Soriano will lead off when he returns

[UK1679666180]

He only had one full year when he was healthy in LF and that with Wash, when he was learning the position.

 

There isn't much ground to cover and he played LF ok after the injury last year.

 

I'm more worried about how the Cubs handle him coming back, will they send him on a minor league rehab stint? Will it be another Sosa-esque drama on whether or not he'll want to go on the assign.? If he doesn't go, how much will his timing and eye at the plate be off (b/c if it was horrible before, it won't get better sitting)?

 

I'd move him down when he comes back.

[Tracer Bullet]

He only had one full year when he was healthy in LF and that with Wash, when he was learning the position.

 

There isn't much ground to cover and he played LF ok after the injury last year.

 

I'm more worried about how the Cubs handle him coming back, will they send him on a minor league rehab stint? Will it be another Sosa-esque drama on whether or not he'll want to go on the assign.? If he doesn't go, how much will his timing and eye at the plate be off (b/c if it was horrible before, it won't get better sitting)?

 

I'd move him down when he comes back.

 

FWIW, Yahoo has Lou saying he doesn't think Soriano will have a rehab stint in the minors.

[wrigley23]

the issue has been should he be hitting leadoff w/ a reduced capacity to steal when you consider he is horrible at managing counts & getting on base. Now that he is no longer able to steal, his value is even less hitting leadoff. The more lou caters to his leadoff fascination, the more this team truly is the Chicago Soriano's and that is to the detriment of the Chicago Cubs.

[rawaction]

the issue has been should he be hitting leadoff w/ a reduced capacity to steal when you consider he is horrible at managing counts & getting on base. Now that he is no longer able to steal, his value is even less hitting leadoff. The more lou caters to his leadoff fascination, the more this team truly is the Chicago Soriano's and that is to the detriment of the Chicago Cubs.

 

What's the alternative though? He's not gonna hit Fukudome or Theriot there, the alternative is Theriot. If Soriano doesn't hit 1 or 2. The most likely scenarios are Johnson/Theriot or Theriot/Pie.

[wrigley23]

why won't he put fuko there? Because he's an on base machine? I don't get it.

[Abe Frohman]

As long as Theriot or Johnson are getting on at a .400 OB clip, I don't see any problems with leading off with either of them.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

As long as Theriot or Johnson are getting on at a .400 OB clip, I don't see any problems with leading off with either of them.

 

So about one more week then?

[VanceJergins]

Ideally, Id like:

 

Fukudome

DeRosa

Lee

Ramirez

Soriano

Soto

Pie

Cedeno

 

That's the lineup I was going to post, except for maybe switching DeRosa and Soto. I like the idea of Soto batting 6th because there'd always be runners on for him, but I also like having him bat 2nd because of his sexy OBP and to get him more AB's.

[biittner77]

Piniella hasn't- as far as I can tell- ever considered Derosa as an option to bat 2nd. I'm guessing he wants more speed in that spot. It's an interesting idea but we'll never see it.

 

Though I prefer the lineup above I could live with

 

Fukudome

Soriano

Lee

Ramirez

Soto

Pie

Derosa

Cedeno

Pitcher

[javy knows my name]

Did anyone hear Mike Quade on the SCORE today say that Soriano has lost a step or a step and a half since the hamstring injury and that he thinks we might not ever fully recover from that. If so, is this a big deal?

 

I don't think so, unless you are a fantasy owner. Aside from one season, he never stole bases with great efficiency, and his OBP isn't really high enough to make it an issue anyway. He is still fast enough to leg out a lot of doubles, and his XBH are his main asset. If his bat speed goes, that's an issue.

 

I'm much more concerned with what it does to his defense. Great range in left was a major part of his value.

He never ever ever had great range in left. Despite his speed, he gets terrible reads on balls out there

 

But great speed can help recover from bad jumps (not negate it, but it helps). Less speed and bad jumps = worse defense.

True enough, I was just disputing the notion that he ever had "great range"

 

As a side note, will anyone be surprised if he keeps his idiotic little hop out there?

[SouthSideRyan]

I'd argue Soriano had great range in LF last year. I believe the defensive metrics(which I'm leary about) agreed with my eyes.

[TheDude]

Piniella hasn't- as far as I can tell- ever considered Derosa as an option to bat 2nd. I'm guessing he wants more speed in that spot. It's an interesting idea but we'll never see it.

DeRosa did bat 2nd last year, 51 ABs. And his numbers there were excellent.

 

As far as I can tell, Lou isn't as high on speed at number 2 as he is on old school notions of 'pesky'. Lou wants a guy that makes contact, excels at hit-and-run type of ball placement, and/or generally puts the ball in play even on outs.

 

This is the reason Theriot has had so many looks at number 2. The way Ronnie has handled the bat, it would not surprise me to see him get that slot if he keeps it up.

 

The only puzzling thing is why Lou hasn't put Fukudome there. He is as pesky as they come and fits the Piniella mold of a number 2. [edit - it would also give Lou his coveted left-right-left-right when he inevitably PHs Ward for the pitcher.]

[UK1679666180]

I think Lou believes that with Fukudome doing as well as he is, that he is providing protection for Ramirez.

[CuseCubFan69]

I think Lou believes that with Fukudome doing as well as he is, that he is providing protection for Ramirez.

 

Plus...unlike Soriano, he may not want anything to do with hitting first.

[biittner77]

Piniella hasn't- as far as I can tell- ever considered Derosa as an option to bat 2nd. I'm guessing he wants more speed in that spot. It's an interesting idea but we'll never see it.

DeRosa did bat 2nd last year, 51 ABs. And his numbers there were excellent.

 

As far as I can tell, Lou isn't as high on speed at number 2 as he is on old school notions of 'pesky'. Lou wants a guy that makes contact, excels at hit-and-run type of ball placement, and/or generally puts the ball in play even on outs.

 

This is the reason Theriot has had so many looks at number 2. The way Ronnie has handled the bat, it would not surprise me to see him get that slot if he keeps it up.

 

The only puzzling thing is why Lou hasn't put Fukudome there. He is as pesky as they come and fits the Piniella mold of a number 2. [edit - it would also give Lou his coveted left-right-left-right when he inevitably PHs Ward for the pitcher.]

 

So why hasn't he put Derosa in the #2 spot then? Maybe he was worried about protecting Fukudome.

[Wilson A2000]

As a side note, will anyone be surprised if he keeps his idiotic little hop out there?

 

"I do my hop and I [land] on the left side," he said. "It's my right calf that's the problem, not the left."

 

So he will keep the hop, but he hurt his leg not by landing on it because it was the other foot that was injured? Someday check the video on that because I am not sure I remembered it happening like that.

[Anomalied]

How about...

 

1. Kosuke Fukudome (RF)

2. Mark DeRosa (2B)

3. Alfonso Soriano (LF)

4. Derrek Lee (1B)

5. Aramis Ramirez (3B)

6. Geovany Soto ©

7. Felix Pie / Reed Johnson (CF)

8. Ronny Cedeno / Ryan Theriot (SS)

[Vanilla Ice]

How about...

 

1. Kosuke Fukudome (RF)

2. Mark DeRosa (2B)

3. Alfonso Soriano (LF)

4. Derrek Lee (1B)

5. Aramis Ramirez (3B)

6. Geovany Soto ©

7. Felix Pie / Reed Johnson (CF)

8. Ronny Cedeno / Ryan Theriot (SS)

move soriano down two spots and that is your winner