Drunken Thoughts On Cubs Baseball

Hey there readers and lovers, how have you been? Hungover? Buzzed? Either way I'm here to either be your Tylenol or your fourth Margarita. The blog really is just that stimulating. So what's the topic today? I don't really feel like writing about anything too boozy at the moment and the Cubs have been pissing me off so much lately, I just need to get my anger out. So I'm going to bring up a few points I think are interesting or pathetic or whatever. So here's a broken Cubs fan's drunken view of an extremely disappointing season.


Lou Piniella? Not a Good Manager, Actually.
I've let Lou off the hook before for his managing, only because the team has been so good. But this year, I've had enough. It shouldn't have taken this long to remove Kevin Gregg from the closers spot. It doesn't take a genius to see that Marmol is not the answer either. (Angel Guzman is the best Cubs reliever.) It only took 2 and 1/2 years to get Soriano out of the leadoff spot. Jake Fox, Aramis Ramirez have both had hot streaks thwarted by a baffling benching. The Cubs are clearly a better team with Kosuke in the leadoff spot, but where is he? Down in the lineup, of course. Hit and Runs? Stolen Bases? Squeezes? Non-existent on a Piniella managed team.

Oh Carlos, Where Have Ye Gone?
Zambrano or Marmol for that matter. Marmol's control has gone AWOL and has gone from the best reliever in baseball to a hit-or-miss option. He's set to become the first reliever in Major League history to lead the league in hit batsmen. His loss of control and dominance has almost been like a Mark Prior transformation. And Zambrano? Big Z's walk total has risen to a disgusting level. One can't hate him with his high enthusiasm, but even he admitted to half-assing workouts while on the DL.

We Got Three Used Ferrari's in the Outfield, If You Want 'Em
Soriano, Bradley, Fukudome. Total Salary in 2009: $36,500,000. Total HR's: 37. A million per homer. Soriano's sinking lower and lower into obscurity, closing in on having the worst contract in Major League Baseball. Obviously trading Mark DeRosa and replacing him with Bradley has turned out to be a huge mistake, since Bradley either gets walked or grounds out. Unfortunately, this is going to be the outfield for the next two years. Fukudome has had a better season but is certainly not a true CF. The good play of Jake Fox and Sam Fuld should be enough to stick at least Soriano on the bench but pressure to reap the rewards of their terrible rewards from management probably leaves Piniella no choice but to play the dud in LF every damn day.

The Walk and The DL
The Cubs pitching has not been bad. In fact, it's been pretty good. With the emergence of Randy Wells, the consistence of Ted Lilly, the OK performance from Z, the staff has been relatively good. But the amount of walks this staff has added up just gives them little to no chance. Marmol leads all relievers in walks. Dempster, Harden, and Zambrano all have less than 2:1 Strikeout to Walk Ratio's, when that's what has made them so effective in the past. But, along with the free passes, the true excuse for the season will be the DL. Ted Lilly, Zambrano, Dempster, Harden, Aramis, Soto, and Soriano have all spent extended time out of the lineup. Is that an excuse? Hell no. A team that was picked to win 100 games and glide through the NL Central might struggle to finish .500 at this point. Good teams find ways to rise above their injuries. The Cubs have used it as an excuse rather than a rallying point.


2010 Improvements:
Obviously, if the Cubs go on a hot streak they still have a slim chance. And nobody would like that more than me, but as of now, I'll just go over how the team can be improved for next year:
-Rid yourself of Lou Piniella and Jim Hendry. Hendry has traded away our entire farm system for scrap metal and Piniella looks like he wants to get the hell out of there every game.
-Hire Ryan Sandberg or Bob Brenly. Listen, you need a change of pace. Sandberg would have immediate respect and could be a Joe Girardi like revelation. If not, Brenly knows the organization well and has a World Series ring on his finger.
-Get a 2nd Basemen. Mike Fontenot has sucked the proverbial dick. Andres Blanco, Jeff Baker have filled in alright, but they are NOT everyday 2nd basemen. Do what you have to do, but get someone that can hit.
-Get Soriano and Soto in Winter Ball. These two have lost all confidence in their swing. Get them playing where they can be successful so their confidence rises and they can hopefully return to their usual selfs at the plate.
-Overhaul the pen--again. If Kevin Gregg returns at all, I'd be supremely shocked. Keep guys like Grabow, Guzman, and Marmol, but try and acquire some decent middle relievers to back them up. Try and bring back Neal Cotts and I will murder you.
-New Pitching/Hitting Coach. Rothschild has had his day. It's time to bring in someone who can teach these pitchers to throw strikes. As for hitting, I don't know what to say. Someone needs to bring back the patience and power that was so prolific in 2008.
-Finish the Damn Sale. The team needs to know what it can accomplish this offseason and that won't happen unless the sale is completed. So get that shit done.

There you have it. I'm not too optimistic about the future of this team but I guess you never know. If I were one of my fellow Cubs fans though, I would not be optimistic about the future. Anyways, I'm Mike Dolan saying........goodbye.