Bleacher Bums Forum

Not excited about any of those, especially the first 2.

I sure as hell wouldn't mortgage the future to try and win this year based on the way the team is playing.  Any move has to be for the next two seasons, minimum.

Regardless of their lackluster play so far, I thought with the first place team coming in and Schwarber back from the minors that the Cubs would show up today and battle like hell. Instead, they have played one of their worst games of the year. For whatever reason, it appears they simply don't have that "it" factor they had in spades last year. Can the loss of Fowler and an ancient back-up catcher plus one extra month of play really be to blame for all of this? I really don't know. It is perplexing. The talent on this team seems to be undeniable, yet, not one guy is having a career year or taking a step forward other than Javy and his step forward is more of a baby step. I'm sure the answer isn't a simple one or they would fix it. They seem to have lost their mental edge, competitiveness of the previous 2 seasons, they have been hit with a few more injuries this year than last, they are missing Fowler and his OBP at the top, they have been unlucky on BABIP this year as opposed to last year's historic numbers, other teams are throwing their best at the "World Champions," other teams are jumping on the Cubs in the 1st inning so much it has to drag the offense down thinking "here we go again."  The Cub's schedule was also pretty front loaded this year. They have wrapped up most of the tough part of their schedule now with a home series against the Nats and home and home against the D-backs being the only tough second half matchups left outside of their division. I'm sure I've missed a few contributing factors, but some combination of these and a few more plus 'no 2 seasons are ever the same' has got to explain this. I am at a loss though to wonder how a team can go from so good one year to this the very next year with a bunch of young guys not even in their prime yet. 

Cubs probably have been unlucky this season in BABIP (.282) but in 2016 (.302) were basically league average (.301). Cubs were higher (.305) in 2015.

To be really excellent, have to have a handful of guys having outstanding seasons and virtually no or few black holes. Can see from all-star consideration, among other things, hardly anybody having outstanding seasons--and a few black holes.

So far. Has happened thru 85 games.

Host of other surprising things have happened around baseball in 2017. Look around.  Nature of the game. Stuff happens. If you go around looking for Cubs clubhouse reasons, "it factor" reasons, scheduling reasons, psychological reasons---probably not going to tell you much.

I refused to vote for Bryant. He didn't deserve it.

After a World Series Championship after 108 years of frustration, you would think the thousands of Cub fans would vote the entire team to the All Star Game.  The fact that they didn't is either an indication that Cub fans are also having post season hangovers OR they are that unhappy with the play this year.

And Chris is there with a supportive argument for my post.