Chicago Cubs News: Closer Craig Kimbrel experiment is over

Chicago Cubs: Excuses are like armpits

Kimbrel has never seemed to really adapt or even ‘try’ to join the team.

Really it was just a lot of excuses, right? I love the saying excuses are like armpits, everyone has at least two, and they all stink and we know the scarecrow pitcher loves to show those armpits.

In June 2019, Kimbrel signs with Cubs, two months after the season had started and then complains he couldn’t get ready properly. Then Kimbrel gets his chance to prepare in spring training and does nothing to show any signs of the legendary hurler of the ball his reputation is staked on.

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Next, he gets a break, as a substantial COVID outbreak keeps everyone at home and delays the season. So what does Kimbrel do with all this time? Indeed, it wasn’t improving on his performance in the spring.

Thank goodness we have new manager David Ross who isn’t putting up with Kimbrel’s pouting and tantrums. Instead, like any good manager, Ross moves him down to the eighth inning in hopes he can regain some insight into his job.

Kimbrell has gotten his chunk of flesh (pay) from the Cubs organization, why should he perform now? We’re stuck folks, what can we do with him? If we play him, he sinks us most times;  if we bench him, we put pressure on our other guys who weren’t hired to do his job – how long do you think that lasts before awesome-ace stand-in closer Jeremy Jeffress ($850 thousand this season) has had enough?