ON CUB WEEKEND, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE A NEUTRAL SITE. Miller Park becomes a neutral site during Cleveland's snow emergency.

The odd turn of events presented something of a logistical challenge for baseball, which has been rocked early in the season by wet and cold weather in the East. The Indians, it seems, have been hit the hardest and still have not been able to host a home opener after canceling an entire four-game series against the Seattle Mariners. And with more bad weather expected in Cleveland this week, the Indians knew they needed help.

"This is a tough situation for Cleveland," [baseball commissioner and onetime Ford dealer Bud] Selig said in a telephone interview from Phoenix, where he was in town to attend the home opener for the Arizona Diamondbacks. "We knew yesterday we had some trouble; we didn't like the alternatives. So this morning, Paul Dolan called me very early from Cleveland and suggested Milwaukee."

Paul Noonan directs your attention to "Rick Vaughn Glasses Night" and Sean Hackbarth suggests in proper Milwaukee fashion that being able to watch major-league baseball at minor-league prices is a deal.

I suppose it's too much to ask for the calendar that went file taxes - Opening Day - Memorial Day - pennant race - Labor Day - World Series - Hallowe'en - Presidential election.