The Break

Lets get the last two games before the All-Star Game out of the way. They were pretty predictable. The Cubs won on Saturday, largely behind a solid offensive showing from the bottom of the order and a good day for Ramirez. It is important to note that the Cubs seem only to score enough runs when the bottom of the order produces. They are likely more often than not to win this kind of game, which has been rather a rarity this year. These guys seem to be the only ones on the team who occasionally remember how to actually play baseball.

On Sunday they lost. Silva didn't have it and probably should not have pitched. He got tossed anyway on a bad call on a play both he and Nady botched up. Nady had earlier botched up another play. This guy cannot play 1B nor should he bat in an RBI spot. He struck out twice Sunday and hit into a DP, stranding five baserunners. Texas is supposedly interested. Trade him before they change their mind.

As to the All-Star Game, Marlon Byrd played well. He made a nice alert throw in the 9th inning as well as coaxing a walk from Thornton in a very patient AB that helped set up the NL's winning rally in the 7th. I wonder why he is not so patient with the Cubs. He has been a pleasant surprise both at the plate and in the field, but my one knock on him is that he is a hacker who very rarely takes pitches and very rarely walks. The old adage in baseball has always been that a walk is as good as a hit, but I believe a walk is often better than a hit. Good teams take walks and work the count. The Cubs, with the exception of 2008, almost never hit intelligently.

Which brings me to the big topic of what is wrong with this team. Impatience and lack of concentration are big factors. If you look at last year, a very disappointing year, the Cubs won 83 games and finished over .500 for the third consecutive year. This was not what people expected, but given they played most of the season without any production at all from their corner outfielders and given miserable production from 2B and a down year from Soto and given that Ramirez spent a lot of time on the DL. it seems remarkable they achieved even this modicum of respectability. They owed a lot to their pitching, especially their starters, as Gregg was a disaster by mid-season as a closer.

Now this year anyway, Soriano, though a really awful LF has had a statistically improved season. Fukudome had a very productive two months before tailing off. Byrd has been, as noted above, a pleasant surprise, and Colvin has had a remarkable rookie year in limited play. Soto has also had a better year than last year, having sandwiched a good April and a good July around some mediocrity in between. True, Theriot has been genuinely awful and in some sort of funk since Castro came up, but Castro has played very well and so has Fontenot in limited duty. Lee has been a big factor in their decline. I have to say he is a net negative factor and if the Cubs can get something in return, they would be better served in letting him go even if they do not have a worthwhile replacement. This year is over anyway and there are likely to be half-a-dozen superstar 1Bs available as free agents next year.

There is no question Lee and Ramirez have been a factor in the Cubs lack of performance this year, but bear in mind Lee started very slowly last year and Ramirez missed two months last year as well, but the team was still competitive then even with the Bradley distraction. I've got to blame Piniella. It is the manager's job to set the tone for the team and to put together a team from whatever parts he has to add to the assembly. Lou hasn't done this and his managerial style has become more and more eccentric and unpredictable and sullen. Something has to change here. There are all kinds of rumors floating that Piniella is done and will be replaced shortly. Lets hope they are true and that we do not have to endure the presence of this overrated blowhard for another three months. At least we will have something entertaining to watch.