This is the bracket: The Cubs, of course, finished a game (more like two with tiebreakers) out of a playoff spot so they don’t get to play anymore, but this is a pretty solid field that should generate lots of fun for this coming month before we ponder free agency and offseason trades.
Two Weeks
I knew that I wrote something like this a while back, but I didn’t actually know it was from June, before the Cubs made enough of a run to actually get into buy mode. Since then, the Cubs have went on quite the run to get into the postseason picture, but are now unfortunately on the outside looking in, albeit …
Series Preview: Cubs (6-14) at Marlins (5-16)
The Cubs get a double-breather in this matchup with the Marlins. Not only do they get to face one of the rosters in the majors that’s in even worse shape than theirs, but they escape the frigid midwest and head to balmy Miami. The Cubs dropped two of three to the vastly superior Reds, but could easily have won all three of them with an extra bounce or two their way. After a snow-out and sub-freezing doubleheader up in Minneapolis, the Marlins are happy to be back home themselves, even though team/Loria protestors likely outnumber the fans right now. They have not won a single series all year, unlike the Cubs who have an intimidating one series win.
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (3-7) at Miami Marlins (4-6)
The Cubs stumble into their next opponent having lost all three series so far this year. They'll face the Marlins and their hideous HR structure. Thank DeRosa that this series is being played in Miami and not Chicago – the media firestorm with Ozzie's return after suspension from his recent comments and the mere existence of Carlos Zambrano would be …
So the Marlins are spending money that isn’t actually theirs
Patrick Hruby has an article up on The Postgame that pretty much talks about how the Marlins are spending and likely to get rich off the taxpayers’ dime without any reciprocation. If I were a Florida taxpayer, I’d be pretty pissed off about this.