PARTY’S OVER, CUBS FANS
On 9-game skid with trade deadline nearing, it’s unlikely team will be able to stay together
The way manager David Ross sees it, the Cubs are kind of hanging in there. ‘‘I don’t feel like we’re playing bad baseball,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s just, you know, not the best execution right at the end.’’
That’s one way to characterize a ninegame losing streak. Here’s another: Where did we put that box of white flags again?
The end is near, folks. The final curtain. And even if it’s not, it sure seems like it is. The trade deadline July 30 looms extra-large. The Cubs couldn’t play any worse if their nine players on the field lined up side-by-side and spelled ‘‘S-U-R-R-EN-D-E-R’’ with their bodies. How many more years do we have with Kris Bryant? Javy Baez? Anthony Rizzo? And they’re not the only ones who might not be here much longer.
Wait, did we say years? We meant months. No, weeks. No, days.
The whole thing is really kind of sad.
‘‘I think guys are giving all their effort,’’ Ross said. ‘‘I don’t see any lack in concentration and focus. I see a willingness to fight through it. It just seems like an inning or two doesn’t go our way . . . . ‘‘We’re too talented to let this go far.’’ But that’s just the problem: Their talent isn’t going far enough. Not anymore. Not even close. Here’s what’s happening: