And I say to you today...There's hope.

I am not merely giddy after NJIT ended a 51-game losing streak. I am not merely giddy after yesterday's melancholy. I can see a developing scenario where 85 wins can take down the NL Central again. Is this merely something that I am trying to propagandize a chance for the Brewers to win post CC? No.

But let's tell it like this. It probably will not take a Mister Smarty Mans to say that Ryan Dempster is not going to have another year like last year. Through his history, he was a pitcher whose command made certain that his numbers never matched his potential game.

Yet, why is he a reason for hope within the NL Central? Simple. Tim Dierkes listed every starter who had thrown more than 3400 pitches last year. Only one was a closer to starter as a transition. This does not bode well for the Cubbies.

Their top three are Carlos Zambrano (who's averaged 3400 pitches for the last 4 years), Dempster (obvious reasons above), Rich Harden (pitched 148 IP last year, a high since 2004, may already have a tear in his rotator cuff). So you know what that means?

1. There is a very strong chance that Ted Lilly may be your ace.
-And that means you have Ted Lilly as your ace.

2. Garrett Olson is an important starter.
-And he is merely an Ed Yarnall simalcrum. 6.65 ERA last season, and that's in 26 starts.

3. Your fifth starter in the rotation may not exist.
-Mitch Atkins? That seems like a guy that MLB 09 inventented to fill out the Iowa roster.

I still do not say that this is a clinched win for the Brewers, the Cardinals get everything from their talent. And hell, the Cubs may have gone crazy with the attributes for their create-a-pitcher. It is what it is.

It is just that there is no guarantees in this world.