It usually doesn’t happen until June.

The collapse of the Chicago Cubs doesn’t happen until late in the season, an inevitable train wreck that is always in the distance, waiting to happen.

Two years ago the collapse came in the National League Championship Series, the infamous Bartman situation, where one man took down an entire team. Just five outs from the World Series, Cub fans watched their team implode.

Last year, the Cubs found themselves in the mix for a playoff spot, only to fall flat on their faces as the season wound down. The 2004 season presented more bizarre storylines than anyone could imagine.

Fortunately, many of those storylines surrounded my favorite player (sarcastic laugh here), Sammy Sosa. The happy slugger spent time on the disabled list after hurting his back sneezing (more uncontrollable laughter). He also walked out on his team after it was clear the Cubs would miss the playoffs. Some team leader.

As the 2004 season ended, Cub fans again looked to the future, saying that this is the year for their breakthrough.

But sitting there in their infinite wisdom, the executives from Chicago decided to take off any indecision and make the 2005 season much more boring for baseball fans.

They decided to handicap the team before the season started, effectively ending their team’s chances before a single pitch had been thrown.

As last season drew to a close, it become increasingly clear Sosa would not be back in Wrigley Field as a Cub. His clubhouse antics and on-field schizophrenia became too much.

So the Cubs did the smart thing and traded him. Unfortunately, all they got in exchange was a pack of chewing gum and an gift certificate to Hickory Park.

Jerry Hairston Jr. was the main conquest for the Cubs in the Sosa deal, not the ideal replacement for their superstar slugger. In eight games this season, Hairston is batting a respectable .286, but has no home runs and zero RBIs.

He’s not even an everyday player. Just two weeks into the season, Hairston has sat out five games. Not exactly a fair trade.

The Cubs also let left fielder Moises Alou get away, sending the second half of their one-two punch packing. Although the losses of two slugging outfielders doesn’t spell doom for a team, what they did to follow it up is key. And what did the Cubs do? They watched some TV, played Ping-Pong and counted money.

They never made a serious push for outfielder Carlos Beltran, arguably the best free agent on the market.

Ignoring the outfield is bad, but the Cubs committed a cardinal sin by doing nothing with their bullpen.

Usually the Cubs wait for the stretch run to fall on their faces, but just two weeks into the season, they are already starting to trip.