Last Friday I noted the Cubs Magic Number—combination of Cubs wins and Brewers losses needed to clinch the Cubs the division championship—was 30. The Brewers did as little as possible to help us, losing only one game last week. (They also didn’t play twice, but that doesn’t factor in.)
Despite that, and going about things the right way, the Cubs have dropped their Magic Number by *seven* over the last week by winning six straight games. With 28 games left (and the Brewers having a similar number), things are looking pretty good. We play the Brewers for the last three games of the season. Chances are we’ll have clinched it by then, but if not, then every win by us would count twice because it would be both a Cubs win and a Brewers loss.
We’re just playing really good baseball right now. It’s *very* fun. My only petty regret is that my annual trip to Kentucky to hang out with family means I’m going to miss a whole week of baseball right in the middle of this. Its going to kill me if they clinch and I can’t even watch the game. But whadya gonna do?
On a side note, a White Sox beat writer from the Sun-Times was on the Score (local sports radio station) this morning, and the blessedly departed Jay Mariotti came up. Apparently he was an even bigger dick than I suspected. The guy, coming off an operation earlier this week, noted, “I got rid of two cancers…the one in my leg, and my co-worker [Mariotti].” He also called Mariotti a plagarist and a fraud, using those exact words. This guy must have had his fans, since he had this high profile gig, but I haven’t heard of a single person in town who isn’t celebrating his departure.
Anyway, Go Cubs!
