So why, once again, have the baseball gods decided to have their fun with the little Cubbies? Because they can? Because it's tradition?

Until about two weeks ago, the Cubs appeared to be head and shoulders ahead of every other National League team. As we speak, they still have the NL's best record.

They also lead the NL in runs. Their starters have the league's lowest ERA. They've found magic, too, having gone 51-24 at Wrigley Field.

There was starting to be a sense of inevitability about the Cubs. Even if you knew the history, you just knew these Cubs were nothing like all those other teams.

And then the Cubs began using phrases like "rotator cuff tendonitis" and "tired arm." Uh-oh.

After 100 years, the Cubs still can't catch a break. The Cubs have lost five straight games and their lead over the Brewers is down to 4.5 games. But that's not important now.

With the Cubs about to play 16 of their final 22 games on the road, they have no idea what the top of their rotation looks like.

All that's certain is that Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden, who probably would be Lou Piniella's choices to pitch the first two games of the playoffs, are sidelined.

Piniella has been vague about Harden's issue, acknowledging an arm issue but stopping there. In other words, hold your breath, Cubbies fan.

As for the great Zambrano, he hasn't been himself for a long time. He's 3-2 with a 5.26 ERA. He was clocked at 96 mph a couple of times Tuesday night against the Astros, but there were other times when he couldn't muster more than 90 mph on his fastball.

He even dropped his arm angle at times. In the past, changing his arm angle has been a sign of trouble.

The Cubs hope Zambrano will miss one start after an MRI revealed inflammation and rotator cuff tendonitis in his right shoulder. He received an anti-inflammatory injection and was sent off to join the Cubs for their flight to Cincinnati.

The truth is that the Cubs have no idea what to expect from their top two pitchers as this final month begins.

Can they make the playoffs without them?

Yes. The Cubs still have three starters -- Ryan Dempster, Jason Marquis and Ted Lilly -- better than most. They have what amounts to a nine-game cushion in the wild-card race.

What they could be missing is hard to define in sheer numbers. Zambrano was their ace, but he was also their spiritual leader. His teammates fed off his competitive fire.

Piniella has no one even close to Zambrano in terms of being able to contribute in those areas.

So this is a stretch in which Piniella will learn things about his team he'd hoped not to learn.

Good teams have the ability to rally around losses and tough times. Few teams have been hit harder by injuries than the New York Mets, but they keep winning.

The Red Sox didn't stop winning when Manny Ramirez forced a trade and Josh Beckett went down. The Cardinals have been decimated by injuries since opening day, and yet they've somehow remained in the thick of the race until recently.

On the other hand, Yankees boss Hank Steinbrenner has tried to use injuries as an excuse for his team's fall from grace.

Piniella put the best spin on a bad situation he could. He said that Sean Marshall, who'll replace Zambrano in the rotation for at least one start, can fill the gap.

Piniella knows better than that. He also knows his team better than anyone. He's likely to learn a lot more over the next few weeks as his players are tested in a way they never expected to be. After 100 years, they may fool the baseball gods.

Richard Justice is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a regular contributor to Sporting News.

10

The Dodgers haven't won a post-season series in 20 years, and it's especially painful this season because things seemed to be breaking their way just a few days ago.

Manny had brought hope with him. He was crushing the ball, playing for a contract, and when GM Ned Colletti acquired Maddux, the Dodgers seemed positioned to sprint by the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers left the ballpark on August 17 tied for first place in the National League West, and there seemed to be no doubt how this thing was going to go.

They'd won 10 of 15, and Manny was hitting .424 since changing uniforms. There was electricity in the clubhouse, a sense of anticipation.

The Dodgers are 2-10 since then. Manny has continued to hit, but almost no one else has. The ERA is close to seven during this stretch.

They broke an eight-game losing streak Saturday night in Arizona, but it's too late for heroics. They're 3.5 games behind the Diamondbacks and probably playing for their season when they send Derek Lowe out to face 19-game-winner Brandon Webb.

This is the day we remember them fondly as we lower their hopes into the ground. We remember how nice October baseball is at Dodger Stadium. Such a pity.

Sometimes it's not your year. That's how it is for the Dodgers this season. They may spend months studying the numbers and not come up with an answer.

The pieces simply didn't fit, and no matter how many times Torre called a team meeting or juggled the lineup, he couldn't find the magic. His Dodgers were at their worst when the games mattered the most.

Jeff Kent's screaming left knee finally forced him out of the lineup. Nomar Garciaparra tried -- but couldn't -- play any more shortstop. Matt Kemp hit a wall that many young players hit.

Clayton Kershaw, the best Dodger pitching prospect in years, got lit up in back-to-back appearances and was sent back to the minor leagues.

The Dodgers scored 15 runs during the eight-game winning streak. They were 8-for-69 with runners in scoring position.

And the guy that was brought in to push the Dodgers to the top has done his part. Manny is 14 for his last 22.

All the Manny being Manny moments have belonged to others. Reliever Tanyon Sturtze was summoned to Torre's office recently and told he was being sent back to the minor leagues.

Before he could pack his bags, he was told, "Uh, never mind. You're staying."

Torre called one team meeting, then said he was done calling team meetings. He promptly called another.

Why not? What did he have to lose? The Diamondbacks have lost five of six and are 39-46 since late May. If the Dodgers can't win this division, they can't win any division.

Good timing doesn't just apply to the players. When the Dodgers were at their lowest, team owners Frank and Jamie McCourt sent a letter asking season-ticket holders for money.

If you renewed your tickets for 2009, you'd get them at the same 2008 price.

A Los Angeles Times columnist speculated the letter was a transparent admission that the McCourts are having cash-flow problems.

Whatever the reason, the timing was terrible. It'll be interesting to see who they hold accountable for the problems.

Truth is, sometimes a franchise does things right and still gets bad results. That's why sports is such a tough thing for people from the business world to figure out.

Other than the awful Andruw Jones deal, Colletti's every move made sense. They just didn't work out.

Rest in peace, Dodgers. We hardly knew ye.

5

This is no ringing endorsement of the Mets because they don't appear to be anything special. The Phillies aren't, either.

Maybe that's the theme of this baseball season: Parity Gone Wild! There's a similar dynamic in the National League West, where two mediocre teams -- the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers -- are fighting for one playoff spot.

At this point, I'm supposed to tell you how unstoppable the Diamondbacks will be if they make the playoffs because they've got Brandon Webb and Dan Haren at the front of the rotation.

Don't believe it. There are too many other holes. The Chicago Cubs have dominant pitching at the top of the rotation. They also have a solid offense and bullpen.

The Diamondbacks are mediocre offensively despite the addition of Adam Dunn, and now they're struggling at the back of the bullpen, as well.

The Dodgers? Don't print those playoff tickets yet.

This baseball season has been fascinating to watch because something like 20 teams had legitimate playoff hopes until recently.

Wealthy teams -- the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers -- were in contention. So were low-budget teams: Marlins, Rays and Twins.

The Marlins have slowly faded away, and this week, we said a sad goodbye to the Yankees.

Alex Rodriguez was booed loudly at Yankee Stadium as the Red Sox ended whatever slim hopes the Bombers had. It's true that he hasn't delivered the way a $30-million player is supposed to deliver. It's also true that Yankee fans will never warm up to the guy until he helps deliver a championship.

He's not why the Yankees aren't winning. Injuries to veterans and poor performances by several kids are the reason.

For those of us who admired the Joe Torre years, who thought the Yankees epitomized class, felt a tug knowing there won't be October baseball at Yankee Stadium for the first time in 15 years.

Anyway, there still may be a chance for October baseball in New York. The Not-so-Amazins' are in it.

Some of you surely thought you were seeing a repeat of last year's spectacular flameout when the Mets blew a 7-0 lead on their way to an 8-7, 13-inning loss to the Phillies on Tuesday night.

Last September, the Mets became the first team in history to blow a seven-game division lead in the final 17 games. They lost 12 of their last 17, some of them in spectacular fashion.

Only the Nationals have blown more saves this season, and with Billy Wagner out and with that 7-0 lead having resurrected some old ghosts, Wednesday night's game was huge for the Mets.

The Mets did what they've done at several other points this season. They won. They refused to dwell on one ugly defeat and instead moved on. They've had plenty of practice.

