Alfonso Soriano

He has shown the same major problem for his entire career...

he has bad plate discipline. He can’t lay off pitches out of the strike zone. He hasn’t ever tried to get “better” at that aspect of his game…and it’s the only thing really holding him back.

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on Oct 6, 2008 6:08 PM CDT 0 recs

To take the topic off the Cubs futility

just noticed your new photo. And then when I clicked on it, you’ve posted over 11,000. Congrats SWL, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed all of them.

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Oct 6, 2008 6:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

Thanks, what do I win? One more offseason of wondering what could have been.

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on Oct 6, 2008 6:15 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yup, that's pretty much it

sorry

"Prince Fielder Dies Of Inside-The-Park Homerun" - The Onion

by DTJchris on Oct 6, 2008 6:18 PM CDT up 0 recs

I think he can still have value

just not as a lead off hitter.

"Destiny is a matter of choice, not chance"

by MerlinDog on Oct 6, 2008 6:18 PM CDT 0 recs

+1

I would like him a lot better at 5 or 6.

by Cubinator on Oct 6, 2008 6:44 PM CDT up 0 recs

He wants to be the leadoff hitter, and everything that I’ve seen suggested that he takes it as a personal slight if he were to move down. While he carries the team when he’s hot, when he’s cold, he is a selfish player who doesn’t rise to the occation when challenged, he just gets indignant.

by chitownhawkeye on Oct 6, 2008 7:10 PM CDT up 0 recs

I am hoping that Soriano lost that leverage after tanking again in the post season.

Actually after not showing up in the post season. I think that it is no longer what he wants to do but what the cubs management want him to do. In other words his honeymoon might be over.

by cubsnlinux on Oct 6, 2008 7:14 PM CDT up 0 recs

If I were Hendry I'd be pissed that Sori said that the team was not built for

“sprints”. Pretty classless.

"I'm not much of a chemistry guy, you know. Chemistry to me is a pinch-hit double with the bases loaded"--Jim Frey, Chicago Tribune, 1985.

by zevkalman on Oct 6, 2008 7:23 PM CDT up 0 recs

Unlilke fans

Unlike fans who blow up every single thing a player says Hendry knows players speak out of frustration and upset.

Oh I forgot we have idiots who think the players don’t care they lost.

Thngs of worth are worth fighting for regardless of the odds.

by cubstoseriesby100 on Oct 6, 2008 8:10 PM CDT up 0 recs

+25

Soriano does NOT need to ever be locked into leadoff again. Throughout the last two years of deference, Lou has let him assign himself where ever.

Now that both Lou and Soriano are going to be around a couple more years at least, it’s time that Lou bite the bullet and realize that Soriano’s bat can be useful all over that lineup .. never again exclusively at the top of it. He’s still a heck of a player, but we got little more than that when he went cold as ice two years running when we needed him.

Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!

by cubnational on Oct 7, 2008 2:21 PM CDT up 0 recs

forgot to mention

His arm, he has a cannon and its usually acurate.. causing runners to think twice of running on a ball hit to left.

"You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace."

by All The Way on Oct 6, 2008 6:22 PM CDT 0 recs

he doesn't have a cannon...

…in fact he has a very weak throwing arm. I suspect your looking at all his assists and assuming he has a rocket. He does have an accurate arm and he gets rid of the ball as quickly as any outfielder that I’ve ever seen, which is probably a by-product of playing second base for all those years.

People run on him a lot, which helps explain the high assist totals.

"Some people will look at a glass of water and say it's half-empty, while another guy will look at it and say it's half-full. A Cubs fan looks at the same glass and asks, "When's it gonna spill?" - Mike Royko

by LaddieRenfroe on Oct 6, 2008 6:46 PM CDT up 0 recs

I say he has a cannon from watching him in mid-deep left feild throw it home on a one bouncer, if thats not a strong arm then I don’t know what is,

"You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace."

by All The Way on Oct 6, 2008 6:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

so he got the ball home...

…and it only bounced once. That doesn’t mean that it was a really throw. It very well may have been accurate and nailed a runner that took a risk, but you have to look at the trajectory and not merely the place that the ball landed. Again, his trick is to get rid of the ball very quickly and, in doing that, he makes up for the lack of strength.

I could probably one-hop a ball in from mid-left but the problem is that I’d have to throw the ball on a big lollipop trajectory and the runner gains an advantage from that, not to mention that I’d miss a cutoff man. Next time you see Fukudome throw home, note how the ball is thrown low and hard on a line…compare to that to the higher arc on Soriano’s throws.

