It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post here at ChicagoCubsBlog.net so I figured I would start off my Monday morning with new post. Spring Training is still going on down in Arizona for the Cubs and they have lost six straight and eight of nine after starting off with a 4-0 record. I never put a lot of thought into Spring Training as you can probably tell with the lack of updates so far but the recent slump does of manager Lou Piniella worried.

The team isn’t hitting the ball that well at all. They are missing two starters (Soto and Fukudome) who are playing in the World Baseball Classic, but I don’t think that is the reason for the slump. I think they players think that they have 28 days until opening day down in Houston and they will start hitting the ball before then. This Spring Training is way too long, I wish that the teams would have started it a couple of weeks ago.

Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez have combined for two home runs and four extra-base hits in 54 at-bats so far this Spring. That’s just terrible production out three power hitters on the team. I’ve been reading articles in the newspapers this morning about Lou meeting with team and if the team losses two out of the next three I expect him to call a team meeting and really call out the veteran players that are not producing.

Here are a few Piniella remarks from an article in the Tribune:

“Look, spring training wins and losses don’t mean anything,” Piniella said. “But you don’t want to get in the habit of getting your [butts] kicked every day either. That I can tell you, and that’s exactly what’s happening here.”

“We’ve got some work to do,” Piniella said then. “This is no push-button operation, I can tell you that. I’m beginning to find that out.”

So how long until Lou unleashes his first tirade of the season? Will it come before opening day?