Season Goes Down the Schlitter
Bullpen, Defense Implode in Stunning 12-0 Loss

Jerry Lai/US PRESSWIRE

If you fell asleep in the sixth inning of yesterday's Cubs game, you dozed off with the Reds leading 1-0. Imagine your surprise, then, when you awoke to find the Cubs had lost by a whopping 12-0. Six walks (SIX WALKS!), an error, and a passed ball — all in the seventh inning, mind you — did the damage as the Reds plated nine runs in that frame. Cubs rookie reliever Brian Schlitter accounted for five of the runs while only getting one out. As for some good news, well, the weather was nice. Does that count?

ESPN Chicago: Reds blank Cubs, win fifth straight road game [+ video]
Chicago Tribune: 7th-inning debacle leads to 12-0 defeat
Daily Herald: Cubs' offense coming up empty over and over and over again
CSN Chicago: Cubs out of answers (again) after 12-0 loss [+ video]
MLB: Unheavenly seventh leads to Cubs' loss

Starting Over
Advice for a Team that Needs Some Help
Regardless of how badly this season has gone, the Ricketts family is clearly in it for the long haul. So media maven David Kaplan has some advice for management, starting with letting fans know they're frustrated by the team's dismal performance and that "it will not be tolerated." Other advice: They need to spell out a plan for the future, and they should "clear out the dead wood," even if it means eating "significant dollars." We'd agree, but it's easy to say when it's not our money.

Kap's Corner: How to start rebuilding the Chicago Cubs

Turn Your Frown Upside-Down
A Few Reasons for Happiness in a Down Season
It's not easy being a Cubs fan this year. Lately, the team scores runs like they're allergic to home plate. But all told, we still have it pretty good. So we're grateful to And Counting for spelling out the good things about Cubs fandom, such as: "Pat Hughes is the best radio play-by-play man I've ever listened to on a daily basis," "Tyler Colvin can hit," and "The next heartbreaking playoff loss appears to be quite a ways off." And might we add: Wrigley Field. So there... smile!

And Counting: Cubs Facts that Don't Make Me Angry

On the Market
The Cubs Sell... But Who's Buying?
With yesterday's blowout, it seems the Cubs are in a predicament: On the one hand, they may need to trade any salvageable pieces. On the other hand, the team is hamstrung by long, expensive contracts. ESPN Chicago suggests that one of the team's second basemen — Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontentot, or Jeff Baker — could draw interest from teams such as Boston and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, SI reports that the team's lone options are Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly. What would we get in return? Who knows, but you have to start somewhere.

ESPN Chicago: Cubs infielders could be on market
SI: Deadline sellers and the latest...

Let It Loose
Venting About the First Year of the Ricketts Regime
If you're the understanding sort, you might say the Ricketts family inherited a flagging team with big contracts. Others, however, aren't quite so forgiving. Hence the irate New York Times story insinuates the team is more concentrated on the noodle and revenue streams than wins. The article calls the team "mired in mediocrity" and the new marketing campaign "smarmy." So how to fix it? The angry article recommends the team should Zambrano for whatever it can get, but otherwise it was more a state of the union — and that state is in disrepair.

New York Times: Cubs make fans feel like wet noodles

Yesterday's game featured Piniella's 66th different lineup out of 80 games... It's official: the Dave Matthews Band will play at Wrigley Field on Sept. 17 and 18... Reminder: While you're out barbecuing, we'll be publishing the Cubs Fan Report every day this weekend.

Submit your Rant on Facebook
*Don't be a Sox fan... be clever. If it's smart enough, we'll publish it here.
What's this?