| Dennis Hobein. 1st May, 2008 - 6:25 pm
 When Alfonso Soriano returns to the Cubs’ lineup on May 1, as they host division rival Milwaukee in the rubber game of a three game set, it won’t be without heavy controversy and skepticism. Along with his now infamous “hop”, Soriano’s return also brings legitimate questions about Lou Piniella’s decision to put him back in the lead-off spot. Since landing on the DL on April 15th, the Cubs’ offense has been clicking fairly consistently, evidenced by a 19-run onslaught on Wednesday night.
In fact, during this stretch, they have led or been near the top of most NL offensive stats, including runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage, and pitches seen per at-bat. The Cubs have displayed patience and discipline at the plate not seen since before the Dusty Baker era, which is where the controversy lies.
Everybody knows that Alfonso Soriano’s offensive approach is more fitting for a middle of the line-up hitter, rather than a table-setter at the top. At times, he can make Angels’ slugger Vladimir Guerrero look like a patient slap-hitter. The obvious upside, however, is his tremendous power and his ability to put the team ahead on the first pitch of the game. This is why the Cubs made him the highest paid player in club history, earning $14 million this season. Soriano is a dynamic, game-changing type player who should be paid top dollars. But, are the Cubs more worried about getting their money’s worth and justifying his contract, than winning the World Series?
Soriano has proven on several occasions that he is a far more productive hitter in the lead-off role than anywhere else in the line-up. Nobody seems to agree on why this is, but a possible explanation may simply be that he sees more first pitch fastballs over the plate when leading off. This seems to carry some merit as he flailed at breaking ball after breaking ball in the NLDS last year against Arizona. Others believe that while he publicly states that he doesn’t care where he bats, privately or behind closed doors, he might feel under-appreciated when he is shuffled lower in the lineup. To his credit, Soriano has quietly done whatever the team has asked of him without complaint.
The question, however, shouldn’t be what is best for Alfonso Soriano. It should be what is best for the Chicago Cubs. The duo of Reed Johnson, with an OBP of .379, and Ryan Theriot, with an OBP of .396, has been potent, giving Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Kosuke Fukudome plenty of opportunities to knock in runs. Soriano’s current OBP is .298, which logically translates into less base-runners for the middle of the lineup. Soriano will hit some lead-off home-runs, but does that outweigh the benefit of a significantly higher amount of RBI opportunities for the power hitters? Another asset Soriano previously had was his ability to steal a base to put himself into scoring position. With leg injuries over the past two seasons, the Cubs are not nearly as willing to risk their investment by giving him the green light, effectively eliminating this prior benefit.
There is no question that Soriano’s return is a welcomed boost to the team. Besides his offensive abilities, he has a deadly arm in left field and instantly upgrades the defense. DeRosa can now slide back into his more familiar second base position. But, if Soriano continues to struggle when he returns, Piniella will be dealing with a firm-storm of questions regarding the line-up. And nobody likes to deal with an angry Lou Piniella, which may be the only certainty in this controversy. |
