leading the league in OBP means NOTHING unless you can get clutch hits.

The Cubs have the best batting average and the best OPS with runners in scoring position. They also have the best batting average and second best OPS in “close and late” situations. Most people who “examine the facts” would call that clutch.

WHen both your aces go down, or are skipped in the rotation (Z and Harden), it’s not a good sign

Dempster has been been the Cubs’ best pitcher all year. So the ace has not gone anywhere. Facts?

the team that is breathing down your neck very hard

4.5 games is not “breathing down your neck very hard.” Again, facts.

even our big rotation guys Z, Harden, and Dempster have either injury issues, fatigue, or ineffectiveness

Huh? How does Dempster fit into those categories? Facts?

Unless we prove we can win against the good teams

The Cubs have a winning record against every team fighting for a playoff spot except for the Phillies. Facts?

We have Theriot hitting over .300 (the only regular on the team doing so) after he had a woeful second half last year

Not sure what is second half last year has to do with this year.

Cedeno has great stats

Cedeno has great stats? Huh? Facts, again: Cedeno has an OPS+ of 84. That is not “great,” or anywhere close to “great.”

Marmol and Wood have overachieved based on inexperience and injury history respectively

Huh? How has Marmol overachieved? He was great last year, and has been great this year. He has nasty stuff. And he pitches like it. And Wood hasn’t overachieved. He also has great stuff, and has been able to stay somewhat healthy in a new role. That is not overachieving.

This does NOT make a good team.

Wait… so a team that has been pretty dominating all year does not make a great team?

.When ARAM is your only fairly consistent hitter and ONLY true RBI threat

What? Ever hear of Soto? Soriano? DeRosa? Even Lee?

what that means is that of course you’re going to be GIDP-prone.

Any team that gets a lot of people on base will also have a lot of double plays.

everyone and their mom jumped on the Cubs bandwagon without even examining the facts first

Well… it is pretty clear based on your rant that you haven’t examined the facts.

Let me say this clearly – the Cubs have had the best offense, the best pitching, and one of the best defenses in the league. That makes them a very good, possibly great, team.

And a five game losing streak does little to change that.

I don’t think we’re being paranoid at all….I think we’re being logical and smart about it….as I referenced.

For instance:
1) leading the league in OBP means NOTHING unless you can get clutch hits. I don’t know the stats, but I am willing to bet that between Lee, Theriot, DeRosa, and ARAM, we are leading MLB in GIDP’s
2) WHen both your aces go down, or are skipped in the rotation (Z and Harden), it’s not a good sign, because….
3) the team that is breathing down your neck very hard, and keeping up with you step by step has an ace they just got before the deadline that has something like a 9-0 record with like 6 or 7 complete games and a near no-hitter, and shows no signs of slowing down. Furthermore, their former ace is also throwing well even though he has a recent groin problem, but we should be worried because….
4) even our big rotation guys Z, Harden, and Dempster have either injury issues, fatigue, or ineffectiveness, while the Brewers starters have been lights out lately, and we play them 6 more times to round out the year, AND, we play Houston 3 more times…a team which has ABSOLUTELY owned us lately. Furthermore, we also play St. Louis, a team which always plays us tough another 6 times, AND….if that wasn’t enough, we’re also playing the very hot Mets ballclub 4 times. We really have no reprieve. Why do I worry? Because….
5) The Brewers play such cupcake teams as 4 games against the Padres the next 4 days, 6 games against the Reds (we have only 3 coming up), and 3 games against the Pirates.

If I were a Brewers fan, I’d be very confident, especially with a shutdown starter like Sabathia. He reminds me of the Sutcliffe acquisition for us in ‘84, and very well might win the CY Young this year for only playing less than half the year in the NL. Unless we prove we can win against the good teams, then we are COMPLETE frauds (which, I actually think might be the case) I think for the most part, we were way overachieving. Don’t agree? Check this out…We have Theriot hitting over .300 (the only regular on the team doing so) after he had a woeful second half last year, Edmonds and Johnson were released by their respective teams for a reason, and are having amazing years (classic overachieving that gets you in trouble later on), Cedeno has great stats when his career stats look daunting and he’s NEVER proven anything…through in Fontenot too, Fukudome had a great first couple months when his walk totals were up and forced pitchers to make great hitters pitches to him, but when they figured out that he was patient, and threw him strikes early in the count and challenged him, he didn’t adjust, and thus, is also a fraud, Dempster has dramatically overachieved, considering his career stats as a starter (even his best year considered), and Marmol and Wood have overachieved based on inexperience and injury history respectively. Lee has WAY underachieved while Soriano, ARAM, and DeRosa are along the production lines of their career averages.

