26 SO's and 0-19 RISP, season-long power outage

by VolPowers on Aug 7, 2007 9:57 PM CDT

So exactly what is our hitting coach doing when it comes to teaching approach to at-bats? It seems when our young kids come up from Triple A they come up hot, and then quickly fizzle out. Then they go back, and start smacking it all around the place. Our home run production is noticably down, in this series alone we've loaded 'em up several times with less than 2 outs and got next to nothing. I'm all for patient at-bats, but we seem to take the best pitch on the first pitch the majority of the time. What gives?

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Perhaps the PCL

pitching is of a poor quality? Gerald Perry can't be wholly to blame.

"One thing you learn as a Cubs fan: When you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth." - Joe Garagiola

by gary varsho on Aug 7, 2007 9:49 PM CDT reply actions

I don't know the reson for it,

but 26 SO's in two games is way to many...

The Cubs Are On Their Way!!

by DenverCub on Aug 7, 2007 9:58 PM CDT reply actions

they are really suffering from a lack of HR's

You cant score runs consistently with singles and walks. HR blow games open and get you back into games your out of....

Let me get back to you, will ya, Charlie? I got a guy on the other line asking about some white walls.

by JB 23 on Aug 7, 2007 10:00 PM CDT reply actions

"The step-up syndrome"

I call that when a team loses a key player and every player believes that he has to pick up the slack by doing more than what he can humanly do at the time. You see, for example, Derek Lee trying to hit balls so far off the plate that he would need a pole to reach them.

These players are tense and scared. That's why they're swinging at everything. They need to understand that no single player can carry a team by himself and shoulder both his load and Soriano's too.

by Fraggin Judge on Aug 7, 2007 10:26 PM CDT reply actions

I don't think

scared is the correct word, my opinion. Pressing, tight is what I think.

by Johnny Callison was a Cub on Aug 7, 2007 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions

IMO, this is

definitely part of the problem. This team needs to settle down, ASAP.

"One thing you learn as a Cubs fan: When you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth." - Joe Garagiola

by gary varsho on Aug 7, 2007 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions

I think

you have homerun hitters, Jones, Floyd, Lee and for somewhat Soriano, all of them down in Homeruns. They can say all the right things, " homeruns will take care of themselves", " they will come, and when they do they will come in bunches" " patience" " we are not pressing"
Sorry they are pressing, if you look at the swings, looks like they all are off the ball, head is not on the ball, and try to rip everything.
This team now once again are failing in the clutch, lets go guys, all you can say.

by Johnny Callison was a Cub on Aug 7, 2007 10:33 PM CDT reply actions

Here we go

when in doubt, blame it on the hitting coach. They are simply hitting a cold stretch (it happens), and you are probably looking at a 2-5 road trip. the good news is, the Brewers are going through the same crap.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Aug 7, 2007 10:50 PM CDT reply actions

yep.

everyone predicted a slump at some point; AFAIC, now is a perfectly fine time for it.

I have this odd feeling that tonight's Brewers loss was a big one for Cubs players. At this point they have got to be feeling like, "wow, those guys really aren't that good. At all." I think they are going to realize that, Soriano or not, they're the best team in the division, and they need to just go out on the field and play their game.

Tinker to Evers to Chance.

by Matt Allison on Aug 8, 2007 2:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Well said.

Eventually, this team will come out of its slump. I am very happy that Z is pitching tonight.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Aug 8, 2007 4:02 AM CDT up reply actions

Could it be that...

minor league pitching isn't as good as major league pitching? I mean, if guys are going down and immediately turning it on at the plate, that'd indicate that the catalyst for change is the pitching, not the hitting coach. You don't instantly change your approach when you go to AAA.

As for the rookies' early successes, I'm guessing that this is due to the lack of good scouting reports people had on guys coming up. Then, MLB pitchers figured them out.

by SouthernCub on Aug 8, 2007 7:56 AM CDT reply actions

AAA pitchers don't always

concentrate on the scouting report nearly as much as they do at the major league level. Even if they did, AAA pitchers don't have the command to hit the spots, compared to the big league guys.

