Cliche argument that I'm tired of hearing...

"Oh yeah, well, their record's only good because they haven't played anyone."

We heard it about the Cubs when they started so strong.

I'm hearing it in here in Arizona about the Diamondbacks.

So tired of it.

A team plays whoever is on the schedule. If it's the Pirates, it's the Pirates. You still have to beat them. The Cubs deserve credit for winning those games. And the Diamondbacks definitely should get some praise for their hot start.

Don't care who they played. Not their fault if the opponents were lousy.

And, for the record, who is ANYONE in the National League?

Beyond the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Phillies, Brewers, and Mets... are there any real contenders in the senior circuit? I'm not seeing anyone.

Quote of the Week

From one of Dan Patrick's cronies on his afternoon radio show (discussing the Sports Illustrated cover proclaiming that the Cubs could go all the way):

"It's way too early to be talking about the Cubs in the World Series. It was way too early to talk abou the Cubs in the World Series when they were up 3-1 in the NLCS against the Marlins in '03."

As if the goat and the black cat weren't enough...

Guess who's on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week? Kosuke Fukudome.

And on the day it arrives in my mailbox, what happens to the Cubs? Kerry Wood blows a two-run lead, ruining a superb outing from Carlos Zambrano, and the Cubs lose to the division-rival Brewers 4-3.

No one can convince me there's not an SI cover jinx. No one.

Remember when it was Lilly & Marquis or Zito alone for the Cubs? Thank you, Jim Hendry!

Hi, I'm Barry Zito (seen here, giving up another home run). I'm literally stealing money from my employer, the San Francisco Giants.

I make $18 million dollars a year ($126 mil over seven years).

What has that bought the Giants?

An 0-6 record so far this year, with a 7.53 ERA. Think I'm worth it? Yeah, me neither. Now I'm heading to the bullpen.

Someone said my contract is the most lopsided deal since the Louisiana Purchase. What's that supposed to mean?

Question...

...who is more likely to break out of their slump quickest?

A) Rich Hill

B) Ted Lilly

C) Bob Howry

I vote for Lilly.

I worry about Hill.

I don't think I've ever seen Howry smile. Not once.

Wisdom from Mrs. Ivy Leaguer

Gotta love this observation from Mrs. Ivy Leaguer...

We were talking about basketball players from the University of Florida (my alma mater). Specifically, we were chatting about what teams the players from the national champion team went to in the NBA.

I told her J0akim Noah went to the Bulls, Al Horford went to the Hawks, Taurean Green was drafted by the Trailblazers (later traded) and Corey Brewer and Chris Richard went to the Timberwolves.

Her response:

"Oh, that's neat that [Brewer and Richard] went to the same team. Now when they go to Minnesota, they'll have a friend. And it won't be awkward when they get to know everyone."

I tried to tell her the National Basketball Association isn't exactly like second grade. But she still thinks it's a huge advantage for Brewer and Richard.

Let there be...night

Learned something in this week's mailbag. Always knew there were restrictions on how many night games the Cubs could have every year at Wrigley. Did not know that none were allowed on Friday or Saturday. Interesting.

By the way, ESPN's Steve Phillips thinks it's an inherent disadvantage for the Cubs that they play so many day games throughout the year (because it wears the players out by the end of the season).

He may be right. Or he may be a unsuccessful ex-general manager.

Anything less would be uncivilized. Upside down. UPSIDE DOWN!

The baseball world is upside down right now. Or at least on its side.

* Tampa Bay and Baltimore lead the AL East, over Boston and New York.
* The supposedly vaunted Tigers are last in the AL Central.
* Atlanta's under .500 while Florida leads the NL East.
* And San Francisco has a better record than the NL-champion Rockies.

Meanwhile, the Cubs (at 16-9) have the second-best record in baseball (behind the Diamondbacks), despite dropping three of four (including two of three to the hapless Nationals).

24 strikes against Soto

A groundout to the pitcher never looked so good.

Rookie catcher Geovany Soto has struck out eight straight times.

Give the kid credit, though. Despite his eight consecutive whiffs, he's still hitting .316.

Stil, that's got to be rough. I remember striking out five straight times during my over-matched high school days. It's the mental part that gets to you. You go up there looking to not strike out, rather than to get a hit.

It's a tough rut to break out of. Hopefully Soto can.

'How I Met Your Mother' creators must be Cub fans...

On the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," three of the five main characters are named Ted, Lily, and Marshall.

My wife is convinced that the creators are baseball fans. Specifically, she thinks they are fans of Ted Lilly and Sean Marshall.

(Any chance Aramis Ramirez's real first name is 'Barney?')

She also loved that the Cubs have a player named Pie. She was disappointed, though, to hear it isn't pronounced like the tasty dessert.