Chicago Cubs Baseball

While the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are busy playing a game of “You can have it, we don’t want it” with the Central Division lead, there’s one team that wouldn’t mind taking the burden off of either’s hands. And are doing something about it.

The defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals have been quietly making some noise in the NL Central by doing the one thing their tradition-rich franchise knows how to do - win.

How good have the Cardinals been? It was the last century when St. Louis last missed a post-season appearance. Of the 30 major league teams, only Atlanta and the New York Yankees can say as much.

Even in an off year - such as this - the Cardinals remain unrelenting in their quest. They understand, both as an organization and as a team, baseball is a game of feat, not flinches. It is a sport that requires response, not retreat.

The good teams - winning organizations - know how to take a hit and then deliver one of their own - all the while keeping keeping their eye on the title prize.

Some teams have players who are winners. The Cardinals - like the Braves and Yankees - own the swagger inside the straw that stirs the winning drink. It’s the same concoction Cubs manager Lou Piniella eluded to back in June when he spoke of changing the Cubs’ culture.

Unfortunately for Lou, what he doesn’t realize, is the culture change has to come from the top. The Chicago Cubs are a storied franchise, not a good one. The organization has the charm of Wrigley Field, a list of Hall of Fame players, record-setting attendance, a national viewing audience and a historic case of losing - 99 years without a World Series championship to be exact.

Need an example? St. Louis allowed three-fifths of its starting rotation from a year ago walk to free agency, and the two remaining starters - Mark Muldar and Cris Carpenter - have been out of the rotation since the early part of the season with injuries. The Cards are five games back in the loss column to Milwaukee.

Last season, the Cubs lost to injury (Mark Prior, Kerry Wood) or traded away (Greg Maddux) the majority of their starting staff and finished 67-95.

The Cubs have 46 games remaining. The Brewers have 45.

I think the best advice either team can heed at this point is that from the great Satchel Paige, “Don’t look back; they may be gaining on you.”