The Cubs started 2003 looking like an entirely different team than they’d been in the years leading up to it. On June 8, they beat the Yankees to move to 34-27. They had an off day the next day and then a stretch of 33 scheduled games in 34 days. They completed that stretch and reached the All-Star break at a 47-47 record.
Despite the struggles leading into the break, they entered the break in third place and just three games out of first. The team had lost its promising young center fielder Corey Patterson to a season-ending injury.