doubt it if Lou would move his #3 hitter and team leader at this point in the season. Yes, he is a singles hitter now, but his luck could turn and he could return to form quickly. It’s not like he is batting .150. He is still gettong hits, just not driving in runs. That could change at any time.

Obviously, your post is a little over the top in tone, but I think you know that. It doesn’t change the fact that a change will be needed at 1B in the very near term, if D-Lee can’t right this ship immediately.

Take a look at the South Side – they are going through a similar situation with Konerko (awesome 2005, big contract, not much since then, terrible 2008.) They aren’t going to keep running him out there indefinitely.

I think that sixth in the order is just about right for D-Lee, and I think that DeRosa should move up to the 3-hole.

At this point in his career, D-Lee is just not capable of hitting like a #3 hitting MLB 1B with an 8-figure salary. He is possibly in a bad place mentally, but he is definitely failing the team. He’s the 5th-best 1B in the division, but that’s only b/c LaRoche has faded almost as fast as Lee.

Lee is easily the one regular who an opponent would most want to face in a big spot. Even more so than Fukudome. His performance with RISP and 2 outs has been just abysmal – around .200 with an OPS+ of less than 50. That doesn’t mean that he needs to be benched right now, but it does mean that he and DeRosa should swap batting order spots.

And for 2009, I think that Hendry needs to keep his eyes and ears open regarding a potential upgrade. Lee only has 2 years left on his deal, and could presumably be moved without the Cubs eating a ton of his salary.

Lee needs to hit in a different spot – Fukudome well he sucks.

What next? I understand we are Cubs fans but seriously??? Did anyone notice the Cubs won 85 games so far?

This is exactly why we sit in front of a computer all day. If coaches mad moves like this they would be fired. Justifying changing the line-up and moving our leader out of the 3 hole is maddening – especially after we have won 85 games, with the prospect of winning 100.

I am sorry but DLee is fine – yea he has been struggling lately but who has been on fire? We are just missing those clutch hits. And yes losing streaks are new to us, but if we win the next 4 or 5, are you still going to be calling for a DLee move?

its not a drastic change, and the lineup does not have an established #2 hitter. soriano is boom or bust for the most part, he’ll hit a home run/a double/or strikeout, if he does hit a single he’s fast enough to break up the dp at second. let aramis hit #3, he’s clearly our best all around hitter. derrek lee, as he has performed this year, makes a perfect two hitter. slugging .355 since the all star break isnt going to cut it for a #3 hitter. and i completely agree with the suggestion that soto aboslutely needs to be moved up in the lineup if we are going to maximize on run scoring.

will be god when he burns the postseason up.

knowing that I called that 8th inning AB, which totally pissed off my wife since I even had at a 5-4-3, what I’d like to know from the Cubs (though we’ll really never know what’s being said) is this.

What is Gerald Perry doing to keep D-Lee from opening up too soon and trying to pull everything he sees? It seems like his DP slump coincides with him not going the other way. There was that small blip a couple weeks ago where he drove the ball to the opposite field for a few hits. He even flew out Monday to end the game that way, a day where if the wind was blowing out or even still, the ball had a chance to make the basket.

I really think he’s trying to pull everything. It’d be interesting to see if high speed video can find that mechanical flaw I think he has.

I’d rather take this approach then the drop-him-in-the-order or burn him in effigy.

NL Average, 1B: .275/.358/.468
D-Lee: .292/.363/.462

So, he has hit a touch better than the average first baseman, and he has a better glove, too. And people want to bench him for Micah Freaking Hoffpauir? Good lord.

Lee has been in, I really wish Lou had called for a squeeze play or something. Or maybe even pinch hit for him last night. I still think he’ll come around. But in the meantime, he’s killing us. Last night, who among us didn’t KNOW beyond a doubt that Lee would GIDP in the 8th. The K after that was just as frustrating, again with men on.

