Why can't the Cubs win at home?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Our fans act like idiots, creating a hostile environment for our own players?

 

come on man, all your posts indicate you are MUCH smarter than that. These are professional athletes - fan reaction shouldn't impact their production at home that much.

 

That point holds about as much water as the "team chemistry" argument from last year.

 

Okay, maybe it's not why they play better elsewhere(I did ask it as a question), but it still doesn't change the fact that it's stupid when we boo poor performance. But I don't want to sidetrack the thread, so carry on.

[LoneStarCubFan]

Our fans act like idiots, creating a hostile environment for our own players?

 

come on man, all your posts indicate you are MUCH smarter than that. These are professional athletes - fan reaction shouldn't impact their production at home that much.

 

That point holds about as much water as the "team chemistry" argument from last year.

 

If you think Wrigley is a hostile environment for the home team you need to visit a few more ballparks. That place is Pleasantville compared to Comiskey, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Philly, Boston, etc.

 

Wrigley crowds are also considerably easier on visiting players than just about any other park in MLB.

[TB_11]

 

1) Complete and total lack of situational hitting. I wish I had a dollar for every time this year there were RISP and we had some yahoo up there (not named Lee or Ramirez) who would get anxious, swing at the first pitch, and ground out weakly or pop up, or go out there and swing at 3 balls and strike out. We also couldn't move runners over, and the utter and complete refusal to take a walk by most of the hitters didn't help much either.

 

 

Cubs 2005 numbers, total and with RISP

     Total   NL Rank       RISP   NL Rank
OBP   .324      11          .336     15
SLG   .440       2          .414      7
OPS   .764       4          .749     10

PA    6161      10          1605     15

 

Aside from the drop in slugging, it seems to be the problem isn't so much as a lack of performing with RISP, as simply getting RISP in the first place. Players and coaches who don't understand the value of getting on base lead to not having runners on base to drive in.

[frostwyrm]

The White Sox went 47-34 at home, so Dusty's excuses about how hard it is to play in Chicago don't hold water.

[erik316wttn]

 

1) Complete and total lack of situational hitting. I wish I had a dollar for every time this year there were RISP and we had some yahoo up there (not named Lee or Ramirez) who would get anxious, swing at the first pitch, and ground out weakly or pop up, or go out there and swing at 3 balls and strike out. We also couldn't move runners over, and the utter and complete refusal to take a walk by most of the hitters didn't help much either.

 

 

Cubs 2005 numbers, total and with RISP

     Total   NL Rank       RISP   NL Rank
OBP   .324      11          .336     15
SLG   .440       2          .414      7
OPS   .764       4          .749     10

PA    6161      10          1605     15

 

Aside from the drop in slugging, it seems to be the problem isn't so much as a lack of performing with RISP, as simply getting RISP in the first place. Players and coaches who don't understand the value of getting on base lead to not having runners on base to drive in.

 

I think performance with RISP is very much a problem.

 

15th out of 16 in the NL in OBP with RISP is a big reason for being 4 games under .500

 

But I do agree that the organizational hitting philosphy needs to change.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

 

1) Complete and total lack of situational hitting. I wish I had a dollar for every time this year there were RISP and we had some yahoo up there (not named Lee or Ramirez) who would get anxious, swing at the first pitch, and ground out weakly or pop up, or go out there and swing at 3 balls and strike out. We also couldn't move runners over, and the utter and complete refusal to take a walk by most of the hitters didn't help much either.

 

 

Cubs 2005 numbers, total and with RISP

     Total   NL Rank       RISP   NL Rank
OBP   .324      11          .336     15
SLG   .440       2          .414      7
OPS   .764       4          .749     10

PA    6161      10          1605     15

 

Aside from the drop in slugging, it seems to be the problem isn't so much as a lack of performing with RISP, as simply getting RISP in the first place. Players and coaches who don't understand the value of getting on base lead to not having runners on base to drive in.

