March 31 marks opening day for the Cubs, and I can hardly wait. I think this may be the first time in the history of me that I’ve eagerly anticipated the onset of a new sports season. In poking around the web a bit about baseball today, I found a blog Mark DeRosa had kept last season in which he briefly deconstructed his basically post-season-ending at-bat in October. If I recall correctly, he took a swing with a 2-1 count against a pitcher who had just walked two (maybe three) batters and got himself an inning-ending double-play that ultimately kept the Cubs from advancing. I think a walk would have brought in a winning run, though my memory may be off. Unless you’re a real hard-ass, you’ve gotta feel bad for the guy (though I think I probably yelled and literally jumped up and down when he took his swing), who was just trying to take a good cut at a ball and bring in an extra run on a hit. In any case, the Cubbies didn’t get a shot at the series, but the good things they set in motion last season are all set to start up again this season. I’ll keep a particularly close eye on Sam Fuld, who was pulled up from the minors (from my local AA team via a AAA team I forget where) for the playoffs and who had some key time on the field. My local team’s season begins in 53 days (according to the countdown on their site), and I’m thinking very seriously about going to opening day.

In other news, it’ll be interesting to see Torre as a Dodger. I’ve always liked that guy.

And speaking of a former Yankee, how can I help but bring up Clemens? I’m as close as I get to heart-broken over his part in the steroids/HGH fiasco currently unfolding. I’ve been a fan of his since his early days in Boston. When a person achieves as much as Clemens (or Bonds) has, you really hope they achieved it honestly and with their inborn (and cultivated) abilities. The guy who claims to have injected Clemens with illegal drugs seems pretty slimy, but Roger himself comes off as shifty and self-righteous, and that bums me out. I hope he didn’t take the drugs, and I wish there were a way to prove it, but it’s pretty hard to believe him. I sure hope MLB will crack down. Daily drug tests and instant banning from the game on a positive result don’t seem too severe to me.

The Cubs just didn’t seem to be in the game last night. Zambrano was pitching well, and I guess there wasn’t much reason to be fired up until the game got interesting later. Heck, Zambrano had just about the best hitting of the game as well. It’s easy to sit here and Wish Piniella hadn’t pulled Z out for Marmol, but Lou and the commentators are right: Marmol has been a great resource late in games, and last night just wasn’t his night. Changing pitchers late in the game always freaks me out a little if the guy on the mound is throwing the ball well, but I can’t say it was really a rash move. The Cubs play in Arizona again tonight with Lilly starting, and then they head home on Saturday for the next two games (here’s hoping there are two games at home, at any rate!). You can bet I’ll be glued to the TV.

The Cubs have lost their last two outings against the Marlins, and I gather that the Reds, who they’ll play in their final three games, are considered a more formidable opponent. The Brewers toppled the Cards last night but lost tonight, making the contenders’ records as of tonight 83 and 75 (Cubs) and 81 and 77. If the Cubs lose all four of their remaining games, Milwaukee has to lose three of their four in order for the Cubs to win the division. I made a spreadsheet that tells me this.

In my long absence from baseball, I had forgotten just how a team could be a half game in front of or behind another. The reason seems to be that standings are calculated in such a way that teams who’ve played one or two more games than a team they’re being compared to can still be compared fairly. The calculation used for determining standings (I got this from here) is as follows:

(1/2) * ((WA – WB) + (LB – LA))

where:

I haven’t watched the Reds play recently, and I don’t know how good Griffey Jr. is these days (he was an up and coming star when I last watched baseball regularly), but I’m crossing my fingers that his injury puts a damper on their winning spirit. They’re 9 and 14 this month, and they lost 2 of 3 in a series against the Cubs last week. If Chicago loses tomorrow and fares as well against the Reds this weekend as they did last week, the Brewers have to win their remaining four to tie.

I’ve been following the Cubs pretty closely since I last wrote about baseball. At the time, they had just begun to start playing better after a lackluster first half of the season, and they’ve kept it up. Soriano, Ramirez, and Lee have been swinging big bats for the last couple of weeks, and Murton has had a few key dingers as well (and hasn’t gotten much recognition for them as far as I can tell). After making headlines by commanding $91 million for a 5-year contract a month or two ago, ace Zambrano has by and large done a poor job at the mound, but he came through this past key weekend to fan the first four batters he faced and to dominate through most of the game. And young outfielder Sam Fuld, pulled up from the minor leages (the Tennessee Smokies, in fact) just this month, has made a big defensive difference in a couple of games. What a thrill this ride must be for him.

It’s been an exciting few weeks as the Cubs have been running neck and neck with the Brewers for the NL Central title. They’re suddenly three games in the lead with only six to play. By my reckoning, if Milwaukee wins all six of their remaining games, the Cubbies can still lose two and clinch the title (and three to tie, which I guess would result in a two-team playoff). It’s been 99 years since the Cubs have won a World Series, and they haven’t been a good team in my living memory. To have them in the running for their division and just a few steps away from a Series opportunity makes me giddier than I can reasonably account for. Go, Cubbies!