"Ok...call it."

Write it down: Wednesday, August 12, 2009. That is the day I officially bailed on the current edition of the Chicago Cubs. I know what you're thinking: "Suuuure, man. Whatever you say. Good luck with that."

Normally you might be right. I gotta tell you though; I'm spent. Too much aggravation. Too much lack of effort. Too much befuddlement. And I'm just talking about the manager. I have seen a lot of Cubs baseball throughout the years, but if this is the team that ends the 101 years of futility, I'll be more shocked than

when I saw Jamie Foxx on stage at the George Strait tribute.

"This Ain't Gonna Happen."

For those that doubt or are clinging to the false hope that the Cubs can still make a run; godspeed. Pick a reason - the NL Central is weak, Ramirez is coming back (maybe), Lilly and Zambrano are coming off the DL soon - whatever - they are all Weak. With a capital W. At the end of the day, this outfit just doesn't have it. And you know what? I'm glad. I cannot remember a time in my adult life where I have simply "had it" with a group of supposed professio

nals. It would be one thing if they just didn't get clutch hits. These guys don't hustle. They don't act like they care. They don't play with any sense of urgency. They aren't managed or coached particularly well. But that's just what they don't do. What about the stuff they do?

The relievers have an uncanny knack for letting the other teams' bats knock the bejesus out of their pitches. I am fairly certain that it is not a good sign when your closer has an affinity for throwing batting practice fastballs in games that actually count in the standings. After serving up last night's 12th inning tater to the almighty Ben Francisco (seriously, this Philly team is loaded with big time boppers and you give up the game changer to Ben Freaking Francisco?) Kevin Gregg padded his NL leading stat of most homers surrendered by a reliever with 11. Way to be, Kev. You might want change the prescription on your goggles. Gregger said he thinks

he might of been tipping his pitches last week in Florida. Meanwhile, his incompetence has fans tipping pitchers of ale all over Wrigleyville.

Gregger is not alone though. There is the Curious Case of Carlos Marmol. The man who once mystified opposing offenses now looks like Ray Charles trying to pitch during an earthquake. Gun-to-my-head, I'd trust Julio Castillo's control versus that of '09 Marmol. (My favorite Marmol moment from last night: After walking two batters and hitting another, he had the audacity to stare down home plate umpire Ron Kulpa on a borderline pitch - on a 3-0 count - to Ryan Howard. Then he continued his temper tantrum on his way to the dugout after he was lifted from the game. Right on, Carlos. It was that last pitch that did you in. Just The Man keeping you down.)

For those that insist that the Cubs lack of success is predicated on not being healthy or that they still have yet to "fire on all cylinders," its time for a reality check. They just don't pass The Eye Test. They play the game with a seemingly indifferent attitude that borders on arrogance. Case in point: Milton Bradley's "big whoop-dee-doo"-like comments throughout the year - during good times and bad - that make you want to tweak him in the nose and tell him to grow up. Or at least ask him to start contributing. (Oh wait, August has arrived and I see he's finally hitting. Did you see his HR stare down in the bottom of the 11th last night? That was awesome...except that the ball was caught on the warning track. Keep grinding though, Milty, I am sure you'll come around.) Add that to Zambrano's tired antics in between stints on the DL, Marmol's ridiculous aforementioned hissy fit, and one can tell that this isn't going to end well.

Oh yeah, and as if that wasn't enough, this team is not particularly talented at picking up (or even getting to) the baseball. Theriot is hitting his late season wall (a fun summer tradition that I look forward to annually), Soriano takes full weeks off in LF, and Bradley, well, is Bradley. Most nights I'd rather see Jon and Kate's 8 play defense over Lou's lineup du joir.

And what about our cocktail swilling front man? Surely The Skipper must be crawling out of his

skin. Surely Mt. Lou is getting ready to erupt! I mean, this is LOU PINIELLA for chrissakes!

The man who once tore 3rd base out of the ground and skipped it into left field in protest of a call, the man who used to leave his breakfast saliva on the front of many an umpire's uniform. He'll be chomping at the bit to tear into this underachieving crew, right?

Naw, not so much. In fact, Lou looks tired. Almost like his body is on the field, but his mind is in Key West. If I had to make the call, I think this is Sweet Lou's farewell season. He seems as blase'

as his team.

Sure there is more, but why beat a dead bear? The 2009 Chicago Cubs aren't worth it, folks. Nothing here suggests that anything is going to change. The questions you had in April are the same questions you have in August. What's another month-and-a-half going to fix? Its a mix of guys that doesn't work. Its money far from well spent. Its a team without an identity, a leader, a calling card, or often times a pulse.

That's why I am getting up from the table. No thanks, I've had enough. I am cashing out and going home with the little bit of sanity I have left. August 12, 2009. That's it. I gave at the office. No more room at the inn. See you next year. Later days!

Nope, I'm done.

At least I think I am.

***Special thanks to all those who tuned in to the radio show last week. The crew of the "Danny Mac Show" and The Score were extremely accommodating and made me feel like part of the team. If you heard the show and enjoyed it - I am glad. If you didn't enjoy it - to bad. If you didn't hear it, I hope they put the podcast up on their website at www.670thescore.com this week. My thanks to Mac and Spiegs as well. I hope to be back on soon.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Although I have been tinkering behind-the-scenes with the way I want to "re-invent" the blog, I wanted everyone to know that I will be on the radio with live thoughts this coming Friday, August 7th.

