Yes...I've said it. Lou must go.
He has completely lost control of this team.
Don't get me wrong...Jim Hendry needs to go to...but the time has come...Lou has to be shown the door with big Jim.
Clean house.
The Ricketts family should have done that when they took over the team.
Rocky Wirtz completely turned around his team in a year and a half and now we have 2 million people celebrating in the streets of downtown Chicago. He did so by replacing virtually everyone in his organization.
The Rickettses took over, everything remained the same (except ticket prices) and the team has gotten worse.
So why have I so quickly changed my mind on this?
The reports have continued to pile in over the last few days of Cubbie behavior that I would deem unacceptable. All these reports coming while the city is completely focused on the Blackhawks right now...just image what would happen if the media actually cared about baseball?
In my post this morning, I mentioned the rumors about Z and Ramirez pretty much quitting on the team. Now, according to the Score this morning, Randy Wells, who is starting today, was out last night with Ryan Dempster partying until 3AM.
And then there is this little clip from one of the players that I most respect on this team (as you all know), Koyie Hill...
It was a perfect situation for the Brewers. They had a guy at the plate who … practices those situations (and) … he got the bunt down on the right side of the field.
They had the perfect guy (Gomez) on first base who is one of the fastest guys in the league and they had one of the worst fundamental teams in the field.
Um...wow.
Basically, Hill just said that the Brewers practice on executing for these particular situations, which he wouldn't have said unless it is something different than what the Cubs do. So the Cubs were not capable to doing, in the tenth inning, what the Brewers did mainly because they were prepared. The Cubs would not have been able to do that.
Then the most damning thing, "They had one of the worst fundamental teams in the field." which refers to the Cubs defense. The truth is, Koyie, if Soto had been out there instead of you, it would have been worse...
But back to the point...Koyie Hill has basically said that the Cubs are unprepared. You can say whatever you want about talent on the field, but if a team is not prepared, and not practiced up to perform the little tasks it takes to win games, that falls entirely on the manager.
The Cubs have had more talent on the field than most all of the teams they have faced this season. Now they stand 7 games under .500.
I have given the coaching staff the benefit of a doubt all season. No more. Heads must start to role. For a team that is being paid this much, be be carried by players like Castro, Colvin and Cashner is ridiculous.
Of the long time veterans on this team...Aramis, Z, D-Lee and Dempster, only Lee seems to be acting appropriately...but he is still sucking at the plate right now and has never been a vocal leader in the clubhouse and is unwilling to approach any teammate about anything. Dempster? Taking Randy Wells out to party the night before a start? Not a real good role model there. Z and Ramirez...whatever...
Those 4 players should be the ones that are leading this team. I supposed, in a way, they are leading them...and they are leading it right into a pile of horse manure. In a situation like that, the manager must take charge. Lou isn't. He had a meeting earlier this week and told the hitters basically if you don't hit, you'll be benched. I get the impression that many of those veterans would just as well sit. You need to do more than threaten them....especially if they don't care anymore. At this point, I'm not sure there is anything Lou can do to fix the situation. The players don't appear to want to play for him any more.
I have supported Lou ever since he came in here. And I have stuck by him when others thought he needed to go, or had said that he had gone insane.
I still say he was the best manager the this team has had since at least Jim LeFebvre...
But he needs to go. And he needs to go before Castro, Colvin and Cashner are polluted by the garbage that this team has become.
