What's Wrong with the Chicago Cubs?

The Chicago Cubs took their third straight loss at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals in their heated rivalry, 3-2. St. Louis won the game on a "walk-off homer" by Albert Pujols in the bottom of the tenth inning setting off fireworks after the game.

Carrie Muskat has posted an article at the MLB.com website titled "Cubs fall on walk-off, drop sixth straight game."

The fact that Carlos Zambrano flew off of the handle criticizing reliever Carlos Marmol and the rest of the Cubs is old news. The fact that the Cubs lost the game is old news. So what is news in this story?

The story is begging for an answer to the question "What is wrong with the Cubs?" Is Carlos Zambrano right? Do the Cubs "stink?" Are the Cubs equal to a Triple-A team?

There is an answer to the question. Of course the follow-up to that question would be the inquiry "Can the Cubs rebound this season?

Any one that has played on any type of a sports team understands "teamwork." Today phrases like "finding our groove" and "in a zone" are used to define individual and team performance. However to achieve a zone, players must play and teams must play -- together.

The answer to the first question is "injuries." Injuries affect offense and defense. Starting at the beginning of the season the Cubs have been battling injuries. Who got injured? Two of their five starting pitchers got injured at the same time. It has gone downhill from there.

Currently there are eight men on the injury roster.

Last year the Cubs ended the year on a strong note winning 24 out of 37 games. As a result Cubs' Manager Mike Quade was given a contract for this year. The Cubs have a lot of young players and it was thought a minor league manager (17 years experience) would do well.

No manager can do a great job when one-third of his starting players are routinely out of ballgames.

So the $64,000 question is "Do the Cubs have a chance this year?" I think that they do.

The Cubs will get their chance to play as a team and when they do they will have a chance to develop a groove. If there was just one tough team in the Cubs' division I would be more pessimistic than I am. However there are several and that means there is a chance they will keep beating each other at least giving the Cubs a chance should they get hot.

I have a right to dream, correct?

References:

MLB.com Website, "Cubs' Injury Updates"

MLB.com Website, Carrie Muskat, "Cubs fall on walk-off, drop sixth straight game"