This does NOT make a good team. You need historically-backed stats, OR you have to have amazing rookies like Soto that finally click when the light bulb goes on. With a team full of overachievers like we have (Edmonds, Johnson, Fukudome, Theriot, Fontenot, Cedeno, Marmol, Wood, Dempster), and underachievers in (Z, Lee, Howry, Cotts, etc.), and only one consistent everyday hitter (ARAM), you’re looking at danger. I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard Len or Bob, or Lou, or even the players themselves talk about Soriano’s hot streaks, or DeRosa’s as well….When ARAM is your only fairly consistent hitter and ONLY true RBI threat, and your team gets on base a lot….what that means is that of course you’re going to be GIDP-prone.

anyway, sorry about my rant…i’m just pissed as hell right now, because everyone and their mom jumped on the Cubs bandwagon without even examining the facts first

I have no kind words for Piniella either. If your players aren’t getting the job done, then put in hungry guys that deserve a shot. I can think of Kroeger, DuBois, Hoffpauir, Pie, Ceda, etc. that deserve a shot at more playing time. Okay, ARAM is scuffling? Give McGehee a shot. Lee sucks it up again and ruins a rally with a GIDP? Pull his ass, and insert Hoffpauir. Soriano dogs a play in the OF, and lost his swing? DFA a guy like Jake Fox or Pignatiello, and add Kroeger or Dubois. Marquis ruining another game giving up a big inning, or Z, Harden, or Lilly need a day off? Bring up Ceda, or perhaps give Samardzija or Guzman a shot at the rotation.

For crying out loud, if you’re gonna get swept in a series, and shutout twice by the ‘Stros—once by friggin’ Randy Wolf, who was basically given away by the Padres, then you have PROBLEMS!!!!!! Piniella needs to step up to the plate, and light a fire under this most embarrassing team. I do NOT want another ‘69, and I keep seeing visions of it everyday. I see visions of ‘04 as well. Complacency has gotten the best of this team, and nobody seems hungry anymore. I saw this day coming, unfortunately, early in the summer, when the Cubs had many opportunities to create significant distance between themselves and the rest of the division.

Some people would like to point to our record above .500 at 30+ games. Well, I’m here to tell you that the Brewers are keeping pace. It does you NO good if you’re losing games when the second place team is doing so as well. I think it’s the case of everyone trying to play the hero again just like earlier in the summer when we kept blowing it with guys like Z and Soriano out of the lineup and rotation. Guys were swinging for the fences and what not just like they were tonight. Here’s the biggest problem of all with the Cubs (injuries not withstanding—ie.-Harden, Z, etc.)—it’s the fact that when one big guy struggles, they ALL struggle. Early in the year when things were exceptionally good in April and May, EVERYONE was hot. Do you remember how many guys we had in the lineup hitting over .300 and getting on base at a .360 clip or higher? It was like 8 out of 9 in the lineup, and was otherworldly. But with this team, it’s feast or famine and it should scare each and every one of us. But more importantly it should piss off Lou, and it doesn’t seem to right now. He’s pulling a Dusty Baker approach, “well…it’s a long season, many games to go, we’ve had injuries….blah, blah, blah”. I’m watching Baker all over again, and it makes me wanna puke!!!!!!!!!

I will comment on Joe’s sense of amazement that Howry is still on the team. I concur. Every time he comes to the mound I get a bit of nausea and figure it’s time to go to bed. Sucks when it’s a day game. Heh heh. Inevitably when I wake up we’ve lost the lead if we had one, or are further behind. (Not talking stats here, just talking gut feel. And in this case it’s not a happy gut.) If you’re Lou, when do you decide you just can’t pitch him anymore? I think it should have been a long time ago but I guess that’s why I’m here and he’s there!