Being married to a Cubs congenital raving loonyfan, I've come to appreciate the baby bears and their poor fans. I love the rivalry, but a good rivalry only counts when teams are closely matched. That's why, unless they're playing each other, or the Cub are ahead of the Cards, I cheer on the Cubs too.
Like you, Craig, I am a more laid back Cards fan when it comes to the Cubs. Unless we're playing each other, I don't get too fired up when it comes to the Cubs. I've begun to realize that we don't have much of a rivalry due to the ineptitude of the Cubs, excepting the past couple of years. I think this may be why the Cards vs. Cubs games don't get much national attention like the Red Sox vs. Yankees. At least they regularly compete against each other during the regular season and the postseason.
Which makes me wonder what the Cubs are going to do with Big Z and Milton Bradley?
Personally, I am concerned about Ankel - I want to see some fire in him again!
Big Z wants to be traded. I have a feeling the Cubs will eat some of his salary for a team to take him. He's not a very good teammate, doesn't have a good work ethic, and didn't live up to the expectations of an ace this season. As for Bradley, the Cubs owe him $20 million over the next two years, he's not good enough to warrant $10 million a year, and he's a clubhouse cancer. The Cubs will have to eat almost all of his salary for a team to take him. I heard one GM say that they might be willing to take a chance on Bradley
but only if the Cubs ate at least $19 million of what's left on his contract! Unloading Z and Bradley will really handicap the Cubs salary-wise over the next year or two.
As for Ankiel, some GM will over-pay for him after this year; Boras is his agent. I guarantee you he will not be a Cardinal next season. Some of his problems might be from the shoulder injury he took early in the season when he slammed into the outfield wall. But he doesn't have good plate discipline; a shoulder injury does not account for poor at-bats and a high number of strikeouts.