Cubs top Cards, gain ground in NL Central. They took four out of five from St. Louis, and are a half game out of first. (Yahoo!)

Al Yellon: "Had the last five games been played as part of any postseason series, that series would instantly become the most legendary playoff series of all time." (and another thing!, September 4)

Sosa, Devil Rays edge Mariners 1-0. That's two straight complete-game shutouts for the Rays over the M's.

Prospectus Triple Play: Diamondbacks, Royals, Phillies. "[Brandon] Webb fans shouldn't fret if he doesn't win the award that brought so much fame to Bob Hamelin and Pat Listach; his peripherals indicate that he is more than just a flash in the pan. Webb's 3:1 K/BB ratio and filthy 3.19 GB/FB Ratio put him just below Kevin Brown as the nastiest groundball pitcher of the year. It seems probable that we haven't heard the last of Webb yet." (Baseball Prospectus)

Chat wrap with Joe Sheehan. "I don't know how to phrase this, but basically, I ignore 95% of non-baseball baseball stories. I think they're largely media creations designed to distract people from the fact that beat writers have become extremely superfluous in the information age by creating the illusion that journalism is happening. The game on the field is vibrant, and there's just no need to cover the sport as if it's a sorority." (Baseball Prospectus)

Prospecting: Kevin Youkilis. "Youkilis will almost certainly have a major league career of some value, though not likely one of extraordinary performances. While the risk is low, the reward is not particularly high either. The Red Sox made a good value pick in the eighth round, but Youkilis likely won't be the organization's savior." (Baseball Prospectus)

Cooperstown Confidential. Bruce Markusen on the notable baseball figures who have passed away in 2003. (Baseball Primer)

Bi-Weekly Review: A.L. West.

The following table shows the performance of Seattle's major trading-deadline acquisitions over the past few years:

Oh, that's right; there haven't been any.

(Baseball Primer)

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