Has Soriano's lack of walks made him a poor leadoff hitter?

[CubinNY]

Here is more of the quote from Piniella from cubs.com

 

When Lee returns, he'll go back into the No. 3 spot in the Cubs lineup. Soriano started there for the second straight game Tuesday. The question is, will Soriano return to the leadoff spot? Piniella wouldn't provide a direct answer.

 

"All I said was D-Lee was going to hit third," Piniella said. "I didn't say anything else."

 

So, what happens to Soriano?

 

"Well, we're going to find out," Piniella said.

 

Ryan Theriot could lead off, and Soriano could be inserted into the No. 2 spot so the team can take advantage of both his speed and power. Soriano has been hitting a lot of doubles with nobody on base.

 

I dont know what the point really would be of hitting him 2. I guess it would help a little , but I think 4 or 5 would be a better fit.

 

This is something that should have been done a long time ago. Like in Spring Training.

[Abe Frohman]

Hitting Soriano 2 doesn't make much sense because it will cancel out Theriot's running game. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to take pitches and work the count. I don't think he is a hit-and-run or hit behind the runner kind of player, so I wouldn't understand this. Much the same way I don't understand Floyd hitting 2nd, unless Piniella is just trying to get a left handed bat in that slot (and Floyd HAS been producing in the 2 hole).

 

I like Soriano in the 5 spot though, unless Floyd can handle every day action, which isn't likely.

[SouthSideRyan]

Hitting Soriano 2 doesn't make much sense because it will cancel out Theriot's running game. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to take pitches and work the count. I don't think he is a hit-and-run or hit behind the runner kind of player, so I wouldn't understand this. Much the same way I don't understand Floyd hitting 2nd, unless Piniella is just trying to get a left handed bat in that slot (and Floyd HAS been producing in the 2 hole).

 

I like Soriano in the 5 spot though, unless Floyd can handle every day action, which isn't likely.

 

Floyd/Murton work better in the 2 than in the 5.

[jersey cubs fan]

Hitting Soriano 2 doesn't make much sense because it will cancel out Theriot's running game. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to take pitches and work the count. I don't think he is a hit-and-run or hit behind the runner kind of player, so I wouldn't understand this. Much the same way I don't understand Floyd hitting 2nd, unless Piniella is just trying to get a left handed bat in that slot (and Floyd HAS been producing in the 2 hole).

 

I like Soriano in the 5 spot though, unless Floyd can handle every day action, which isn't likely.

 

The problem is worrying about the running game. Top of the order should be about OBP, first and foremost. The running game is vastly overrated.

[Abe Frohman]

Hitting Soriano 2 doesn't make much sense because it will cancel out Theriot's running game. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to take pitches and work the count. I don't think he is a hit-and-run or hit behind the runner kind of player, so I wouldn't understand this. Much the same way I don't understand Floyd hitting 2nd, unless Piniella is just trying to get a left handed bat in that slot (and Floyd HAS been producing in the 2 hole).

 

I like Soriano in the 5 spot though, unless Floyd can handle every day action, which isn't likely.

 

The problem is worrying about the running game. Top of the order should be about OBP, first and foremost. The running game is vastly overrated.

 

I think the point is to have guys on 2nd and/or 3rd when Lee & Ramirez come up.

[jersey cubs fan]

Hitting Soriano 2 doesn't make much sense because it will cancel out Theriot's running game. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to take pitches and work the count. I don't think he is a hit-and-run or hit behind the runner kind of player, so I wouldn't understand this. Much the same way I don't understand Floyd hitting 2nd, unless Piniella is just trying to get a left handed bat in that slot (and Floyd HAS been producing in the 2 hole).

 

I like Soriano in the 5 spot though, unless Floyd can handle every day action, which isn't likely.

 

The problem is worrying about the running game. Top of the order should be about OBP, first and foremost. The running game is vastly overrated.

 

I think the point is to have guys on 2nd and/or 3rd when Lee & Ramirez come up.

 

The point is to get on in the first place. Getting to 2nd/3rd is a bonus. Theriot can get on and score on a Soriano double. Theriot's value is his ability to get on base, more than anything else. Having Soriano in the two hole does not make Theriot less valuable.

[Tracer Bullet]

Hitting Soriano 2 doesn't make much sense because it will cancel out Theriot's running game. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to take pitches and work the count. I don't think he is a hit-and-run or hit behind the runner kind of player, so I wouldn't understand this. Much the same way I don't understand Floyd hitting 2nd, unless Piniella is just trying to get a left handed bat in that slot (and Floyd HAS been producing in the 2 hole).

 

I like Soriano in the 5 spot though, unless Floyd can handle every day action, which isn't likely.

 

The problem is worrying about the running game. Top of the order should be about OBP, first and foremost. The running game is vastly overrated.

 

I think the point is to have guys on 2nd and/or 3rd when Lee & Ramirez come up.

 

The point is to get on in the first place. Getting to 2nd/3rd is a bonus. Theriot can get on and score on a Soriano double. Theriot's value is his ability to get on base, more than anything else. Having Soriano in the two hole does not make Theriot less valuable.

 

Fully agree. I'd just like to add - having Soriano in the 2-hole might make him (Soriano) less valuable. All those doubles and HRs are going to be only slightly less wasted in the 2 hole than leading off. He's a 3-5 hitter and should be placed there. Theriot and Murton should be the table-setters.

[Abe Frohman]

Hitting Soriano 2 doesn't make much sense because it will cancel out Theriot's running game. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to take pitches and work the count. I don't think he is a hit-and-run or hit behind the runner kind of player, so I wouldn't understand this. Much the same way I don't understand Floyd hitting 2nd, unless Piniella is just trying to get a left handed bat in that slot (and Floyd HAS been producing in the 2 hole).

 

I like Soriano in the 5 spot though, unless Floyd can handle every day action, which isn't likely.

 

The problem is worrying about the running game. Top of the order should be about OBP, first and foremost. The running game is vastly overrated.

 

I think the point is to have guys on 2nd and/or 3rd when Lee & Ramirez come up.

 

The point is to get on in the first place. Getting to 2nd/3rd is a bonus. Theriot can get on and score on a Soriano double. Theriot's value is his ability to get on base, more than anything else. Having Soriano in the two hole does not make Theriot less valuable.

 

The point is scoring runs. That starts with getting on base, and getting runners over. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to hit behind the runner and try to get him over for the 3 and 4 guys.

 

That's what I'm sayin.

[jersey cubs fan]

The point is scoring runs. That starts with getting on base, and getting runners over. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to hit behind the runner and try to get him over for the 3 and 4 guys.

 

That's what I'm sayin.

 

And what I'm saying is the "get him over" aspect is vastly overrated and doesn't compare in importance to getting them on.

[Mizzou]

The point is scoring runs. That starts with getting on base, and getting runners over. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to hit behind the runner and try to get him over for the 3 and 4 guys.

 

That's what I'm sayin.

 

And what I'm saying is the "get him over" aspect is vastly overrated and doesn't compare in importance to getting them on.

In what world is getting runners over, or in other words moving them around the basepaths, vastly overrated?

[Guest]

The point is scoring runs. That starts with getting on base, and getting runners over. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to hit behind the runner and try to get him over for the 3 and 4 guys.

 

That's what I'm sayin.

 

And what I'm saying is the "get him over" aspect is vastly overrated and doesn't compare in importance to getting them on.

In what world is getting runners over, or in other words moving them around the basepaths, vastly overrated?

 

When compared to getting them on?

[seanimal]

The point is scoring runs. That starts with getting on base, and getting runners over. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to hit behind the runner and try to get him over for the 3 and 4 guys.

 

That's what I'm sayin.

 

And what I'm saying is the "get him over" aspect is vastly overrated and doesn't compare in importance to getting them on.

In what world is getting runners over, or in other words moving them around the basepaths, vastly overrated?

 

Planet Earth.

 

'getting runners over' and 'moving them around the basepaths' are a product of hits and walks. You do those two things, and the former will happen because of it.

[David]

The point is scoring runs. That starts with getting on base, and getting runners over. Soriano isn't the type of hitter who is going to hit behind the runner and try to get him over for the 3 and 4 guys.

 

That's what I'm sayin.

 

And what I'm saying is the "get him over" aspect is vastly overrated and doesn't compare in importance to getting them on.

In what world is getting runners over, or in other words moving them around the basepaths, vastly overrated?

 

This funny thing is that this question almost sounds like sarcasm to me, even though I know it's not.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

It's pretty obvious that the connotation of "getting runners over" is referring to sacrifice hits/productive outs. And yes, that is not even in the same discussion of importance as getting on base and getting extra base hits.