It sure was a rough first half for the Cubs and no doubt just as rough of a first half for their fans. A 39-50 record has the team down in the standings behind the Cincinnati Reds and 9.5 games out of first place. Is 9.5 games to much to overcome for this 2010 Cubs team? The way they (attempted too) hit the ball in the first half I have a hard time arguing that it is damn near impossible for this team to get back into contention.

So where did things go wrong in the first half? It was the terrible hitting by Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Both of these “veteran” players should be able to work out of a slump and not have it take three months. I know that players go through slumps during the season, but they don’t last an entire half of a season. Sure Aramis has been battling an injury but that doesn’t mean he can’t at least make contact on the ball. Lee, I don’t know what is going on but swing the bat with some authority and hustle down the line just a little bit more. Both of you guys can learn something by watching the way Marlon Byrd plays the game!

As the Cubs are on the outside looking in, there is a lot of talk about who is going to be traded. It’s hard to tell right now due to the fact that the Cubs have signed some of these “veteran” players to pretty lucrative contracts. What team wants to eat the contracts of Carlos Zambrano, Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome etc. Any deal involving those three players will have the Cubs not getting much in return and also eating a lot of that money in the contract. Don’t expect to see Alfonso Soriano mentioned in any trades as he is due way to much money for 97% of the teams to take on.

So who could the Cubs look at trading? My thoughts are Xavier Nady (needs regular playing time), Marlon Byrd (nice contract and I don’t want to see him go), Ryan Theriot (nice knowing ya), and Ted Lilly. I full expect Lilly to get moved as a team in contention would love to add a left-hander of his pitching caliber. I wouldn’t mind seeing Theriot move on and the same for Nady.

My hopes for the second half of the season is that the team just relaxes and has some fun. Oh yeah, and HIT THE BALL. Right now I can’t stand watching a full game the way the offense has been going. Who knows though, a quick five game winning streak to start the second half just might get the fans back into it and more people inside of Wrigley Field. You win seven out of ten games and you just never know what might come of this “lackluster” team we call the 2010 Chicago Cubs…

So I really did try to think of something positive to say in this blog update but I could not find one positive thing that is going right for the Chicago Cubs. Defense, offense, pitching, everything absolutely sucks and you might as well be call this team the laughable losers. Dumb errors, terrible hitting, and costly wild pitches has this years Cubs and also their fans pulling their hair out.  (If you actually have any left 2.5 months into this season)

This team might as well put a fork in the 2010 season in my opinion. There are rumors that Aramis Ramirez is breaking up the clubhouse and not even wanting to suit up as he sits on the disabled list. (A move that should have happened a month ago). You have the pitchers wondering when in the hell the offense is going to start hitting the ball instead of a bunch of single A players. Sorry pitchers, but these bats are cold and they are going to remain cold. Enjoy trying to win games when you only have one or two runs on the scoreboard.

Before to long, you are going to have players wondering if they are going to get traded as the team slides down in the standings. Yes I’m talking about Derrek Lee (please waive that no-trade clause), Kosuke Fukudome, Tom Gorzelanny and Ryan Theriot. This could be the year that the Cubs and new management change the team and start building for the future once again. Because 2010 is not the Cubs year.

How much blame can you put on Lou Piniella? If you ask me a lot. If it is true that Aramis Ramirez and some of the other Latin players are in one group int he locker room and all the other guys in another group you have lose your clubhouse. If the club house is not one team, then you can not expect to win games. That all falls back on the manger and I have a feeling that Lou is just playing through the season before he leaves the city and says “Keep on Waiting Cubs Fans”.

So Cubs fans, is the season over before the All-Star break? I’ve already gave in for the most part. Who’s with me?

The 2010 season has been down right awful for the Chicago Cubs. Fans are getting upset, players are not having fun and you can bet that manger Lou Piniella is getting pretty pissed off and is about really to explode on a player or umpire if they don’t pull things together down in Houston this weekend.

Hell, the Cubs can’t even beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road. Zero hitting, bad bullpen at times, and some questionable managerial moves by Piniella have everyone thinking if the Cubs can actually turn things around or if there will be a fire sale with the likes of Derrek Lee or Xavier Nady being traded.

There were reports coming out of LA that the Angels might be looking at Lee or Nady to fill in at first base have Morales went down with his broken leg. Lee does have a no trade clause and I’m not sure if he would accept a trade to LA but then again a change of scenery just might help him at the plate.

So what has happened with the Cubs offense? Aramis Ramirez is down right TERRIBLE. The guy should have been put on the disabled list and played some rehab games down in Triple-A. Of course A-Ram would never do that because he thinks he can discover his swing with 10 at bats in spring training. Yeah that sure helped ya Aramis!

You aren’t going to win very many ball games when you only score one or two runs like the Cubs are currently doing. They need Ramirez, Ryan Theriot, Geovony Soto, and Lee to step up and get their swings back. Work with the hitting coach some, I don’t care how well you know your swing, it’s been two months and you are still not hitting the damn ball!

So I predict that Lou erupts down in Houston this weekend as the team continues to struggle and only win one out of three games against the Astros and fall further behind in the Central division. This just isn’t the cubs year I’m afraid.

Ryan Dempster threw eight shut out innings on Tuesday night and Derrek Lee connected on a two-run home run in the eighth inning as the Cubs beat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 to kick off their three game series at Wrigley Field. Dempster allowed just three hits as he picked up his first win since April 23rd.

Struggling Aramis Ramirez was out of the Cubs’ lineup for the third time in four games because of a sore left thumb. Jeff Baker started in his place. Ramirez needs to stay out of the lineup until he is 100% healthy and can actually swing a bat and make some contact. Some extra time in the batting cage wouldn’t hurt either.

The Cubs are now 22-24 and 12-10 at home. They were able to pick up a game in the standings and are now four games out of first place. The Reds and Cardinals lead the division right now with 26-20 records. Being four games out at this point isn’t too bad considering how poorly the offense has hit the ball. With warmer weather coming, look for the bats to heat up and the Cubs to move up in the standings and really challenge the Cardinals and Reds. The first chance will be a weekend series with the Cardinals in Chicago.

Can the Cubs get it done and start battling for first place? If the bats come around, I don’t see why not.