Best in the NL? Really???

Technically, yes. We mathematically do have the best record in the National League. But are we really the best?

No. Not a chance. Here's a few reasons why (by no means is this an exhaustive list)...

- Doug Davis gives up too damn many walks as it is. Melvin has allowed Davis to pitch himself out of situations this year and he's on a pretty good pitching streak right now. But that's right now. Good teams know what to do with free bases, and you can't afford to give anything away in October.

- B. H. Kim. At least now he's a starter so we have 7 innings to clean up his mess instead of just two, but that's gonna wear on the psyche of some of our players. You wanna be confident in your pitcher, not thinking that you're gonna have to bail him out. Every start matters for us. The more we give to this guy, the worse we'll be down the stretch.

- Overall pitching. You need at least a good 1-2 pitching duo to get out of the first series. We have Webb and...who? Yeah. The way Davis has been pitching he could be a sound #2, but I just don't trust him to keep it up. We probably lose a 5-game series to Penny-Wolf or Peavy-Young, and there ain't no way we win any playoff series against NY's line-up.

- Youth. This *could* work to our advantage since the book against our hitters won't be as thick and maybe they won't no any better to be nervous or scared, but I don't think that's how it goes down for us. Not this year.

At the beginning of the season I said I think we're a year away from the playoffs. I might be wrong, but if they make it I 'spect it will be by default. I still don't see us winning the division title. I hope I'm wrong, mind you, and if they go into the playoffs and go deep I'll cheer like a blithering idiot. I still think we're a year and two pitchers away from being a true contender.