Is Lou Telling The Truth?

[CubsWin]

Cubs.com[/url]"]His objectives coming into camp were to get players in shape, stay healthy, cut down on walks by the pitchers, have the hitters be more selective and improve executing plays. They've done that, Piniella said.

Have they really? And if so, to what extent?

 

Besides Daryl Ward who looks downright out of shape or injured, the Cubs do look to be "in shape". Wood, Zambrano, Dempster and Eyre all lost some weight.

 

Prior isn't back to being himself, but technically he's "healthy". Wuertz is in the same boat. Ward looks injured or just terrible. Wood is wood, or should I say glass. But besides those guys, Lou is right, the Cubs stayed healthy this spring.

 

Last spring, the Cubs gave up 3.58 walks per game and drew only 2.80. This spring those numbers are basically reversed. They have given up 2.89 walks per game and drawn 3.71.

 

We've all seen the improvement Ronny Cedeno has made in hitting to right field to advance the runner and being more selective. He has drawn 11 walks in 55 ABs while last spring he drew only 4 in 55.

 

Is Lou telling the truth? Have the Cubs actually made these improvements? Can veterans be taught new tricks? Can patience and throwing strikes be taught and taught so quickly? Or is it that Hendry has brought in some guys, both FAs and from the minors, that through more strikes and drew more walks and were more patient?

 

I'll believe more when it happens during the season as well. But comparing last spring's numbers to this spring's is all the imperical data we have at the moment.

[frostwyrm]

Cubs.com[/url]"]His objectives coming into camp were to get players in shape, stay healthy, cut down on walks by the pitchers, have the hitters be more selective and improve executing plays. They've done that, Piniella said.

Have they really? And if so, to what extent?

 

Besides Daryl Ward who looks downright out of shape or injured, the Cubs do look to be "in shape". Wood, Zambrano, Dempster and Eyre all lost some weight.

 

Prior isn't back to being himself, but technically he's "healthy". Wuertz is in the same boat. Ward looks injured or just terrible. Wood is wood, or should I say glass. But besides those guys, Lou is right, the Cubs stayed healthy this spring.

 

Last spring, the Cubs gave up 3.58 walks per game and drew only 2.80. This spring those numbers are basically reversed. They have given up 2.89 walks per game and drawn 3.71.

 

We've all seen the improvement Ronny Cedeno has made in hitting to right field to advance the runner and being more selective. He has drawn 11 walks in 55 ABs while last spring he drew only 4 in 55.

 

Is Lou telling the truth? Have the Cubs actually made these improvements? Can veterans be taught new tricks? Can patience and throwing strikes be taught and taught so quickly? Or is it that Hendry has brought in some guys, both FAs and from the minors, that through more strikes and drew more walks and were more patient?

 

I'll believe more when it happens during the season as well. But comparing last spring's numbers to this spring's is all the imperical data we have at the moment.

 

I hope the Cubs didn't sign Daryle Ward expecting him to be in shape. He's been a big fatty for a long time now.

[Backtobanks]

Cubs.com[/url]"]His objectives coming into camp were to get players in shape, stay healthy, cut down on walks by the pitchers, have the hitters be more selective and improve executing plays. They've done that, Piniella said.

Have they really? And if so, to what extent?

 

Besides Daryl Ward who looks downright out of shape or injured, the Cubs do look to be "in shape". Wood, Zambrano, Dempster and Eyre all lost some weight.

 

Prior isn't back to being himself, but technically he's "healthy". Wuertz is in the same boat. Ward looks injured or just terrible. Wood is wood, or should I say glass. But besides those guys, Lou is right, the Cubs stayed healthy this spring.

 

Last spring, the Cubs gave up 3.58 walks per game and drew only 2.80. This spring those numbers are basically reversed. They have given up 2.89 walks per game and drawn 3.71.

 

We've all seen the improvement Ronny Cedeno has made in hitting to right field to advance the runner and being more selective. He has drawn 11 walks in 55 ABs while last spring he drew only 4 in 55.

 

Is Lou telling the truth? Have the Cubs actually made these improvements? Can veterans be taught new tricks? Can patience and throwing strikes be taught and taught so quickly? Or is it that Hendry has brought in some guys, both FAs and from the minors, that through more strikes and drew more walks and were more patient?

 

I'll believe more when it happens during the season as well. But comparing last spring's numbers to this spring's is all the imperical data we have at the moment.

 

I hope the Cubs didn't sign Daryle Ward expecting him to be in shape. He's been a big fatty for a long time now.

 

Hopefully, he will regain his batting eye. Being overweight never seemed to stop some players (Babe Ruth, John Kruk, etc.)

[Schwarber Fan]

I thought Ward was having a decent spring?

[Balsa]

I thought Ward was having a decent spring?

He is, after he recovered from the flu.

 

empirical

[Ding Dong Johnson]

What's the point of this thread?

[Chris]

His objectives

[mordecaibrown]

What a difference a year has made. I know its just spring training but Cubs hitters have gone to the plate with idea during their at bats. Compare to last years disaster, in which Slappy and crew would see about 11 pitches an inning, and Dusty gave everyone the "home run sign" so there would be no clogging of the bases. The pitching will improve their walk totals due to Lilly, Miller and Marquis. They are not really strikeout pitchers , they pitch to contact which could be a good or bad thing....We will find out quickly. Zambrano and Hill will walk a ton of hitters, thats not going to change its the nature of their style of pitching.

