A look at some of the surprising slow starts around baseball…

Aramis Ramirez

Ramirez is all kinds of messed up right now. Not only is hitting a meager .139, but he has already whiffed 23 times in just 72 at-bats. A-Ram usually strikes out only about 60-65 times per season, so something is definitely wrong with his swing right now.

Mark Teixeira

Teixeira has just 8 hits so far and is hitting just .119. He’s still drawing his walks so he’s looking at enough pitches, but Teixeira is having one of the worst April’s of any slugger out there.

A.J. Pierzynski

While Pierzynski may not qualify as a “slugger”, he is a good hitter. But not so much in 2010. He’s hitting .140/.197/.158 with an OPS of a robust .355. Pierzynski hit .300 last year, so this is shocking, especially considering the anemic White Sox offense really needs him.

Nick Johnson

Johnson may have been injury-prone throughout his career, but if he’s playing he’s usually raking. But this year Johnson’s start is similar to Ramirez’ — low average and an uncharacteristic amount of Ks. Johnson is hitting just .135 and has struck out 18 times in just 52 ABs.

Carlos Lee

Lee is the MLB version of the automatic man. He’s going to hit 25-30 homers, hit .300 and drive in 100 or more. But this year Lee’s bat looks slow as he is hitting just .162/.186/.221. Although Lee never draws a lot of walks, his 2 in just 68 at-bats is cause for concern.

Adam Jones

Another hacker on the list, Jones has 1 walk against 20 strikeouts and is hitting .218 this year.

Alexi Ramirez

White Sox fans keep waiting for Ramirez to bust out, but maybe he’s just a bust. He’s a big time hacker in the Soriano mold that hasn’t progressed as a hitter since his fine rookie season. He’s hitting .210 this year and has yet to draw a walk.

J.D. Drew

It’s hard to believe that Drew is already 34 years old. Seems like yesterday he was a top prospect. Drew has had consecutive seasons of .900+ OPS in Boston but he’ll have to break this slump to reach those totals again. He’s whiffed 20 times in only 57 at-bats and is hitting just .180.

Grady Sizemore

Sizemore is hitting just .220 and has yet to hit a homerun. He always strikes out a lot but his 16 Ks in 59 ABs is higher than his usual ratio.

Hunter Pence

Pence is hunting for some hits here in 2010. He’s in the bottom 10 for OBP and is hitting .209 with just 2 walks in 67 at-bats.

I wonder what the next one will look like? Some kind of space age, futuristic outfit? Because I don’t think it will happen this year, or any time soon.

Along with our 101-year miserable history, we have had our share of chubbos on the Cubs. Our second inductee into the Chubby Cubbies Hall of Fame is a hefty lefty: Chuck McElroy

Highlights:

• 3 seasons as a Cub (1 as a White Sox)
• Best season as a Cub was 1991: 6-2, 1.95, 101 IP, 92 Ks
• Known for his rather huge spectacles and ample gut
• Played for 10 different MLB teams