Because God knows the team with the best run differential in baseball and the #2 team ERA in the NL is struggling on both of those fronts.

I believe he was dissing the Royals not the Cubbies.

Duncan is like a Soviet "re-education" camp. He helps them learn that strikeouts are fascist and that the 2-seam fastball is more democratic. It also helps that he has a guy like Yadi Molina calling the game for him, and a good defense behind him so that they can maximize the "pitch to contact" philosophy. Wellemeyer always had great natural stuff, he was just wasted in the Royals organization because...well, they couldn't develop a pound of rice in a Cambodian floodplain.

– The Cardinals have played very well on the road. They’re the highest-scoring road team in the majors this season, averaging 5.32 runs per game.

– But this is a tough assignment. The Cubs are 43-16 at Wrigley so far. How good is that? Well, it’s a home winning percentage of .729. Until now, the best home winning percentage by a Cubs team since 1954 belonged to the ‘84 team (.638).

– To this point, this could be the best offensive team the Cubs have ever put on the grass at Wrigley. The 2008 Cubs will likely set some home records (on offense) before the season is over. They are scoring 6.14 runs per game at home, the best according to STATS data dating back to 1954. The combined home onbase-slugging percentage of .875 is also the highest going back to ‘54.

– The 2008 Cubs are leading the NL in home scoring, slugging, onbase percentage and are second in homers.

– Who are the Cubs’ best hitters at home?
Many:
* Aramis Ramirez has 12 homers and 43 RBIs and an unreal .472 OBP and .607 SLG. The only NL players who have a higher home OPS this season are Chipper Jones and Matt Holliday.
* Derrek Lee has 14 homers and 36 RBIs and a .524 SLG. Lee has only three homers away from Wrigley. He has the highest percentage of HRs hit at home in the majors this season.
* Alfonso Soriano has 14 homers and 37 RBIS and a SLG of .664.
* Ramirez, Fukudome, Theriot, DeRosa and Edmonds have OBPs higher than .400 at home.
* Geovany Soto has 40 RBIs at home, and a .492 SLG.
* Six Cubs regulars are hitting higher than .300 at home.
* Old friend Edmonds has a SLG of .704 at Wrigley this season, with seven homers in 73 at-bats.

– Best of luck to Cardinals starting pitchers Braden Looper, Todd Wellemeyer and Chris Carpenter this weekend.

– Since the start of the 2002 season, Albert Pujols has the most extra-base hits in the majors, 555. But No. 2 on the list is the Cubs’ Soriano, with 552.

Enjoy the series….

Cubs fans

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For all the profanity-inducing, stomach-twisting, head-scratching consternation they've helped provoke over these last few wild and nervous weeks, maybe it's time we give the Cardinals a little credit for something besides our own rising acid reflux levels.

It's the second weekend in August, and this team is heading to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><ST1:pChicago</ST1:p</st1:City> with a chance on its bats. With nearly a third of the season remaining, there is meaningful baseball being played by these cardiac Cards, and I can say confidently that four months ago I didn't see this coming — and neither did most of the baseball world.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

Despite a bullpen that produces more diabolical thrillers than Stephen King, the Cardinals are hitting the road for 10 games, and they have a two-dimensional playoff vision in their heads. On one side, there is the NL Central title, and the Cubbies in full control of that dimension with a five-game lead over <st1:City w:st="on"><ST1:pMilwaukee</ST1:p</st1:City> with fewer than 50 games to play.
<O:p</O:p


And so for the first time since 2003, we have a rare redux of the celebrated "Three Nights in August" at Wrigley Field: a series that gives weight to the so-called Cards-Cubs "rivalry" beyond the normal amusing little civic hissing match between the dueling fan nations. For a change, this isn't just a glorified house party where one pitiful noncontender (usually the Cubs) gets to play spoiler during another's championship run (usually the Cards). It's a series with playoff implications, not just geo-municipal pride for both teams, which finally elevates it to the same competitive fever pitch of so many previous glorified Yanks vs. Red Sox duels.

<O:p</O:p

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Now That's True fan loyalty!!!!

Go CUBBIES!!!!!!

In case you cards fans want to sing a long a few times this weekend. :)
Baseball season's underway
Well you better get ready for a brand new day.
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

They're singing ...
Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

They got the power, they got the speed
To be the best in the National League
Well this is the year and Cubs are real
So come on down to Wrigley Field

We're singing now ...

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Baseball time is here again
You can catch it all on WGN
So stamp you feet and clap your hands
Chicago Cubs got the greatest fans.

You're singing now ...

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

<div><object width="420" height="254"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/k2CZCWuUorvl3SI5KP&related=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/k2CZCWuUorvl3SI5KP&related=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="254" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x698gb_ohman-does-carey_shortfilms">Ohman Does Carey</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/TheFightins">TheFightins</a></i></div>

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Nothing beats the real Harry! :clap:

Yo Ohman, you suck shit and your gelatinous face makes black baby Jesus cry. Just thought you should know.

http://i36.tinypic.com/15573w5.jpg

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Here's another awesome Elia(s) rant:

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