Need I say more?

Cubs 6, Cardinals 3.

The Cubs won the 2005 season series between the teams 10-6. They lead the current season series, 9-3. To crunch the numbers (or rather, to rub it in a little) the Cubs have beaten the Red Birds 19 of the last 28 times they've played. a winning percentage of a mere .678. Had the Cubs played only the Cardinals last year, they- and not St. Louis- would have won the division going away.

The Cubs also lead the all-time historical series between the teams, 1,125-1,062.

St. Louis- a team clearly in decline, whom genius GM Walt Jocketty has patched together and kept in contention with chewing gum and bailing wire for the last couple of years- has a losing record inside the division generally, and could have been had this year. Perhaps the Reds will yet overtake them. Sadly, though, it should have been the Cubs- and would have been, if only Jim Hendry had understood the folly of assuming the health of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, and of assuring sufficient offensive potency to be able to withstand a random (or, in recent years, annual) injury to an offensive star like Derreck Lee.

As he'd jolly well better this coming off-season. Excuses- as Cub fans are making increasingly clear to Hendry and company- no longer cut the mustard. What matters is accomplishments.

And the Cubs' utter dominance of the St. Louis Cardinals in recent years is, it should be said in Hendry's defense, such an accomplishment. And now, as the Cardinals begin their long, slow descent in the standings in the next several seasons, it figures to continue.

We just have to find a way to extend it to the rest of the league.

HT: Wikipedia article on the I-55 Series