"Some people will look at a glass of water and say it's half-empty, while another guy will look at it and say it's half-full. A Cubs fan looks at the same glass and asks, "When's it gonna spill?" - Mike Royko

by LaddieRenfroe on Oct 6, 2008 6:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

A very weak throwing arm?

I don’t know who you’ve been watching, his throws aren’t lollipops.

For your information, the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint.

by Less is Walrond on Oct 6, 2008 7:44 PM CDT up 0 recs

It's not his arm, but how fast he gets it out

He doesn’t need much of a wind-up which gives him about .5 seconds extra for the assist. That 0.5 seconds gets the players out who try and test him.

by NittanyCub on Oct 6, 2008 8:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

ummm....

As Nittany Cub points out just above this, he gets rid of the ball very quickly, which helps to compensate for the lack of arm strength. He almost slings it sidearm, as if he’s turning a DP at second.

Put it this way – there are three components to judging an OF’s arm, 1) strength, 2) release time, and 3) accuracy. From what I’ve seen, Soriano is sorely lacking in true arm strength, the first component, but he releases the ball so quickly, and often throws accurately, that he is able to throw out a lot of runners. In other words, he throws effectively but that isn’t due to the strength of his arm. Plus, guys seem to run on him a lot and have ever since he moved to LF back in 2006. I’ve always wondered when they’ll get the memo that, just because his arm is weak, he can still cut them down.

If you’re absolutely convinced that he has a gun, as both Less and AlltheWay seem to be, I doubt that I can convince you otherwise.

"Some people will look at a glass of water and say it's half-empty, while another guy will look at it and say it's half-full. A Cubs fan looks at the same glass and asks, "When's it gonna spill?" - Mike Royko

by LaddieRenfroe on Oct 6, 2008 10:28 PM CDT up 0 recs

The important point is results. There are plenty

of players with guns for arms who can hit the seat in section 110 behind the dugout easily and they do it with regularity. Arm strength is only one part of outfield defense. Your argument is pretty weak when you say he doesn’t have a strong arm but he throws a lot of guys out. The point of the exercise is to THROW RUNNERS OUT!

For a LF, arm strength is probably the least important quality. It’s not wise for runners to keep running on Soriano because of his high percentage of nailing them, but there are a lot of stupid baserunners and third base coaches. I say, let em keep trying.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Oct 7, 2008 8:54 AM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah he has a great arm

3B coaches pretty much stopped sending or waiving through runners if Soriano was catching the ball anywhere closer than 10ft from the track. His throws were great all year. As a matter od fact, the Cubs’ OF play from left to right was pretty great all year long.

"I'll take one in the mouth over the eyes any day". - AJ Pierzynski
http://lostinthevines.blogspot.com/

by lostinthevines on Oct 7, 2008 2:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

Fail

"I'll take one in the mouth over the eyes any day". - AJ Pierzynski
http://lostinthevines.blogspot.com/

by lostinthevines on Oct 7, 2008 2:23 PM CDT up 0 recs

When Soriano was signed

The Cubs were worried about just getting to the playoffs. Soriano has helped them big time in that regard.

Now people feel we can’t get past the first round, so we need the ‘perfect’ first round player. Soriano is not that guy because of his poor playoff stats.

People can’t seem to get the idea that playoffs are VERY small sample size and while there is something to Soriano not being able to hit good-great pitching (playoff pitchers), you gotta get to the friggin’ playoffs first.

by IllinoisCubs on Oct 6, 2008 6:44 PM CDT 0 recs

"and while there is something to Soriano not being able to hit ..."

The problem is loud and clear. He is an undisciplined hitter who is stubborn in his rigid ways.

by cubsnlinux on Oct 6, 2008 6:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

Soriano in the post-season...

I posted on his post-season performances earlier in a different thread, the last comment here. I won’t re-post it but I looked through his gamelogs and noticed that, while his stats are lousy on balance, he came up with a series of huge hits when he was a Yankee.

My point was basically the same as yours, that even if he has lousy stats and looked bad in his last six post-season games, we’re looking at this through such a narrow lens and with so much inherent frustration that it can’t be considered objective. Rather, those clutch hits just illustrate that there’s a devil’s-advocate argument that takes some of the air out of these gut reactions.

