Cardinals 1, Phillies 0. It's Happening!

OK, so commenting on a Cardinals-Phillies playoff game isn't technically within the jurisdiction of my blog.  Of course, since this is a Cubs blog, commenting on any playoff game isn't going to fall within my jurisdiction.  But with the Cardinals advancing to the NLCS by virtue of Friday night's 1-0 win over the Phillies, I wanted to make sure to call your attention to a prediction I made in a Bleed Cubbie Blue Game Thread last week:

Just watch - The Packers sneaked into the playoffs on the last day of the season and went on to win the Super Bowl. Now the Cardinals are going to sneak into the playoffs on the last day of the season and win the World Series.

Thank you, Cardinals.  You're going to make me look like a supergenius!  And thanks, Phillies and Diamondbacks, for leaving me with a Brewers vs. Cardinals NLCS!

Manny Being Ban-nied? No, He'll Retire Instead

Manny Ramirez would rather retire from baseball than serve a 100 game drug-related suspension. And what does this have to do with the Cubs, you ask? Well, in 2008, the Dodgers were limping through the first half of the season and Ramirez was half-assing his way out of the good graces of Red Sox fans' hearts. The Dodgers decided to overlook these shortcomings and trade for Ramirez, who promptly put up an obscene .396/.489/.743 line (that's a 1.232 OPS and a 221 OPS+) in 53 games to lift his new team to an NL West title. And in the NLDS against the Cubs...you know.

In college basketball, if a team uses a player who later turns out to be ineligible, they have to forfeit any games they won with that player in their lineup. So since the Dodgers were using a guy who should have been ineligible (twice caught using PEDs), can MLB make them forfeit those postseason games and award the 2008 NLDS to the Cubs? And while we're at it, can we then have a do-over of the NLCS, Cubs vs. Phillies? And since Phillies pitcher JC Romero was suspended for PEDs too, by the same logic we can put the Cubs retroactively into the 2008 World Series! Of course, even in my made-up scenario, I'm sure the Cubs would still find a way to lose the World Series against Tampa Bay.

Former Cubs Second Baseman Gets Minor League Manager Job in Phillies Organization

Seriously - after everyone got their underwear in a bunch about this, where's all the outrage over this story?

The Rich Get Richer

For the third time in a year, the Phillies have acquired a top-of-the-rotation starter. First it was Cliff Lee, then Roy Halladay, and now Roy Oswalt (it could be worse - at least he didn't go to the Cardinals). That gives the Phillies a formidable rotation featuring Halladay, Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. It also highlights the difference between a winning organization (like the Phillies) and a losing organization (like the Cubs) - a winning organization stockpiles #1 starters, while a losing organization stockpiles overpriced free agent outfielders.