Are the Cubs the most un-clutch team ever?

It is getting downright comical at this point, isn't it? Are the Cubs seriously 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position (RISP) so far in the Detroit series? REALLY?!? Can't you just accidentally get a hit 1 out of 10 times? I mean that's only a .100 batting average which is half the dreaded Mendoza line. But 1-for-23? I don't think I've ever even heard of anything like that before and this is over a 2-game span. For you non-baseball enthusiasts out there, let me explain what this means. First, it's good that the Cubs had runners at 2nd and/or 3rd 23 times in a mere 2 games. Of course, it you start the inning with a hit and walk giving you runners at 1st and 2nd and the next 3 batters don't get a hit, you were 0-3 with runners in scoring position so that means they didn't get someone in scoring position 3 times...they just left the guy there over 3 at-bats. It is possible to score a run without improving your RISP as the Cubs prove night after night which just means you put the ball in play and a run scored without you getting a hit. This can happen on a fielder's choice, double-play groundball, sacrfice fly, squeeze bunt, etc. Of course the key to a BIG inning, is to keep the merry-go-round moving by getting another hit instead of trading a run for an out because eventually you run out of outs.

I thought Monday night's pathetic effort against the sub-.500 Braves was bad. I mean, when you have 10 hits and 3 walks over 9 innings, don't you just automatically score 2-3 runs? Nope! Not this year's Cubs folks! They went 0-for-6 in that game so if you add it up, that's 1-for-29 over a 3-game span - all losses of course. That's an .035 BA!!! You can't just get the bat in the way enough to put one between the infielders or shoot a little flare into RF or even one of those "swinging bunts"? NOTHING?!?

It happens ALL the time with this team. Classic example Tue night. Starts out great with Soriano getting a rare hit followed by another hit by Theriot. God forbid our $10 million dollar prized free agent actually get a hit and drive in a run, but at least he walked so now the Cubs have the bases loaded with nobody out (that's 0-for-0 by the way in the RISP stat). Our ONLY hitter is up there in D-Lee with a chance to get a big inning going. Well...not quite...soft grounder to SS is just soft enough for the Tigers not to turn the DP. The run would have scored anyway, but with no DP, D-Lee gets an RBI although that's now 0-1 for RISP. Hoffpauir whiffs (o-2) and Soto grounds out. That's 0-for-3 on their way to 0-for-8 and 1 whole run out of bases loaded and nobody out with 4-5-6 hitters coming up.

But hey - at least we're more left-handed this year! And hasn't that been a tremendous help for a team that led the league in BA, OBA, and Runs scored last year? NOT! Somebody get a mirror and see if Hendry can fog it to prove he's still alive. I know, I know...the Rickets/Cubs sale thing has hamstrung Hendry from making any deals right now. Well, it didn't stop him from TOTALLY screwing up this team in the off-season.

Is Lou asleep at the wheel? This is a new segment I'm introducing as a little Lou check. Lou, I know you don't have a computer with access to the internet, but how about picking up a paper or watching SportsCenter every once in a while? Did you notice Leyland benched his big money star for a few games after an extended slump? Yep, Magglio sat for 4 games. Soriano "rested" one game this week and is now "all better" so he's back in as lead-off boat anchor. Soriano other than the 2-hit game he had to beat the cross-town White Sox in extras last week has ZERO 2-hit games in over a month. WHY is he still "hitting" lead-off? Since May 17th, Soriano's BA has gone from .280 to .224, his OBA from .343 to .289, his slugging from .580 to .426, and his RBI total from 25 to 30. We're talking about a span of 30 games and this THIEF (not stolen bases, rather HUGE paychecks!) has driven in only 5 more runs than ME.

WAKE UP LOU! YOU OLD FOOL!