MLB figuring out Cubs-Astros series

ST. LOUIS - The Cubs are up in the air because of Hurricane Ike, and where they land, nobody knows.

After tonight's finale against the Cardinals, the Cubs are supposed to fly to Houston for a weekend series. But with the storm bearing down for a possible hit on the Texas Gulf Coast, contingency plans are flying fast and furious.

The Astros issued a statement saying that Friday night's game may have to be moved to 1:05 p.m., depending on the path of the storm. One scenario floated was that the teams will hunker down in Houston on Saturday, with no game, and then play a day-night doubleheader Sunday.

Another rumor making the rounds among workers at Busch Stadium was that the Cubs and Astros will play their three games in St. Louis.

Nothing is certain yet, and Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said he was in contact all day with Major League Baseball.

Cubs players didn't seem happy about going to Houston and possibly being stuck there as everybody else evacuates.

"I don't want to go," said shortstop Ryan Theriot, a native of Louisiana, a state that has had its fill of hurricanes. "I understand why the Astros want to play those games there. That makes perfect sense to me. They're right there in the wild card. They're playing well. They want to play those games at home.

"That storm is going to turn (up toward Houston). And if it does turn, and they evacuate the city, then what do you do? Now we're stuck. Are you going to hop on a bus and go where? Go with everybody else? Are we going to take a bus from Houston to Chicago?"

Some Cubs joked that the Astros should want to play at Wrigley Field this weekend because they swept the Cubs there last week.

Hendry said all parties will know more today.

"I think they're going to monitor the situation overnight and kind of let us know tomorrow if there will be a time change," he said.