OK, so it's been a rough first few weeks for the Cubs. No argument here. The Cubs are 10-10 and fourth in the NL Central. That's ... not very good. Which you don't really need us to tell you. But just in case you did, 10-10: not good.
It's especially bad when you consider the Cubs' expectations for this year. Anything less than a World Series will be a disappointment. Those are the stakes. And it's not time to panic yet -- remember, three weeks is a small sample size, so let's be cautious here -- but it is slightly disconcerting. We don't know if we can put up with a bad Cubs season this year. Bad seasons make the summers so less electric.
But here's one bright spot: Lou Piniella is still managing the team. Thus, he is still saying funny things. Like after yesterday's 10-0 loss to the Diamondbacks -- the Cubs' 2009 nadir so far -- when he dropped this utter gem:
"The whole story," he said, "outside of the fact we gave up 10 runs, is we didn't score any."
Oh, Lou. Rain or shine, win or loss, don't you ever change, OK?
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger who sometimes wants to give Piniella a hug. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.
