Opinion

The June swoon, the July good-bye, the August bust, and the September to dismember could all be used to discuss the ghosts of Cubs' season past.

There are a few exceptions of course; one being the '84 team that headed into San Diego up 2-0 and found a way to cough up the NLCS. I am sure that Gatorade on a glove had everything to do with it.

The '89 team showed promise until they met up with a buzz-saw in the San Francisco Giants and were taken in five games.

So by now I'm sure you all know that the 2010 All-Star game received the lowest ratings ever. Like, ever ever. 

And now, the head honchos and suits at MLB are sitting around a table, wondering what they could have done differently, and what they can do next year, to ensure that baseball doesn't continue to fall by the wayside, a sloppy second to the NFL.

Well, I have an idea for you MLB!!! You should have allowed Stephen Strasburg to take part in the festivities.

And not just because he throws over 100 miles per hour.

He is Mr. Minnesota.

The $184 Million Dollar Man. 

More importantly, Joe Mauer is the reigning AL MVP coming off one of the best statistical seasons baseball has ever seen.

Yet this season he has been just an average Joe (no pun intended). 

It isn't the lack of Mauer Power this season or pedestrian .297 batting average that should worry Minnesota fans, but instead it should be his comments after Tuesday's loss to the Cleveland Indians.

On Saturday, September 12, 2007, the Philadelphia Phillies lost 12-0 to the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park to fall seven games behind the New York Mets in the NL East with 17 games to play.

From that point forward, the Phillies won 13 of their final 17 games, including a three-game sweep of the Mets in New York, and won the NL East by 1.0 game as the Mets suffered a historic collapse.

So you know the theory to the idea.

Now, it is time for an actual deal.

First off, we have to create a list of teams that can afford Albert Pujols financially.

Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers.

San Francisco Giants fans who have spent Bruce Bochy's entire tenure as manager calling him names and blaming him for much of what troubles the club have to step back now.

The Giants rallied from a 5-1 deficit to beat the Dodgers, in Los Angeles, 7-5 on Tuesday night. Bochy deserves credit for putting a club that has done everything right since the All-Star break in position to come back, then win.

It appears that Jayson Werth's days are numbered in Philadelphia. According to reports by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and others, the Phillies are discussing a deal that could see them land a top of the rotation starter. 

With the recent elbow injury to Phillies 47-year-old starter Jamie Moyer, the Phillies could be in need of a starter soon.

Jayson Stark and Buster Olney of ESPN believe that the Phillies are discussing a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. It appears outfielder Jayson Werth and possibly pitcher J.A. Happ are at the center of these talks.

Two pitchers with heavily decorated resumes.

The first, CC Sabathia, has more of a track record and is completing his 10th full season in the Majors.

The second, Tim Lincecum, affectionately known as "The Freak," is in his fourth season, and has two Cy Young Awards.

However, both are known as workhorses, the proverbial baseball term that gives revered status to those pitchers who miss very few starts to injury and normally throw 200-plus innings per season.