Oakland A's vs. Chicago Cubs

[Fanatic3332000]

Here's something to think......the Oakland A's or the cheapest team in baseball is tied for 1st place in the AL West after falling 15 games below .500 on May 29. Their success has been based on the play of ROOKIES (Dan Johnson, Dan Haren, Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Huston Street), 2nd year pitcher Rich Harden, and the leadership of Eric Chavez. This team is a total opposite of the Chicago Cubs. They steal bases, play small ball with bunts, get people on base, and support their pitchers, which have been stellar. Highest ERA on the staff Ricardo Rincon 4.44, tell me thats not good. Its hard not to like these guys, im a diehard Cubs fan that has seen 7 straight days of terrible baseball. Why Dusty doesn't play Murton more is beyond me, let the guy have a chance to hit against a righty pitcher. Why greg maddux is stealing bases and the rest of the team isn't? Why michael barrett has dropped at least 20 balls from the outfielders out of his glove this season?.....There are too many questions that can be asked, but i sure wish we could be a bit more like the A's in the way that they come out ready to play everyday.....HIT THE ROAD DUSTY!!!

[cheapseats]

This team is a total opposite of the Chicago Cubs. They steal bases, play small ball with bunts, get people on base, and support their pitchers, which have been stellar.

 

No team in MLB has stolen fewer bases than the Oakland A's. The Cubs have stolen twice as many bases as the A's.

 

The A's have 14 sacrifice bunts on the year. The Cubs have 48. The Cubs have more than three times as many sac bunts as the A's.

 

The A's do not play small ball.

 

They do walk. Oakland ranks 7th in bases on balls. The Cubs rank 27th.

 

I agree that the Cubs should play like Oakland. We should not be bunting in the third inning (which we have done this season). We should not be attempting steals unless we have a 75% chance of success. We should sign players with better plate discipline.

[erik316wttn]

This team is a total opposite of the Chicago Cubs. They steal bases, play small ball with bunts, get people on base, and support their pitchers, which have been stellar.

 

No team in MLB has stolen fewer bases than the Oakland A's. The Cubs have stolen twice as many bases as the A's.

 

The A's have 14 sacrifice bunts on the year. The Cubs have 48. The Cubs have more than three times as many sac bunts as the A's.

 

The A's do not play small ball.

 

They do walk. Oakland ranks 7th in bases on balls. The Cubs rank 27th.

 

I agree that the Cubs should play like Oakland. We should not be bunting in the third inning (which we have done this season). We should not be attempting steals unless we have a 75% chance of success. We should sign players with better plate discipline.

 

I was at a Cubs-Reds game in 2002 and Don Baylor called for a bunt on the SECOND BATTER OF THE GAME!!

[cheapseats]

I can't recall Dusty calling for a bunt in the first inning, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's done it this season. Perhaps when Corey was leading off and Neifi was hitting 2nd?

 

Earl Weaver said, "If you play for one run, that's what you'll get." And he was right.

 

It's appropriate in some situations to use the sac bunt, but Dusty uses it far too frequently. The Cubs have the 2nd highest slugging percentage in the NL, but we often play for one run.

 

If our pitching was fantastic, I'd feel better about Dusty's strategy, but he often tries to plate one run when we'll need five or six to win the game.

[Brian]

Yeah, I see your point but Beane despises bunting, stealing, and hit and run.

[ManCrushOnNomar]

This team is a total opposite of the Chicago Cubs. They steal bases, play small ball with bunts, get people on base, and support their pitchers, which have been stellar.

 

No team in MLB has stolen fewer bases than the Oakland A's. The Cubs have stolen twice as many bases as the A's.

 

The A's have 14 sacrifice bunts on the year. The Cubs have 48. The Cubs have more than three times as many sac bunts as the A's.

 

The A's do not play small ball.

 

They do walk. Oakland ranks 7th in bases on balls. The Cubs rank 27th.

 

I agree that the Cubs should play like Oakland. We should not be bunting in the third inning (which we have done this season). We should not be attempting steals unless we have a 75% chance of success. We should sign players with better plate discipline.

 

I was at a Cubs-Reds game in 2002 and Don Baylor called for a bunt on the SECOND BATTER OF THE GAME!!

You mean the Jimy Williams Special.

[badger1679666666]

Rich Harden is an absolute stud.

[Brian]

With Harden & Zito nearly doing back-to-back no-no's, to the Rangers, I bet they could get the job done against the Cubs.

[hawkeyecub]

They steal bases, play small ball with bunts

 

Are you sure about that?

[Iceblink]

This team is a total opposite of the Chicago Cubs. They steal bases, play small ball with bunts, get people on base, and support their pitchers, which have been stellar.

 

No team in MLB has stolen fewer bases than the Oakland A's. The Cubs have stolen twice as many bases as the A's.

 

The A's have 14 sacrifice bunts on the year. The Cubs have 48. The Cubs have more than three times as many sac bunts as the A's.

 

Just to back you up, the Cubs have 23 bunts from pitchers - so 25 bunts are from position players. The A's have 1 bunt from a pitcher, 13 from position players. Take the pitchers out of the equation and we still bunt twice as many times.

[biittner77]

This team is a total opposite of the Chicago Cubs. They steal bases, play small ball with bunts, get people on base, and support their pitchers, which have been stellar.

 

No team in MLB has stolen fewer bases than the Oakland A's. The Cubs have stolen twice as many bases as the A's.

 

The A's have 14 sacrifice bunts on the year. The Cubs have 48. The Cubs have more than three times as many sac bunts as the A's.

 

The A's do not play small ball.

 

They do walk. Oakland ranks 7th in bases on balls. The Cubs rank 27th.

 

I agree that the Cubs should play like Oakland. We should not be bunting in the third inning (which we have done this season). We should not be attempting steals unless we have a 75% chance of success. We should sign players with better plate discipline.

 

I was at a Cubs-Reds game in 2002 and Don Baylor called for a bunt on the SECOND BATTER OF THE GAME!!

 

MY favorite was the time that Baylor had his #6 hitter- who was in the lineup because he was swinging a hot bat- bunt so that the 7th and 8th hitters -Agon and Girardi- could attempt to drive in a run; something they hadn't done very often.

[KatJ]

Here's something to think......the Oakland A's or the cheapest team in baseball is tied for 1st place in the AL West after falling 15 games below .500 on May 29. Their success has been based on the play of ROOKIES (Dan Johnson, Dan Haren, Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Huston Street), 2nd year pitcher Rich Harden, and the leadership of Eric Chavez. This team is a total opposite of the Chicago Cubs. They steal bases, play small ball with bunts, get people on base, and support their pitchers, which have been stellar. Highest ERA on the staff Ricardo Rincon 4.44, tell me thats not good. Its hard not to like these guys, im a diehard Cubs fan that has seen 7 straight days of terrible baseball. Why Dusty doesn't play Murton more is beyond me, let the guy have a chance to hit against a righty pitcher. Why greg maddux is stealing bases and the rest of the team isn't? Why michael barrett has dropped at least 20 balls from the outfielders out of his glove this season?.....There are too many questions that can be asked, but i sure wish we could be a bit more like the A's in the way that they come out ready to play everyday.....HIT THE ROAD DUSTY!!!

 

I agree with your sentiments, but some of your assertions are off, as other posters have pointed out already (e.g., bunting, stealing bases). Read Moneyball for a good case history of the A's, why and how Beane gets the results, and narratives of some of the players involved (Swish is one of those people, BTW).