As ludicrous as it may seem to have the player who hits 30-plus HR’s a year and is being paid a whopping $136 million in the lead-off spot, bleacher bums will have to accept it if Alfonso Soriano continues to launch baseballs out of Wrigley.
It’s amazing that less than a month ago many were lamenting the fact that manager Lou Piniella was sticking Fonsy back into the lead-off spot as he came off the 15-day DL. The Cubs were hot, and the streak happened to coincide with Soriano’s DL stint. Plus, he was off to a dismal start, hitting below the Mendoza line. Why ruin a good thing by sticking Soriano back into the line-up?
Reed Johnson, a more prototypical lead-off hitter, was doing a better-than-average job at the top of the line-up. Also, the player who replaced Soriano in the line-up, the immortal Ronny Cedeno, was swinging a big-stick at the time. So big that he was publicly thinking about the World Series in April! (Oh, how I would have loved to see Sweet Lou’s face after he heard Cedeno’s comments).
As much as I love the immortal Ronny and his proclamations, there is a reason that Lou is paid big bucks to manage. Fonsy came back off the DL with vengeance, sparking the latest Cubs streak single-handily by slamming 7 HR’s in his last six games along with a robust .500 average. He is swinging the hottest bat in baseball and has the Cubs broadcast duo, Brenly and Kasper, simply oozing during broadcasts.
However, the debate of moving him from the lead-off spot will still linger, because he is a streaky player and he will slump again, and when your lead-off hitter struggles, it drags the entire offense down. It occurred in the NLDS last year, where his .143 average was part of the reason the Cubs got swept by the Diamondbacks.
He has a penchant for striking out and does not move runners well, which are characteristics you absolutely do not want in your lead-off hitter. He’s not a stolen base threat anymore because his hamstring is more tender than filet mignon, and Lou does not want to risk another stint on the DL. Also, usually, you want the guys at the top of your line-up to set the table for your big sticks in the middle, but Soriano is the biggest power hitter on the team.
Therein lies the heart of Lou’s dilemma; Soriano is not your typical lead-off hitter, but Soriano is adamant that he is most comfortable at the lead-off spot. In his mind, he is only bats lead-off in the first inning, so it shouldn’t be an issue. That’s a valid point, but most of the time he bats with nobody on base because he’s batting behind the bottom of the order. This is the reason he hit 33 HR’s last year but only had a measly 70 RBI’s last year. A player with his power should easily have over a 100.
What should Lou do? I honestly don’t know, but if Soriano keeps hitting like this, it doesn’t matter where he bats in the line-up.
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4 months ago
As long as he is producing like this, I wouldn't dare move him or make him uncomfortable. I can't remember a time in Cubs history other than the days of Sosa where a player was hitting everything, and I mean everything, out of the park like Soriano is.
4 months ago
Wow! How embarrassing is my post "Cubs Better Team With Soriano On The Bench: in light of Soriano now becoming the hottest hitting player in the history of the universe. I retract this story because Alphonso has found an adjustment that hit the nail right on the head burying it deep. Very deep.
oops! http://bleacherreport.com/articles/21874-Cubs-Better-Team-With-Soriano-On-The-Bench-070508#comment_93701
from 4 months ago
Don't sweat it Mike, you weren't the only one who wanted Soriano out of the line-up
4 months ago
Even though the Cubs lost to the Pirates on Saturday, they are looking so good it is starting to scare me. They are looking great even when they lose now. You are about to enter the Twilight Zone.
4 months ago
Nice article! I'm coming around on Soriano. I like the way he is hitting right now, but I'm also waiting for him to crash. I was a huge fan of Sammy Sosa during his tenure in Chicago, but Soriano reminds me a lot of him. When he's hot the homers come in bunches and he can carry the team, but when he's cold, he's ice cold. Let's hope Soriano stays at least luke warm for quite a while and the Cubs can stay on top fo the division. Go Cubs!
from 4 months ago
Ya, that's the thing that makes you worry about Soriano, when he is hot, he's swatting a lot of HR's, but when he's not, he doesn't do much of anything else. You'd like him to see him find other ways to get on base without hitting it out of the park. But instead of worrying about what might happen in the future, we should just all enjoy the tear he's on right now.
4 months ago
How sweet does this sounds: Alfonso Soriano World Series MVP. That would be great. Long ways away and wishful thinking.
I am one of the many Fonze bashers. He is a hell of a hitter, but a terrible leadoff hitter still. Him hitting .500 is great over the last 2 weeks, but what happens when he starts K'ing again? We need guys on base in front of the meat of the order. I am still not sold that Soriano can be that guy. Think how nice it would be if his 40 home runs he'll hit this year occured with runners on? That's an extra 40 runs or so this year!
from 4 months ago
Thas the exactly the crux of Lou's problem, Soriano's not a prototypical lead-off hitter, but he says he's comfortable at the lead-off spot. In a perfect world, Soriano shouldn't care where he bats, because he's getting paid a $136 million and should do whatever is in the best interest of the team. But when he's on a streak like this, you can't complain about the results. Lou has to make a judgment call on whether he thinks Fonz could be just as effective hitting in another spot in the line-up. In the end you just have to hope that Fonz just doesn't slump at an inopportune time.
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