"Some people will look at a glass of water and say it's half-empty, while another guy will look at it and say it's half-full. A Cubs fan looks at the same glass and asks, "When's it gonna spill?" - Mike Royko

by LaddieRenfroe on Oct 6, 2008 6:54 PM CDT up 0 recs

I posted this multiple times in other threads but the problem with Alfonso Soriano

is that he is an undisciplined hitter. He doesn’t adapt to the situation very well and thrives on pitchers making mistakes rather than forcing the pitcher to throw the pitch he can handle. He doesn’t work the count and if he is in a slump he seldom goes the opposite way. He doesn’t do the simple things like moving a runner over. So all in all he is a very unreliable hitter and the Cubs simply cannot depend on him to be THE guy in the lineup.

Having said all that he is the only real power threat in the lineup and as such he is a misfit in the lead off slot. In big game situations pitchers do not make mistakes and actually need not pitch a fast ball to him with him being on the base consistently without any runners on base and with no real power threats in the 2nd and 3 holes in the lineup.

So the solution would be to move Soriano to the number 3 hole or number 5 hole and design a situation wherein we DO NOT have to depend on him because like Ramirez chances are that he will not come through with any kind of pressure on him. This requires us to get an absolute spark plug to fill the lead off spot or to get a big reliable lefty power bat.

by cubsnlinux on Oct 6, 2008 6:50 PM CDT 0 recs

Well said.

by Fraggin Judge on Oct 6, 2008 6:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

The other thing

I’m not sure we had a better leadoff option on the roster.

Why don’t we ever read about Sandberg refusing to move over to 3rd later in his career? Or Grace refusing to leave the #3 hole?

Thngs of worth are worth fighting for regardless of the odds.

by cubstoseriesby100 on Oct 6, 2008 8:11 PM CDT up 0 recs

Flip Flop Lee and Soriano in the lineup

Never, but NEVER, put ketchup on a hot dog.

by CaliCub on Oct 6, 2008 9:58 PM CDT up 0 recs

Sure. What cubsnlinux proposes is based on the Cubs acquiring a leadoff hitter.

by Fraggin Judge on Oct 7, 2008 7:19 AM CDT up 0 recs

here

theriot
derosa
lee
ramirez
soriano
soto

by TC Cubby on Oct 7, 2008 7:25 AM CDT up 0 recs

aramis ramirez

isnt a power threat??? cmon be realistic with your comments

I BELIEVE!!!! GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!!!

by cubsluver22 on Oct 6, 2008 6:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

Ramirez cannot carry a team on his back the way Soriano can when he is in one of his patented

hot streaks.

by cubsnlinux on Oct 6, 2008 7:07 PM CDT up 0 recs

When the game is on the line

I’d rather have Ramirez at the dish than Soriano any day, whether he’s in a “patented hot streak” or not.

"Yes, dear. You're right. I'm sorry." -Bob Brenly

by ambrosiadreams on Oct 6, 2008 7:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

I cannot fault you with that. Actually 99.5% of cub fans including myself feel the same.

With Soriano at the plate you simply do not get the same feeling of security because his performances are like a sine wave whereas Ramirez hovers around the mean most of the time.

by cubsnlinux on Oct 6, 2008 7:16 PM CDT up 0 recs

Man it must be fall.

It feels like I just went back to math class with that one.

by 100yearitch on Oct 6, 2008 7:29 PM CDT up 0 recs

IIRC, Ramirez hits a lot of HR's and RBI's in the late innings

So I would rather have him hitting 99% of the time.

Sori showed at times he could take a walk, but he still is a free swinger. My one bitch about him is his speed, he never was a threat on the bases this year. I know he had lingering leg probs, but not one darn triple from him.

He is what he is. The problem with moving him down in the order is that he doesn’t hit there. If he could begin to hit at the 5 or 6 hole, then we could go for a classic leadoff man. Until then, we’re stuck with Mr. No Hit In October Soriano.

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Oct 6, 2008 7:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

He hits adequately there. Look at his numbers with Washington and Texas.

Soriano desn’t like to hit lower in the order but he has proved in the past that he can do it.

by Fraggin Judge on Oct 7, 2008 7:21 AM CDT up 0 recs

Maybe what I should have said

was that he didn’t hit well lower in the order with the Cubs. It may be just my perception, but Lou tried him lower and he really never got going. I don’t have any numbers to show his stats not in the lead off position, but I guess if he was hitting in other slots in the lineup, Lou would have kept him there.

