Booing Soriano

[bc2k]

If he makes that out, the Cubs likely don't surrender the lead that inning and go on to win. Soriano's defense might have cost us this game.

 

Key words: If, likely, and might.

 

As opposed to the certainty, definiteness and reality of today's loss.

[Chris]

You still can't assume anything in the game.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I've been patient with Soriano's below average hitting because his history suggests he will improve greatly. The defense he played today does upset me. In the Reds' 6-run inning, Soriano broke back for a fly ball he eventually had to come in on, and he failed to make the catch.

 

Replays show he was extremely close to making the catch, and I believe the difference in making the out and not was caused by his misread off the bat.

 

If he makes that out, the Cubs likely don't surrender the lead that inning and go on to win. Soriano's defense might have cost us this game.

 

Replays also show he was calling for the ball and pulled up a little short because Cedeno was barreling in on him. Had he not done that, he would have made the catch. That was the difference in making the out.

 

Yeah, and if Soriano didn't first run in the other direction of where the ball landed, he'd have enough time to make a standing catch.

 

If Ronny didn't hear Soriano screaming while running in, he certainly wouldn't have heard him standing there waiting for the ball to drop in his glove.

[bc2k]

You still can't assume anything in the game.

 

Of course there's no guarantees, but odds of winning would have been better if Soriano had made the out.

 

Soriano's poor defense hurt the Cubs' odds of winning.

[bc2k]

I've been patient with Soriano's below average hitting because his history suggests he will improve greatly. The defense he played today does upset me. In the Reds' 6-run inning, Soriano broke back for a fly ball he eventually had to come in on, and he failed to make the catch.

 

Replays show he was extremely close to making the catch, and I believe the difference in making the out and not was caused by his misread off the bat.

 

If he makes that out, the Cubs likely don't surrender the lead that inning and go on to win. Soriano's defense might have cost us this game.

 

Replays also show he was calling for the ball and pulled up a little short because Cedeno was barreling in on him. Had he not done that, he would have made the catch. That was the difference in making the out.

 

Yeah, and if Soriano didn't first run in the other direction of where the ball landed, he'd have enough time to make a standing catch.

 

If Ronny didn't hear Soriano screaming while running in, he certainly wouldn't have heard him standing there waiting for the ball to drop in his glove.

 

Soriano still almost made the catch after taking a bad route to the ball. Had he read the ball correctly, he would have had ample time to catch it.

 

I think part of the reason for the collision was the distance between Cedeno and Soriano. The faster Soriano got to the ball, the quicker Cedeno realizes his CF can make the catch, allowing Cedeno to pull up and let his CF make the catch.

[frostwyrm]

9 games into the season and I have the same number of big league home runs as Alfonso Soriano and Derrick Lee combined.

 

I rule.

[RynoRules]

Sandberg, Lee, ARam.

 

What do these gentlemen have in common with Fonz? :

 

Slow starters (traditionally, with certain exceptions).

 

I found yesterday's loss to be deplorable and a nasty reminder of how badly this team is capable of playing, but the good news is that:

 

1) Its very, very early;

 

2) The manager had a very different approach after the game than we have seen recently.

[Derwood]

This just in: Soriano has played exactly 9 more games in CF than I have

[3Dog]

I've often asked myself what it would be like to have an entire crowd of sabremetrically-minded fans at a ballgame.

 

Assuming the higher intelligence of an SABR-minded crowd relative to a park full of "average" fans, how different would the typical grandstand expressions of joy/anger be? Would it just consist of polite applause when a player performs to his career high OPS, and then stone silence when a Neifi-type hacked at the first pitch and popped to third? Would it even make sense to cheer on a guy like Jason Marquis if he were to pitch 8 innings of one-run ball, seeing as that would be a one-off anomaly given his lifetime marks?

 

On the other hand, the collective displays of emotion has the potential of being much more creative than the usual cheering and booing. Forty thousand people chanting "GRIT-TY, GRIT-TY" in a singsong manner whenever David Eckstein came up. Someone standing on top of the dugout alonside an effigy of a pitcher with a high WHIP and flogging it (with a whip...get it?). Instead of Ronnie Woo-Woo, a Joe Morgan impersonator would wander the park and send the crowd into laughter reciting Joe's nuggets of old-school "wisdom".

 

I also think that a discerning crowd who understands the meaningful measures of a ballplayer's talent would be a more effective agent for change. It's hard to sell toolsy athletes with poor plate discipline and pitch command to a public that knows better. The masses would stay away, and the rows and rows of empty seats day after day would hit the front office right where it hurts.

