Lee, Phils Sweep Aside Cubs

Well, it's sweep season and the Phils have thrown their hats on the field (just not at Shane Victorino). The Yanks swept Boston, Washington swept Florida, Florida swept the Phils and now the Phils have swept the Cubs.

If the Yankees are "America's Team," are the Cubs "America's Losers?" OK, it's a low blow, but they've earned it.

Never has a team in any sport appeared more hapless, more timelessly pathetic. True, the Phils have had their bad years, as have a lot of teams, and the Phillies-- baseball's oldest team-- is infamously the losingest franchise in professional sports history. However, when the Phils are good, they're good, which they proved last year. In stark contrast, when the Cubs are good, they... well... stink like rotten tomatoes when it truly counts.

The Cubs haven't been to the World Series since 1945. they haven't won it since 1908, over 100 years ago. 3 of the last 4 times they've been to the postseason, they got swept there. That's hard to do, to be good enough to get to the playoffs (this isn't basketball or hockey, a precious few teams earn a postseason birth in baseball), and then win 0 games.

The fact that the Cubs are known as all-time losers, yet have a winning history (10,140 wins to 9,578 losses), just underscores how big of losers they really are. To be a winner and, yet, to be universally associated with losing is no small accomplishment.

Last year, they may have had the best team in baseball-- on paper-- and yet, when the postseason rolled around, the Cubs managed their perennial 0 wins-- against a Dodgers team the Phillies found very beatable, winning 4 games to 1 en route to their NL, then World Series Championship.

Cliff Lee extended his winning streak to 6 games, today. He also maintained his NL batting average at .333 with his 2nd double since joining the Phils. He's made a smooth adjustment to batting regularly. In 8 seasons in the AL, Lee had just 2 Hits in 32 At-Bats and 12 S.O.

For the Phils, Lee is 3 for 9 with 2 2B and 0 S.O. Look out Carlos Ruiz, this might be time to take extra batting practice and guard that #8 slot in the order!