I haven't looked at the other years, but it's been a problem or crappy luck for at least the last two. 2014: .223/.303/.341/.644 2013: .218/.309/.360/.669 2012: .231/.323/.358/.681 2011: .232/.313/.376/.689 2010: .262/.340/.421/.761 2009: .241/.340/.376/.716 2008: .278/.367/.452/.819 So they actually weren't terrible in 2010, but yeah, other than that since '08 it's been pretty awful. Just to make us all sick, here's the Cardinals during the same span and their NL ranks (Cubs ranks in [brackets]): 2014: .254/.336/.365/.701 (9th [14th]) 2013: .330/.402/.463/.865 (1st [12th]) 2012: .264/.353/.422/.775 (4th [14th]) 2011: .290/.378/.454/.832 (1st [13th]) 2010: .270/.363/.426/.789 (4th [8th]) 2009: .264/.362/.403/.765 (7th [14th]) 2008: .276/.362/.432/.793 (3rd [1st])