Bob Verdi, a venerable former Chicago Tribune writer, once proclaimed that “when a team is at the bottom, the problem is usually at the top.” Verdi, was describing the state of the 1970’s Cubs, but it the description certainly fits the current inhabitants of Clark and Addison.
After a disastrous sweep to the last-place Astros and a less than stellar showing against the Pirates, the Cubs find themselves dangerously close to the bottom of the NL Central. The losses featured the usual cavalcade of botched defensive plays, runners being stranded on base and a blown save from the normally reliable but often wild Carlos Marmol. Some local media members have already turned on rookie manager Mike Quade by questioning his loyalty to slumping veteran Aramis Ramirez. Although Quade is still learning on the job and far from perfect, the issue goes beyond the first year skipper.
While Cubs owner Tom Ricketts believes injuries are the culprit, the roster just simply isn’t good enough. Whether Ricketts is prepared to make significant changes in the front office remains to be seen. The Ricketts family has taken a liking to general manager Jim Hendry and don’t appear to be in a hurry to start looking for a replacement. With empty seats piling up at Wrigley Field and seagulls seemingly outnumbering fans late in games, one has to wonder whether the Ricketts family will remain patient.
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