As a long suffering Cubs fan, the team’s latest slump is especially painful.  After two consecutive division titles, expectations were high for this year’s edition.  And despite some devastating injuries (Ramirez, Zambrano, and now Harden) they were hanging in there, a game out of first place a week ago.  But reality caught up with a thud, as they’ve lost five straight and counting. 

    It’s not just the losing, but the way they are going about it that bites.  Last season they had a balanced offense, with the 1 through 8 spots in the lineup as threats (1 through 9 when Z was pitching).  They’ve been shut out in 3 of the last 5 games, scoring a total of 2 runs.  After the first three hitters, all the rest are hovering around the Mendoza Line.  (OK Lee is starting to hit, but he’s hitting singles.) 

    I went to last night’s game at The Pet.  We were in the ultra nosebleed seats way up behind home plate.  It felt like watching a game from the next county.  I was seriously detached, and when Z couldn’t find the plate in the first inning and gave up a run, I knew it was going to be futile.  As the game dragged on, replete with bush league exortations to make noise (if the fans don’t know when or how, why exort them), bush league mascots (got to lose that stupid friar), bush league replays of the 1984 playoffs (I covered my eyes) the Cubs dug their hole deeper.  Sixteen strikeouts.  Sori fanned three times.  Hofpauir, our hope off the bench, got the golden sombrero.  Scoring opportunities?  There were several, but invariably the key guy would pop up or strike out.  They loaded the bases in the 9th but Lee ended it by popping up.

    By this time we were in the car on the way home.  I rarely leave a game before it’s over but when Marty suggest we go in the top of the eighth, I jumped on it.

    Now, let’s put things in perspective.  For too many years, I’ve live and died with the Cubs.  But I’m married to a great lady, have two great daughters, live in a beautiful home, am active and financially comfortable.  Life is good even if the Cubs aren’t.  As long as I keep reminding myself of that, I can cope with their disappointments and disasters.