"Next Year" Still Isn't Here for Cubbies

Once again, for what seems to be a yearly habit, the Cubs are starting the season on the wrong foot. With a dismal record of 5-12, the North side of Chicago has seldom been a joyous area since Opening Day kicked off another season in the MLB. So much has gone wrong in a program that proved in Spring Training to have a fair amount of potential. With the Division rival Cardinals losing three HUGE assets to their team (Pujols, Duncan, and LaRussa), you would have thought that the Cubbies would have come out ready to go and ready to make a run to the postseason. Well, not so much.

But what is it that is so wrong with the Cubs? You have Theo Epstein completely redecorating the farm system, you have Starlin Castro as your new posterchild, and you have a manager whose first words were along the lines of “this team needs an attitude change.” With a list like that, the team looks as if it could be a contender on paper. However, the woes in Chicago have proved that this team has a long way to go. The All-Star shortstop already has seven errors and the former Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto is basically non-existent at the plate, batting an awful .136 with only one RBI.

Leadership is one thing this team needs most. And when your two leaders are both A.) young and B.) struggling on both defense and offense, the locker room atmosphere has the potential of taking a turn for the worst. If the Cubs want to come back this season, it starts with Castro and Soto. Forget guys that are older such as Alfonso Soriano and Bryan LaHair. Soriano’s too selfish to be a leader and LaHair is just as inexperienced as anyone.

Now don’t get me wrong, with the work that Epstein put into the offseason, it’d be foolish to expect this team to gel right away. With that being said, team chemistry has nothing to do with fielding, throwing, and hitting the ball. When your hitting .235 as a team and have already committed fourteen errors, there should be no question as to what needs to be the main focus. The Cubs are young, but they need a serious wake-up call if they want to salvage this pathetic start. I like what Epstein has done with all the fresh, young talent, and I’m a firm believer that with more experience, this Cubs team could be a threat in a few years. But the nonsense that has gone on thus far can’t keep happening. Wake up fellas, or the next five months will be a living hell for the front office, team, and fans alike.