Cubs

Even before the first pitch of Friday night's game at Busch Stadium was tossed, controversy heated up when the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a story with the title "No Chance," referring to the Cubs' feeble attempts at a World Series crown.

Pitching injuries occur all often for the Cubs. Injured starters Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Wade Miller are taking advantage of their time on the disabled list during a vacation together across the country.

The Cubs could learn a lot about toughness from Brewers manager Ned Yost, who tripped and fell during his Tuesday run along the lakefront in Chicago, broke his collarbone, rubbed some dirt on it, and continued his five-mile trek. Refusing to wear a sling recommended by his doctor, Yost was in the dugout Tuesday night managing his club just a few short hours after taking the vicious spill.

Mark Prior got a 12th opinion on his ailing right shoulder Tuesday, this time by well-known orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala. Prior's tour of doctors--which began two weeks ago in the Los Angeles medical office of Dr.. Lewis Yocum--took him through 14 states and covered nearly 3,200 miles in his daddy's Escalade limousine.

Just when Cubs fans thought it couldn't get any worse, there was Monday night--a gut-wrenching 12-inning, 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley. The game was a microcosm of everything that is flawed about the 2007 version of the Chicago Cubs.

Manager Lou Piniella made nice with the media prior to Tuesday's game with Milwaukee after blowing off his post-game press conference the night before to scold his players for dropping another extra inning heart-breaker.

I'm sick of it becoming a media event every time I talk about what I've bet on. So let's get it all out of the way. While managing the Reds, I bet on baseball, junior high softball games, cock fights, who shot JR, two-week old Chinese food, the Oscars, high school elections, hobo fights, where Marge Schott's dog would deuce next, players' STD test results and the drinking games at local fraternities. Actually, the only thing I won't bet on is the stock market. My bookie offers the only retirement plan I need. Let's gamble!