If there’s any doubt its baseball time in Chicago, take a moment or two to reflect on the first month of the beloved Cubs season.  Through the first 30 days of the 2009 campaign there’s been enough Drama-Rama that even manager Lou Piniella is finding new things to shake his head over.

Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to San Francisco leaves the Cubs at 14-12.  But even a mediocre start doesn’t begin to reflect the bumpy ride that its been thus far.   And it’s only the beginning of May.

In case you’ve missed any of the first month here’s a few reasons why it’s Chicago Cubs baseball again:

1. Staff ace Carlos Zambrano becomes the Cubs first disabled list casualty of 2009.  The good news is   Zambrano’s arm is fine.  The bad news is he’ll spend the next 15 days recuperating a left hamstring injury suffered while legging out a bunt base hit.
2. Lead-off hitter Alfonso Soriano has a chance to lead the National League in both home runs and strikeouts this year.  Soriano is currently among National League leaders in both.  His 28 strike outs ranks seventh, while his seven home runs is only two off the pace of current league leaders Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez, each with nine.
3. Anger issue?  What anger issue?  The Cubs $30 million free agent acquisition Milton Bradley knows how to make a first impression.  In his first at-bat in front of the hometown Wrigley Field crowd Bradley gets tossed for arguing balls and strikes.  He later goes on a self-imposed boycott talking to the Chicago media - which he later reneges.   Oh yeah.  He’s hitting a robust .130 with two home runs and two RBIs.
4. If only it stayed April forever for Kosuke Fukudome.  For the second opening month in as many years Fukudome looked like a two-continent all-star.  Unfortunately for Fukudome April only has 30 days.  In 2008 Fukudome finished April with a .327 batting average before his batting average - and playing time -  plunged.  This year, he finished April with .338 batting average.  So far, so good?  Guess what?  It’s May again and Fukudome is currently riding an 0-13 streak at the plate.
5. It appears the Chicago Cubs have found their own version of the Bash Brothers. Who would have guessed it would be the keystone combination of Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot?  Through April the duo have more combined home runs (eight) and as many RBIs (29)  than power hitters Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez?
6. In fairness, Ramirez only has appeared in 15 of the Cubs’ 26 games and his .333 BA leads the team.  Other position players who have joined Ramirez in missing games include Bradley, Lee and catcher Geovany Soto.  It’s hard to say how much the Cubs have missed the trio. After Ramirez, Lee’s robust .207 average is tops among the group.
7. It’s closing time with Kevin Gregg.  Well, not exactly.  Remember those harrowing ninth innings with Ryan Dempster and then Kerry Wood as the Cubs’ closers?  With Gregg manning the role, those times are back.  Or should I say it’s like they never left.  In 13 appearances, Gregg has retired the minimum amount of batters just once.  Of the 61 total batters he’s faced, nine have reached base via a base on balls and 14 have hit safely.  And I don’t even want to talk about the number of his warning track outs.

Despite the Cubs streaky ways, there’s reason to believe.  But isn’t there always?