Theriot baserunning

is so refreshing to see a positive post like this. For which I thank you. I have never understood the rap that Theriot has gotten. I’ll take him on my team anytime.

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Pretty much from day 1, people have slammed this guy. Sure, his range and arm from short aren’t great, but his OBP, AVG, and attitude more than make up for his deficiences. On a team with a first baseman hitting a hair over .200 and a free-agent signing hitting under .200, he is the least of the problems. Lou doesn’t seem to have the same ill will towards him as many posters here.

yeah, i know he does not have great range at SS … ok maybe he’s not really even that great overall in the field … but he plays hard and seems to actually care about giving his all and helping his team win games … last year the guy was a huge spark plug for us, wrapping nearly 200 hits !! When other players were hurt or took days off, Theriot stepped up. Without him, who knows how last season goes … and as he’s shown the last couple days with his bat, he’s definitely an asset to this year’s team as well.

If he can keep this up — and no, he doesn’t have to hit homers every day, either — he’ll be a real asset to this team. Keep up the good work.

Theriot cost us near nothing in terms of baseball dollars.

But if he can sprinkle in more XBH’s, which he has struggled to do in the past, then he becomes a much more valuable player. I still think he should be our 2B of the future, where his lack of arm strength won’t hurt us quite as much.

…when really he’s a second baseman. It’s not his fault that the Cubs can’t find a “true” SS, but he’s gotten the job done.

and I am hoping the Riot Train keeps on going. He is really playing above expectations, and I for one am estatic!

I agree with you 100%. I’ve never understand the disdain for Theriot. Sure, he has his limitations, but other than Albert Pujols, what player doesn’t? Theriot led the team last year in hitting (AVG and OBP), yet people on this site continue to call for his head.

Ryan Theriot is a very good baseball player, and I’m glad, and have been glad, that he’s our SS.

I appointed myself the official Therio/HoffPower athletic supporter on BCB and I approve this post :-)

Seriously though you put it very well- they guy hustles and plays the game well. Alot of people say scrappy with derision but I think it is important to a team to have someone who can pick them up- George Brett was scrappy too and when a guy hustles out a grounder- or takes an extra base on an error because he was hustling it picks everyone up.

and for all the stat heads: they are called “intangibles” for a reason!

It’s nice to have a pro-Theriot post on here.

I want to go argue everytime I see one that posts against Ryan. That would be such an uphill battle though. Kudos to you on writing this one!

Not because of the homeruns, but the fact that he’s hitting for extra bases, period. And the baserunning gaffes seem to have been straightened out to date.

My biggest issue with him was always the fact many players that don’t have the physical abilities of stars often are great at the fundamentals and playing smart — and he didn’t seem to me to be doing that this year.

(Note to a couple of “baseball experts” from other threads — that’s what I’d observed. Flame away about the fact that I didn’t play “at a high level”; I won’t acknowledge it.)

and I like your post.

I am always reminded of the old cliche when there is something of a love/hate emotion of anything or anyone. Be careful what you ask for.

Can the Cubs do better with a different SS? Maybe. Can they do worse? Hell, yes.

A good article on Cubs.com today about The Riot and Von Joshua. I’m glad he’s getting some HR’s, but I am most happy that he simply plays hard and lays it all out there every game. That’s all you can ask and expect. He is a crucial piece to this team and when we finally win the WS, I am sure it will be partly because of Ryan.

maybe you can answer a question I’ve been wondering since the beginning of the season. What was Theriot’s offseason like? The past couple years, he has seemingly worn down physically by the end of the year (beyond what is typical for any baseball player). Did he train really hard in the offseason, or stay away from the game to recharge the batteries? Or did he do nothing different and I’m seeing things that aren’t there?

Regardless, he looks fantastic this year, and much more energized. Which is good; I got my mom a Theriot jersey (her favorite player) and I would like it if he stuck around for a while!

Theriot is one of my favorites for a lot of the reasons above. Do I think he is the NL’s best SS? No, but it’s hard to argue what he has given to this team.

Glad to see some other Theriot fans come out of the woodwork.

Theriot and have never bashed him. I was happy that we got rid of Cedeno and made Theriot our everyday SS.

What surprises me is that Cedeno was roundly despised over here for his poor baserunning, while Theriot makes quite a few baserunning gaffes of his own (aside from the piles of CS that he tallied last year). You can find a list of theriot blunders (also known as TOOTBLANs) at WV23

that many other teams would covet. He’s more than serviceable.

My problem (really, it will be his problem) is that this sudden burst of power — is just a mirage, and if Theriot thinks, “…gee, I’ve got to drive the ball, Lou says so…” this is a major mistake.

Friday’s night’s at-bat in the 8th inning in Milwaukee, with the bases loaded, a perfect example… Instead of taking a pitch or two — he looked to drive that first pitch to Lake Michigan. All that was needed was a thoughtful at bat (which he normally delivers) but — he corkscrewed himself into the ground on that first pitch, a curve, out of the zone. For the remainder of the at-bat, he looked awful. It seems the advance scouting has already caught up to what seems to be Theriot’s “new” mindset.

If Soriano does that, I can live with it. Theriot just needs to take pitches, draw walks, hit to the oppoistie field. Suddenly, his “slugger” mind set cost the Cubs a chance to add runs, and perhaps — change the entire complexion of Friday night’s game.

Forget about Heilman’s blown hold….Theriot’s miserable at bat cost the Cubs the game. I expect him to run the count, when he’s at the plate with the bases loaded, and possibly line a mistake pitch to LF…….this team doesn’t need looping, HR swings in an attempt to send pitches to Bernie Brewer’s brewhouse. There are other bats on this team being paid to do so, who need to step it up.

is bad luck, can we take it down? Ryan’s swing is all out of whack, as is Fontenot.

To the guys that bashed me for “pretending to be friends with Theriot”, “stroking him”, etc…well, I’ll refrain from dropping to your level out of respect for Mr. Al. Suffice to say, maybe you should get out and breathe some fresh air every once in a while.

Geaux Cubs!!!