 

It's fun to think about, but I highly doubt any of this becomes reality anytime soon. So until then, the next best thing is the NSBB.

Edited April 14, 2007 by 3Dog

[illiniguy]

You still can't assume anything in the game.

True, save for Zambrano pitching with a 5-0 lead=OVA. Lol. Ok last time I will do that. Sometimes it feels good to laugh about the Cubs.

[n l doormat]

I was saying "boo-urns".

[apete6]

Got picked off again today. Sweet baseball IQ. At least he got an infield hit after that. Very Juan Pierre like day for the Fons

[frostwyrm]

Got picked off again today. Sweet baseball IQ. At least he got an infield hit after that. Very Juan Pierre like day for the Fons

 

Yeah, he got 2 hits, but they were both singles, and he also got a GIDP and got picked off. Multihit game, but overall not an impressive performance.

[Soul]

Got picked off again today. Sweet baseball IQ. At least he got an infield hit after that. Very Juan Pierre like day for the Fons

 

Yeah, he got 2 hits, but they were both singles, and he also got a GIDP and got picked off. Multihit game, but overall not an impressive performance.

 

He's struggling a little. I'm not all that suprised. I'll be shocked if it continues for months.

 

Cub fans will boo him senselessly like they did with Jones. Not saying that can't, it's their prerogative. But how wrong were the fans about Jones? Pretty damn wrong --- to the point of coming to the stadium with apology placards and signs. They should learn their lesson and look at the bigger picture.

[CubColtPacer]

Got picked off again today. Sweet baseball IQ. At least he got an infield hit after that. Very Juan Pierre like day for the Fons

 

Yeah, he got 2 hits, but they were both singles, and he also got a GIDP and got picked off. Multihit game, but overall not an impressive performance.

 

He's struggling a little. I'm not all that suprised. I'll be shocked if it continues for months.

 

Cub fans will boo him senselessly like they did with Jones. Not saying that can't, it's their prerogative. But how wrong were the fans about Jones? Pretty damn wrong --- to the point of coming to the stadium with apology placards and signs. They should learn their lesson and look at the bigger picture.

 

Not to mention their booing of Lee in 2004-that didn't work out too well either.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Got picked off again today. Sweet baseball IQ. At least he got an infield hit after that. Very Juan Pierre like day for the Fons

 

Yeah, he got 2 hits, but they were both singles, and he also got a GIDP and got picked off. Multihit game, but overall not an impressive performance.

 

He's struggling a little. I'm not all that suprised. I'll be shocked if it continues for months.

 

Cub fans will boo him senselessly like they did with Jones. Not saying that can't, it's their prerogative. But how wrong were the fans about Jones? Pretty damn wrong --- to the point of coming to the stadium with apology placards and signs. They should learn their lesson and look at the bigger picture.

 

Not to mention their booing of Lee in 2004-that didn't work out too well either.

 

Lee was booed in 04? Boy, I don't remember that at all.

[CubColtPacer]

Got picked off again today. Sweet baseball IQ. At least he got an infield hit after that. Very Juan Pierre like day for the Fons

 

Yeah, he got 2 hits, but they were both singles, and he also got a GIDP and got picked off. Multihit game, but overall not an impressive performance.

 

He's struggling a little. I'm not all that suprised. I'll be shocked if it continues for months.

 

Cub fans will boo him senselessly like they did with Jones. Not saying that can't, it's their prerogative. But how wrong were the fans about Jones? Pretty damn wrong --- to the point of coming to the stadium with apology placards and signs. They should learn their lesson and look at the bigger picture.

 

Not to mention their booing of Lee in 2004-that didn't work out too well either.

 

Lee was booed in 04? Boy, I don't remember that at all.

 

Yup. He struggled out of the gates in April, and he was booed for a decent part of the month. Here is an article from this year that makes a passing mention to it:

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-070331cubs,1,1957041.story?coll=cs-cubs-headlines

[Soul]

I remember a few Lee boos. Not to the same level as Jones.

[A New Era]

I agree booing Soriano now, and Jones and Lee then aren't the same thing as booing the team if they are doing badly. That's when I think it is ok to boo. But it doesn't mean they are trying to say we don't want you here. They are just too dumb to realize it doesn't help.

 

Soriano, just like Jones and Lee before him. Is probably just trying to "fit in" and perform well for the cubs fans. He wants to contribute in a big way and feel a part of our family. He will bust out one day, and we'll all start saying things like "SORIOWNED!!" and "ALPHY!!!" :lol: