Can the Cubs turn season around?
By Doug Upstone
Many a heart has been broken by Chicago Cubs franchise over the years. The list of failures would make even the Big Three automakers blush. Everyone knows about last year’s playoff bust and a century of nonfulfillment and every Cub supporter has their version of the 1984 playoff series against San Diego or the unforgettable collapse of 1969.
Losing and the Chicago Cubs fit together like two people meeting on EHarmony.com. The Cubs haven’t been complete failures of late putting together back-to-back winning seasons twice since 2003, which were the first since 1971-72. Juxtaposed those figures against there biggest rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, who have suffered consecutive losing seasons twice in the last 49 years.
Since being one of the best teams in baseball from 1929 to 1945 (they lost in the World Series five times in the span), Chicago fans have suffered mightily, once going 16 years without a winning season (1947-1962) playing at a .425 clip.
Last year’s puzzling ending to the Los Angeles led to “wait till next year” for the North Siders and oddsmakers believed the Cubbies were indeed ready to make another run at winning a World Series for the 101st time since last being champions in 1908.
If 2009 was to be “the year”, thus far for the Cubs it’s been like those trying to stop Johnny Depp as John Dillinger in “Public Enemies”. The vaunted Chicago offense has looked like Rex Grossman leading the Bears the last few seasons, averaging 4.1 runs per game, 14th in the National League.
The list of underachievers is remarkable, Kosuke Fukudome batting .251, Milton Bradley .243, Alfonso Soriano .233 and Geovany Soto .230. The Cubs front office decided they would clear cash to sign Bradley and move Mark DeRosa, this season the combined average of the second basemen is .224 with on-base percentage of .280. True, having Bradley hurt was a setback as was Aramis Ramirez being out of the lineup for an extended period.
The fact is manager Lou Pinella’s use of the full roster can’t work if players don’t produce. The Cubs are next to last in doubles, 11th in walks and 13th in on-base percentage. If not for Derrick Lee’s hot spell the last month, no telling how much lower they would be.
The Cubs pitching is better, but not when it counts. They allow 4.1 runs per game, which is third in the National League. There starting pitching has been somewhat erratic beyond Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18 ERA) and Carlos Zambrano (5-4, 3.53), as the Cubs are 22-12 when those two start. Rich Harden’s mechanical problems have him getting hit hard and Ryan Dempster is a lost cause on the road with Cubs sporting 1-9 record in his 10 starts.
The bullpen’s .500 record is in sync with the team record and the save percentage is lowly .625 for a team presumed to be running away with division. Kevin Gregg has stabilized as the closer after abject start, but Carlos Marmol is a half a pack of Marlboro’s with 42 walks in 42 innings of work.
Even being baseball’s biggest underachievers based on preseason prognostications, the Cubs are only one game behind division leading St. Louis in the loss column, though backers are paying for it at -9 units. For Chicago to live up to expectations, they are going to have to average about five runs the rest of the way and hope the pitching holds up.
Blogger hearsay has rumblings in the clubhouse with not everyone pulling on the same rope. Reports have stubborn players unwilling to change to help the team, pitchers becoming testy with the lack of offense and too many lapses of concentration on the field.
Can the Cubs take control of wide open division, undoubtedly if the talent plays to potential. However, after this many games, the Cubs seem wholly capable of finishing just ahead of Pittsburgh in the Central, which means, wait till next year.