Series 6-Pack: “The Cubs will not stop losing”

The Cubs!  The Cubs.  Oh, the Cubs.

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib seems to embody the fan gutted of all hope, and simply moving on with life while the Cubs just happen around him.  Which isn’t a bash against his fandom; he’s stuck around, but in his answers he seems to have a sense of tired acceptance of the Cubs’ ineptitude.

Kind of sucks the fun out of “pre-series snarky question-asking” as a concept.

1.  Sure, the Cubs’ plan to get all of their losses out of the way at the beginning of season, looks good on paper, but what if they can’t stop losing?  Also, it doesn’t look very good on paper.

The Cubs will not stop losing at any point this season.  Cubs broadcaster Bob Brenly said it best when he called the Cubs a “deadass” baseball team. There is so many things bad about the Cubs, that it would take 100 years to list them all. And no, the Cubs will not have won a world series during that span.

But on a serious note, if the Cubs keep losing the only option there is would be to fire general manger Jim Hendry. The Cubs have given Hendry way too many chances to succeed. When it smells like a horse, looks like a horse, and eats like a horse it is a horse. In this case when it smells like a bad general manager and looks like a bad general manager, it is a bad general manager.

2.  Carlos Zambrano recently said something.  What was it, and why should we care this time?

We should care because he was right. This was not a rant. Zambrano saying that the Cubs are “embarrassing” and playing like a “AAA team” is true. In fact, Zambrano was applauded by fans–myself included–when he said those things. Zambrano obviously has the reputations that shadows him for a reason, but in this case, he was not wrong. It was about time that a veteran player on the team said something, because at least it shows the fans that someone cares.

3.  Please explain this, without referencing some sort of curse.  You can’t, can you?  “Cubs Baseball:  Impossible to Explain Without Curses.”

There is no curse for being bad. The Cubs are a bad baseball team, and have been for the past 20 years. Prior to that, believe what you want to believe. It is amazing that a team can be given so much excuses for their failures, without accepting the fact that they are a bad baseball team.

The only reason these so called curses continue to be mentioned by national media outlets, is because it is Chicago. But by now, most Cubs laugh at the talk of any curse. When you are bad, there is no curse needed.

4.  The Lehigh Valley Ironpigs are currently 36-22, sitting in first place.  In some other dimension, where the Cubs hired Ryne Sandberg to be their manager, are the Cubs performing even a little more adequately?  In that same dimension, is Mike Quade coaching the ‘Pigs?  Is Osama Bin Laden still dead?  Do you think the Phillies Triple-A affiliate could beat the Cubs?

Unless Ryne Sandberg was on the field himself, no, the Cubs would not have performed better this season. The Cubs opening day starter–Ryan Dempster–has an ERA over 6, and their cleanup hitter only has 3 home runs. The manager can not control that. The only thing that might have been handled differently was the idea of accountability. But lets be honest, Sandberg has to be the most hyped minor league manager in the history of the game. Hype does not always translate into success.

5.  How much solace does the Cubs’ drafting of Wayne Gretzky’s son bring to the season?

It just adds to the farm system. The fact that he is first baseman may be something to note. But he may not have nearly the same potential as Cubs second round draft pick, first baseman Dan Vogelbach. Besides the last name of Gretzky, there really is no desire to get excited until we see what he does once he is signed.

6.  “At this point, no, I wouldn’t accept a trade.”  Would it surprise you to learn that it was not Albert Pujols who said that, but rather, Aramis Ramirez? Also why was Jim Hendry getting all handsy with Pujols a few weeks ago?

It doesn’t surprise me. Trading Ramirez was never a real possibility in my eyes. What team would trade for a run producer that is on pace to hit 6 home runs. Also, Ramirez’s $16MM player option would automatically vest if he is traded.

That is just who Hendry is. I’m sure it will not go reported that Hendry hugs at least one player everyday. No homo. But, Hendry is just a friendly guy with many players around the league.  The fact that it was Pujols was reason for the uproar. Besides, Hendry will do the same thing next season when Pujols is still a member of the Cardinals.  [EDITOR’S NOTE:  Mike Sweeney’d]