Remember my post yesterday? Well, flush it down the toilet.
Derrek Lee‘s out for the year, and as much as I try and avoid doom and gloom and typical Cub-fan pessimism, it’s hard to shake that feeling. On the plus side, he hasn’t been completely carrying us this year. On the negative side, it’s hard to imagine any sustained offensive success in a lineup without him, and I mean no disrespect to Todd Walker or Jerry Hairston.
Are the Cubs cursed? No. Are they extraordinarily unlucky, recently? Yes.
Good things can still happen if they play the way they are playing. The Cards survived an injury to Scott Rolen last season. Other teams suffer injuries all the time. No one is going to feel sorry for the Cubs, and so it’s high time we refuse to feel sorry for ourselves.
CF Pierre
LF Murton
2B Walker
3B Ramirez
1B Barrett/Mabry
RF Jones/Hairston/Pie
SS Cedeno
C Hank White
Pitchers.
The Angels have made the playoffs with worse hitters up and down the lineup. So have the Twins. We built bullpen out, and that’s where we stay.
The season moves on. On the other plus side, in 2003 I was sure the season was over after Corey Patterson‘s July ACL tear. He carried the Cubs in early 2003 — I daresay moreso than Lee’s done this year (Granted, it’s early.) However, everyone else jelled and the Cubs improved as the year went on. I’m not saying the same thing will happen, of course, but, well, stranger things have occurred.
You play to win the game. That’s how the Cubs have been playing, and here’s to the continued streak.