I have no idea what is up with DLee. While I don’t expect him to ever have another year like his monster one, I do believe is still a much better player than what we’ve seen this year. I expected him to have some problems after his broken wrist, but he showed us in the 2nd half of last season that he could still go. This season, I don’t think he’s even played as well as he did with the Marlins and earlier on with the Cubs. I think he stays in the 3rd spot because he, out of anyone, can turns things around and be a great leader for the Cubs on the field. Still, I have a feeling, he had better do something good next season or it may be his last as a Cub. It seems impossible to believe that, but this is the new Cubs, and the players have to produce or else.

and have the ability to become productive again if they can regain their timing, or rest their injured bodies, or make a small adjustment. Baseball’s a marathon and sometimes hitters go through deep slumps.

and should be appreciated for his above average season. Maybe 2005 has put too many expectations on this guy, but he brings it defensively and offers a good bat. His DP last night was well struck, and seemed to be more ‘unfortunate placement’ than his usual dribblers to SS.

I will say this though. D-Lee’s absence of power lately doesn’t blend well with Theriot, who he often follows. Back to back ground ball singles hitters lacking speed spells trouble to me. But oh well. I think Derrek is still having a fine year and will pick things up.

Expectations for Derrek Lee are too high. He’s a quality ballplayer with good all-around skills. No doubt about it. But he isn’t in the class of an Albert Pujols, or a Lance Berkman and Prince Fielder. And that is where the hang-up lies for a growing number of Cub fans.

In a perfect world Lee should bat 6th and be counted on for quality leadership, excellent defense and around 25 plus HRs to go along with 85 or so RBIs. Definition of good ballplayer by ANY measure. Just not the star people falsely hold him out to be.

frankly, I’m ready to vent too over the sad decline of Derrick this season .. because we all know what the man can do

I can’t imagine anyone but Lee in the infield at 1st .. certainly Hoffpauir and Ward can do so and maybe their bats can get dusted off and we can see what they can do. But losing Lee just seems over the top .. as does Fukudome, who, for all you can say about his struggles, seems to know a little more about RF than anyone else they might have stuck in there. Dome’s clearly trying to snap his adjustment year funk.

Derrick, I don’t know .. I say we give Hoffpauir the series in Cincinnatti to prove what he can do. Give DLee the bench to think things over. Maybe DeRo can sub briefly in RF to give Dome some more time to rest and have Onedec in to play where ever Lou thinks he should have been.

I guess arm chair roster tweaking season is in ..

But, Theres only how many games left? 30. We’ve won 85 at this point with lee batting 3rd every game. We can all agree that Lee is no longer a slugger by any means, but you can’t just shake up the lineup so drastically. Lee is also a very good fielder and bails out Theriot ALOT, Yes hes not slugging great but he is also helping this team in more ways than one. I don’t have his stats but Id bet hes got a really good obp. I consider him a #2 hitter, with theriot leading off and rami 3rd. Soriano is just the end of the order slugger who gets an atbat in the first inning.

Soriano
DeRosa
Ramirez
Soto
Lee
Edmonds
Theriot
Fukudome

 Theriot
Fukudome
Soriano
Ramirez
Lee
Soto
Edmonds/Johnson
DeRosa
 
 Theriot did pretty good leading off earlier; Fukudome play fundamental baseball to move the runner over, or draw a walk,get on base if no one is on;Soriano is our HR threat, should see fastballs because if they pitch around him you get Ramirez;Lee’s singles now might drive someone in(or hit into DP);Soto may be able to drive in Lee or if he starts the inning(due to DP) he can get on okay;Edmonds/Johnson decent guys at drive people in and again should see good pitches because you wouldn’t want to many on for DeRo right now.

Do you think its just Lee

Of our big 3, when was the last time Lee, Sori or Rami hit the ball to right.

Keep the ball away from these 3 and your fine.

Lately only Soto, Dero and Theriot have gone up the middle or opposit field