I will be sitting in the side car for "The Danny Mac Show" on The Score 670AM in Chicago. You out-of-towners or folks that cannot hear the show on your radios can listen on www.670thescore.com. Click on the "Listen Live" button and you are off to the races.

I hope to have cogent and entertaining thoughts - but no guarantees.

Hope you can listen and I will be sure and start up the posts - in earnest - again soon.

Thanks!

Vandy

Hendry's 0-For-09 The Real Story

I can already hear the eternally optimistic tones ringing out across the north side of Chicago: "There's plenty of season left!" "Wait until we're healthy!" "It's still early!" How supportive, the Cubbie faithful. It might actually be cute if it wasn't so ridiculous. But let us attempt to speak rationally here. 101 years of futility has only made folks increasingly testy. And impatient. And annoyed. And it's only June 3rd.

Maybe that is the only saving grace here - the calendar. With enough dates still undecided, the opportunities to right the S.S. Lou are still plentiful. But thinking rationally - as we are trying to do - isn't it conceivable that we will be listening to the same cries on July 3rd? August 3rd? The Cubs, as currently constructed, have numerous flaws - many of them potentially fatal. Pick your poison: The dust collecting on Aramis Ramirez's bats, the fall of the house of Derrek Lee, Geovany Soto and the Case of the Missing Offense, or a bullpen that has a nasty habit of not being able to get the opposing team out. All good candidates to be sure.

There is one abysmal average, however, that you won't find as you scroll through the morning stats online: Cub GM Jim Hendry is batting roughly .000 in 2009. He is like a Craps player that can't hit his point. Hell, he can't even set a point. He's stuck on the Pass line and rolling snake eyes. Virtually every move he has made to bring more talent to his two-time division winner has crapped out.

Don't believe me? Let's look at some mid-term grades for Principal Jim's Class of 2009:

Milton Bradley - 118 AB, .220 AVG, 5 HR, 14 RBI. "Congratulations, Mr. Bradley, you are at the head of the Delta pledge class." Just what you envisioned from your new clean-up hitter, right? Throw in the predictable muscle tweek or two as well as the emotions of a 3-year-old and his presence has been nothing short of pure joy! He is currently spending time arguing about how the world is out to get him and nursing his latest hamstring pull/hurt feelings.

Aaron Miles - 98 AB, .250 OBP, .204 AVG. Currently spending the first part of his summer on the DL. Remember, he was going to help fill the void vacated by Mark DeRosa's departure AND possibly lead off! (Go ahead, drink it all in Chicago.)

Kevin Gregg - 22.1 IP, 24 H, 13 ER, 5.24 ERA. You might want to try new glasses, Kev. Currently throwing batting practice fastballs during games that actually count. He is making Joe Borowski look like Dennis Eckersley. "Cub fans, give it up for your 2009 closer!"

Aaron Heilman - 23 IP, 23 H, 5.09 ERA, 16 BB, 0-for-3 in SVO. What is it with guys named Aaron? Wasn't he sore about not landing the 5th starter's gig after spring training? Hey here's an idea, Aaron: Find the same bus that drove Bobby Howry to the airport. Get on it.

A tired-but-nonetheless-true cliche' is that "the numbers don't lie." Principal Jim's 09'ers are failing. Miserably. They are not slumping; they are sucking tailpipe. Big difference. And please - don't use the uncertain ownership fiasco between King Zell and Bleacher Boy Ricketts to try and justify the underachieving. General Motors can get a bailout, but the Cubs GM cannot. All of the above moves were made before the season started, with nary a nasty smirk from Tribune owners or President Crane-ium. I am not going to be a hypocrite, either. I don't care that Hendry traded DeRosa (despite recent cries from the Faithful that he is a can't-miss, first ballot HOF'er,) nor that he failed to offer former poster boy Kerry Wood new paper. After consecutive NL Central titles with consecutive playoff flame outs, something needed to be done. Hendry took a chance and moved some pieces. Unfortunately, those pieces are lining up the North Siders to be checkmated.

Add this to the ongoing "should he or shouldn't he lead off" saga of Fonzie Soriano, the regression of the best WR in AAA Iowa - Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Marmol's inability to leap his mental hurdles and move into the closers' role, Carlos Zambrano's continued petulance, and it all points to danger on the Wrigleyville horizon.

How much starting pitching needs to be wasted before the coup d'etat occurs? Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, and the unsung/hard-luck Randy Wells can only keep the S.S. Lou afloat for so long. Sooner or later the 09'ers are going to have to do something, ANYTHING, to steer the ship to safe waters. If they don't, brace yourself for the iceberg.

So as you head to the ivy-covered oasis in the coming weeks and you stare in amazement at just how un-amazing this team is, don't shout insults at Big Z, make fun of The Gregger, or throw tissues at Uncle Milty. Give a strong glare up to whatever box Principal Jim is sitting. He's probably looking at the 1Q grades and wondering the same thing you are...Will the calendar have enough dates?