The Declaration Of Incompetence: Rise Up, Cubs Fans!

All men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights. Specifically, as Thomas Jefferson said, these rights are three: to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness.

Baseball fans, however, have a fourth right, which no front office or ownership group may ever deny without consequence: the pursuit of a championship. Just as our forefathers once threw off the bonds of tyranny, so should we abolish forthwith any management group that fails to make forward progress in this, the fourth respect.

That is the cause that draws my fingers to the keys today, O brave Cubs fans. This is not a news piece; it is open rebellion. It is a five-alarm, code red, all-hands-on-deck call to action. It is a battle cry.

General Manager Jim Hendry intends to make Carlos Marmol his closer in 2010, according to this story  (and this one , and a half-dozen others). Whether born of malevolence, ignorance or neglect, this decision constitutes a gross denial of the venerated fourth right. It is grounds for protest. It is grounds for activism. And should Hendry remains steadfast in his abuse, it is grounds for dismissal.

Marmol finished seventeenth in Baseball Prospectus' WXRL statistic in 2009; of the eight playoff teams, six had better closers.

Adding together walks and hit batsmen alone, Marmol allowed more baserunners than he threw innings. His tremendous strikeout skill nearly offset that unimaginable lack of command, but when that ability tailed off down the stretch, his performance suffered.

True, Marmol converted all 11 save opportunities after the job fell into his hands in late August. But saves do not great closers make: his opponents' OPS actually rose during that span, and he surrendered six runs in six and one-third innings in non-save situations.

Do not read passively, pioneers, O pioneers. If you agree, click 'Like" at the bottom of this article. Then, go write your own diatribe, rephrasing my arguments or formulating your own. We will be the Samuel Adamses and Patrick Henrys of a new revolution, demanding the signing of Rafael Soriano and, if Hendry does not oblige, running public opinion so sour that the red-headed tyrant can no longer restrain us from the October glory that is our right.

If you disagree, comment below. Tell me why. I am not irrational, only irascible. I will listen with open ears.

This, the change in closers, is my one demand, and it is not negotiable. Here I sign my name to it, in all caps so King Jim can read it without his glasses:

MATT TRUEBLOOD