The Problem With The Cubs
Last night, the Cubs fans started venting their frustration at Wrigley Field (visual aid is provided below):
CHICAGO (AP) -- Even a stellar outing by Carlos Zambrano couldn't prevent Jacque Jones from being targeted by a home fan.
Zambrano pitched four-hit ball through eight innings, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 4-0 Tuesday night for just their second win in 14 games.
However, Jones, who has been booed repeatedly during his first season with the Cubs, received quite a scare before the top of the ninth inning as a fan in the right-field bleachers threw a ball that nearly hit Jones in the face. According to Cubs officials, the woman was drunk and detained by ballpark security, but not arrested. They wouldn't release her name.
"I threw a ball to Juan (Pierre) and then turned around to get in my position and the ball came whizzing past my head," Jones said. "It went right past my face. I'm not going to let one person ruin my time here. I signed here for three years and I signed to help this team win."
Jones has struggled at times at the plate and on the bases. He was picked off second base from the outfield on a double play for the third time this month in the fourth inning, and was booed after that.
So the Wrigley faithful are not throwing beer yet, just baseballs. Nothing less should be expected of fans who are most likely about to see their 97th year without a World Series victory. The Cubs, in 4th place in the Central at16-22, 7.5 games behind division-leading St. Louis, are well on their way to being terrible once again.
I'm sure that Cubs fans will all have differing opinions as to what is wrong with the team and what can or can't be done. Regardless of what each Cub fan thinks, throwing baseballs at the players is only a mildly good idea, so let me begin the debate with a few pro/con proposals out there for all to see and discuss. Here is...
thatperlakyguy's Cures For What Ails The Chicago Cubs:
1. Fire Manager Dusty Baker- Sure, the easy way out. But this guy DID get the Cubs a playoff appearance (with good players), and he had plenty of contending teams when he managed in San Francisco. Because of all those contending teams (and at least a winning team in 2004), are these last two duds entirely Dusty's fault? Despite the ease of this solution, common sense seems to say no. Besides, if you fire him, who are you gonna bringg in? Pitching Coach Larry Rothschild, who did such a GREAT job of making the Devil Rays respectable? Good luck with that.
2. Fire General Manager Jim Hendry- Honestly, I love this idea. His brilliant moves have included: keeping Sammy Sosa past his prime, holding on to the idea that oft-injured starter Kerry Wood can still be in the rotation and NOT on the disabled list, and making no significant moves at last year's trade deadline. One quick (false) start this year (with a fairly weak schedule to boot), and they slap him with a contract extension??? Did I walk into the Opposite Zone? On the other hand, is this team entirely his fault? I mean, management did foolishly believe in him...
3. Start Bringing Up The Farm System- From what I understand, this has already begun somewhat. So should we bring it up more? Iowa (the Cubs' AAA affiliate) is in 3rd place in their division, hardly contending the way that they should. While some good young guys are in place already in Chicago, is there even anything else waiting then?
4. Let The Infamous Goat Onto the Field- You mean to try to reverse the Curse? Nah, they already tried that. And besides, the goat that started it is long dead. But could it hurt to try this again?...Probably.
5. Exorcise Wrigley Field- See above Goat idea.
6. Let Steve Bartman Back In- Nah, I don't think that's gonna work either.
7. Change Nothing! The Cubs are Fine!- Sir, you are either Ron Santo or delirious, and in any case you're not helping, so let's move on...
8. Tear Down Wrigley Field and Build a New Stadium- I've heard this argument before: modify that fun game-day atmosphere around Wrigleyville so that the emphasis is on winning the game instead of just having a good time. Lots of people (namely the Sun-Times and Sox fans) say that Cubs fans don't even care about the product that is on the field, evidenced by how Wrigley is always sold out, win or lose, rain or shine, and that so long as the beer never stops flowing, Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville are just not a conducive atmosphere to create a winning team. All might be valid points, but they present several further issues: A. Where would the new stadium be built? Taking the Cubs out of the North Side is not an option, if only for tradition's sake, and you'd have to buy out a lot of valuable property to build a stadium, which may be money the city doesn't have; B. Is this theory even valid? Boston still plays in a park built at the turn of the 20th Century, with bars surrounding it, and they won a World Series two years ago. What should it matter if the Cubs stay in old Wrigley? And new stadiums may not even make that big of a difference anyway (see: Tigers, Reds, early White Sox, Pirates, Brewers, Mariners, for starters); C. Especially if the new stadium is still around Wrigleyville, the fans will still come to have a good time, and IF they don't care about the product on the field in an old stadium, why will they care more in a new stadium? Which brings me to: D. The fans DO care about the product on the field. Why else would one have thrown a baseball at Jacque Jones last night?
9. Just Bring In Better Players- Yeah, no Cub fan buys that the Tribune Company doesn't have money to spend on other players, and few players would say outright, "I don't want to play in Chicago." The "con" for this number? Well, numbers 1 and 2 are likely precursors to it.
But until something is done, Cubs fans, feel free to hurl more stuff onto the field until someone in the organization gets the hint. 
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