Panic Attack

By: Eli Kaberon

I can’t speak for how other baseball teams work, because I have only been a part of one fanbase in my life. But when it comes to real Cubs fans, there are two distinct types: the ones who believe ‘This is our year’ and the ones who ask ‘When is my next nervous breakdown gonna happen?’ (Of course there are several types of fake fans, the most common being the one who asks ‘Want to grab another Old Style and pay no attention to the actual game?’)

Unfortunately for me, I’m one of the latter in the real group. I’m the guy who thinks a six-run lead isn’t safe as long as a Cubs pitcher is on the mound, the one who thinks every stranded runner will wind up costing the team a valuable insurance run, and most likely, the person who in 35 years will have huge bills to a psychiatrist to help deal with constant panic attacks and Vietnam-like flashbacks. But I can’t help it; to me, it’s part of rooting for the North Siders.

That is why, much to my thanks, this season has been so unusual. For all of my sweaty palms and increased heart-beats, the Cubs have given a Denzel-like performance thus far. The team is in first place and has been since May 11. They haven’t lost back-to-back home games since the first two days of the season. And they sent eight guys to the All-Star game, though everybody who watches the team on a day-to-day basis knows that Kosuke Fukudome didn’t deserve his trip to New York City while Ryan Theriot was unfairly left at home. Life is good, even for fans like myself.

Or should I say, life WAS good. Since the All-Star break ended, the Cubs are 2-4 (through Wednesday’s game), especially worrying since the Brewers and Cardinals, the two teams hunting the Cubs in the NL Central, are a combined 10-3. Even more worrying is that all three of those losses came to each other, and neither St. Louis nor Milwaukee has fallen back in the race. Of course it is no coincidence that the Cubs have been on the road for their six games, where they have a record of 22-30 over the entire season.

So is that the only problem with the Cubs lately, that they aren’t playing at Wrigley? Obviously, as a fan who thinks of the worst possible scenario in every instance, I believe it’s much more than that. In fact, I can point to three problems that the team is struggling with aside from being in un-Friendly Confines.

1. For all intents and purposes, Derek Lee is the offensive leader of the ball club. He’s been on the team now for four and a half seasons, including an MVP-level campaign in 2005. He bats third in the lineup, the spot where the team’s smartest hitter usually swings the lumber. And on many occasions, when the Cubs have needed it most, D-Lee is the one who has come through with the big hit. Yet lately, all that Lee has provided is frustration. The Cubs first baseman went over a month between home runs-June 20 through July 23- while his patience at the plate has weakened, taking only six walks in July, the same total he had in May when he batted only. 234. And worst of all, he leads all of Major League Baseball in the dubious statistic of grounding into double plays, as Lee has hit into 21 twin-killings already this season. When #25 starts hitting the ball out of the infield and into the bleachers, the Cubs will start winning again.

2. During the first half of the season, there was a lot that Cubs fans could rely on, including Carlos Marmol making an opponent look silly swinging at a slider, Alfonso Soriano causing every fan hold their breath when he hops to catch a fly ball, and Ryan Dempster pitching well at Wrigley Field. Now here’s a new one for the second half: the bullpen is sure to allow a run every time they are called upon. With Kerry Wood M.I.A. due to a blister on his index finger, Bob Howry and Marmol have been called on to get the big outs at the end of games, which means Neal Cotts, Sean Marshall and new acquisition Chad Gaudin have become the middle relievers. Wood’s injury is obviously a concern, but it is magnified by the fact nobody else in the bullpen can record an out. In the past two weeks, Marmol has blown a five-run lead in the ninth, Howry has a loss after allowing a run in the ninth, while both Marshall and Gaudin have given up runs while trying to hold onto a lead. With the offense asleep at the moment, the Cubs can’t afford to also have a bullpen that isn’t doing their job.

3. Last season, in his first season as an every-day shortstop, Ryan Theriot hit .348 in July. Then he hit .276 in August. Finally, in September and October, his average dipped to .202. Why? Because The Riot’s body wore down from the grind of playing nearly 150 baseball games in six months. This season, the man on wear down watch is rookie catcher Geovany Soto. Playing the most physically demanding position in the sport- you try squatting on your ankles for three hours a night, catching 95 MPH baseballs- Soto has been both durable and effective for the Cubs this season. His 95 games played ranks fourth on the team, and his 24 doubles and 16 home runs have been pleasant surprises. But like Theriot a year ago, he is fading. His average has gone down every month so far this season, and in July he is only batting .234. I think Soto is going to be a great player and was a deserving All-Star starter. But if Lou Piniella doesn’t start giving him more days off, he’s going to be nothing more than a carcass come September.

Will these problems resolve themselves? I don’t know. In fact, I probably shouldn’t even think about them. It could lead to another panic attack.

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Eli Kaberon is a 2005 graduate of Evanston Township High School and currently is attending Columbia College in the loop, majoring in print journalism. A life-long fan of the Cubs, Bears and Bulls, Eli also works as a seat vendor at Wrigley Field and has sold hot dogs to everyone ranging from Bears tight end Greg Olsen to Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Eli can be reached at ekaberon@yahoo.com.

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1 Comment

  1. Saw a great Disney Movie the other night…

    “Honey, I Shrunk The Lead”

    starring CC Sabathia and Prince Fielder

    Comment by NervousCubsFan on July 24, 2008

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