They've blown 10 saves in the ninth inning or later this season. They rebounded to have significant winning streaks after four of those losses. They won eight in a row in July, six in a row in August, etc.

Some of that is having a Johan Santana to send to the mound. Even with John Maine injured and Pedro Martinez a shadow of his former self, the Mets still have someone capable of stopping a losing streak, someone who gives the Mets a different sense of who they are.

Maybe it's the Phillies that are wondering about the Mets. Jimmy Rollins seemed obsessed with the dugout celebration of the Mets on Tuesday. To be honest, Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis looked like two guys having a good time.

"We don't talk about celebrations, we just notice them," Rollins said before Wednesday game.

The Mets are 40-25 since Jerry Manuel took over as manager. He has brought a sense of accountability that didn't seem to be there under Willie Randolph.

If Carlos Delgado continues to hit and if Jose Reyes remains interested, the Mets have a chance despite the problems in their bullpen. They also play 16 of their final 28 games against winning teams.

If the race is decided by the bullpens, the Phillies probably will win it. Their bullpen ERA is 3.21, lowest in the NL even after the relief crew gave up five earned in the eighth to the Cubs on Thursday.

The Mets trailed 3-2 entering the eighth on Wednesday, then scored four times. As Manuel said later, "We got knocked down, got off the deck, threw a wild left hook and landed--and it put us back in first place. This was very big for us.''

He wondered how his team would react after Tuesday's loss. They reacted the way he hoped. They also had Johan Santana on the mound and a Phillies team that may not be capable of a closing sprint. Stay tuned.

Richard Justice is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a regular contributor to Sporting News.

5

He may also be the American League's Most Valuable Player. For the -- harrumph -- Chicago White Sox. Isn't the devil always in the details?

He's leading the American League in home runs and is in the top 10 in RBIs, on-base percentage and slugging. Only Alex Rodriguez and Milton Bradley have a higher OPS.

He'll be 25 years old for just a few more days, and in a season dominated by wonderful story lines -- like the amazing Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins, not to mention Josh Hamilton and Geovany Soto -- none is better than Carlos Quentin.

Years from now, when you gather at your local tavern to argue sports trivia, Carlos Quentin may come up in the discussions.

What's the most lopsided trade in baseball history?

Babe Ruth for cash? That one is always in the conversation.

Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas? Absolutely.

Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen? You betcha.

And then there was last winter's deal that almost no one thought anything of at the time.

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded the 29th pick of the 2003 draft to the Chicago White Sox for a minor leaguer named Chris Carter.

"He's just gotten so many big hits," White Sox teammate Paul Konerko said of Quentin. "I can think of four or five games off the top of my head that if he wasn't there, we wouldn't have won. His numbers are great, and he doesn't pad them. He gets his hits when they matter."

Quentin had failed to do much in his brief chances in the big leagues, hitting .214 in 2007. His career batting average was .230. After signing Eric Byrnes to a new contract, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes didn't have a place for Quentin.

White Sox GM Kenny Williams is being widely praised for the deal, but he had no idea Quentin would be this good. When the trade was made, he encouraged Quentin to come to spring training and earn himself some playing time in a crowded outfield.

Even with Jerry Owens hurt, Alexei Ramirez got the season-opening start in center. Quentin's first at-bat came in the third game of the season. He had seven home runs and 21 RBIs in April, and that was that.

Ask Williams about Quentin, and he has a terrific comeback.

"I thought he could be a 30-home run guy," he recently told Sporting News. "Just not by August."

The White Sox are as much fun to watch as any team in the game. They're leading the American League in home runs, are second in runs and fourth in ERA.

Quentin and Jermaine Dye (31) have already joined the 30-homer club, and Jim Thome (26) and Nick Swisher (21) aren't far behind. Williams fortified the offense by picking up Ken Griffey Jr. at the trading deadline.

Quentin has been at his best when the game means the most. He's hitting .336 with runners in scoring position and .355 with runners on base. In situations defined as close and late, he's at .368.

He's absolutely fearless at the plate. He crouches over the plate, pretty much telling the pitcher that he has it all covered. And he has been hit by 20 pitches, tops in the big leagues.

If others are amazed, Quentin isn't. He's quiet and serious and confident. Konerko said he can't remember seeing him smile at the ballpark.

There must be a swagger somewhere deep inside. He was a three-sport high school star in his native Southern California. He could have played Division I football as a linebacker or tight end. He excelled in academics, too, and took up the challenge that is Stanford.

While others celebrate his remarkable season, he remains decidedly low-key. He says he loves the chaotic clubhouse atmosphere around the White Sox, but he's mostly a spectator.

He's so serious about his job that it's hard to imagine this season not being the first step in a marvelous career. Regardless, it's special. Unproven kid goes to the big city and helps revive a franchise. Sounds like Babe Ruth, right?

"I never envisioned this being able to happen this year," he said. "I have always dreamed and set goals to make it to an event like this, and maybe do it several times in your career. Coming off last year, where things didn't go as well as I would have liked, I set smaller goals of just wanting to be an every-day position player in the major leagues."

Richard Justice is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a regular contributor to Sporting News.

3

The Yankees didn't win four championships in five years just because of Torre. Nor is he the reason the Yankees didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs from 2005-07.

The truth of the matter is Torre's time had run out with the Yankees. He had a great run, but after 12 seasons, people had come to believe that anyone could do the job the way he did it.

Now that he's gone, maybe people will appreciate all the things he brought to the table. Torre was absolutely perfect for the Yankees.

He might not have the only manager who could have led the Yankees to 12 consecutive postseason appearances, but it's unlikely anyone could have done better.

The Yankees never made the playoffs 12 years in a row before Torre arrived. They did win five consecutive championships under Casey Stengel and four under Joe McCarthy, so it's not like Torre invented winning in the Bronx.

He did reinvent winning in the Steinbrenner Era. He brought a calming influence to a franchise known for its chaos. He kept all the madness, all the ownership rants, all the tabloid headlines -- pretty much all of it -- away from the players.

Managers always get too much credit and too much blame, but Torre created a perfect environment. With so much talent on the roster, simply giving the players the best chance to succeed is extremely important.

Maybe he wasn't a great strategist and maybe he did burn out the bullpen, but he had qualities far more important. He dealt with players honestly and didn't get rattled by the bad times.

Some of those before him had seemed on the brink of coming undone because of the pressures of big egos in the clubhouse, a demanding owner and a barking media.

It's a good thing Hank was ready to get rid of Torre after last season. Yes, he made Torre an offer for 2008, but that was an offer designed to be turned down.

Now, Torre could have the Dodgers back in the playoffs while Joe Girardi and the Yankees seem likely to miss the postseason for the first time since 1993.

Had Torre returned, there's no way he would have survived this season because there's no way he could have taken this team to the playoffs. All of the alibis being offered by Hank Steinbrenner for Girardi are legitimate.

Other teams have been hit hard by injuries, but the Yankees are a mess. They've lost righthander Chien-Ming Wang, outfielder Hideki Matsui and catcher Jorge Posada for large chunks of the season, and now they're without righthander Joba Chamberlain. Then there's the combined 0-8 record of rookie righthanders Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy.

Outfielder Melky Cabrera played his way back to the minors. Second baseman Robinson Cano has been nothing special. Only seven teams have gotten fewer innings from their rotation than the Yankees.

Torre also has dealt with injuries and poor performances in Los Angeles. Righthanders Brad Penny and Jason Schmidt, closer Takashi Saito and shortstop Rafael Furcal are on the disabled list. In addition to being injured, Andruw Jones has been terrible.

The Dodgers are lucky to be playing in a terrible division. They're also lucky that outfielder Manny Ramirez became available. But while Girardi's young starting pitchers have gone south, Torre has gotten nice work from Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley (and "rookie" Hiroki Kuroda).

It would be wrong to minimize Torre's contributions. He was a borderline Hall of Fame player and is going to the Hall of Fame as a manager. He puts players in position to succeed, and in the end, that's all anyone can ask of a manager.

Torre was able to leave the Yankees under the best circumstances possible: a bombastic owner showed him the door, unaware of what he had. Had Torre stayed, he would have taken the fall for this year's mediocrity. His legacy would have been tarnished.

Now his legacy survives. He left New York with his dignity, too. His Dodgers might end up finishing second to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West, but anyone betting against Torre does so at his own risk.

Richard Justice is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a regular contributor to Sporting News.

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