Cubs at a Tipping Point - Can the Season be Saved?

[Shilzzz]

its april.

 

And more than one season has ended in April.

 

 

I'll never understand why Cubs fans get so uptight when other Cubs fans start to panic after a horrible start to the season.

 

i'll never understand why cubs fans get so uptight 1)on april 24th, specifically after the cubs have been close in most of their games 2)when other cubs fans get uptight about other cubs fans' panicking

 

but then again i'll never understand why cubs fans exist at all.

[Balsa]

Do they have him that long? I thought he was a FA after this season or the next.

Arbitration eligible 2007-2009, Free Agent Status in 2010.

[Italiancub]

to me it doesnt seem like the marlins organization would want a player that's going to cost them 100 million + after less than a full year

[RynoRules]

its april.

 

And more than one season has ended in April.

 

 

I'll never understand why Cubs fans get so uptight when other Cubs fans start to panic after a horrible start to the season.

 

And I'll never understand fans who:

 

1) Give up on a 162 game season after less than 20 games; and

 

2) People who, b/c they themselves are uptight, accuse others of being uptight.

[CubsWin]

While I'm not taking as pessimistic a view as synergy in his/her "the Season is already over" thread, I believe this team is in dire straits right now and needs a fairly significant shake-up to have any chance of competing this season. The organization (Hendry, Piniella, everyone) needs to be aware and take action on the following problems:

 

1) Dude, Where's My HRs? - very simply put, if Soriano and Lee don't start hitting HRs, then this team has no chance. As the Cubs were constructed, with above average (on the optimistic side) to slightly below average (on the pessimistic side) pitching, it is critical that our low-OBP offense be a high-SLG offense. While currently 6th in runs, we are 11th in OBP and 7th in SLG. To counter that OBP (which also needs to go up), we need to be a top-5, and probably top-3, slugging club.

 

2) Cut ties with Wade Miller - while I congratulate Wade Miller for trying to come back from injuries, and while I thought acquiring him was a good low-risk, potentially high-reward action, the reward has been less than nothing. Simply put, we all know that a pitcher with a 10.54 ERA and a WHIP above 2.00 who throws 79-84 MPH deserves no spot on the team. Guzman gets my vote to be the new 5th starter but in all honestly, if you can't pull a pitcher from AAA to give you a 5.00 ERA in the 5th spot at a moment's notice, just close up shop.

 

3) Fix the OF situation - just another counterproductive facet of the team, the OF situation needs to be rectified immediately. As excited as I got seeing Pie throw out that guy at home a few games ago, he currently has no spot on the major league roster, especially if he isn't playing everyday. We need to play Jones to establish some/any trade value. Send Pie down and install Murton as the primary RF. While Matt Murton will never be a world-beater at a corner spot, Piniella needs to explain to him he will play every 4/5 or 5/6 games or so, and hopefully this allows Murton to relax some (seems like he's been pressing this year), and put up .290/.360/.460 numbers in right because Floyd's .261/.277/.370 ain't doing it for me.

 

4) A return to discipline - what happened to that strange Cubs team in spring training, taking those walks and working the strike zone so well? Answer me that, Gerald Perry, instead of yelling at umpires. Fact of the matter is, I saw two different Cubs hitters swing at ball 4 on 3-0 counts last night; and while Ramirez drove a runner in on a sac fly, Barrett did not. This team needs all the baserunners it can get in order to score runs when the HRs aren't coming. Just another reason for Murton over Floyd. On a similar note, hopefully Cesar Izturis' days are numbered. Simply put, he is an offensive black hole with nowhere near the defensive abilities to make up for his [tremendous] offensive shortcomings.

 

What's that? Theriot was taking balls at SS before Mon. night's game? Mike Fontenot (.766, .807, .825 OPS from 04-06) played SS for Iowa last night? Interesting.

