Alright, before I go on I must provide a disclaimer. I'm a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan who dislikes the Chicago Cubs. That being said, I know many of you will dismiss my opinion as simply being biased. However, with everyone seemingly handing the Cubs the NL Central Title, the Pennant, and practically the World Series (current Vegas odds are 1:1), I feel it's necessary to play devil's advocate and provide some insight from someone not sipping the Cubbie-juice.
Beware Chicago, your Cubs may not be as invincible as you thought.
Yes, the Cubs are favorites in the National League. Yes, they are still leading the Central Division over two teams who, on paper, they are clearly superior to. And yes, they just acquired a stud when healthy in Rich Harden.
However, before putting your World Series' shirts on order, beware of some glaring problems with your team. Problems that, if stay problems, could result in a stunning collapse or at very least another playoff defeat.
Offense—The Cubs' offense has been phenomenal all season. Lou Piniella has done a great job at playing the hot hand at the right time and not staying committed to guys who are struggling. Whether it be Reed Johnson, Jim Edmonds, Mark DeRosa, or Mike Fontenot, Piniella will shuffle guys in and out of the lineup at will depending on who's hitting at that time.
But lately the Cubs have shown signs of weakness. Kosuke Fukadome, a normally patient hitter since joining the Cubs has been pressing at the plate as of late and has seen his OBP drop to .374. Likewise, both Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez have been streaky hitters who are prone to stretches of hitting .400 for a few weeks and then going 2-30 over the next few weeks.
Even with Alfonso Soriano coming back within the next week, the offense shouldn't expect much of a boost. With Soriano, DeRosa, Lee, and Ramirez, the team has four regular hitters in their lineup who strike out 100 or more times in a season.
When the playoffs come around and they have to face strikeout pitchers such as Ben Sheets, C.C. Sabathia, Dan Haren, Brandon Webb, Cole Hamels, or Johan Santana, that won't fare will for the Cubs.
The one thing the Cubs' offense does have that could carry the team through the prolonged slumps is clutch hitting. The team has been able to win consistently throughout the season and the primary reason for that is their ability to come through in the clutch. If they continue to do so and win close games, they will still be on the right track to the World Series.
Bullpen—The Cubs' bullpen is probably the team's most glaring problem. Early in the season it was seen as a positive—something that would carry the team late in the year. But the wear and tear the bullpen has endured by pitching such extensive innings thus far could prove damaging, and signs of such have already begun to surface.
Carlos Marmol isn't a shadow of the dominance he was in the first half of the season. Many times of late he has struggled with control and when he does hit the strike zone, he's been getting pounded. At the same time, the middle relief guys such as Bob Howry, Michael Wurtz, and the currently injured Scott Eyre have shown signs of weakness.
19 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Ricky Butts 11 months ago
I don't necessarily disagree with you, its never as easy as you think it will be.
One point I will touch on is the strikeout bit you talked about. For one, Cubs hitters from top to bottom have been more patient this year than ever.
Plus, when you are talking about strikeouts the Cubs staff is 5th in the league. 3 of the 4 teams ahead of them are not likely to make the playoffs. Reds, Giants, Diamondbacks, and Dodgers, with the latter two battling it out for the solo spot. Saying this, the Cubs staff will match up with any staff in the playoffs when it comes to strikeouts.
The good strikeout pitchers strike out the most patient of hitters.
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Collin Whitchurch 11 months ago
You should also include the Brewers in that list with C.C. Sabathia on the team. His total season numbers would put him in that mix as well.
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jon jordan 11 months ago
Look at the good news you got one thing right, your disclaimer.
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Bob Warja 11 months ago
I think your points aer valid and if you read my work, and some of the other Cub writers on the site, you'll see that we, too, write about these concerns. We're not just drinking the Cubbie kool-aid here. We're talking about the problems we have wiht the bullpen, and with Kosuke's struggles. We all kept writing we needed another starter until Hendry delivered one ot us. And yes, of course Wood's injury problems are always a concern. In fact, I wrote I wasn't happy that Hendry didn't go out and acquire a bonified closer before the season even though we had three strong candidates in-house with Howry, Wood and Marmol. I know Wood's history, Howry's slow starts and Marmol's inexperience.
Look, no team is perfect. If anyone is saying it's going to be easy, it's not us Cubs fans. We can't help what the media is writing or saying or what the odds in Vegas are. We are in a much tougher division than your Sox are, and we know it. There are three legitimate contenders in this division and it will be a digfight to the end. Hopefully, the Cubs will come out on top. But thanks for pointing out the obvious, that we're not perfect.
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Collin Whitchurch 11 months ago
Thanks for the comment, Bob. Yes, I guess I was really more directing the article towards the media's viewpoints towards the Cubs as well as hearsay from random fan chatter. I should've made that more clear.
