harder than it sounds

how hard is it to make up a six game deficit in the second half of the year?

the cubs have gone 5-3 since the break, outscoring their opposition 49-32 -- and they're still five and a half back.

there's a reason no NL team in the last 10 postseasons has been able to surmount a midway deficit of more than five and a half. the 1993 braves were the last to come back from more -- nine back of the giants after a terrible april, but going 54-19 thereafter. in fact, the 1993 and 1991 braves teams both came back from that deep, with the '91 squad catching fire to go 55-28 down the stretch.

prior to that, you have to go to the 1973 mets, who were 42-51 at the break only to reel off 40-28, coming up from the very bottom of the division to make up seven and a half games on saint louis and our cubs and win the old NL east.

54-19. 55-28. 40-28. anyone think the cubs can pull that rabbit out of a hat?

once again, with feeling:

• this bullpen is bad. any pen that finds regular innings in meaningful games for this guy is b-a-d. it needs help.



• this rotation is overrated. it just is. unless your expectation was 8th in the NL in ERA.



• this outfield is ridiculous. (seriously -- burnitz, hollandsworth, hairston, gerut, murton and the ghost of a klown? that's a major league outfield? on a team that cost $104 million to field??)



• this bench is a joke. how do you find this guy 200 at-bats a year?



• this management is unspeakable. jody gerut leading off? utterly unspeakable.

but at least we have d-lee. keep that triple-crown morphine coming! it's going to be the only thing to talk about from here on out.