Rock Bottom?

Well, you can't get much worse than this. Or can you? The afternoon game on Thursday was one of the worst games I've ever experienced, and you can say that from both sides' point-of-view. And it was just endless. I must say the Cubs generally find a way to play to the level of their opposition, and I think that is why, historically, so much bad baseball has been played between them and the Brewers. I mean, don't these guys practice at all making basic plays that minor leaguers make every day? The botched up double play, double rundown that cost the Cubs a run in the 5th was something you'd expect to see in a highlight reel of the Amazing Mets or the Dodgers of the 1930s. And the topper of course was the ludicrous error by Nady to blow the game in the 10th inning. The only refreshing thing about the game was the absolute frankness of Koyie Hill in discussing the final play, in which he said basically the Brewers had nothing to lose in trying to go from first to third on the bunt as the Cubs had "one of the worst fundamental teams on the field, so it was a perfect situation for them."

As for the Wednesday night game, I thought Zambrano pitched rather well for the time he was in there. He seems to be coming around. The lineup Lou fielded was one so weird and illogical that you cannot imagine any reasonable person supposing there was any way they could possibly manufacture a run unless they hit five or six home runs, which, of course, they did. Putting Ramirez on the DL was the only recourse left to them. Lets hope he heals, and lets hope it is really just the thumb that has been bothering him.

There are all kinds of stories floating around about dissension in the clubhouse, backbiting by various cliques of players, and about Piniella, much as Baker had in his final season on the Norst Side, losing control. I'd be very surprised if some of it weren't true. Last year they managed to blame it all on Bradley, and in 2006 they blamed Sosa. I wonder who the scapegoat will be this time? This team has a lot of lazy, selfish, incompetent, and dumb players, more than enough to counter-balance the genuinely talented and intelligent ones, so there are plenty of candidates.