But it's good to hear that the truly educated Cub fans know that they're not perfect, as many of the idiots I'm unfortunate enough to live near think they are.
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Matt 11 months ago
I agree with some of what you said, but when you're quoting stats, get it right. Ramirez' strikeouts the last four years? 62, 60, 63, 66. Thank you.
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Collin Whitchurch 11 months ago
Thanks, Matt, for the correction. I was under the impression Ramirez was more of a strikeout hitter. Maybe I'm just thinking back to his Pittsburgh days. Definitely should have double-checked though. Thanks again.
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Tony Bishop 11 months ago
Thanks Matt, you saved me the time to look that up. Ramirez is one of the toughest outs in all of baseball when it comes to power hitters. He makes you PUT him out.
There's only one other glaring problem with this article: the comment about Kerry Wood. Blisters aren't chronic problems. Blister's don't care what your injury history is. That one section is a ridiculously biased statement that discredits an otherwise good article.
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Collin Whitchurch 11 months ago
What I'm trying to say about Wood is that in the past it's started out as something small and then you find out it's something a little bigger. And the Cubs' front office is notorious for staying tight-lipped about injuries, as many reporters have said.
It's likely that it's just a blister as first reported, and that would be great news for Cubs fans because obviously a blister is nothing like the shoulder problems he's had in the past. But with Wood, you never really know until you know.
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Jonny Connor 11 months ago
Typical White Sox fan obsessing over everything Cubs. Just like Kenny, just like Ozzie....always obsess over the Cubs. That's why White Sox will always be second fiddle in this city.
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Collin Whitchurch 11 months ago
The White Sox will be happy to play second-fiddle while staring at their World Series ring.
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Ricky Butts 11 months ago
OK, OK... That annoys me. Look at your last statement, there is a HUGE word in there that only has four letters, "RING". Since 1918, you have one ring. Since 1997, the Florida Marlins have 2. So in 14 seasons the Marlins have the same amount of RINGs that the city of Chicago has had in 99 years. None of us, Cubs fans or White Sox fans, have a right to talk about RINGs. FLORIDA! Come on man, is that really your argument?
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Ricky Butts 11 months ago
Just to be clear, the 14 years was the number of years Florida has been in MLB, not in between rings, that would have only been 6
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Tony Bishop 11 months ago
I love that response. I'm stealing it to yell at all of my White Sox fans.
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Ricky Butts 11 months ago
I mean seriously... one ring in 90 years. Freakin Yogi Berra has 10 alone. Come on...
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Ricky Butts 11 months ago
And to mention, it's sad that even with a ring someone plays second fiddle to professional sports biggest loser.
We don't love the Cubs because they win, that one should have been obvious.
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Ricky Butts 11 months ago
And to mention, it's sad that even with a ring someone plays second fiddle to professional sports biggest loser.
We don't love the Cubs because they win, that one should have been obvious.
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Collin Whitchurch 11 months ago
But at the same time it's stupid to use the argument that White Sox fans are just bitter that they play second fiddle in Chicago. Not the case. Bitter would not be the right word.
Instead, we just find it humorous that a team has so much fanfare can be so bad for so long. At least when the White Sox were not winning the World Series, they were still competitive.
As for the word "ring," it's a completely acceptable argument. When a team wins a World Series, it's the greatest feeling in the world when you follow the team like real die-hard fans do. So as a White Sox fan, when Cubs fans come at you with a ridiculous argument such as "White Sox fans are just bitter that they're playing second fiddle," it's completely acceptable to say "at least we have a ring," because regardless of how many rings there are, 1, 2, 10, it's a ring, and it's a great feeling...something no Cubs fan that I know can feel. So it is completely in my right to use that to respond to such a lame comment.
If I were talking to a Florida Marlins fan, then it would be ridiculous for me to say such a thing, but I'm not. I'm talking to a Cubs fan who has never tasted a championship in their life.
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Ricky Butts 11 months ago
Thats not my point. My point is. Congrats, you are correct, the Cubs are the worse franchise over the past 99 years. It must feel GREAT to only be the second most pathetic franchise in baseball.
Instead, we just find it humorous that a team has so much fanfare can be so bad for so long. At least when the White Sox were not winning the World Series, they were still competitive.
And you are right, since 1908 the White sox have been extremely competitive, winning a pennant 4 times, '17 '19 '59 and '05. The Cubs on the other hand haven't won a pennant since '45, but have 7 in the same amount of time, '10 '18 '29 '32 '35 '38 '45.
I am sorry, you are correct, since '45 you have been much more competitive than the Cubbies.
Psst. I am a Bulls fan, so I know what it is like for my team to win, but I was a Chicago fan when the Bears had the last Championship in the city.
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