In the scheme of a 162-game major league schedule, the opening week of the season is but a drop in the ball bucket.
Seldom are a team’s fortunes determined by what transpires during the course of those first few games. Thank goodness that’s the case for Chicago Cubs baseball.
With today’s 3-1 loss to Cincinnati, the Cubs dropped to 2-4 overall and have looked every bit the part of a sub-par team.
All the question marks developed during spring training, Chicago seems to have forgot to leave behind.
The bullpen, which was the biggest source of doubt entering the 2010 season, has done nothing to alleviate those fears. With four of its seven pitchers with two years of experience or less , the bullpen has been borderline atrocious - having had a direct hand in three of the Cubs’ losses.
The offense, meanwhile, frankly has been offensive. As in pee-yew. And this time there’s no Milton Bradley or injuries to blame.
In the six games, Cub hitters have accumulated 37 hits, scored a grand total of 18 runs and have stranded 37 runners on base, with 25 of those coming in two of the three losses to Cincinnati. If not for the eight home runs from seven different players, the Cubs could easily be looking at an 0-6 start.
One can only imagine what doldrums the Cubs offense might be in without new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Wait. The offense is in the same place as his predecessors, Von Joshua and Gerald Perry, had it.
And while I’m pointing out the Chicago Cubs opening week deficiencies, I’d be remiss without writing that Alfonso Soriano still can’t field, Geovany Soto’s best year is likely behind him and Carlos Zambrano shouldn’t be allowed to ever pitch an opening day ever again.
Other than all the above it’s shaping up to be yet another - unfortunately- typical Cubs season. Then again alot can change in the remaining 156 games.
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