Soriano has helped Cubs win
When I scroll through the comments on Cubs blogs and message boards each morning, it seems more times than not somewhere there is a comment about the Chicago Cubs need to trade Alfonso Soriano. This afternoon at ACB, dj and jman discussed the fact that esteemed journalists Carrie Muskat and Phil Rogers have joined the chorus. Soriano has been a lightning rod for fans and msm criticism since Jim Hendry inked himto a massive contract back in the 2006-7 offseason. Yours truly even got into the act last spring when Soriano was playing LF like Mr. Magoo.
Maybe it’s the contract, maybe it’s the hop, maybe it’s his nationality, maybe it’s the strikeouts, maybe it’s the incredible amount of talent this guys has; I don’t know what it is, but there is something that really irks a large percentage of Cubs fans about Alfonso Soriano. This is just my opinion, but at the end of the day I think it is the massive contract that bothers people. Soriano has an 8 year, $136 million deal with the Cubs. At the time the Cubs signed Soriano they were coming off a 66 win season, Jim Hendry said this:
“We won 66 ballgames. We darn sure better be aggressive,” Hendry said.
Did the Cubs overpay for Soriano? Most will say yes. But as Hendry said the team had to be aggressive. A valid case can be made that the Cubs gave Soriano too many years. Think about it, he has six years remaining on this deal. Even if the Cubs had to trade Soriano, the only way they could would be in a ‘Mike Hampton/Colorado Rockies style salary gulp-deal’. This situation is nothing like that situation anyways. Hampton had been awful for the Rockies. Soriano has been the Cubs second best offensive player the last two years. And one more thing: the Cubs win when Soriano plays (shhhhhh don’t tell anyone).
In the two seasons the Cubs have had Soriano the Cubs have won the NL Central twice. That team that won 66 games in 2006, won 85 in 2007 and 97 in 2008. They did this with Alfonso Soriano leading off (a soar spot for many) and playing LF the majority of the time. Still when you listen to the critics they have done this despite Soriano. Well that is wrong.
Over his two years with the Cubs one of the frustrating elements of Fonzie’s Cubs career has been injuries. He played 135 games in 2007 and only 109 in 2008. One of the things this frustration allows us to do is look at the team when Soriano plays and when he doesn’t. In 2007 the Cubs were 73-61 when Soriano started, in 2008 they were 69-38 when he started. So that means that over two season with the Cubs the club has a .589 winning percentage when he is in the starting lineup. .589 people. The team has played .475 (38-42) ball when he is not in the lineup. Now I’m not much of a stats guy, but something there tells me he helped this club win ballgames the last two years.
Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella made Soriano the centerpiece of their resurrection project a couple of years back. Yeah the team has not taken home the biggest prize, but two division titles in two years is better than most of us would have expected at that time. Soriano has helped this team win for two seasons, at the end of the day isn’t that what really counts?
Good stuff, ccd. I didn’t realize the Cubs were THAT much better with Soriano in the lineup. I knew they were better, but I had no idea it was that much better.
The Cubs could neither trade Soriano and nor would they want to in my opinion. He’s done everything that’s been asked of him (play CF, back to LF, leadoff, not leadoff) and has produced at a high level. He’ll never be worth the contract, but as you said, the Cubs won 66 games and absolutely had to get the best player available that offseason. Whatever the cost, they had to do it and they did.
I honestly don’t understand the fan’s frustration with Soriano. I’d go even further than your 2nd best offensive player over the last 2 years and say (without proof for now) that Soriano has been the best position player over the last 2 years on the Cubs. I think when you take into account his defense, especially in 2007 when he should have earned a gold glove, I think that would be true. I may be wrong, and it’s silly to quibble over it. Best or 2nd best. Whatever. Still awfully damn good.
The crazy part is that he hasn’t played a full season. If he would have, he’d have hit 40 home runs each of the last 2 years and without the leg injuries I imagine he’d have about 60 stolen bases combined. Not that I care much about his stolen bases, but some fans do. Didn’t he have 19 last year in just 109 games? 109 games with various injuries to his legs?
I really do not know what it is about Soriano that so upsets many fans. I’d love to know. I’d really like to get one honest explanation, but I bet that honesty would be hard to find. Over at Grota you’ll often read Klute berate the guy and the funny thing is he says he thinks he’s a good ballplayer, but should just hit lower in the order. So instead of just accepted that people more intelligent than us make those decisions and acknowledge how good he is, Klute has decided to berate the guy every chance he has. I’ll never understand that.
Maddog
December 4, 2008 at 6:01 pm
…and ontop of that last season had he been healthy he would have easily driven in 100 runs, in the leadoff position.
