Let’s face it, since the Chicago Cubs won their division in 2007 and 2008, they have been nothing but mediocre at best. A hair above .500 in 2009, and a miserable 75-87 last year, the Chicago Cubs find themselves towards the bottom of the National League Central Division yet again in 2011. And when you add that one tiny detail of a hundred-plus year World Series drought on the north side of Chicago, Cubbie fans, and baseball fans in general are getting more and more fed up with the Cubs after each new year goes by without a playoff appearance or World Series ring.
The Chicago Cubs are a big market team. They have lots of money, fans, and resources at their disposal. It is obvious that changes need to be made for the Cubs to be on top of their division, and the Ricketts family (the owners of the Cubs) started making changes when they fired Jim Hendry, the Cubs GM, earlier this season. This piece will illustrate a four-step process this offseason that will greatly improve Chicago, and make 2012 a year to remember.
STEP 1: Hire a top General Manager
The biggest thing on the list is to first hire a new GM. Unlike Hendry, this GM needs to build for the future and utilize the great talent that is in the Cubs’ minor league system. Hendry got caught up in major contract deals with too many players. Players like Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, and Kosuke Fukudome. These players have been locked into large contracts for several years and the Cubs still are paying, but the players aren’t producing. That’s why a GM with a keen eye for baseball and its younger players is needed on the north side.
STEP 2: Increase production across the board
The Cubs need big producers far more than they need big names. I know some of the guys in this category are locked into big money contracts, but in baseball, you have to be able to win the individual battles that go on in any given game. The Cubs have a well-known lineup, but aging players and poor team chemistry (as Zambrano’s saga this season highlights) forces their productivity to lag.
STEP 3: Fix the problems on the mound
The third step for Chicago is to address the club’s pitching problems. Inconsistency has been a big issue for Cubs pitchers all season. Matt Garza has been the only remotely consistent pitcher. Relievers and starters need to be looked at in detail, and changes must be made for the Cubs to start winning again.
STEP 4: Start performing in the clutch
The fourth and final step, although it may sound simplistic, is actually quite difficult. The Cubs need to win the close games. When the Cubs were basically eliminated in early August this season, they put together a too-little, too-late run of seven straight wins. Other than that, the longest streak of their season has been a miserable three games. Carlos Marmol has had some skid marks this season with closing out games. He is at times wild on the mound, and often starts out shaky when he enters a game to close. But I am not putting all the blame on him. Every play is important in baseball; an incident in the first inning can determine how the ball game will end. This fourth step is included because it is vital to find ways to win, and the teams that do win, especially the one and two run games, will find themselves in the playoffs at the end of the season.
The Chicago Cubs need to shake off this notion of being “lovable losers” — they need to win, and they need to win fast. Making changes in the organization, such as the ones explained above, can have major impacts on teams and the organization as a whole? No one has an idea when the Cubs will win a World Series. All we can do is wait and see, and keep reminding ourselves that if it doesn’t happen this year, there is always next year.
