Curse of the Scapegoat? Chicago Cubs fire Gerald Perry

On Sunday, in a move that can be described as nothing more than blaming the easiest target, the Chicago Cubs fired hitting coach Gerald Perry.

General Manager Jim Hendry threw around the cliche sound bites, saying that a "new voice" was needed and that the team's stars aren't performing to their historical abilities.

What Hendry didn't say was: "I paid $30 million for an overrated right fielder and, with a series of questionable moves, destroyed the chemistry on the best team in the National League."

But what was important was that he stuck to the cliches.

Last season, the Cubs had the best record in the NL and were one of the top offenses in all of baseball. The Cubs scored 855 runs last year, second in baseball, and, as a team, they finished 2008 with a .278 batting average, good for fifth in all of baseball.

In the middle of June this year, the Cubs have a team batting average of .246. On a team that was full of All Stars last year, the team now has two players, Ryan Theriot and Derrek Lee, that have a higher personal batting average than the team did collectively last year.

Are these token statistics Perry's fault?

Last year, Mark DeRosa played second base. He batted .285 with 21 home runs and 86 runs batted in. This year, Aaron Miles is batting .200 and Mike Fontenot has a .236 average. They have combined for six homers and 30 runs batted in.

Last year, Jim Edmonds was claimed off waivers early in the season and hit .256, with 19 home runs and 49 runs batted in over 85 games. This season, Milton Bradley was signed to a big money deal in the winter. He is now batting .227, with five homers and 19 runs batted in.

Is it Perry's fault that Hendry replaced DeRosa and Edmonds with three losers? Is it Perry's fault that Aramis Ramirez is hurt, or that Geovany Soto's season started in a funk after the World Baseball Classic?

Probably not.

But in the eyes of Hendry, it was Perry that needed to go. The hitting coach became the fall-guy for an offense that has disappeared.

Maybe Hendry should get out his favorite Michael Jackson CD and consider the following advice: I'm looking at the man in the mirror; I'm asking him to make a change.