The numbers never lie. Well, actually they lie with alarming frequency, only this time they're speaking the painful truth.

Following a season in which many of us marveled at how the Cubs ranked at or near the top in virtually every telling statistical category, we saw a post-season in which the numbers tell us, accurately, that the Cubs were putrid.

Shown are the cumulative offensive stats for the four League Championship series. Apart from the Cubs' sickening line, one thing I notice right off is how poorly the Brewers performed at the plate. Lots of strikeouts, few walks. Ironically, I tuned in to WTMJ in Milwaukee during the Brewers' Game 4 defeat to the Phils and the announcer (not Uecker) was lamenting those very facts.

That said, at least the Brewers, like the Angels and (ugh!) the White Sox, pulled themselves together long enough to win a game in the series and give their fans, however briefly, some hope that a miracle might be in the offing.

(Stats from Baseball-Reference.com)