 

I think performance with RISP is very much a problem.

 

15th out of 16 in the NL in OBP with RISP is a big reason for being 4 games under .500

 

But I do agree that the organizational hitting philosphy needs to change.

 

How do you fix it though? There's no such thing as a guy who's a "good RISP guy". They call them "good hitters". Improving the offense as a whole will help the RISP woes, and that's about all you can do to fix it.

[erik316wttn]

 

1) Complete and total lack of situational hitting. I wish I had a dollar for every time this year there were RISP and we had some yahoo up there (not named Lee or Ramirez) who would get anxious, swing at the first pitch, and ground out weakly or pop up, or go out there and swing at 3 balls and strike out. We also couldn't move runners over, and the utter and complete refusal to take a walk by most of the hitters didn't help much either.

 

 

Cubs 2005 numbers, total and with RISP

     Total   NL Rank       RISP   NL Rank
OBP   .324      11          .336     15
SLG   .440       2          .414      7
OPS   .764       4          .749     10

PA    6161      10          1605     15

 

Aside from the drop in slugging, it seems to be the problem isn't so much as a lack of performing with RISP, as simply getting RISP in the first place. Players and coaches who don't understand the value of getting on base lead to not having runners on base to drive in.

 

I think performance with RISP is very much a problem.

 

15th out of 16 in the NL in OBP with RISP is a big reason for being 4 games under .500

 

But I do agree that the organizational hitting philosphy needs to change.

 

How do you fix it though? There's no such thing as a guy who's a "good RISP guy". They call them "good hitters". Improving the offense as a whole will help the RISP woes, and that's about all you can do to fix it.

 

With as impatient as we were at the plate this year, those numbers show we were even more impatient with RISP. Maybe it was guys pressing, I don't know. I'm not them, I don't know what was going through thier minds at the plate. All I do know is we need a hitting coach and manager who preach plate patience, and hitters who would be willing to take a walk with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and maybe let the next guy drive them in, or maybe not swing at the first pitch, work the count, and then find a pitch to drive somewhere.

[stitchface]

runs scored=total batters-runners lob-27.

 

there are two things you can control there - total batters and runners lob. clearly the best way to increase run production is to increase your total batters. how? Don't make outs. this is what the anti-obp people don't seem to grasp - its not the getting on base - its the not making an out and getting another batter to the plate.

[CubmanPi]

Patience (or at least a good discerning eye) at the plate, throwing strikes/locating a fastball, defense, hitting the cutoff man, defense, advancing runners -- these all fall neatly into a category called fundamentals, and the collective inability to master all of these concepts has directly resulted in the Cubs being a group of pretty talented players (at most positions) but a very bad team.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

 

1) Complete and total lack of situational hitting. I wish I had a dollar for every time this year there were RISP and we had some yahoo up there (not named Lee or Ramirez) who would get anxious, swing at the first pitch, and ground out weakly or pop up, or go out there and swing at 3 balls and strike out. We also couldn't move runners over, and the utter and complete refusal to take a walk by most of the hitters didn't help much either.

 

 

Cubs 2005 numbers, total and with RISP

     Total   NL Rank       RISP   NL Rank
OBP   .324      11          .336     15
SLG   .440       2          .414      7
OPS   .764       4          .749     10

PA    6161      10          1605     15

 

Aside from the drop in slugging, it seems to be the problem isn't so much as a lack of performing with RISP, as simply getting RISP in the first place. Players and coaches who don't understand the value of getting on base lead to not having runners on base to drive in.

 

I think performance with RISP is very much a problem.

 

15th out of 16 in the NL in OBP with RISP is a big reason for being 4 games under .500

 

But I do agree that the organizational hitting philosphy needs to change.

 

How do you fix it though? There's no such thing as a guy who's a "good RISP guy". They call them "good hitters". Improving the offense as a whole will help the RISP woes, and that's about all you can do to fix it.

