OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Cubs Co-Owner Thomas Stuart Ricketts Issues a Shocking Official Statement Regarding GM Jed Hoyer and Manager Craig Counsell Following Fans Protest After Blowing Away Lead vs. Cardinals

The Chicago Cubs are back doing Chicago Cubs things.

With a 4-1 lead into the eighth inning of Saturday’s key divisional game against the St. Louis Cardinals, all signs pointed to a happy outcome for Chicago. That is, until Porter Hodge hit the mound and the Chicago defence forgot how to catch and throw.

I despise when that happens.

It was a truly mesmerizing breakdown, highlighted by a truly awful error by Cubs wunderkind and overall very fine defensive centre fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who called off the second baseman for what should have been a routine pop-up, but completely missed it while sprinting at full speed.

Also, let’s check in on new Cubs All-Star Isaac Paredes, who was acquired at the deadline in exchange for new Tampa Bay Rays star Christopher Morel.
A succession of errors compounded Hodge’s failures on the mound, allowing St. Louis to score three runs and tying the game.

Craig Counsell’s puzzling choice to pinch-hit Patrick Wisdom for Michael Busch in a key situation exacerbated Chicago’s frustrations. Busch has arguably been the Cubs’ top hitter this season. He has an OPS of.805 against left-handed pitchers, which is far greater than Wisdom’s (.748), contradicting the typical logic of right-handed vs. left-handed. Busch was also 2-for-3 on the day, including a home run.

things’s fair to say that things did not work out. Wisdom went down with a whiff. This is a common occurrence late in games, and Counsell’s pinch-hit success rate is quite low. Anyhow…

That brought up Hector Neris in the ninth inning. After appearing in Friday’s game as well, one could argue that Neris was exhausted. The former World Series champion has had a rough season overall. He gave up the lead, resulting in another Cubs triumph. This game went to St. Louis, allowing the Cardinals to escape a series sweep.

Meanwhile, Cubs fans are sharpening their pitchforks.

Cubs fans turn on Craig Counsell after another poor finish.

It’s difficult to lose any game. Cubs supporters are extremely passionate. It is extremely difficult to give one away to the St. Louis Cardinals, of all teams. Counsell’s late-game incompetence sparked an internet firestorm following the game.

Several common concerns were levelled at the Cubs’ management.
Counsell was famously awarded the highest managerial deal in MLB history when he left Milwaukee for Chicago last winter. Counsell, known for his ability to pull the strings in a bullpen and maximize matchups, has frequently botched pitching assignments, withdrawn his hottest bats at inopportune times, and left Chicago open to unforced errors.

Is it premature or harsh to label Counsell a terrible manager? Sure. This is his first season with the club, therefore he’s adjusting to a new roster and surroundings. At the same time, his previous squad (headed by his former bench coach) leads the division. It looks horrible, and Counsell has consistently failed to meet expectations.

 

There is still time for the Cubs to turn their season around, and Counsell will have a long leash because of that contract. If these mistakes continue, the fan base will swiftly lose patience with Chicago’s new management.