After a terrible 4-1 loss to the cross-town rival White Sox, Cubs fans had seen enough.  They wanted answers, and they wanted them now. 

Before complaining about the issues of this team, let’s look at some positives.  One, the Cubs are blessed to have six starters, and those six have the best ERA of any starting pitching in baseball.  So yes, that means the team has depth in the rotation, something new to the Cubs in recent years.

Their 'pen has been okay, not as bad as people believe.  Kevin Gregg has shown signs of improvement, and Carlos Marmol always seems to go through a funk in the middle of the year.  Angel Guzman has been solid and Jose Ascanio has been a pleasant surprise.  If they can get Aaron Heilman right, this 'pen won’t look too bad.  The problem is, the team currently has one lefty in the 'pen, and he isn’t that good at retiring left handed batters.

But the offense is atrocious.  It just seems as soon as the Cubs get runners on first and second with nobody out, they press.  They swing at terrible pitches, roll over on pitches down the middle, and end rallies rather quickly without scoring.

Fans want to know what is going on with this team.  I don’t have the answers, but I have a plan to solve this funk.

Dear Jim Hendry: Don’t do a thing.

Yeah yeah, you may say I’m taking the rather optimistic view on things.  Things aren’t magically going to get better, I understand that.  Yet, there are some signs of hope.

Things will get better because some of the players have shown improvement.  The best two hitters on this team currently are Milton Bradley and Derrek Lee.  Bradley is riding a six-game hit streak, and during that stretch he’s hitting .440.  In the last 28 days, Lee is hitting .351, getting on-base at a .440 clip, and has a .527 slugging percentage.  They both started off slow and now are getting real hot.

Even though these two are trying to carry this team, there are a whole group of guys not carrying their weight.  Soriano is 14 for his last 99.  Soto is slugging .235 with runners in scoring position.  Theriot is streaky; Fontenot is, too.  Aaron Miles is straight awful. 

Cubs fans want a big bat for the lineup.  I was lucky enough to go to two games in the last week, and I heard fans complain about the offense.  Their solution: Get a big hitter.

Now, it’s an easy thing to say when your favorite team is 14th in the NL in runs, and hitting .244 overall.  But, there isn’t room for a new, big bat.

The outfield is making a combined $40 million, therefore the Cubs aren’t about to trade for one.  Soto just won Rookie of the Year, too.  As far as the infield is concerned, the weak spot has been second base.  Fontenot has a respectable .257/.352/.428 line at second against right-handed pitching but he’s a miserable 4-for-30 against lefties.  So making a move for a big bat at second base makes sense, right?

First, second basemen that can hit for power are rare.  Secondly, if a team has one, they aren’t going to be in a rush to move them.  Dan Uggla is not about to solve any problems. 

Even if the Cubs sign Pedro and he pitches well, moving Harden would be tough.  I don’t know of too many teams that will deal for him and give up a big bat at the same time.  He would have more value in the offseason, but we do not have that luxury, as he is a free agent at the end of the year. 

So, Jim, making a move just seems wrong.  If you can go get an arm in the 'pen, do it.  But that’s really all you can do.  These players have proven track records, and we’ve seen them succeed.  Fans just want to make moves.  This isn't feasible, no matter what you think.

As Cubs fans, we’ve patiently waited 101 years for a World Series.  I think we can wait another week or two for these players to get going.

Baseball is a goofy game.  As these guys try to break out of their slumps, they do funny things.  Bradley has started the gold thong talk.  People will laugh about it, but it has nothing to do with the actual thong.  What it does is relax the players.  That’s what this team needs. 

The at-bats we’ve seen over the past two months have been so bad you wonder why they get paid.  It’s because they’re pressing.  As they start to relax, they’ll start to play better, and we as fans will begin to relax.

But perhaps the best advice through all of this is to listen to Ozzie Guillen and what he has to say about the Cubs.

"People in Chicago, just relax. Quit panicking. Worry about something else," Guillen said. "Worry about the family, the kids going back to school and having good grades. Don't worry about the Cubs. They'll be fine."

For the first time ever, Ozzie is right.  Believe in the guys that won 97 games last year.  There are 101 games left to go, and they’re going to be real fun.