Chicago Cubs look bad enough to make serious run at 100 losses

It’s been a rough start to August for this Triple-A quality team. The Chicago Cubs are 2-8 over their last 10 games and it doesn’t appear they have the skillset to reverse this troubling trend. Currently standing 52-63 after dropping both games of Tuesday’s double dip, they have 47 games left, 24 at home and 23 on the road.

If the present trend toward losing 75 percent of our games doesn’t significantly alter, the Cubs have a possibility to lose another 35 games. The good news? That means they will finish 64-99 and not break the century mark for losses. The last time the North Siders lost 100 or more was back in 2012.

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That’s oddly fitting given the comparisons seen with this team and that squad following Jed Hoyer’s trade deadline sell-off. Regardless, that team went 61-101. Prior to that you’d have to go back to 1966 when we were 59-103 (but why would you want to?)

Two of the few bright spots for 2021 is that we are getting a chance to see a lot of new players and they are garnering valuable major league experience. I would also argue that we appear to have the right manager in place to help lead us back, our management has pledged that it will not be a long rebuild and there should be plenty of money for free agent signings come this winter.

I am also looking forward to seeing Kyle Hendricks solidify his position as the unquestioned leader of the starting rotation, and continuing to cheer on guys like Willson Contreras and Nico Hoerner, as well as rising stars like Patrick Wisdom and Rafael Ortega.

Chicago Cubs: Surviving the early twenties

I hope that Tom Ricketts is committed to this team and that Jed Hoyer has learned how to build a winning organization from his time under Theo Epstein. In the meantime we will hang in there, good Cubs fans as we are, try to take simple pleasure from small steps, and continue to root for the few familiar faces we have left.

Long-time devotees will say they have survived tough times like this before. I know I have seen plenty of the Lovable Losers in my seven decades as a die-hard fan. But I’m really hoping I will get to see the Cubs back on top much sooner than later.