Began today with another predictable dose of Cubs waiting to catch the inevitable wave of a prolonged winning streak. To wit, this from Jim Hendry:

''Two years ago today, we were two games over, right around the same time in '03, and got on a heck of a run,'' he said. ''It's time. We have a lot of work to do. We got quality teams ahead of us that have played better baseball up to now.''

I am reminded of reading almost daily for all of 2003 news from somebody in the White Sox organization, especially Jerry Manual, about the winning streak that was always just around the corner. My question to them then, and to the Cubs now, is aside from the blind optimism of the hypercompetitive professional athlete, WHY should anyone think that this mythical win streak is really coming? No evidence exists anywhere I can see for this. Too many impatient hitters swinging at pitchers pitches out of the strike zone and either striking out, popping up, or hitting weakly to an infielder, baserunning mistakes and pitches left over the middle of the plate with two strikes.

Hey look! A pitcher (Maddux of course) covering first base in the sixth inning!

After dropping their national TV game today against the Mets, there are now 6 teams in front of the Cubs for the wild card. The feeling here is that they need to head back to spring training with a retooled lineup and work on the fundamentals that the White Sox have mastered, under a manager that actually emphasizes then, and try again some other time. When it's August and you're trailing the Brewers, something is seriously, seriously wrong with your $100 million baseball team.

Looks like pitchers have decided that pitching D Lee down and in and then higher than high (the Patterson) is the way to get him out. And from the looks of it over the last 18 days, they may be right, at least until Lee makes some adjustments.