Verducci says Cubs' problem is OBP!

[Andy]

Look out, folks, someone in the NATIONAL MEDIA has addressed the REAL problem with the Cubs! From this week's Sports Illustrated:

 

THE DEEP ROOTS OF THE CUBS' WOES

 

Chicago G.M. Jim Hendry has put manager Dusty Baker and his staff under review at the All-Star break, but the team's problems go beyond the dugout. The Cubs' inability to develop or acquire hitters who work counts and get on base is systemic, epitomized by rookies Ronny Cedeno (.281 OBP at week's end) and Angel Pagan (.293 OBP, one walk) as well as off-season acquisition Juan Pierre (.321 OBP). Any franchise that wastes at bats on Neifi Perez (.269 OBP) just doesn't get it. Through Sunday the Cubs ranked last in the majors in walks and runs and were a lock to finish with an OBP below the big league average for the 15th time in 17 years. Their 33-54 record will likely cost Baker his job, but unless the Cubs change their philosophy on hitting, his successor won't fare much better.

 

Thank you, Verducci! Maybe people will start paying attention now...

[Drew Doughty]

wasn't he the guy that said dusty needed to be fired about a week ago?

[Butterscup1679666578]

He's right, the team's problems go beyond the dugout, but lack of patience at the plate is a testament to the coaching staff more than anything, IMO.

[YearofDaCubs]

Verducci is my new favorite friend. I'm really shocked that some of these writers and so called pros do not get it. Good thing Bruce and this guy do and are vocal about it. Too bad Hendry is too close-minded to look at stats like OBP.

[Jazz]

I just read this in SI today

I hope that as more and more writers recognize that OBP is as huge a stat as the triple crown stats, that Hendry and the Cubs brass will recognize it as well.

[oldstyle81]

the 2 most important stats in baseball (offense wise)

 

On Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage

 

 

 

according to Baseball Prospectus

 

ill have to agree

[Scott G. F.]

Tom Verducci is "Captin Obvious"

 

NSBB has be writing this since the begining of the year and now that Tom Verducci say it it must be true?

 

Because ya' know anything Sports Illustrated prints must be true.

[Banedon]

Tom Verducci is "Captin Obvious"

 

NSBB has be writing this since the begining of the year and now that Tom Verducci say it it must be true?

 

Because ya' know anything Sports Illustrated prints must be true.

 

SI's total readership is likely a bit more than NSBB. It isn't true just because SI says it, it just reaches more eyeballs that may otherwise only get Hendry/Baker's "hit, don't walk" philosophy.

 

What Verducci says may be obvious to most, but clearly not to Hendry and Baker, the people that matter.

[goonys evil twin]

He's right, the team's problems go beyond the dugout, but lack of patience at the plate is a testament to the coaching staff more than anything, IMO.

 

I wouldn't say it's a testament ot the coaching staff more than anything. It's a testament to the organization's overall philosophy. The coaching staff was hired, in part, because they share that philosophy. Hendry and others in the front office have downplayed or ignored the value of players who take walks for years. Whenever pressed on the subject they just talk about getting good aggressive hitters. The overreliance on aggressiveness has hampered this franchise for years.

[dalgreen]

I almost wish Verducci hadn't pointed directly to the Cubs when talking about their poor OBP. I think this will just make Hendry more and more resistant to change his philosophy.

[MustangMike]

Verducci is my new favorite friend. I'm really shocked that some of these writers and so called pros do not get it. Good thing Bruce and this guy do and are vocal about it. Too bad Hendry is too close-minded to look at stats like OBP.

 

I just hope that local and national attention force them to look at another side of the coin for once.

[imb]

Pfft, play MLB2K6. In the little dialog that goes on while the game is loading, if you're playing as the Cubs, every once in awhile the announcers will mention that the Cubs struggled last year because they were last in the National League in walks.

[BigbadB]

NSBB has be writing this since the begining of the year and now that Tom Verducci say it it must be true?

 

We've been saying this for a lot longer than the beginning of this year.

 

I think I mentioned it casually at least once everyday last year. That Derrek Lee finished with (by far) the lowest RBI total in the history of the game for guys with 99 XBH's or more speaks volumes.

[NewUserName]

At least some national writers will say what is truly wrong with the Cubs as oppossed to ARam doesnt hustle. I am glad he wrote it and hope him and others like Bruce will keep writing it. It may even start to get mentioned in the Trib and on WGN, now that would be a revolution.

[CuseCubFan69]

Hendry thinks Good OBP is a good idea. He just thinks it stands for Good"Ole Boy Percentage"

[soccer10k]

At least some national writers will say what is truly wrong with the Cubs as oppossed to ARam doesnt hustle. I am glad he wrote it and hope him and others like Bruce will keep writing it. It may even start to get mentioned in the Trib and on WGN, now that would be a revolution.

 

Len and Bob have been talking about OBP a decent amount this year. They also show OBP as one of the stats for each hitter on WGN along with BA, HR, and RBI if my memory serves me correctly.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Hendry thinks Good OBP is a good idea. He just thinks it stands for Good"Ole Boy Percentage"

 

yeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaawwwwww

[Elrhino]

He's right, the team's problems go beyond the dugout, but lack of patience at the plate is a testament to the coaching staff more than anything, IMO.

 

Wanna bet that the Cubs are at or near the OBP cellar with Baker's replacement as well?

[Drew Doughty]

He's right, the team's problems go beyond the dugout, but lack of patience at the plate is a testament to the coaching staff more than anything, IMO.

 

Wanna bet that the Cubs are at or near the OBP cellar with Baker's replacement as well?

 

the cubs will still be near the bottom most likely, but it will improve. you'd figure that at some point you'd sit down Jacque Jones or Ronny Cedeno or anybody that struggles to walk to tell them to take a pitch every once in a while.

 

It falls on Jim Hendry more than anything, though.

[B4Icroak]

Aside from everything else thats wrong with Baker as a manager, his inability to grasp this concept is sad. Through Saturday, the difference (in rough numbers) between the 2nd to last place in MLB Cubs OBP (.316) and that of the leading Red Sox (.367) is roughly an additional 150 base runners to date. Given that we've lost 14 games by one run and 7 games by 2 runs.........