 

With as impatient as we were at the plate this year, those numbers show we were even more impatient with RISP.

 

Our OBP was 12 points higher with RISP, how were we even more impatient?

[waffle]

to state the obvious....

 

You play 1/2 of your games at home (see? Obvious). You need to tune your team to win on your home turf. Anything you win away from home is gravy, and we know in baseball that ANY team has a 40% chance of winning almost any day.

 

Despite Wrigley's rep as a HR park, it is becoming less so (statistically). And there are days you couldn't drive it out with bazooka due to the winds. So a team has to be able to create runs as needed.

 

This cubs team probably was last in the league in scoring when there was a guy on first. No steals. No hit and run. No situational hitting. Bleeech.

 

I would like to see the cubbies solidify themselves defensively as much as possible, come up with a settled starting 9 (so they can learn to play together and learn to play in the conditions) and CUT DOWN ON THE DARN WALKS (by the other team, not by us).

 

I'd also like a better manager (please god...)

[TB_11]

 

1) Complete and total lack of situational hitting. I wish I had a dollar for every time this year there were RISP and we had some yahoo up there (not named Lee or Ramirez) who would get anxious, swing at the first pitch, and ground out weakly or pop up, or go out there and swing at 3 balls and strike out. We also couldn't move runners over, and the utter and complete refusal to take a walk by most of the hitters didn't help much either.

 

 

Cubs 2005 numbers, total and with RISP

     Total   NL Rank       RISP   NL Rank
OBP   .324      11          .336     15
SLG   .440       2          .414      7
OPS   .764       4          .749     10

PA    6161      10          1605     15

 

Aside from the drop in slugging, it seems to be the problem isn't so much as a lack of performing with RISP, as simply getting RISP in the first place. Players and coaches who don't understand the value of getting on base lead to not having runners on base to drive in.

 

I think performance with RISP is very much a problem.

 

15th out of 16 in the NL in OBP with RISP is a big reason for being 4 games under .500

 

But I do agree that the organizational hitting philosphy needs to change.

 

I don't think the problem is having a low OBP with runners in scoring position as much as having a low OBP overall. That leads to the most important statistic listed (to me): PAs with RISP. It's not that we're not executing when RISP, it's that we're not putting runners on base in the first place. That leads our good power numbers not resulting in many runs scored.

[Fred Hornkohl]

When I was a young pup (late teens, early 20s) I suffered terribly from insomnia. Nothing I tired would let me get to sleep before 3 or 4 in the morning, and when you have to be up at 7, that's a recipe for disaster. I went to the doctor and he tried a couple of medications, and those failed miserably. About the third time I went back to the doctor, he kind of threw his hands up in exasperation and offered this remedy.... I hear sleeping outdoors cures insomnia. I looked him right between the eyes and said, hey... if you think about... sleeping indoors cures insomnia just as well, no?

 

This CUBS team doesn't need to learn how to win at Wrigley Field..... they need to learn how to win. Don't make it more complicated than it is.

[treebird]

When I was a young pup (late teens, early 20s) I suffered terribly from insomnia. Nothing I tired would let me get to sleep before 3 or 4 in the morning, and when you have to be up at 7, that's a recipe for disaster. I went to the doctor and he tried a couple of medications, and those failed miserably. About the third time I went back to the doctor, he kind of threw his hands up in exasperation and offered this remedy.... I hear sleeping outdoors cures insomnia. I looked him right between the eyes and said, hey... if you think about... sleeping indoors cures insomnia just as well, no?

 

This CUBS team doesn't need to learn how to win at Wrigley Field..... they need to learn how to win. Don't make it more complicated than it is.

