As Chicago Cubs baseball embarks on a six-game road trip to the Left Coast, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the last time the club packed its bags and left home. As I think we all remember it, the trip was frustrating at its finest, woeful at its worst.

The Cubs compiled a 2-5 record against two of the East Division elite, but easily could have been 5-2 if not for the Chicago bullpen. Whatever reservations Cubs management had about the bullpen boys came forward and front during that seven-game span.

But as strange as it sounds, the Cubs weren’t the only Central Division team to flaunt their weaknesses against opponents from other divisions. No, if there was anything learned by the Central Division’s journey to opposing soil is that they stood together and stunk collectively.

Possibly the most shocking aspect of the Central’s venture with East and West Division rivals, is that as bad as the Cubs played against the Phillies and Mets, their performance was shamefully equal to that of their own division mates.

Collectively, the Central Division finished 14-25 during the seven-game span outside of their division. Only Houston, which hosted Arizona and San Francisco, managed a winning record, taking two of three from each opponent. Pittsburgh was the only other Central team to play host those seven games, and finished a combined 3-4 against Atlanta and Florida.

Milwaukee, the Central Division leader, was the proclaimed “hottest team in baseball” till they hit the dusty trail against the Mets and Phillies. And how did the Brew Crew fare?

Well, less than fair. Like the Cubs, Milwaukee finished 2-5. The cellar-dwelling Reds finished 1-5 on their West Coast swing, while the Cardinals did slightly better - if you can call it that - at 2-4.

So now we know the Central Division is weak - top to bottom. But what makes this West Coast roadie interesting is the division’s three leaders - Milwaukee, Houston and the Cubs - all play West Division clubs with .500 records or better.

Although it’s “only May,” this is a critical time of the year for most clubs - as evidenced by Chicago’s recent roster move and pitching staff shufflings.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the Cubs and the other Central leaders stand up and represent or become just more road kill.