 

Lou will not tolerate players not producing, so I believe Lou when talks about this years team. If a player is not patience at the plate and make bad outs he will sit, same thing with the pitching staff walk to many guys and you will find yourself in Iowa.....would dusty ever have optioned Marky Mark to AAA, or even yell at a player during the spring.

 

To be fair to Lou, the Cubs former manager ran this team into the ground(96 loses) so any thing he does would be improvement, there is no place to go but up.......................

[abuck1220]

hill's control has been fantastic since the second half of last season. he didn't walk a batter this spring.

[mordecaibrown]

Hill does have good control, but still will walk 90 to 100 batters a season, I was trying to say that strikeout pitchers throw more pitches, therefore increase the chances for giving up walks. Hill and Z like to rack up the K's so walks will occur.

[RichHillIsABeast]

Hill does have good control, but still will walk 90 to 100 batters a season, I was trying to say that strikeout pitchers throw more pitches, therefore increase the chances for giving up walks. Hill and Z like to rack up the K's so walks will occur.

 

90-100 batters a season? Hill's going to have to revert to pre-2005 BB/9 levels for that to even have a chance to occur.

[98navigator]

I'm not sure that there is any correlation between being a high strikeout pitcher and allowing lots of walks. That's not true.

 

If the Spring is any indication of the season, both Hill and Zambrano will have much improved control. As already mentioned, Hill did not walk anyone all Spring and Zambrano's percentage of walks was markedly reduced.

 

I'm also encouraged by Lilly's GB% (increased use of a sinker) but think he will struggle, overall, to be efficient with his pitches. One of the main reasons why Ted has failed to pitch 200 innings in his career is because he uses a lot of pitches early. However, he seems to be employing a better game plan this ST. Lt's hope these trends continue into the Regular Season.

[Rob]

Hill does have good control, but still will walk 90 to 100 batters a season, I was trying to say that strikeout pitchers throw more pitches, therefore increase the chances for giving up walks. Hill and Z like to rack up the K's so walks will occur.

 

Ben Sheets and his 2004 line of 264 SO and 32 BB in 237 innings would like to disagree.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Hill does have good control, but still will walk 90 to 100 batters a season, I was trying to say that strikeout pitchers throw more pitches, therefore increase the chances for giving up walks. Hill and Z like to rack up the K's so walks will occur.

 

Ben Sheets and his 2004 line of 264 SO and 32 BB in 237 innings would like to disagree.

 

Curt Schilling says hi.

[98navigator]

Not to mention

 

2003 Prior with 245 K's 50 BB

 

2004: 139/48

2005: 188/59

[10man]

Hill does have good control, but still will walk 90 to 100 batters a season, I was trying to say that strikeout pitchers throw more pitches, therefore increase the chances for giving up walks. Hill and Z like to rack up the K's so walks will occur.

Top 10 Strikeout SP's in 2006 (Pitcher/K/BB)

 

1) Johan Santana - 245 / 47

2) Aaron Harang - 216 / 56

3) Jake Peavy - 215 / 62

4) John Smoltz - 211 / 55

5) Carlos Zambrano - 210 / 115

6) Jeremy Bonderman - 202 / 64

7) John Lackey - 190 / 72

8) Brett Myers - 189 / 63

9) Bronson Arroyo - 184 / 64

10) Chris Carpenter - 184 / 43

 

As you can see, pitchers who go for strikeouts DO NOT get a lot of BB's. Z is the exception and is the only one in the TOP 30 who had more than 100 walks.

[CubsWin]

What's the point of this thread?

The point is that now we can compare a complete spring training with the one that came before it, and at least have some numbers, admittedly flawed because they are spring training stats, that support what Lou himself is claiming. Namely, that he and his staff have managed to teach patience and strike-throwing in just a couple of months.

 

Some on this board have stated that patience can not be taught. Lou seems to think otherwise and the early, though flawed, numbers support his statement.

[Mephistopheles]

As you can see, pitchers who go for strikeouts DO NOT get a lot of BB's. Z is the exception and is the only one in the TOP 30 who had more than 100 walks.

 

Wasn't Zambrano the only pitcher who had more than 100 walks period? It kind of hurts your point. Statistically speaking there's a very high correlation with BB rate and K rates. This is expected and is not a secret.

[CubColtPacer]

As you can see, pitchers who go for strikeouts DO NOT get a lot of BB's. Z is the exception and is the only one in the TOP 30 who had more than 100 walks.

 

Wasn't Zambrano the only pitcher who had more than 100 walks period? It kind of hurts your point. Statistically speaking there's a very high correlation with BB rate and K rates. This is expected and is not a secret.

 

Z was 1 of 3 who had over 100 walks last year-Doug Davis and Daniel Cabrera also did, but I definitely agree there is a high correlation between high K and high BB rates.

[Peoriaman]

yes to these questions. What a strange way to start a thread.

[oldstyle81]

Hill does have good control, but still will walk 90 to 100 batters a season, I was trying to say that strikeout pitchers throw more pitches, therefore increase the chances for giving up walks. Hill and Z like to rack up the K's so walks will occur.

 

i needed a good laugh this morning.