Baseball In The Daytime: 6-15-07

Since the Chicago Cubs play more day games than any other team, they're featured in BITD at a disproportionate rate. Don't bitch about any Windy City bias, these are just the facts. We also are, at some level, the world's crappiest Cubs blog, as Cecil's a lifelong disciple.

The Cubs sit at 5 games below .500 and 5 1/2 out of first in the NL Central. These are by no means dire straits on the North Side, as Milwaukee isn't blowing anybody away and the rest of the division is seriously suspect. Chicago is one hot streak away from putting this season in gear.

So what's missing? With this payroll, this manager and these expectations, the Cubs are yet again underperforming this summer. Sure, since Lou's meltdown and the dugout brawl they've played much better, and even Big Z is pitching well now--perhaps Barrett was the problem.

It all makes me wonder where the leadership is on this team. They brought in Piniella, and it's certainly his team, but I haven't seen a true field leader at Wrigley in years. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez have enough track record in Chicago to have demonstrated that neither is enough of a general to help the team in anything other than their play on the field. Soriano and Zambrano are incredibly talented, but both suffer from petulant immaturity. Barrett is a poor man's A.J. Pierzynski, a polarizing pest at a position where you want a steady vet. There's no Jeter, no Varitek, no Sean Casey or Orlando Cabrera or Mark Freaking Grace to settle this team down through the torturously long grind of the season.

Today's installment in that grind is a game against the Padres, and the Cubs send Ted Lilly to the mound opposite San Diego's B.F. David Wells. This 12:20 Mountain event will be broadcast nationally on WGN, and on the XM Radio channel 186.