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Cubs.com knows RBI are team-dependent; how come so many fans don’t?

Posted by MB21 on 09/13/09 at 10:08 PM • 25 Comments

Andrew Simon has been writing for cubs.com for awhile now.  I’m not really sure how long.  I noticed his name on an article not long before he brought up Soto’s lower babip in 2009.  Maybe he’s been there awhile and I just hadn’t been reading his articles.  I’ve tried to make a point to read them since that article.  I’m glad I have done so.

In today’s piece, Simon points out what every rational person on the planet knows, but far too many baseball fans ignore.  RBI are a team-dependent stat.  He also talks about OPS, which is something you’ll only read from Bruce Miles when it comes to Cubs sportswriters.

This year’s No. 5 hitters are actually on pace to collect more RBIs than last year’s No. 5 hitters, but RBIs are dependent on a lot of external factors. Chicago’s OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) in that position in the order is nearly 40 points lower than in 2008.

In fact, Cubs hitters have not produced as well as last year throughout the lineup. Only the second and fourth spots in the order have a higher OPS this season. The largest discrepancies in OPS from 2008 to 2009 are with the seventh and eighth slots, as players like Mike Fontenot and Geovany Soto have struggled.

It’s nice to see mlb.com employing a person as intelligent as Simon is. 

There’s also another piece of information in that article that’s worth highlighting because Lou comes out and says the team needs 1 more RBI guy in the lineup. 

“The fifth spot is a spot where this year we’ve tried different combinations,” Piniella said. “The fifth spot is a big RBI spot on a team.”

“You look at our offense, and one really good RBI bat really makes a big difference,” Piniella said.

This is important because where can the Cubs add a “really good RBI bat?”  C, 1B, SS, 3B, LF, and CF are all taken.  There aren’t many really good RBI guys who play 2nd base.  That leaves RF.  Milton Bradley is a lot better than he’s played this year, but if Lou gets his way they’ll have a different RF next year and they’ll probably have Chone Figgins playing 2nd base and leading off as well. 



Tags: Milton Bradley, Geovany Soto, Lou Piniella, Mike Fontenot, Chone Figgins, cubs.com, Andrew Simon

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COMMENTS

1. MB21 (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 09:33 PM

Chris Carpenter is NOT an ace!
Box Score

2. MB21 (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 09:44 PM

What about signing Trevor Hoffman?  He wants to stay in Milwaukee.  I thought he’d have been a good sign this past offseason.  I think he’d be a good one this offseason if there’s money available.

3. MB21 (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 09:48 PM

4. MB21 (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 09:56 PM

Wow.  Serena Williams says the line judge shouldn’t have felt threatened because she’s never been in a fight in here life.  She only told the judge she was going to shove the fucking tennis ball down her throat.  Williams said she didn’t threaten to kill her, which didn’t do.  She only threatened to shove a ball down her throat, which you know, would actually fucking kill her.  wow.

5. pfd (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 09:58 PM

Great game for the Pack. Nice to see Rodgers execute at the end there. Cutler may be good, but I doubt he’ll be too successful with the WRs the bears have.

6. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 09:58 PM

Johnny Knox is dumb as a post. Watching the clips of the INT’s, two were on Cutler, the other two were on Knox. Idiot.

7. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:00 PM

pfd, you can’t be too happy with the pass-blocking on the o-line, can you?

OTOH, Capers has that defense flying.  Looked positively devastating tonight.

8. pfd (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:01 PM

pfd, you can’t be too happy with the pass-blocking on the o-line, can you?

Yeah, that was the one incredibly weak aspect of the game. Allen Barbre got his ass handed to him by Ogunleye. I wasn’t really thrilled w/ Ryan Grant either. I thought the defense was great at pressuring Cutler and limiting Forte, though, and can’t complain about Rodgers.

9. berselius (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:02 PM

Yeah, that was the one incredibly weak aspect of the game. Allen Barbre got his ass handed to him by Ogunleye. I wasn’t really thrilled w/ Ryan Grant either. I thought the defense was great at pressuring Cutler and limiting Forte, though, and can’t complain about Rodgers.

