My Thoughts on the Disappointment So Far

For the most part this season, I have been optimistic. After losing 15-6 to the Nationals last night, however, even I have to admit the difficulty of optimism.

So why is this season so disappointing?

There are a few reasons, this season has been a perfect storm of misery.

Like 2004, there have been a ridiculous amount of injuries. The opening day lineup has only been used twice all season. The starting rotation at the beginning of the season has all spent time on the DL with the exception of Sean Marshall, who is now in the bullpen.

Secondly, a huge number of the team is not meeting their normal numbers offensively. Bradley, Soriano, and Soto primarily. These are players (with the possible exception of Soto who is only in his second year) that you have an expectation of what they will give you offensively, so when they don't, it puts a huge whole in the offensive numbers you were expecting with your team.

Finally, the unbelievable ineptitude of the bullpen, especially the failure that is the Kevin Gregg experiment (and I can not stress enough how much I hate, hate, hate Kevin Gregg as a baseball player, I can't speculate on my feelings of him as a person, but as a baseball player, pure hatred), has blown a number of games that were not only winnable, but were practically won.

Things are certainly bad right now, and chances are very close to non-existent when it comes to a playoff run, but the fact remains that if this team starts playing to its potential, there is still a chance for a run. Unfortunately, for that run to take place, nearly everything has to go right for the Cubs as well as go wrong for some of the teams ahead of them, which as the season's remaining games dwindle, becomes less and less likely.

Despite the poor chances of the Cubs making the playoffs this season, I will continue to devote what time I can to watching them and even when I can't watch the games, making sure I am aware of the results. That is just who I am as a Cubs fan, and if it turns out that we are unable to manufacture a miracle this season, then I guess I will have to fall back on that ever popular saying amongst us Chicago Cub faithful, "There's always next year."