This is news?

No, not really, but I just wanted to mention that the Cubs are really, for real out of it. And I have the math to prove it.

This was a sad, sad season. For whatever reason, my hopes were relatively high going into this season. I knew we had a major hole is left field, but that seemed like the only place the Cubs were particularity deficient. Who knew Corey would be that bad. And actually, Hollandsworth and Dubois were both a bit worse than I expected. Seriously, the Cubs' outfield was just awful...really, really ridiculously awfully bad.

But a few words in Hendry's defense:

• The Sammy Sosa trade did not hurt the Cubs. Sammy ended up having the same season as our pal Corey (not a compliment, btw) and Hairston was reasonable for the Cubs.
• Yes, he blew it in left, but I still claim that Dusty didn't give Dubois a chance to figure out how to take a walk at the Major League level. With just a few more walks, Dubois would have become an average major leaguer.
• Nomar injury was not his fault. I don't think I am the only one in Cub land that though the Nomar signing was a good one at the time. It was one of those risk/reward type of deals and, this time, the risk won out. In fact, the entire infield was brilliant, but there were just too many injuries.
  
• The bullpen was finally what many of us had been clamoring for. Hendry didn't go out and try to break the bank with another LaTroy Hawkins deal. He attempted to build the bullpen from the minors, a strategy that I still feel is a sound one. And, fwiw, if Dusty had listened to Hendry, the Cubs would have had a closer all season. Like I said, it all seemed like a sound strategy until:
• Leicester and Wellemeyer flamed out
• Wuertz wore out

There's more, but the point is that this season just didn't go well. And the fall from grace was all aided by some horrible managing by Johnny B. Baker. When all these things are combined together you get a team that had no chance by July.

Starting in the offseason, this blog will become "Wait 'til next year" central and I will be taking a look at what the Cubs have, what holes they have to fill, and who might fill them. As always, hope springs eternal.