there for the taking. The competition probably has never been worse.

So if you found yourself wondering what moves the Red Sox, Angels and Tigers would make in the hours before the trade deadline, no one ought call you nuts.

You don't even need hallucinogens to start thinking about winning the World Series.

Seriously.

Call to remember

How big now is Tony La Russa's decision to withhold Al Pujols and let Aaron Rowand bat in the ninth inning of the All-Star Game with the bases loaded and the game on the line?

Thanks to Bud Selig, that's going to hurt in October if the Cubs reach the Fall Classic.

Twice as nice

When you begin pondering short playoff series, you have to lick your chops at the prospect of having Carlos Zambrano throw twice.

Assuming he stays healthy, and doesn't do anything crazy, Zambrano is the biggest postseason advantage in the majors right now.

Catching up

E-mailer Tim from Mount Prospect with yet more on the Michael Barrett statistical anomalies:

Carlos Zambrano in 2007 with Barrett catching him: 2-4, 7.52 ERA, 1.893 WHIP. With anyone else: 12-3, 1.97 ERA, 0.985 WHIP.

Jake Peavy in 2007 with Barrett catching him: 0-4, 4.88 ERA, 1.542 WHIP. With anyone else: 10-1, 1.89 ERA, 1.00 WHIP.

It's probably a bit unfair to place so much emphasis on Barrett, but you can't ignore the numbers.

An East beast?

With Kevin Garnett leaving Minnesota and headed for Boston to join Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, the Celtics will be the favorites to win the East if they can find a decent point guard and add some insurance at center.

Kind of scary how windows can open and close in a hurry in the NBA, and it's the reason some teams throw caution to the wind and go for it when the opportunity is there.

December mourn

Remember the rumored trade of Jon Garland (27) to Houston for Willy Taveras (25) and Taylor Buchholz (25) over the winter?

Those two ended up in Colorado, where center fielder/leadoff man Taveras has been very good, and Buchholz has been quite solid since moving from the rotation back to the bullpen.

They make a combined $800,000 this year, while Garland's pulling in $10 million. Interesting to ponder, depending on which side of the Garland fence you fall.

Fire sale

If the Giants start dumping players for prospects, two guys who could help the Cubs immediately are lefty reliever Steve Kline and lefty pinch hitter Mark Sweeney. They're both specialists and both have playoff experience.

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Steroids-using golfer hits titanic putt 60 feet past the hole.''

Global warming

Comedian Alex Kaseberg: "Man, is it hot. I'm sweating like Michael Vick at the Westminster Dog show.''

And finally ...

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: "German soccer officials say, as an extreme measure to curb fan violence, matches can be played in empty stadiums. Hmm. Wouldn't that make them Major League Soccer games?''