For a real Cubs fan, hope springs eternal.
The phrase “There’s always next year” is part of Cubbie-blue language. It’s a part of Cubs Culture. Disappointment is our watch word, a blue sports T-shirt bearing a big red “C” is our uniform, and past victories are our memories.
And unfortunately, 2011 is shaping up like so many seasons Cubs fans have suffered through in the past.
When the Ricketts took over the Cubs, we the fans stood silently and awaited the next moves that the franchise would make. They did indeed make decisions and created change. Sweet Lou Piniella stepped down and other doors would begin to open. All seemed smooth. Not great by any means, but forward movement was better than no movement at all. Any improvement to the Cubs as a team is welcomed by Cubs fans.
During an interview today with Tom Ricketts, someone asked him, “What was wrong with the Cubs?” In response, he simply said, “Nothing, just a lot of injuries.” To a certain extent, this may be true, though he probably failed to take into account the previous week’s losses that the Cubs have experienced.
The Cubs’ inconsistency (which manager Mike Quade has cited multiple times) has been the biggest culprit for the Cubs poor record this year. New players and more players on the DL are sure to continue to make things really tough as the 2011 season progresses.
Also coming into question is the current atmosphere in the Clubhouse. The latestest Zambrano meltdown could be a barometer indicating problems between players and management.
The 2011 Cubs are most definitely at a crossroads. It’s time for the front office to make some serious decisions if they intend to see the Cubs become contender.
Mike Quade also said that he wasn’t even sure who the team currently was. Quade needs to take command and make the Cubs a team of winners. It is the job of leadership to make the team what they want it to be, not the other way around. If there are players who do not share the vision, then action needs to be taken to either get them on board or eventually trade them to other teams. The Cubs need to make a serious effort now to save any part of 2011 and build towards 2012.
