For as long as I can remember the Cubs have been the “lovable losers” of “the friendly confines”. Going to a game at Wrigley was almost a religious experience and just being in the stands was enough.  The game would go on, and Cubs fans would cheer when good plays were made. They would stand when the Cubs needed a big pitch on a two strike count with two outs in an inning. Between innings everyone would scamper to the concourse to get another beer or soda, unless they managed to tear themselves away from the game and track down a vendor.

Life as a Cubs fan was good. In 1998 we were given the privilege to watch Sammy Sosa take a run at the single season home-run record, and in the process he was cemented as a Cubs legend. We lived and died on the bat of the slugger, tuning into games that the Cubs had no business winning just to see if Sammy could hit another one. A magical thing happened in ‘98 and the Cubs came across the ever elusive winning season. Despite the fact that the Cubs lost six of their last eight, the Cubs backed into the playoffs thanks in part to a Neifi Perez home-run to beat the Giants in the final game of the season, forcing a one game playoff between the Giants and Cubs. Somehow the Cubs beat the Giants and made their way into the playoffs for the first time in nine years and the first time in the 90’s.

“War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. ” - John Stuart Mill

Today is Memorial Day, a day in which we should all reflect on the sacrifices made by the men and women on the military in both past and present campaigns. Thousands of men and women have died in the various wars throughout the years to help preserve the freedoms that we all have come to know as as the American way of life.

Whether you agree with the War in Iraq or not, please take the time today to thank those who have made the decision to fight for the country that they love. If know someone in the military, or someone who had previously seen service, please let them know that you appreciate what they’ve done. If you don’t, just take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices that have been made to preserve your freedoms.
Personally I feel that today is much more than just the culmination of a three day weekend. Today is the day in which we should all take a moment and reflect on the battles that have forged the past to help ensure the future. Please take a moment to think of the young men who stormed the beaches in Normandy. Think of the boys drafted to fight in a war halfway across the world, in the rice patties of Vietnam. Remember that men fought their friends, brothers fought their brothers, and fathers fought their sons when America was split during the Civil War. All of these men made the decision to fight for what they believed in, and no matter what your political preference or stance on the wars past and present, please remember that they died for you.

If you’re a regular here at the Hub you might remember a story I wrote titled “Enough of Jacque Jones Already…” in which I wrote “Jacque Jones is not hitting well (to say the least)… He is hitting .188 and his hit to strikeout ratio is 9:13. Jacque has only done one thing with the Cubs, and its perfect the pout face that a hitter makes while walking back to the dugout after a wasted AB.”

Well, since then J.J. has improved his hit to strikeout ratio to 39:28 coming into todays ballgame and has improved his batting average to a robust .277. Jones has still made a couple of mistakes, including being doubled off of second base three times this year, but he has improved and I want to be one of the first to say that I was wrong.

The Cubs are playing horrible baseball. They’re 18-30 and 9.5 games out of the wild card race. Obviously this team needs a bit of a kick-start to get anywhere near the playoffs, so what will it take to get this team back in the playoff hunt? Here are 5 things that will/would give the Cubs a boost and could help lead the Cubs to the playoffs.

1.) Derrek Lee is going to be back in a couple of weeks. His cast is going to be removed May 31st, and after that he has said that he wants to get back with the team as soon as possible. Given his work ethic, I would expect Lee to come back by the end of the second week of June.

2.) Mark Prior and Wade Miller are going to be coming back to the club healthy. Even if just one of them is fully healthy, that will help the Cubs eliminate the need for J.K. Ryu, Glendon Rusch, or Rich Hill in the rotation. Hopefully one of these two (if not both) can get hot and win a couple ballgames for the Cubs. If Prior can come back and pitch anywhere near his career numbers (3.24 ERA) he’ll be a huge boost to morale.

3.) The Cubs HAVE to make a trade. John Mabry, Jerry Hairston, Neifi Perez and Henry Blanco arent doing much for the Cubs, are they? Blanco I can excuse, but whats the problem with the rest of them? Neifi Perez could be traded for a bucket of balls and a pack of Big League Chew and the fans would be happy. Here’s an even better idea. Lets trade Hairston and Perez for a pitching machine that throws curve balls. Maybe that’ll help John Mabry get his act together.

I’ve been saying this for a little while, but why not deal for JT Snow? He worked well under Dusty as a Giant, why not give him a shot now? Right now the Cubs need to add someone, and it doesn’t matter who.

4.) The Cubs have four second basemen… I suggest changing that number to two. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Neifi Perez can go as far as I’m concerned. Both have worn out their welcome, and when Derrek Lee comes back they’ll be burning a hole through the bench. Why not let Ryan Theriot and Tony Womack backup 2nd base and let Neifi and Hairston figure out the game elsewhere.

In all seriousness, the Cubs have to do something soon. Yes, Lee, Prior, Pagan and Miller are coming back, but it might be too late. If Jim Hendry and Andy McPhail expect the Cubs to win this year, as they keep saying, they need to do something. Make a trade, shake up the roster, or just bat everyone in alphabetical order. Just about any change will have to do some good, because I don’t know how much worse things can get.