What do the Cubs do well?

[soapy]

After I got done screaming at my television last night (especially Barrett, Williams, Rusch and Remlinger) I started asking myself one question: What do the Cubs do well?

 

The only answer I could come up with: nothing.

 

Can't hit (get on base)

Can't field

SP has struggled (save for Z and Prior)

BP has struggled (off and on)

Manager stinks

Can't run the bases

Just plain poor execution in almost every aspect

 

 

So tell me, if you can, what does this team do well?

[katway]

Is that the Jeopardy them playing in the background?

 

I need more time.....

 

Actually, we do a good job of making pitcher's with 5.0+ ERAs look like aces and we are good at making other teams feel good about themselves.

[Wild_Cubs04]

After I got done screaming at my television last night (especially Barrett, Williams, Rusch and Remlinger) I started asking myself one question: What do the Cubs do well?

 

The only answer I could come up with: nothing.

 

Can't hit (get on base)

Can't field

SP has struggled (save for Z and Prior)

BP has struggled (off and on)

Manager stinks

Can't run the bases

Just plain poor execution in almost every aspect

 

 

So tell me, if you can, what does this team do well?

 

Pi#@ us off??

[Dr. Cub]

After I got done screaming at my television last night (especially Barrett, Williams, Rusch and Remlinger) I started asking myself one question: What do the Cubs do well?

 

The only answer I could come up with: nothing.

 

Can't hit (get on base)

Can't field

SP has struggled (save for Z and Prior)

BP has struggled (off and on)

Manager stinks

Can't run the bases

Just plain poor execution in almost every aspect

 

 

So tell me, if you can, what does this team do well?

 

Pi#@ us off??

 

=D>

[badger1679666666]

They are good at sucking against soft tossing lefty's, and pitchers they've never seen before.

[rocket]

home runs

[badger1679666666]

home runs

 

They aren't even good at that lately.

[Backtobanks]

What they're good at is the next topic in Baseball Discussions: "Fingerpointing and Frustration"

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The Cubs are 2nd in the NL in fielding efficiency IIRC(maybe 3rd). They can field. Let's not let a week or two of close games cloud or memory of what has gone on all year.

[LoneStarCubFan]

They're pretty good at laying down like dogs against inferior competition. May be the best in the league at that.

[katway]

The Cubs are 2nd in the NL in fielding efficiency IIRC(maybe 3rd). They can field. Let's not let a week or two of close games cloud or memory of what has gone on all year.

 

According to this

http://highboskage.com/daily-stats/special-data/team-defense.shtml

 

We are behind St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Mil. and Houston in team defense...

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The Cubs are 2nd in the NL in fielding efficiency IIRC(maybe 3rd). They can field. Let's not let a week or two of close games cloud or memory of what has gone on all year.

 

According to this

http://highboskage.com/daily-stats/special-data/team-defense.shtml

 

We are behind St. Louis, Mil. and Houston in team defense...

 

I recall the stat of the day the other day at BP being NL fielding efficiency, and I'm pretty sure the Cubs were second. Just showing you where I got that from.

[TheDude]

The Cubs have the most hits in the NL

The Cubs have the 3rd most doubles in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd most HR in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd most TB in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd highest BA in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd highest OPS in the NL

 

In short, they have one of the top 3 offenses in the NL.

 

Pitching statistics tend to hover betwen 7th and 9th in the NL, which is just league average.

 

However, the Cubs pitching leads the NL in SO.

And, in general, the staff has better numbers than the pen (with 3rd lowest WHIP and BAA in the NL).

 

The Cubs do a lot of things right. They should easily have a better record than they do, and the team's failure to have a better record is almost as anomalous as the Nationals success up until 4 weeks ago.

[Garwilly]

They sell tickets well.

[snoodmonger]

I was going to say lose, but we're a .500 ballclub, so we don't even do that all that well.

[10man]

The Cubs are exceptionally good at being mediocre.

[halplm]

The Cubs have the most hits in the NL

The Cubs have the 3rd most doubles in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd most HR in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd most TB in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd highest BA in the NL

The Cubs have the 2nd highest OPS in the NL

 

In short, they have one of the top 3 offenses in the NL.

 

Pitching statistics tend to hover betwen 7th and 9th in the NL, which is just league average.

 

However, the Cubs pitching leads the NL in SO.

And, in general, the staff has better numbers than the pen (with 3rd lowest WHIP and BAA in the NL).

 

The Cubs do a lot of things right. They should easily have a better record than they do, and the team's failure to have a better record is almost as anomalous as the Nationals success up until 4 weeks ago.

 

All those stats show is that we have a lot of talent. Our guys can hit. But their approach changes with RISP, they don't play fundamentally well. Basically, they are the 3rd best offense in the league while not in a scoring opportunity.

 

And if you look at the splits w/ RISP and 2 outs... they're bottom of the barrel in almost every category... swinging for the fences and failing...

[10man]

So you're saying that the Cubs are pretty good except when they really have to be?

[CubfaninCA]

The Cubs have 2 shutdown pitchers and they hit for lots of power. If you average out runs scored per games played, the Cubs are 6th out of 16 teams in NL. (I think they edge out Milwaukee, who has played 2 more games). Don't believe the propaganda that the Cubs offense suks.

[neely crenshaw]

they are at the tops in all those catagories BUT they are 7th in runs...10th in obp and 11 th in steals. they are simply not one of the top 3 offenses in the nl!if you do not score...it doesn't matter what your average is! they don't get on base and they do not manufacture runs...they hit home runs

[katway]

Baseball is not simply a game of averages. It's a game of situational results. In that aspect, our hitting and pitching have not been good enough. The fact that the team can do well in some overall categories such as runs scored and batting average indicates that the team has overall talent, but doesn't have the other intangibles to get the necessary results. I hope Nomar, Wood and Williamson can give the team a lift not only in their on field performance but with a change in attitude/approach with respect to the game.

[TXCubsFan]

What they DON'T do well:

 

1. Walk / work the count

2. Play the right people in the right place. Instead Dusty has Hawkins as closer, CPatt + Neifi batting 1-2, and Hollandsworth in LF instead of the bench.

3. Play high-energy rookies instead of low-energy proven vets

[Satch80]

They excell at stranding runners on third with less than 2 outs.

They are also pretty good at getting picked off.

[Sarcastic]

This thread kind of reminds me of the days before I knew of this site, when I often visited cubs.com. The team does have strengths. They hit for average and power. They have some talented young pitchers.

 

That said, they underachieve like nobody's business.