Chicago Cubs Must Find At-Bats for Inexperienced Hitters

An offense that scored the most runs in all of the National League in 2008 is struggling to find its stroke in 2009. The Chicago Cubs, who at days end were in 12th place in the NL in runs scored, have failed to show everyone the high-powered offense that they were so accustomed to in 2008.

How about these for some numbers...

As of Friday night, the Cubs have scored 22 runs in their last seven games, three of those games being 2-1 decisions (two Cubs wins and one loss).

During their eight-game losing streak in mid-to-late May, the Cubs scored a total of 18 runs, including a 10-8 loss to the Pirates in the final game of the streak.

To make things worse, the Cubs are now 3-20 when scoring fewer than four runs in a game, with each of those three wins coming in the last week.

The newly-found ability to win close, low-scoring games is a plus for the fourth place Cubs, but with the talent on their roster, four runs per game should not be as difficult of a task as they are making it.

At night’s end there was just one Cubs’ everyday player hitting over .300 (Kosuke Fukudome at .302).

Supposed offensive threat Alfonso Soriano (.243) is currently in a horrendous slump after starting out the year red hot. 

First baseman Derrek Lee, a career .282 hitter, is nearly 20 points under his career average at .263.

The Cubs big offensive acquisition in the offseason, Milton Bradley, is hitting .220 after hitting over .300 in his previous three seasons.

And maybe the most heartbreaking of all, 2008 NL Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto, has barely eclipsed the Mendoza line at .209.

So, how do you turn around an offense that was so potent in 2008? You play your hitters.

Inexperienced players such as Micah Hoffpauir and Jake Fox are the pure hitters that are in need for some much needed AB’s. The only problem is, as Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella will put it, they have nowhere to play these guys.

Well, I think it’s about time to find somewhere.

Hoffpauir, who was first called up last year and impressed everyone with his ability to hit the ball hard, can play both corner outfield positions, but his best position is first base, where Derrek Lee has been a fixture since 2004.

Fox was recently called up to the majors after hitting a remarkable .423 with 17 homers and 50 RBI at Triple-A Iowa. He too is most comfortable at first base, but has taken balls in the corner outfield positions and third base, and at one point in his career he was a catcher.

Then there’s switch-hitting catcher Koyie Hill, who was assumed to be the backup catcher to Soto, but recently has had his playing time increased as Soto continuously slumps.

Finding spots for these kinds of hitters is crucial in order to get the Cubs’ bats fired up, but as Lou has said previously, it’s a difficult thing to do.

I just think now, you have to start trying new things.