We know these guys can hit. They’ll hit. The pitching has been good enough to win virtually every game since the ASB (except maybe the 2nd game at Arizona).

It doesn’ t feel good to us and it likely doesn’t to the players, either. But they WILL get out of it.

Wasn’t here in 2004, and many weren’t here in 2007.

This is a ridiculous thesis.

but a team wide slump like this seems symptomatic of a goup of players who are pressing. Pressure affects teams-as we know from the many legendary collapses in baseball history. To pretend that it doesn’t is just delusional. Some teams manage to overcome it, some don’t. Of course the Cubs will start hitting again (I hope). My worry is that by the time they’re out of this slump, they’ll be far in the Brewers’ rear view mirror and, at best, fighting for the wild card.

Very cold since the ASB. Over the last 7 games:

ARam – OPS .299
Lee – OPS .559
Soto – OPS .342

Short of waiting for them to get hot again, best you can hope for is trying to add another 1B or C who can provide some pop. But without adequate trading chips (plus a reluctance by Hendry to add unless there’s an injury) a deal is unlikely. Unless you can give Mike Piazza a whopping dose of HGH and offer him a contract!

the past 7 days:

Lee .559
ARam .299
Soto .342

That’s the heart of the order right there. If they’re not producing, forget it.

JH told Carrie Muskat that, short of an injury, the Cubs won’t be looking to make a significant deal by the deadline. Some of it is the fact that the Cubs really don’t have any valuable trading chips they can afford to spare, or want to spare. And some of it is Hendry’s confidence that the ship will soon right itself.

The only way I would see another bat as being advantageous is that it would allow Lou to sit one of the producers like Lee or Fukudome if they’re struggling. Then once Lee/Dome get going again, you could either sit the new bat or put him in for another struggling regular.

Are there any “grade B or better” run producers that might still be available, were Hendry to change his mind?

BTW…the cubs “abuse” the Des Moines to Chicago shuttle quite well…and you cant send either of those guys there…...and Hendry isn’t going to “let” Lou “sit” multi million dollar conracts….

Also…BTW…the Marlins announcers keeep carping on how their pitchers are getting the “BIG GUNS* out and gettting hurt bu the Blancos, Cedenos and Johnsons of the world…..

if I’m not worrying about something, I’m not doing it right.

So I’m trying not to worry about the offense, b/c I feel like w/ our pitching we’ve been in all these games. We’ve hit all year and I’m trying to trust the first 90 game stretch more than the last 10.

So, have faith and hang in there like the rest of us.

DLee has 1 home run in the last month! ARam obviously has not has his mind on the game since he went home for those three days last month. Fukudome is showing why even a professional from another league is still called a rookie his first year in the bigs. This would be a lot easier to take if there was no collapse in the playoffs last year. Offensive shut downs are becoming a trend with this team. However, let’s see how they react in Milwaukee! I don’t want to hear that it’s just another game or series. We are only two games up on the wild card spot and tied for first. Make it or break it boys!

Do MLB players ever go through a crisis of confidence during a slump, where they begin thinking “Maybe I’m no good anymore”? Never having been a professional or even a school athlete, I’m interested in the psychology of players and what they mentally face.

In what little reading I’ve done on my own, I gather that players at an early age are wired to “Never ever ever quit”. No matter if they’re hurt or enduring some other dilemma, they are conditioned to believe that taking yourself out of a game or suggesting being moved down (or out of) the lineup is the mortal sin of a loser.

Nevertheless I’m curious how often, if at all, an athlete goes through those long sleepless nights like most of us have and consider if they don’t have it any longer.