 

5) Your best relievers aren't always your most expensive relievers - Scott Eyre is a worse Wade Miller pitching in higher leverage innings. Sad, but true. An ERA of 13.50 and a WHIP of almost 3.00 does no one any good. If he's hurt, DL him; if he needs to work on mechanics, let him do it on Iowa's time - not ours. While Bob Howry has not been as bad and IMO is more salvageable, I do fear he may have been Dustied (translation = overworked for no discernible reason on a last place team which negative ramifications to next year's performance). I don't think Lou and Jim are complete idiots, so I'm guessing they already know that Michael Wuertz IS THEIR BEST RELIEVER, and while he can't pitch every bullpen inning, there has to be a way to get him pitching in the most critical situations, and not Eyre/Howry (for now). I'm glad Rocky Cherry and his 12/0 K/BB ratio is now with the club, maybe Marmol (24/4) should join in?

 

Maybe the struggles of our multi-year contract relievers over the past two seasons will show Jim the problems with signing RP (the most variable of performers, to multi-million dollar contracts). Maybe a Jones trade will yield us a SS prospect and a cheap, electric arm that needs some work (Larry, you can ask Don Cooper for some tips).

 

 

If all else fails, the Cubs are still struggling/treading water/not doing great by July, then one thing must happen: trade Carlos Zambrano. Now let's get all those Zambrano for A-rod swaps out of our heads, because those aren't happening now. However, if this team is still scuffling in a couple months, it won't be one Zambrano away from being a division winner/WS contender this year or even the next couple of years. The smarter, more forward looking, and slightly riskier move is to move Carlos and reap the potential bounty of moving one of the ten best pitchers of the last few years. Receiving cheaper, longer term solutions to longstanding problems at SS, OF, and SP could outweigh the pain of losing Z.

 

Before anyone calls me out for panicking or not having heart to stick with it, I think we can all admit we've seen similar iterations of these problems before and we know how they turn out. There is a lot of talent on this club, but also have problems that can outweigh that talent.

 

Excellent post. I couldn't agree more. =D>

I agree. A very well thought out post. And, I, for one, don't think you are panicking at all. Just raising the issues that a poor start demands be raised.

[CubsWin]

its april.

 

And more than one season has ended in April.

 

 

I'll never understand why Cubs fans get so uptight when other Cubs fans start to panic after a horrible start to the season.

I'm fine with you expressing your thoughts. I don't think it is necessary to call someone who has a different opinion than your's uptight just because he expresses it. It's not like jaydee said, "its april- and how dare anyone suggest that this season could possibly be lost." He's just expressing what he thinks.

 

As far as the logic you put forth of "more than one season has ended in April", it's pretty weak when you consider all of the seasons that haven't been lost after a poor start. When you consider the talent that has underperformed to date on this Cubs roster and recognize that many seasons haven't resulted in disaster after a poor start, saying "its april" seems a very logical and supportable statement.

[muntjack]

Matt Murton will not play against righties unless we get a big left-handed bat in the infield. All of our lefties are in the outfield, so when facing a righty, they are going to play.

[seanimal]

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

[rynefan]

Look at the standings. They're already six games out of first, a feat accomplished in just slightly over 3 weeks. Now that's what I call impressive.

[moorecg]

Matt Murton will not play against righties unless we get a big left-handed bat in the infield. All of our lefties are in the outfield, so when facing a righty, they are going to play.

 

Can we teach Lee to hit left handed?

[kroth1342]

Look at the standings. They're already six games out of first, a feat accomplished in just slightly over 3 weeks. Now that's what I call impressive.

 

Right - and when you combine being 6 games behind in April with the number of teams they would have to leapfrog to make it to first --> they've dug themselves a substantial, early hole. Of course there's time to make it back to the top of the standings, but it will take a correction of all problems I first described back in the original post.

[C.C.]

Look at the standings. They're already six games out of first, a feat accomplished in just slightly over 3 weeks. Now that's what I call impressive.

 

Right - and when you combine being 6 games behind in April with the number of teams they would have to leapfrog to make it to first --> they've dug themselves a substantial, early hole. Of course there's time to make it back to the top of the standings, but it will take a correction of all problems I first described back in the original post.

 

All this in a terrible division!

[Soul]

its april.

 

And more than one season has ended in April.

 

 

I'll never understand why Cubs fans get so uptight when other Cubs fans start to panic after a horrible start to the season.

 

i'll never understand why cubs fans get so uptight 1)on april 24th, specifically after the cubs have been close in most of their games 2)when other cubs fans get uptight about other cubs fans' panicking

 

but then again i'll never understand why cubs fans exist at all.

