What is a doornail, Alex?
Well, it’s been roughly two months, and a rough two months, since I last posted, wherein I ebulliently used words like “not dead” and “Cubs” in the same sentence. Well, if you’ve been paying any attention to the state of The Game at all, you know that what will most likely follow in this post will be words like “dead” and “really, really dead” and “Cubs.”
I think I also used the word “hopefully” about a dozen times in that last post, and I feel a little like a stereotype for doing so. I mean, that’s what Cub fans are supposed to be. Hopeful. Or even “hope filled.” Or beer filled, I always confuse the two.
That aside, what’s gone wrong? What happened to the team that was 7 games over .500 at the start of the season? Well, a few things. Derrek Lee broke his wrist. Greg Maddux, apparently, got old in a hurry. Carlos Zambrano got good — like, scary “3-near-no-hitters-in-a-row” good. Kerry Wood was scary good for one start. Too bad it was against AA hitters. And the most highly-touted rookies the Cubs vaunted minor-league system has recently produced, Rich Hill and Angel Guzman, both imploded in their chance at the big leagues. But hey, at least Hill is averaging almost 13 K’s/9 in AAA. So I suppose that’s something.
And then, yesterday, one of the most reliable guys in the bullpen, Bobby Howry, managed to blow what would have been a Pyhrric victory anyway. Luckily it was just another crappy loss.
And now Dusty is talking about replacing Murton in left with a journeyman outfielder who has “surprising power” for his “body type.” Yeah. Great. This is the same Dusty who leaves Phil Nevin, a proven 30-homer threat who’s hit 3 since joining the Cubs, on the bench in favor of Tony Womak. TONY. FREAKING. WOMAK.
I realize it won’t save this season. It may not save next season, or the one after that, or the next ten. But they need to fire Dusty. Now.
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