What's wrong with the Cubs - a White Sox perspective - ChicagoSportsBlogs : Non Compete
Friday, May 26, 2006 8:02 AM Perry

What's wrong with the Cubs - a White Sox perspective

Yesterday’s afternoon drive afforded me the opportunity to listen to ESPN1000 (WMVP). Mac, Jurko and Harry were looking for a White Sox fan’s opinion on the Cubs’ recent tribulations. They (Mac especially) weren’t interested in Cubs-hate speak. They wanted an informed baseball fan from the south side to call in and comment on the Cubs’ recent failings. In Internet terms, these guys were starting a flame war. Far be it for me to take the high road on this topic. Ratings on the radio are no different than hits on a website. So, I figured I would tackle this subject from a White Sox blogger’s perspective. Like Cubs catcher Michael Barrett, I’m not pulling any punches! OUCH! (Ok, that sucked) Cubs fans, take note. This is what your team needs to do to right the ship:
  • Fire someone. Today’s Tribune has a Q&A with Andy MacPhail, chief wahoo of the Cubs. He claims that he doesn’t get involved with the GM-Coach relationship. Only if that relationship takes a turn for the worse is the manager’s job in jeopardy. This means you aren’t going to fire Dusty. I agree with this. Fire your pitching coach instead. Fire your hitting instructor too. You’ve already fired all the doctors.(years ago) Go to the next logical step. Send a message to everyone in the organization and to your fan base that losing will not be tolerated.
  • White flag trades are not an option – unless you fall 20 games behind St. Louis. If this happens, feel free to get rid of everyone on that team. Everyone. Dump salary and start over. I know people who think Ramirez, Zambrano, and DLee are the only ones worth keeping. Fine keep them and scrap the rest. Get young talent that is on the cusp of making it to the bigs. It’s time for some fresh blood. If there is any chance you can dump Prior and Wood, then take the sack of baseballs people are offering and do it. It’s time to move on.
  • Find a leader in the clubhouse. For the Sox, that leader is Ozzie. Konerko wears the “C” but he practically barfed when he was told he had to wear it. That stupid “C” on the jersey should have stayed in hockey-land. Baseball doesn’t need a field general to organize who shags fly balls or to motivate guys. If anything, that’s why the management staff is so big (manager, 1st base coach, 3rd base coach, pitching and hitting instructors…jeez). Bottom line – if Dusty isn’t the leader then someone in the clubhouse has to step up. It would be great if they led on the field too.
  • There is a middle ground between rookies and guys old enough to collect a pension.(Womack is going to be a Cub?!) Find it. The effort the Cubs organization has put forth this year to plug holes in their lineup is the effect of not being prepared for a long baseball season. The cause is your GM’s inability to create a team that is balanced. Easy enough for me to say because Kenny got guys that can play every day even if they are just role players. Guys who aren’t ready for the majors should be given a shot – against teams that aren’t in your division and in the third game of a series that you’ve already won! Evaluate and send them down if they don’t cut it. I know this is knit picking. I also know it’s tough to do. The fact remains you lost a first baseman and the rest of your team imploded – not because DLee was gone but because…
  • Underachievers are not your fault. No one and I mean no one expected everyone to be in a slump at the same time. That said, Ramirez didn’t need to have Thome-like numbers to beat the Marlins. Where is the effort? It’s ok to lose games – 4-3. Losing 9-0 or 9-1 is astonishing. People are starting to wonder if this team has given up. Outside of your sucker punching catcher, and hot headed ace – who has heart on this team? It’s time for a closed door meeting amongst players. Call each other out. Do what you have to do including punching each other in the face instead of your opponents.
  • Finally – Luck. You can’t control luck. Right now the Cubs’ luck is all bad. It doesn’t have to stay that way. There are little things that can turn it around. For example, that extra effort to dive and keep a ball from running down the line and turning into a triple instead of a hard hit single. Throwing to the right base on a double play. NOT throwing to first when you know you’re not going to get the guy. Don't hurry the throw and airmail it into the stands. Finally, take a pitch. Work the opposing pitching staff deeper into the count. All of these things can turn negative plays into positive results.
That’s it. I’m jumping off my soap-box. I don’t expect the Cubs to play Sox-style baseball. I do expect them to come out and get the little things right. Take it in baby steps. If anything, it can instill a sense of pride in the organization that could turn things around enough to make them content as a spoiler. Filed under: ,

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