Encouraging offensive numbers

[TheDude]

In the Cubs last five series, the team is 5-8. But the offense has outscored the opponent in each of those series as follows:

 

Cinn (13th-15th): 1-2, but outscored Cinn 12-7 in the series

SD (16th-17th): 1-1, but outscored SD 15-8 in the series

Atl (18th-19th): 1-1, but outscored Atl 9-8 in the series

Stl (20th-22nd): 1-2, but outscored Stl 16-14 in the series

Mil (23rd-25th): 1-2, but outscored Mil 14-12 in the series

 

For a team with a struggling offense, the Cubs are still outscoring the opponent for the series. They also range between 12-16th in baseball in all the standard numbers (Runs, OBP, SLG, OPS). So while struggling, the team is still average at worse.

 

I've often been accused of being too optimistic, but it seems like this team is primed for a nice May, especially if Lee and Soriano dial-up the power. It's time for the law of averages to pan out.

[jersey cubs fan]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

[C.C.]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

 

It's been this way for years...

[jersey cubs fan]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

 

It's been this way for years...

 

Yep. When they look good, they look reaaally good. When it's bad, it's ugly bad.

 

The Cubs have scored 9 or more 4 times this season, and they've scored 1 or less 4 times.

[TheDude]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

 

It's been this way for years...

 

Yep. When they look good, they look reaaally good. When it's bad, it's ugly bad.

 

The Cubs have scored 9 or more 4 times this season, and they've scored 1 or less 4 times.

 

I think all teams go through that. And you're right, it is feast or famine. But if the name of the game is outscoring the opponent, you have to figure to Cubs are going to start winning series if they keep this up.

[jersey cubs fan]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

 

It's been this way for years...

 

Yep. When they look good, they look reaaally good. When it's bad, it's ugly bad.

 

The Cubs have scored 9 or more 4 times this season, and they've scored 1 or less 4 times.

 

I think all teams go through that. And you're right, it is feast or famine. But if the name of the game is outscoring the opponent, you have to figure to Cubs are going to start winning series if they keep this up.

 

If they keep outscoring their opponents every series, yes, I would expect them to start winning more games. But if what they keep up is the feast or famine thing, then I'm not so sure. If Zambrano improves and Guzman is the complete opposite of Miller, maybe they can start winning even when they aren't scoring much.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I don't find it encouraging that we're losing more than we're winning, even if we explode for 29 runs in that rare win.

[killthegoat06]

I don't find it encouraging that we're losing more than we're winning, even if we explode for 29 runs in that rare win.

 

The point is that we are outscoring the opponents consistently, which is better than completely sucking.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't find it encouraging that we're losing more than we're winning, even if we explode for 29 runs in that rare win.

 

The point is that we are outscoring the opponents consistently, which is better than completely sucking.

 

That's the problem, they aren't outscoring them consistently. They are outscoring them by a wide margin in 1 game, and then coming up short in 2.

[killthegoat06]

I don't find it encouraging that we're losing more than we're winning, even if we explode for 29 runs in that rare win.

 

The point is that we are outscoring the opponents consistently, which is better than completely sucking.

 

That's the problem, they aren't outscoring them consistently. They are outscoring them by a wide margin in 1 game, and then coming up short in 2.

 

Stop bursting my optimistic bubble :twisted: . :lol:

[Mephistopheles]

the cubs will be fine

[JonnyRed]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

 

It's been this way for years...

 

Yep. When they look good, they look reaaally good. When it's bad, it's ugly bad.

 

The Cubs have scored 9 or more 4 times this season, and they've scored 1 or less 4 times.

 

Yes, but we've been in most of those low-run scoring games.

[CubinNY]

the cubs will be fine

I'm crossing my fingers in hope you are correct.

[Mizzou]

The Cubs have the 8th best ERA in baseball, and the 5th best team Batting Average in baseball... we're nowhere near as bad as our record says we are.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Cubs have the 8th best ERA in baseball, and the 5th best team Batting Average in baseball... we're nowhere near as bad as our record says we are.

 

Batting average is worthless. They had a pretty good one in 2006 or 2005 and it did nothing for them.

[TheDude]

The Cubs have the 8th best ERA in baseball, and the 5th best team Batting Average in baseball... we're nowhere near as bad as our record says we are.

 

That was my point, more or less. The Cubs should start winning series if the law of averages holds up. But it's not a given - as Cleveland proved last year.

[OleMissCub]

We can score all the runs we want, but if they aren't timely i.e. when we need them, then all the runs in the world won't matter.

[Drew Doughty]

The Cubs have the 8th best ERA in baseball, and the 5th best team Batting Average in baseball... we're nowhere near as bad as our record says we are.

 

Batting average is worthless. They had a pretty good one in 2006 or 2005 and it did nothing for them.

 

17th in average last year. 18th in average was the Phillies, and they scored 149 more runs than us.

[jersey cubs fan]

We can score all the runs we want, but if they aren't timely i.e. when we need them, then all the runs in the world won't matter.

 

If they score all the runs in the world, the timing won't matter at all.

[brinoch]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

 

It's been this way for years...

 

Here comes the broken record: It's because we don't draw enough walks.

[Drew Doughty]

We can score all the runs we want, but if they aren't timely i.e. when we need them, then all the runs in the world won't matter.

 

i think any time is a good time to score runs.

[TheDude]

We can score all the runs we want, but if they aren't timely i.e. when we need them, then all the runs in the world won't matter.

 

I'm going to preemptively ask that this not trigger an RISP is worthless debate, as comments like this are wont to do around here :).

[jersey cubs fan]

The Cubs have the 8th best ERA in baseball, and the 5th best team Batting Average in baseball... we're nowhere near as bad as our record says we are.

 

Batting average is worthless. They had a pretty good one in 2006 or 2005 and it did nothing for them.

 

17th in average last year. 18th in average was the Phillies, and they scored 149 more runs than us.

 

Don't look at all MLB, NL is what matters. Cubs were 5th last year and 3rd in 2003.

[Drew Doughty]

The Cubs have the 8th best ERA in baseball, and the 5th best team Batting Average in baseball... we're nowhere near as bad as our record says we are.

 

Batting average is worthless. They had a pretty good one in 2006 or 2005 and it did nothing for them.

 

17th in average last year. 18th in average was the Phillies, and they scored 149 more runs than us.

 

Don't look at all MLB, NL is what matters. Cubs were 5th last year and 3rd in 2003.

 

right. still. the phillies. that was the point. i'm agreeing with you.

[TheDude]

feast or famine, it's the way of the Cub

 

It's been this way for years...

 

Here comes the broken record: It's because we don't draw enough walks.

 

Tell that to Colorado, lol (5th in walks, 24th in Runs).

 

The Cubs could definitely stand to walk more, but they could also stand to string hits together in one inning, instead of 8 hits in 8 different innings.