All in all, I feel Rammy is a much better hitter in clutch situaltions. He works counts, and K’s less than Sori.

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Oct 7, 2008 9:13 AM CDT up 0 recs

How about

neither, in postseason they both have been dreadful. I would move Soriano to the 6 hole behind Soto

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Oct 7, 2008 8:03 AM CDT up 0 recs

That's a ludiccrous comment.

His BA after the 7th in 2-or-fewer – run games was .402 w/ 8HRs and 27 RBIs. THAT is clutch.

The operative word in your comment is “streak”; the whole idea of being an ecffective lead-off guy is CONSISTENTLY GETTING ON BASE; not swinging for the fences every AB the way Snoiano does

"I'll take one in the mouth over the eyes any day". - AJ Pierzynski
http://lostinthevines.blogspot.com/

by lostinthevines on Oct 7, 2008 2:29 PM CDT up 0 recs

In My Opinion...

we seem to forget that Soriano was signed as a free agent after posting a 40/40 season in Washington. He has yet to put up those kind of numbers for the Cubs, and with his leg injuries the past two years I doubt that he will ever again. YES, when he is hot he is the hottest hitter on the planet, but those three stretches a year don’t make up for his cold, cold streaks (which seem to last about twice as long), and his poor defense in left. Yes, he does have a good arm, but i’d rather not see him botch routine fly balls and have an average arm.

That being said, Soriano is NOT the end-all-be-all problem with the Cubs. It’s just his stubborness to only want to hit lead-off, and his refusal to adjust to breaking balls, gets unnerving sometimes. It’s also frustrating to some fans, I’m sure, that he really isn’t producing up to his huge contract that Hendry gave him.

"Yes, dear. You're right. I'm sorry." -Bob Brenly

by ambrosiadreams on Oct 6, 2008 7:11 PM CDT 0 recs

agreed.

With the way the rest of the team is built Soriano is a misfit in this cubs lineup. We have a few hitters in our line up but we DO NOT have an OFFENSE. Our offense is still a feast or famine lineup with Soriano as the poster boy.

by cubsnlinux on Oct 6, 2008 7:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

Ummm... no

Best OBP is baesball does represent feast or famine. Most runs scored in baseball does not represent feast or famine. I would love for you to find a team more consistent in scoring runs than the 2008 Chicago Cubs.

by IllinoisCubs on Oct 6, 2008 10:13 PM CDT up 0 recs

Maybe he was talking about stranded runners, 'cuz

we sure did seem to have more than our fair share of thise this year

"I'll take one in the mouth over the eyes any day". - AJ Pierzynski
http://lostinthevines.blogspot.com/

by lostinthevines on Oct 7, 2008 2:30 PM CDT up 0 recs

He has said that he will hit wherever Lou says he wants him to

the problem is he doesn’t hit anywhere else except at the top.

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Oct 6, 2008 7:45 PM CDT up 0 recs

Again, that is a myth.

Carreer numbers:
Hitting:
3rd: 630 AB, .260/.310/.452, 92 RBI
5th: 583 AB, .268/.312/.513, 107 RBI

He appears to be better hitting first, but that’s because he has 3 times the at bats hitting first. But I’d take the numbers above from my # 5 hitter.

by Fraggin Judge on Oct 7, 2008 7:24 AM CDT up 0 recs

I have stated this many times before...

…and folks just choose to ignore it for whatever reason. Tell me how many clubs would take a .513 slugging % and 107 RBI’s out of the five position and I think that answer is obvious.

A players talent will come through no matter what position they are in. It may take a slight adjustment period, but you can’t keep continuing on this Soriano as leadoff man path. I know the Cubs haven’t had a typical leadoff man (High OBP, Good baserunner) type guy since Lofton, but certainly Theriot was probably a better pick in this spot than Soriano. I am unclear as to what the dynamics are as to why they left Soriano leading off as long as they did (when they signed him, I thought he would evenutally hit lower). It is the fact that Hendry promised Soriano he would be their leadoff man? Is it Lou not wanting to upset Soriano’s delicate psychy? It could be a blend of both, I don’t know, but I would imagine Lou is through playing games with this.

Obviously, they recognized this last year by going after Roberts (unless they planned to hit him second, which is possible), but I think it is the number one priority going into the offseason.

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

by MPH73 on Oct 7, 2008 8:41 AM CDT up 0 recs

I don't

think there is any reason we should ship him out of town. As its been stated how many times; just move him down the order. He’s still an offensive threat. Just not a leadoff hitter. I think people wouldn’t feel quite has poorly toward him if he didn’t hit lead off. I would have no problem with a lineup consisting of Aram 4, Soriano 5, and Lee 6.

Its funny, you spend most of your life gripping a baseball. And in the end, its almost always the other way around.

by TCobb1911 on Oct 6, 2008 7:32 PM CDT 0 recs

I agree, but believe Soriano should be at best #5

probably #6. 3 and 4 need to be reserved for guys that consistantly produce. Soriano is too streaky to be the heart of the order.

My issue is that he occupies too much salary. His production at #6 making 10m a year makes him the fan favorite. For 20% of the payroll, I want more.

But the wind blew me back via Chicago, In the middle of the night

by N Oakley on Oct 6, 2008 8:09 PM CDT up 0 recs

tWO THINGS

One the main reason not to get rid of him is so many fans and the entire Chicago media want him gone. That’s enough reason not to get rid of him,’

Also I’m not sure the Cubs have had a better option at leadoff.

Thngs of worth are worth fighting for regardless of the odds.

by cubstoseriesby100 on Oct 6, 2008 8:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

He is the cubs best offensive player

There’s no doubt in my mind. But people don’t like him because he’s a showboat, doesn’t hustle, and plays a horrible left field. He also doesn’t try to get better at the aspects of the game that he’s bad at. But if he’s producing, I don’t care what else he does.

"Check the magic of a winning season and there are always reasons beyond the talent." Ned Colleti

by wrigleyrocker12 on Oct 6, 2008 7:55 PM CDT 0 recs

The lack of hustle

The lack of hustle is a lie. The only time he has not hustled was one time he thought it was a homerun and during the last part of 07 when he was playing on one leg.

Thngs of worth are worth fighting for regardless of the odds.

by cubstoseriesby100 on Oct 6, 2008 8:13 PM CDT up 0 recs

You can't be serious...

…he has a terrible habit of being one of the slowest hitters out of the box I have ever seen (because he watches everything for a couple seconds) and that has cost him doubles that turned into singles.

Also, he lolligags in the OF all the time and just doesn’t go hard after the ball.

To say he doesn’t hustle all the time is by no means a lie.

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

by MPH73 on Oct 6, 2008 8:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

I agree

when was the last time you saw him dive for a ball? Or actually huff and puff for an out? It’s like his legs are made out of glass, ready to break if he moves too fast.

by NittanyCub on Oct 6, 2008 8:24 PM CDT up 0 recs

Diving for a ball isnt a measuring stick for defensive ability...

Felix Pie doesnt dive for balls (or I cant remember a dive) and he had amazing defense while with the Cubs.

Jim Edmonds dove for tons of stuff, and despite the fact that I’m a Edmonds fan (while he was with the Cubs, obviously) I thought he dove a few times more than needed.

The best outfielders, defensively, tend to get to the ball without needing to dive. Andrew Jones (while with the Braves) comes to mind.

Soriano is probably average with his routs, below average on his ability to catch a ball he gets to, and well above average with his arm. The only guys I’ve seen with better arms (that come to my now) were Jose Guillen (early in his career) and Vlad (with the Expos).

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Oct 6, 2008 10:27 PM CDT up 0 recs

i can remember

at least 5 spectacular diving catches jones made with the braves (usually while charging in)

by Cubinator on Oct 7, 2008 12:37 AM CDT up 0 recs

Sometimes diving is the only way to get to a ball, but is should

be the exception not the rule. Diving for balls is the most misunderstood act in baseball. Good outfielders using positioning and a good jump to get to the ball. Speed also helps. Guys like Lenny Dykstra were thought to be hustlers, but the fact is he good bad jumps and dove at balls he had no chance to get.

Diving for balls is also a way to get hurt. Edmonds probably cost himself 10-15% of available playing time by abusing his body diving after balls and running into walls. Many people claim that Dimaggio never dove for a ball and he was considered one of the best outfielders of his time. He also didn’t have great speed.

Diving for balls looks impressive but looks can be deceiving. The balls Andruuw Jones dove after were just behind second base. A normal outfielder never gets close to those balls, whether he dives, leaps or sprouts wings.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Oct 7, 2008 9:08 AM CDT up 0 recs

I can't believe you guys.