 

i love you fred

[Fred Hornkohl]

i love you fred

 

Well.... between you and my wife and my dog..... that makes 3 of you !! :wink:

[erik316wttn]

 

1) Complete and total lack of situational hitting. I wish I had a dollar for every time this year there were RISP and we had some yahoo up there (not named Lee or Ramirez) who would get anxious, swing at the first pitch, and ground out weakly or pop up, or go out there and swing at 3 balls and strike out. We also couldn't move runners over, and the utter and complete refusal to take a walk by most of the hitters didn't help much either.

 

 

Cubs 2005 numbers, total and with RISP

     Total   NL Rank       RISP   NL Rank
OBP   .324      11          .336     15
SLG   .440       2          .414      7
OPS   .764       4          .749     10

PA    6161      10          1605     15

 

Aside from the drop in slugging, it seems to be the problem isn't so much as a lack of performing with RISP, as simply getting RISP in the first place. Players and coaches who don't understand the value of getting on base lead to not having runners on base to drive in.

 

I think performance with RISP is very much a problem.

 

15th out of 16 in the NL in OBP with RISP is a big reason for being 4 games under .500

 

But I do agree that the organizational hitting philosphy needs to change.

 

How do you fix it though? There's no such thing as a guy who's a "good RISP guy". They call them "good hitters". Improving the offense as a whole will help the RISP woes, and that's about all you can do to fix it.

 

With as impatient as we were at the plate this year, those numbers show we were even more impatient with RISP.

 

Our OBP was 12 points higher with RISP, how were we even more impatient?

 

OK, we were more impatient than 14 other teams with RISP.

 

TB_11 made a good point. Adding to it, it seems like OBP w/RISP was higher for some teams than OBP w/o RISP. When you have the pitcher on the ropes, you need to capitalize on a mistake. You need to be patient, work the count, foul off the tough pitches and wait for your pitch so you can drive it somewhere. Or, if the pitcher is in a really wild streak, take the walk. Never is it a bad thing to have another runner on base. We obviously were not doing either of those.

 

But getting runners on base consistently regardless of RISP will go a long way to curing our offensive woes.

[wekse]

i love you fred

 

Well.... between you and my wife and my dog..... that makes 3 of you !! :wink:

 

4, i've documented my love for you on here many times...it saddens me that you don't acknowledge that :-(

[Fred Hornkohl]

i love you fred

 

Well.... between you and my wife and my dog..... that makes 3 of you !! :wink:

 

4, i've documented my love for you on here many times...it saddens me that you don't acknowledge that :-(

 

I stand corrected, and humbled. :wink:

[BigbadB]

ewwww

[waffle]

I think my point is a good one

 

Sure they need to just plain get better and win, but...

 

Remember the Cards of the 70's and 80's? They were dominant defensively and could run you out of their park with decent pitching to back it up. If you were a long ball team your odds of winning there were not good.

 

If you can optimize your team to play well within the environ where you play 1/2 of your games gauranteed, you are going to help yourself be competitive.

 

SO yeah, 80% of it is JUST GETTING BETTER, but its the remaining 20% where the juice is, where you can optimize your chances. To me, part of that is architecting a team that is well suited to your playing conditions.

[cubweiser03]

The Cubs were cleary more patient with RISP than without.

.267/.316/.447 No one on----3,275 PA

.270/.324/.440 Overall

.258/.336/.414 RISP----------1,359 PA

So not only did they raise their OBP with RISP but thats with there batting average falling 9 points. A total patience addition of 29 points. The problem with lack of RISP is batting average, it doesnt really do all that much to get a walk with runners on, tis better to get a hit. While the Cubs had a lower BA with RISP the Cardinals drastically improved theirs.

.259/.321/.409 No one on----3,108 PA

.270/.339/.423 Overall

.291/.377/.436 RISP----------1,425 PA

The Cards raised their OBP 56 points with RISP but they had a 32 point increase in their BA! Without the batting average increase they raised their OBP 24 points compared to the Cubs raising theirs 29 points, less the batting average decrease, with RISP.

 

Not getting hits at opertune times is what cost the Cubs runs, nothing to do about patience.