Yeah, they’ve got their work cut out for them on the o-line. I’m also not a big Grant reliever. Rogers had a lousy game, but I don’t know how much of it was due to the protection

10. melissa (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:06 PM

What about signing Trevor Hoffman?  He wants to stay in Milwaukee.  I thought he’d have been a good sign this past offseason.  I think he’d be a good one this offseason if there’s money available.

Someone at BCB thinks Hoffman would help the Cubs more than Pujols.  Seriously though he wouldn’t be a terrible pick up.

11. MB21 (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:08 PM

Someone at BCB thinks Hoffman would help the Cubs more than Pujols.

(dying laughing)

12. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:09 PM

Yeah, they’ve got their work cut out for them on the o-line.

It seems that way.

I’m also not a big Grant believer.

Yeah, it’s only matter of time before his fumbling problems return, and I’ve always felt Jackson was a better runner anyway.

13. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:12 PM

The thing that kills me is that all the meatballs that wanted to hate Jay Cutler, now have a reason, since Kyle Orton “won” a game today.  Of course, they’ll ignore that the Bears’ WR corps was responsible for two of Cutler’s picks, and that Orton should have thrown a game-ending pick, but for the inevitable stupidity of the Bengals.

14. melissa (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:16 PM

The thing that kills me is that all the meatballs that wanted to hate Jay Cutler, now have a reason, since Kyle Orton “won” a game today.  Of course, they’ll ignore that the Bears’ WR corps was responsible for two of Cutler’s picks, and that Orton should have thrown a game-ending pick, but for the inevitable stupidity of the Bengals.

No question.  I also thought Turner’s play calling sucked in the red zone.  His screen call that turned into an interception made no sense.  I also think he screwed the pooch and settled for a field goal on the last scoring drive when they should have gone to the end zone more.  The botched snap on the fake punt hurt as well.

15. theantigoat (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:16 PM

How bout those Bears? Cutler is a joke. Hahaha, eat it Bear fans

16. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:17 PM

Hahaha, eat it Bear fans

Stay classy, Denver. Enjoy Orton’s noodle arm. You can’t play Cincy every week.

17. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:19 PM

Turner’s play calling sucked in the red zone

As per his usual.  He needs to use more play-action down there.  And the complete absence of the run in the first half game plan really didn’t help matters.

18. melissa (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:21 PM

He needs to use more play-action down there.

No doubt.  On that last scoring drive when he kept trying to unsuccessfully run it I was wondering why they weren’t running play action.  I also thought Cutler was looking for Bennett way too much.  Where was the Olson connection we’ve been hearing about?

19. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:25 PM

Where was the Olson connection we’ve been hearing about?

He was double-teamed with a DB and a LB all night.

20. melissa (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:28 PM

He was double-teamed with a DB and a LB all night.

They were double teaming Hester a lot too, they both couldn’t have been double covered the whole night. They ran a nice play to Des Clark up the seam, I would have liked to have seen more of that with both TEs.  I’m watching the Post Game interviews on Comcast and they are patting down Bears players before they let them leave.  WTF is up with that?

21. Keith (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:37 PM

How long until Ron Turner is gone? Seriously, this is just getting frustrating.

22. berselius (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:51 PM

Wrist delocation for Urlacher

23. JCust (view all comments) — Sep 13, 2009 @ 10:54 PM

Anyone wanna bring the ranting over to ANNB? Just sayin…. (completely shameless promotion). (dying laughing)

It’s one game and Hester looked good. Bennet was OK. The offense was a bad and Urlacher was out. It’s one game, just chill.

The Bears O-Line was the main culprit tonight Omiyale and Pace blew chunks.

24. GoBackToSchaumburg (view all comments) — Sep 14, 2009 @ 06:31 AM

Stay classy, Denver. Enjoy Orton’s noodle arm. You can’t play Cincy every week.

Well to be fair, Denver’s offense was clicking all day, shredding that Cincy defense for 12 points.

25. Mercurial Outfielder (view all comments) — Sep 14, 2009 @ 06:59 AM

New Thread UP

Next entry: Prospect Success and the Long Offseason Ahead
Previous entry: Soriano Will Undergo Surgery on Tuesday


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