I used to frequent this place, alot, along time ago. Occasionally I peak in to see what’s become of the place. I don’t like what I see. People here seriously blame Soriano? Are you folks kidding me? What does he need to do to prove himself? Become short white, scrappy and have a neato nickname like “The Riot”? The group think over here sickens me. Where are the original thinkers, the critical thinkers? Few and far between anymore, I fear. This team collectively soiled the bed. Everyone including fan fave Theriot. But let’s pick out Soriano, Ramirez, or any other guy who isn’t a fan friendly fella.
Where is the bile for Theriot’s play, or Soto, or lackluster pitching? How about a little fair criticism? I’m sure I’ll get flamed for this, I half expect KOW to jump all over me for being “nasty”. I don’t care. It needed to be said.
Al, are you really proud of what has transpired here? The level of intelligent discourse has dropped significantly over the past year. Any dissenting voice is shouted down and berated, if not ultimately banned outright, shame on you, shame on well most of you.

"It's cool we like the same junk and stuff."- Philip J. Fry

by smwojoz on Oct 6, 2008 7:58 PM CDT 0 recs

I too can't believe you..

"Become short white, scrappy and have a neato nickname like "The Riot"? "
Why are you bringing race into the discussion? It is disgusting. Has anyone talked about race or any other irrelevant crap in their comments above? You don’t need to agree with what people have to say and this is completely fair. Just like everyone else you have an opinion and you can present that without brining irrelevant issues to the middle.

Also I haven’t seen anyone say that TheRiot is better than Soriano. So your asinine comments are preposterous and misdirected.

I don’t know about others but I said many times that TheRiot is not a Major League SS. But what is the alternative? Would you rather see Cedeno there? We should get a REAL ML SS this offseason preferably someone who can play lead off kind of like Furcal.

Soriano’s salary is a huge percentage of our payroll with the NTC and what not and that’s what drives people to talk about him. His contract is huge and whenever you get paid a lot people expect you to produce and this is natural in every walk of life. If I command a six figure salary at my work then I better know what I am doing and better fix any production down situations. Now I understand that every single ML player’s contract is overvalued and is not a true reflection of his talent levels but we are talking about percentages here. Why do you think ARod gets a ton of crap from the NY fans and media year in and year out?

So for brining irrelevant issues into this discussion, Sir, Shame on you.

by cubsnlinux on Oct 6, 2008 8:47 PM CDT up 0 recs

I think his point was...

…“What does he need to do, become Theriot?”

I highly doubt he meant it as any type of racial thing. I think he was referring to the cult status of Ryan Theriot, not that fans would prefer a white outfielder to a minority outfielder.

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Oct 6, 2008 10:30 PM CDT up 0 recs

No I get his point

He mentioned “white”, that is a race, and he brought it into a conversation that had nothing to do with race. Soriano has been awful, horrible, dreadful in the postseason. The Cubs pay him to jack homers, rap doubles, score runs and steal a base once in awhile when his legs aren’t bothering him( for half the season) The Cubs pay that scrappy dude, Theriot, to hit for average, steal a base, ( hopefully better than a 50% ratio) score runs and not hurt then in the field. Theriot has come close to his performance level in the playoffs, Soriano is not even close to his.
Hey I am a defender of Soriano, but lets face it, he has not shown up for the last two playoff series.
Lou should move him into the 5/6 hole, and say " this is it Sori take it or tough shit".

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Oct 7, 2008 8:11 AM CDT up 0 recs

smwojoz

Perhaps, when you peek in from time to time, you should peek into more threads before making such ridiculous accusations. There are a large number of people that have pointed out in other threads that they think theriot is the weak link on this team.

Soriano, if he were white and scrappy, would be subject to the same ire that you see in this thread. Having and nine digit contract and playing poorly tend to leave the fanbase less than amused.

by Cubinator on Oct 7, 2008 12:44 AM CDT up 0 recs

Ah, the disgruntled former poster...

…stopping by to slap us all on the wrist for our poor baseball analysis skills and remind Al of how far his once mighty blog has fallen. Thank you for gracing us all with your presence and throwing us a few alms of your brillance, kind sir. I’m glad someone has the courage to reveal that the Cubs “collectively soiled the bed.” We had no idea! Now it all makes sense! Please come back and slum it with the unwashed masses more often, smwojoz.

So this is how it ends.

by dat cubfan daver on Oct 7, 2008 11:58 AM CDT up 0 recs