Soriano is a really good baseball player md. Is he perfect? Of course not. but Cub fans should be appreciative of having him on your team. there may come a day where cub fans will have the right to bitch and moan about his contract (years 6, 7 & 8 maybe), but that time ain’t now. Now fans should just hope he is in the lineup. Because almost 60% of the time when he is in the lineup this club wins. That’s not too shabby.
I’d love to hear it. Whatever it is, it’s not rational. The Cubs are a better club with Soriano and that’s the bottom line. I’d love for somebody in the press to report the numbers I did above about the Cubs winning games when Fonzie starts. I’d love to see a mainstreamer do it. The numbers are there to be found.
wpbc
December 4, 2008 at 6:13 pm
also at the end of the day he really is an exciting fun player to watch. he can do things on the baseball field that are really special.
wpbc
December 4, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Soriano is treated much like A-Rod is in New York and more familiar to Cubs fans, Sammy Sosa towards the end of his productive career. Soriano isn’t equal to either of those players (both A-Rod and Sosa are first ballot hall of famers), but it is interesting that it’s the very good players that get the treatment. Fans and the media hail Ryan Theriot. They literally fucking hail him, ccd. Bob Brenly has an orgasm every time Theriot dives for a ball, which is about 13 times per inning. Brenly actually said that Theriot wore a scrape on his elbow like a merit badge. Seriously. He had a little scrape on his elbow and the Cubs color analyst thought it appropriate to talk about him as if he’d spent time in Iraq.
Or think about how often Len Kasper talked about Ryan Dempster’s workouts last offseason, which is something that should be talked about. Just not 3 times per start. Do these people think that Soriano, one of the strongest players in the game, a player with almost no body fat whatsoever sits on his ass in the offseason? Did we ever once hear about his workout program?
Bob Brenly actually said on air that you could throw a dart into the Cubs dugout and find a better defensive left fielder. Even if that’s true (which it isn’t), that’s just not something you say as a color analyst. Ryno was right on when he said “Bob could throw it, but Soriano could throw it better.”
I am literally amazed at how he’s been treated. Lou forced him to apologize to the team on the ball he thought was gone that stayed in the park. It was a double turned into a single. That same game Ryan Theriot was doubled off on an infield pop-up and thrown out trying to advance to 3rd base. I understand making the high priced player apologize. I really do. He’s supposed to set examples, but this is the kind of thing that should stay in house. If Soriano had to apologize for NOT GETTING OUT, why did Theriot not have to apologize for GETTING OUT TWICE on the bases? Maybe he did, but Len and Bob sure didn’t talk about that apology, did they?
Ridiculous.
Maddog
December 4, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I’d just like to say again since you talked about him being an exciting player, which he is. I hadn’t watched batting practice for several years, but I did this past trip to Cincy and there isn’t a player on the Cubs even close to as strong as Soriano. And to prove that to me, he went out and hit 3 home runs in the same game. One of the most impressive things I’ve seen was that batting practice and then that performance. That man is strong.
Maddog
December 4, 2008 at 7:05 pm
It’s funny MD, as you state above the Cubs broadcasters just reenforce these ideas to the fanbase. I think that speaks alot as to why so many of these ideas are repeated, again and again by fans.
wpbc
December 4, 2008 at 8:09 pm
i’ve been fighting this one from nearly day one. i love soriano. love to watch him play. he seems to enjoy himself. he’s very good at what he does. and, oh yes, he’s a damn good baseball player.
sigh.
wv23
December 4, 2008 at 10:04 pm
The Cubs broadcasters can take some blame for this for sure. Wasn’t it Al Yellon today that wrote about what a great job those 2 do? Is he paid to write that? I don’t mind Kasper and in fact I think Kasper would be pretty good with a better color analyst, but Bob is just plain terrible.
Maddog
December 4, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I’ve softened on Len Kasper. By all accounts he’s a nice guy that does his homework. But read this:
I didn’t realize he was on the verge of the Ford Frick Award. Wow, have I missed the boat on this one.
wpbc
December 5, 2008 at 8:08 am
A valiant effort wrigleyville, a valiant effort. The fans that don’t enjoy watching him play are really missing out on one of the more exciting ballplayers the Cubs have had in awhile. Their loss…
wpbc
December 5, 2008 at 8:14 am
Kasper isn’t that bad. Brenly really is. I think Kasper would do a much better job with a competent color guy, but since there’s almost no chance Brenly will ever get a managerial gig again, he’s going to be doing this job for as long as he wants.
Maddog
December 5, 2008 at 9:20 am