 

Well, for me it's the brick wall factor. The Cubs do this most years. They tank. A bad April is usually not indicative of a playoff team on the North Side. So it's a little odd (to me) that some people express disbelief at someone who is panicing.

 

I wouldn't say I'm "uptight" that fans challenge the negativity, but just as you don't understand why people get uptight, I have difficulty understanding how anyone could think this year will be different after 100 years of madness.

[erik316wttn]

Look at the standings. They're already six games out of first, a feat accomplished in just slightly over 3 weeks. Now that's what I call impressive.

 

Right - and when you combine being 6 games behind in April with the number of teams they would have to leapfrog to make it to first --> they've dug themselves a substantial, early hole. Of course there's time to make it back to the top of the standings, but it will take a correction of all problems I first described back in the original post.

 

The part that sickens me is that it's only april and we have to go undefeated for a whole week just to get back to respectable.

[C.C.]

Look at the standings. They're already six games out of first, a feat accomplished in just slightly over 3 weeks. Now that's what I call impressive.

 

Right - and when you combine being 6 games behind in April with the number of teams they would have to leapfrog to make it to first --> they've dug themselves a substantial, early hole. Of course there's time to make it back to the top of the standings, but it will take a correction of all problems I first described back in the original post.

 

The part that sickens me is that it's only april and we have to go undefeated for a whole week just to get back to respectable.

 

We really needed a fast start and we got just the opposite. It's going to take a ton of effort just to get back to .500.

[erik316wttn]

its april.

 

And more than one season has ended in April.

 

 

I'll never understand why Cubs fans get so uptight when other Cubs fans start to panic after a horrible start to the season.

 

i'll never understand why cubs fans get so uptight 1)on april 24th, specifically after the cubs have been close in most of their games 2)when other cubs fans get uptight about other cubs fans' panicking

 

but then again i'll never understand why cubs fans exist at all.

 

Yes, the Cubs have been close, but they haven't won a close game yet this year. Good teams find a way to win those games.

[neely crenshaw]

for all the early talk..here's a stat for you no team since the start of teh wild card has finished below .500 in april and made the playoffs. none.

right now we can not finish at .500 for april.

 

I know there can always be a first and i know the astros were bad when they made a run..but it is very frustrating to contiue to find ways to lose instead of finding ways to lose.

plain and simple hendry is gone when the sale happnes. hopefully he will be trying to fix things well enough that he can be hired someplace else. right now no one will touch him with the crap he has compiled over 3 years with large amounts of spending!

[Garwilly]

for all the early talk..here's a stat for you no team since the start of teh wild card has finished below .500 in april and made the playoffs. none.

right now we can not finish at .500 for april.

 

I know there can always be a first and i know the astros were bad when they made a run..but it is very frustrating to contiue to find ways to lose instead of finding ways to lose.

plain and simple hendry is gone when the sale happnes. hopefully he will be trying to fix things well enough that he can be hired someplace else. right now no one will touch him with the crap he has compiled over 3 years with large amounts of spending!

 

05 Astros

April 9 13

May 10 19

[C.C.]

for all the early talk..here's a stat for you no team since the start of teh wild card has finished below .500 in april and made the playoffs. none.

right now we can not finish at .500 for april.

 

I know there can always be a first and i know the astros were bad when they made a run..but it is very frustrating to contiue to find ways to lose instead of finding ways to lose.

plain and simple hendry is gone when the sale happnes. hopefully he will be trying to fix things well enough that he can be hired someplace else. right now no one will touch him with the crap he has compiled over 3 years with large amounts of spending!

 

That's not right the 2005 Astro's were 9-13 in April of 2005.

[Garwilly]

06 Dodgers

 

April 12-13

[Soriano12]

pwned.

[Garwilly]

06 Padres

April 9-15

[Garwilly]

06 Twins

 

April 9 -15

[Ding Dong Johnson]

for all the early talk..here's a stat for you no team since the start of teh wild card has finished below .500 in april and made the playoffs. none.

 

Great job with the fact checking.

[Garwilly]

So LAST YEAR, there were three that finished April below .500, and one more thas was 12-12 in April.

 

I feel encouraged now, thanks.