I'd like to formally declare the Cubs' 2005 playoff chances ... gone.

After today's loss, they're 17.5 games back of the Cardinals, and fourth in the division. So, it's fair to say that particular ship has sailed, but that happened long ago.

As for the Wild Card: they're 7 games behind the Astros, which doesn't sound impossible in and of itself (close, though). The real problem is that they're 7 games behind and tied for seventh in the Wild Card standings. Put it this way; we're behind the Brewers now, and no one is pretending they're a playoff threat.

(Not that I mean to slight the Brewers - I think Doug Melvin is one of the best GMs in the game, and easily the most underrated.)

It's amazing, really, what a difference a week makes. One week ago, the Cubs could argue that they had a plausible (if not probable) shot at making the playoffs. But a seven-game losing streak later, those hopes are gone. And too bad, I say. It would have been fun to jettison Burnitz at the trade deadline and see what Matt Murton could do instead, or trade Todd Walker and see if Ronny Cedeno could put up anything close to the 967 OPS he has at Iowa this year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not second-guessing, really. I'm not sure I'd have done these things with the way things were on July 31. But it's hard to avoid the fact that this losing streak has come at the worst possible time.