The Cub Factor

The Cardinals and Brewers face off in a big NL Central series this week, so we here at The Cub Factor thought this would be a good time to take a closer look at the Cubs' biggest division rivals.

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CARDS: Named after a bird.
BREWERS: Named after the people who make beer.

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CARDS: Team color is red, like wine.
BREWERS: Team color is blue, like beer.

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CARDS: Part of the Budweiser family, which brought you Spuds MacKenzie and Cindy McCain.
BREWERS: Part of the Miller family, which brought you Man Law and "ingredients not normally found in beer."

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CARDS: Gashouse Gang.
BREWERS: Harvey's Wallbangers.

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CARDS: Manager gets DUI.
BREWERS: Manager was once a taxidermist.

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CARDS: Tom Herr.
BREWERS: Rob Deer.

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BREWERS: Sausage races.
CARDS: Sausage fest.

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CARDS: Fredbird.
BREWERS: Bernie Brewer.

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CARDS: Based in St. Louis.
BREWERS: Based in Milwaukee.

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Week in Review: The Cubs thumped the Astros on Sunday 9-0 to salvage the final game of a three-game series in Houston coming out of the All-Star break.

The Week in Preview: Three games in Arizona - including tonight's match-up between Rich Harden and Randy Johnson - followed by four at home against the Marlins.

The Second Basemen Report: The Second Basemen Report was in all its glory this week as Mighty Mike Fontenot started two games and pinch hit in a third, going 4-for-8 with 3 RBIs and a HR. Ronnie Cedeno got the other start at second, while Mark DeRosa started three straight games in left and played part of one of those games in right.

In former second basemen news, Eric Patterson is playing for the Sacramento River Cats. He is missed.

The Zam Bomb: Emotional strain is starting to show. It's just a matter of time.

Lost in Translation: Kosuke Obama-san is Japanese for "don't believe the hype."

Sweet and Sour Lou: Lou drops five points on the Sweet-O-Meter to 65 percent sweet, 35 percent sour, due to persistent problems on the road, where the team will spend most of the next few weeks. And just like your real crazy drunk uncle, Lou wants to be sympathetic to the foreign exchange student living with you, but as long as he's going to be a drain on the family budget he might as well pitch in with some chores.

Center Stage: Joltin' Jimmy Edmonds got two starts in Houston and continues to look like a steal. Reed Johnson also got a start, and Kosuke Fukudome saw some time in center as well.

The Cub Factor: Catch up with them all.

Beachwood Sabermetrics: A complex algorithm performed by the The Cub Factor staff using all historical data made available by Major League Baseball has determined that Mighty Mike Fontenot has more power per square inch than anyone in the history of the game.

Over/Under: The number of days until we learn that Kerry Wood's blister has moved to his shoulder: +/- 1.5.

Mount Lou: Seismologists report the re-opening of a previously thought dormant fault line running through the Road Ridge in the central region of Louville. Emergency responders should stand by.

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