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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Oct 4, 2006
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we have been dependant on it before and we have put some good teams together doing so. however depending solely on the long ball to score your runs is a good way to get your heart broken. i hope we can string some hits together today and score some runs the old fashioned way. the Cubs should receive some decent power this year from its core, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Geovany Soto, etc etc, etc,... but it is going to take guys like Felix Pie, Ryan Theriot , Mark DeRosa, et al getting on base in front of them if we are going to be a dominant force in th NL.
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Jan 26, 2008
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You're absolutely right NYN, and that's part of the reason I was so confused by Lou's lack of agressiveness on the bases when Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot were on earlier in the game. Running with Fukudome would have kept Mark DeRosa out of a double play scenerio. I don't understand why in the 9th on Monday that Felix Pie didn't have the automatic green light either. When there's a guy like Jason Kendall behind the plate catching, I really don't know why we didn't run more and get guys into scoring positions so we can score men on base hits. So far this season all 5 of the Cubs runs have come off of the long ball and that's not a good sign IMO. The good news is, we have 160 more games to get it right!
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:89
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 14, 2008
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Anybody else wish we had Brian Roberts right now?
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 22, 2006
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I don't like the fact that the runs have all come from homeruns so far this season either. I think that you said it best when you said that there are still 160 games to get it right.
Hopefully we will start to see Ryan Theriot and Fukudome and Felix Pie getting on base and moving along. Jason Kendall is not going to throw very many people out.
Lou Pinella was trying to get things going yesterday with when Aramis Ramirez was on 1st and Fukudome batting with the hit and run but Fukudome didn't make contact and Ramirez was thrown out easily. I don't think that you will see Fukudome strike out swinging too often in that situation.
Let's hope we get in the win column today. I hated to see the opening day start that Carlos Zambrano gave go to waste and Ted Lilly yesterday just didn't seem to have his best stuff. Maybe Ryan Dempster will come up with a quality start today and the offense can score some runs.
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 28, 2006
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It's seems like the Cubs have relied on the long ball for a while now, but it is the teams that do the little things right that always win in the end, that is a big reason why the Yankees have not won despite a huge payroll. It is time to get back to that.
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Jan 17, 2008
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The Cubs need to teach the importance of hit and run, sacrficing and hitting behind the hitter to the big Thumpers.They are poor on fundamentals and swing for the Home Run even when the wind blows in. They were last in taking walks last year and when Soriano is your leadoff... look at his on base percentage. The on base percentage on the Cubs is poor. Why? Because they think like they are in a HR hitting contest opposed winning a baseball game. The majority of the lineup is doing it. Could be why they got only a handful of hits.
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Jul 7, 2007
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At least their hitting homeruns. Remember last year's power struggle early in the season? They've had opportunities to score i.e. Theriot with runners on first and third with less than two outs, but they've failed to come up with a timely hit. Brian Roberts would be sweet but he's in Baltimore for the time being. I truly believe the offense will come around. Right now, I'm worried about the pitching. With the exception of Zambrano, Lily and the bullpen haven't looked to sharp. They've plunked three batters, walked the entire state of Wisconsin, and keep putting themselve in hitter friendly situations. The pitching is supposed to be our strength. If the pitching continues to struggle then it doesn't matter what our offense; I tend to believe it puts to much pressure on the offense.
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Mar 14, 2008
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I couldn't agree more NyN-
If I see another Cubs player strike out trying to pull an outside pitch with a runner on first I'm going to lose my mind! These guys need to realize that good hitting is all about making solid contact, not driving the damn ball over the wall. Sure the longball is great, but that can't be your primary focus when you step in the box.
How many times have we seen our boys try to pull the outside pitch when we've got a runner on first base? How many times have we followed up a base hit with a K? It's so unbelievably frustrating! Sure, chicks dig the longball, but I'm pretty sure that the guy that hits an RBI double to the opposite field gets his share of the ladies as well!
On a final note, I'd like to thank whoever it was that posted that we were at or near the bottom of the league in drawing walks. I'd be curious to see how we rated amongst the other teams hitting with runners in scoring position, as I figure we're probably near the bottom there too. If anyone can post that stat, I'll give you five stars. I'm just to busy right now to look it up...
Game 3 today- looking forward to it. I'm hoping these guys wake up and start slapping the ball around the park.
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depending on the long ball.
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depending on the long ball.
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Reputation:96
Level:Superstar
Since:Apr 17, 2007
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Some people have been playing the what if game with the Brian Roberts situation, and while Theriot isn't a true leadoff hitter, we don't really have a true #2 either. You could put Theriot there, but he slaps at the ball and grounds out a lot which leads to dp's as the the 2 hitter. Fukudome, the prime candidate, has a high OBP, but will strike out over 100 times this year, as will Soriano and Lee, the other two candidates for the spot, and none of the guys have shown the propensity to bunt.
We have 5 starters that could strike out more than 100 times this year (Ramirez is surprisingly low in the K stat for a guy who attacks as much as he does). I guess my point is that we have to forget about small ball. I do think we need to run more with the stable of guys that can steal on this team, but this team just isn't built for those 4, 5, 6 hit innings. And until Theriot, Pie, and Soto hit/get on base consistently, this is a 5 man lineup. And when Soriano and Ramirez aren't hitting, well, you watched the last two games
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