Outfield could again hold key for Cubs
February 28, 2010
MESA, Ariz. (AP)—With Milton Bradley(notes) moping, Alfonso Soriano(notes) limping andKosuke Fukudome(notes) whiffing, the 2009 Chicago Cubs were done in by their $214million outfield.
Bobby Scales(notes) was called up after 10 1/2 years in the minors and asked to savethe day. Jake Fox(notes) was all-hit, no field. Sam Fuld(notes) was all-field, no-power. Firstbaseman Micah Hoffpauir(notes), thrown into the outfield to supply offense, batted.239.
What a mess.
Had Lou Piniella known last spring that Scales, Fox, Fuld and Hoffpauirwould combine to play 135 games in the outfield—and that Bradley would createmore havoc in the clubhouse than runs on the diamond—the Cubs manager wouldhave known his team would have had no chance to win a third consecutive NLCentral title.
One year later, the song remains the same: As the outfield goes, so goes theCubs’ offense. And this season, hitting will be even more important because thepitching is unsettled.
Bradley has been replaced by Marlon Byrd(notes), who is being asked to be the studcenter fielder the Cubs have lacked for decades. The signing of Byrd—comingoff a career year of 20 homers and 89 RBIs for Texas—lets Fukudome move fromcenter to right, where he is more comfortable.
Left fielder Soriano, limited to 116 games, 20 homers and 55 RBIs in hisworst season ever, says his surgically repaired left knee feels so good he nolonger has to ice it.
“We’d like to see his power numbers and RBI production go up,” Piniellasaid Sunday. “We’ve got to get that 20 into the 30s and those 50s into the 80s.Those numbers are very doable for a player of his caliber.”
Xavier Nady(notes) was signed to back up all three positions. Nearly fullyrecovered from a second Tommy John surgery, he could challenge for significantplaying time in right if new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo can’t fix Fukudome’sswing.
“There’s no reason for ‘The Fook’ to hit in the .250s. He’s better thanthat. He should be hitting .285 or .290, driving in more runs,” Piniella said.“He’s made a couple of minor changes, so we’ll see.”
Fukudome did have a .375 on-base percentage and could be the leadoff hitternow that Soriano has been dropped to No. 6.
“With the guys in front of me, I should get a lot more RBIs,” Sorianosaid. Of his importance to the team, he said: “It’s not basketball, where oneguy makes a lot of difference. Everybody has to stay healthy.”
That includes Nady. The Cubs got next to nothing from fourth outfielder ReedJohnson(notes) last season, a big reason Scales, Fox, Fuld and Hoffpauir played somuch.
Nady, who batted .305 with 25 homers and 97 RBIs with the Pirates andYankees in 2008 before blowing out his right elbow last April 14, said he feelsfine hitting. He’s bringing his arm around slowly because, he said, “It’s yourcareer you’re playing with.”
He accepted Chicago’s $3.3 million contract offer because he likes theteam’s talent and because he loves Wrigley Field, where he has a .304 lifetimeaverage.
“The bleacher fans always ragged me when I was with Pittsburgh,” he said.“I’ll be excited to be on the other side instead of getting heckled for 3 1/2 hours.”
Of course, Cubs fans are infamous for turning on their own if players don’tproduce. Bradley was booed mercilessly, and Soriano also has been an object ofscorn.
If the outfielders do well in 2010, they’ll be cheered—and the Cubs willbenefit.
“Look, we’re not asking our guys to be superheroes,” Piniella said.“We’re just asking them to do what they were brought here to do.”
NOTES: RHP Angel Guzman(notes), who has been bothered by shoulder and kneeinjuries, threw 25 to 30 times from 45 feet Sunday and is scheduled to pitch offthe mound Monday. … Piniella said five pitchers would work in Thursday’sexhibition opener: starter Randy Wells(notes), followed by Sean Marshall(notes), J.R. Mathes,Mike Parisi(notes) and Esmailin Caridad(notes).
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