Hurricane Ike leaves Cub-Astros series up in the air

ST. LOUIS - Where do the Cubs go from here?

That question sought both literal and figurative answers Thursday, as today's and Saturday's games in Houston against the Astros were postponed because Hurricane Ike is barreling toward Texas.

Instead of flying to Houston, the Cubs planned to board their charter after Thursday night's game against the Cardinals and head to Chicago. They'll take Friday off and work out Saturday at Wrigley Field in anticipation of makeup games.

Depending on the strength of the storm and how much damage it causes, the Cubs and the Astros could play a doubleheader Sunday and a single game Monday, either in Houston or at a "neutral" site.

The Cubs wanted to make it clear their first priority was the safety of their own players and the people in the hurricane's path.

"We have to be very cognizant of the situation in the Houston community and the state of Texas," said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who was on the phone with Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig all day.

The Cubs, at all levels, wanted nothing to do with flying into Houston on Thursday night, even as the Astros were expressing hope that somehow games could be played even today.

"I'd really prefer not to go, but if we're going there, it means it wasn't as bad as anticipated," said Cubs player rep Ryan Dempster, who expressed concern for the Astros' players and their families.

"I think everybody is pretty realistic and knows that we're not going to be going in there if there's a storm going on and there's some catastrophic damage or anything like that."

There has been wrangling over "neutral" sites. The Astros apparently didn't want anything to do with Milwaukee or St. Louis, even though Miller Park in Milwaukee is similar to their own park, and as the "home" team, the Astros could benefit from a big crowd of Cubs fans and make up for a lost Houston gate.

Atlanta and Tampa Bay also have been mentioned.

"Is Wrigley neutral?" Dempster joked about the Cubs' home park.

The Cubs' pitching plans are up in the air, too. Some veterans also remember 2004, when the Cubs had to play 26 games in 24 days at the end of the season, including two doubleheaders, because of a hurricane in Florida.

That rough stretch helped to contribute to a late-season collapse that saw the Cubs lose their lead in the wild-card race.

The Cubs have an off-day scheduled for Monday.

"For us, it's not going to be easy," Dempster said. "You go down there and play a doubleheader, and you play a game on your off-day in the month of September in the stretch run.

"But we're all big boys here. And whatever the situation is handed to us, you get handed adversity all the time. And we'll handle it really well. We'll go out and play really hard and do what we have to do.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy. Sometimes you're going to hit speed bumps. It's a big one, but it's all right."