At AAA, the pitchers are also working on things that will hopefully get them to the next level, and in doing that, aren't overly concerned with pitching to a hitters weakness, as opposed to working on their own weaknesses.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Aug 8, 2007 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions

aramis in the lineup would help

i know he needs his days off, but multiple times a week sitting out, come on...its like hes barry bonds.

Big Z on Cuban: "Plus, I can be signed by him. You know, I know he has the money for me. Hopefully he can buy the Cubs."

by kylejo on Aug 8, 2007 8:38 AM CDT reply actions

Multiple times a week?

Here's Ramirez's game log for this year. He has not missed two consecutive games since he returned from the DL. In fact, he has missed only five of the 40 team games since then, started all but one of the 35 he's played, and finished all but four of those; in all of those four he was pulled early in blowouts.

Check your facts, please.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Aug 8, 2007 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

wel, yes

in the past 7 days he has missed two games. Im sorry but i dont want our best player to miss 13% of this teams games just so he can rest. That adds up to 20 games a year, and that is ridiculous, hes not a catcher, hes an everyday player, hes getting paid like one, and he happens to be our best player, and missing multiple games in a 7 day stretch is just something i cannot get over for this teams best run producer.

Big Z on Cuban: "Plus, I can be signed by him. You know, I know he has the money for me. Hopefully he can buy the Cubs."

by kylejo on Aug 8, 2007 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions

It Hurts

to have Aram out of the lineup for sure but I understand picking and choosing the battles in August with his playing time. The offensive core should have been deep enough to begin with (though it hasn't lately) to be able to cover for Aram's absence. That's not Lou's fault. I think that once August concludes, Aram will be taking fewer days off during the the September run.

So resting him now in the middle of a long stretch of games doesn't bother me right now.

There's always next year.

by BJ Simpson on Aug 8, 2007 9:28 AM CDT up reply actions

yeah...

i know it may be necessary, it just hurts when you have the bases loaded in the first and no one can come up with a hit, and then theres aramis on the bench. How does he not pinch hit last night at the very least? Im just frustrated i guess.

Big Z on Cuban: "Plus, I can be signed by him. You know, I know he has the money for me. Hopefully he can buy the Cubs."

by kylejo on Aug 8, 2007 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions

There will be...

... less need for these off days after next Monday. That's when a stretch of 20 games in 20 days ends.

After that, the Cubs have five off days scattered through the rest of the year and the longest stretch of consecutive days played is 13, done twice (Aug 14-26 and Aug 28-Sept 9). During those seven weeks I'd guess Ramirez would only sit day games after night games (or sit the night game so he can play the day game).

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Aug 8, 2007 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions

20 games in a row

that little piece of information had escaped me as i got pissed that aramis wasnt in. makes much more sense now that it feels like hes been missing a little extra time lately.

aramis has three jacks in 54 at bats against oswalt, not bad, im feeling number four tonight.

Big Z on Cuban: "Plus, I can be signed by him. You know, I know he has the money for me. Hopefully he can buy the Cubs."

by kylejo on Aug 8, 2007 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions

Hitting coach

We heard the same grumblings last year. Much fodder made over walks clogging the bases. The philosophy of the manager and hitting coach were to blame for the low OBP and many strikeouts. I believe it's a system wide problem with the Cubs. The minor league players are not taught to be patient. The GM contributes by acquiring free swingers with little plate discipline.

Well, sometimes nothin is a real cool hand.

by wicubfan on Aug 8, 2007 12:13 PM CDT reply actions

Well said

one thing that most people fail to recognize, is it is very difficult to change a hitter's personality at the plate. Hitter's are either patient, aggressive or somewhere in between, they change very little, once these traits are developed very early in their career (high school, college level).

You can work on mechanics etc., but a hitter's tendancy to be patient or aggressive, is not likely to change.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Aug 8, 2007 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions