Nobody Really Knows How to Win
After their awesome start to the season and record-setting April, the Cubs are now mired in an awkward slump. Awkward because the offense that is generating the most runs per game in the National League isn’t supposed to lose 8 out of 11 games. But we’ve found a way. But as inexplicable as the losses have been, the wins are just as difficult to account for. Ronny Cedeno taking walks? What kind of twilight zone episode is this?
Maybe we should just admit that this is the team we expected to see when the season started on March 31st: A team that loses too many close games and occasionally beats the heck out of the competition. That was the 2007 Cubs. Or more correctly that was the 2007 Central Division Champion Chicago Cubs. Our formula last season was to tread water until the pitching staffs for the rest of the division broke down, and then we rode the bouncing coattails of Alfonso Soriano in September. It worked then, and it will work again this year.
In a way it’s just sad that we’ve already seen what this 2008 Cubs team is capable of so early in the season. It makes seeing it every third or fourth game its own form of slow burning pain. But take solace, Cubs fans, because as much as the Cubs haven’t perfected their potion, neither have the White Sox. Their struggles are so bad that they put all their bats next to a bunch of blow-up dolls in the clubhouse as a joke. That just proves that nobody in this city has perfected anything except silliness, and we can expect plenty of that from both sides of town throughout the summer.
Considering the dolls and the Cubs tough losses at St. Louis and Cincinnati just goes to show that a fluke in baseball is still the norm. A broken-bat flare off of Ryan Dempster scored 2 runs on Monday night, the runs that ended up making the difference in the game. A few blown calls on sliding plays at home plate effected the outcomes both Sunday and Monday.
How should the Cubs answer? Two things: get out an airpump, and start Ronny Cedeno. You never know, it might work.
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Tags: Ronny Cedeno, White Sox, winning
8 Responses
MattA May 6th at 7:09 am
If you take away the 19 run game, the Cubs are averaging just over 5 runs a game. I don’t have the league stats, but I doubt that’s leading the league.
Mister Pickle May 6th at 8:52 am
Not really.
They are currently averaging an even 6 runs per game, but if you remove the 19-run game from the equation, then they still have a very healthy average of 5.6 runs per game.
Not sure if you’re used to steroid ball, but even 5 runs a game would be a GREAT average. That would be good enough for 4th best in the league.
As it is, the actual average (sans 19-run ballgame) is 5.6 runs per game, which is still good enough for 2nd place.
Notable current leaders are:
Cubs (6.0), D-Backs (5.7), Dodgers (5.4), Braves (5.1), Red Sox (4.9), Phillies (4.9), Tigers (4.9), and Pirates (4.9).
Lou May 6th at 9:27 am
Don’t take away the 19 run game! I need the memory of that game to be intact, as does Geovany Soto.
Thanks for doing all that research, Mister Pickle…who knew that the lowly Pirates are scoring nearly 5 runs a game. Did they re-sign Randall Simon?
Mister Pickle May 6th at 9:34 am
No Randall Simon. But Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente have been brought back from the grave and are lighting it up in the heart of their order! Also, Nate McLouth has apparently made some sort of Faustian bargain.
Sheps May 7th at 11:17 pm
Mr. Pickle =’s awesome screen name.
funkster May 8th at 2:27 pm
I’m definitely not worried about the offense as much as I am about the pitching staff. I still think that Hendry made a mistake in not trying to get another quality pitcher a la Dan Haren in the off season.
jeffy777 May 11th at 4:46 pm
This sweep should definitely teach you guys to be more optimistic!! hehehehe
TheOriginalDave May 16th at 11:13 pm
It was a rough ride there for a while, but the boys have turned it around this homestand.
If they can play this well at home all season - or anything close - and play .500 on the road (currently they sit one game under at 8-9), they’ll be just fine.
Two more to go at home, let’s make them good ones! Go Cubs!