Sorry for stating the obvious, but my beloved Cubs, for lack of a better word, suck. We are 37-55, good for the second worse record in the MLB. It's hard for me to stomach being worse than chronically bad teams such as the Royals, Nationals, Orioles, and, especially, the Pirates. It's even harder for me to stomach this given our huge payroll and all of the intangibles that should allow the Cubs to be successful. The question, then, is this: why do we suck? Along with that, how do we stop sucking?
Why the Cubs Suck:
1. Worst fielding percentage in the majors.
Defense wins championships. Period. The Cubs' fielding this year has been atrociously bad. The most frustrating part about watching the Cubs is that fielding is a much easier fix (at least in theory) than changing a pitcher's delivery or trying to make someone faster. You can at least be adequate defensively if you have coaches who know what they are doing and you take a lot of reps in practice, which is why this is inexcusable in my opinion.
2. Inability to get creative to get on base and move runners into scoring position
Contrary to popular belief, the Cubs are not that bad of a hitting team. We have the 6th best batting average in the major leagues. The problem is that while the Cubs get a lot of hits, our OBP is below average. Add in the fact that we are second to last in stolen bases and half of our team doesn't know how to bunt and the Cubs simply don't score enough runs.
3. No ace on the staff.
There isn't a single starter on the Cubs roster who strikes fear into an opposing hitter. Garza, Zambrano, and Dempster are all okay starters but are more like 3-4-5 in a rotation and not 1-2-3. The revolving door on the back side of the rotation and the 4-5 starter's combined record that is something like 10-30 is evidence that the Cubs need help at the front of their rotation badly to take some of the pressure off of aging veterans like Z and Dempster.
4. Injuries
The Cubs are not deep to begin with, so the fact that we have had so many injuries has essentially been the kiss of death for this team. Byrd, Soriano, and Barney are key offensive contributors that the Cubs have to have healthy to win, all of whom have missed significant amounts of time with injuries. The Cubs have also had dozens (or so it seems) of pitchers who have gone on the DL with arm problems. Injuries are a part of the game for sure, but it seems like this year the Cubs have been snakebitten more so than in years past.
5. No Ron Santo
Ron Santo was truly the man, and the Cubs sorely miss his presence around Wrigley. His devotion to the Cubs and his constant positive attitude were an inspiration to countless Cubs fans. Without him, both the Cubs and the Cubs faithful seem lost.
How the Cubs Stop Sucking:
1. Fire Jim Hendry
I think Mr. Hendry is a decent guy, but enough is enough. He's been the GM for 10 years and we haven't won a World Series, let alone a pennant. Fire him. I know we've been close, we've had bad luck, blah blah blah. I want results, and his idiotic deals (Ex: Fukudome, Soriano, Zambrano contracts) haven't produced them. A new GM could help us craft a different type of Cubs team - a younger, faster, and defensively oriented team.
2. Sign Pujols or Fielder in the off-season
The Cubs have an bright future of the middle with Castro at SS and Barney at 2B. With Pena becoming a free agent, the Cubs have an obvious need at 1B. I know the Cubs have a history of overpaying veterans who are on the backside of their careers. However, Pujols, and to some extent Fielder, are once in a generation type players whose leadership, swagger, and ability to flat out mash in key situations are traits the Cubs desperately need.
3. Dump Tyler Colvin
I understand the dude was our 1st round pick in 2006. I understand he may just "be having a bad year." He may even be a pretty nice guy. But in over 100 plate appearances, he is batting .105. 1-0-5!!!!!! Unacceptable.
4. Give Tony Campana some Myoplex
I really, really like Tony C in the outfield and I think he has a great future with the Cubs. He is a fast, young, lefty bat that can really make a difference for us a down the road. That being said, give the kid some protein!!! He is listed at 5'8" 165 but I seriously doubt he is even that big, not to mention the fact he looks like he is 12. I really hope he hits the weights this offseason as he needs to keep the outfielders honest.
5. Lower beer prices at Wrigley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_OxCHyLLkU
Despite our awfulness, if the Cubs can at address at least some of the issues I've brought up, I think the future is bright. Keep the faith Cubs fans, it's gonna happen!!
