The Cubs Really Miss Them
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“You go, we go!” That was the motto given to Dexter Fowler from Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon. As Dexter went, the Cubs would too. So often it was true. When Dexter would start off hot, get a hit, walk, steal a base, eventually score, it gave the Cubs offense a huge boost and improved their confidence. He was also a guy that kept it loose in the clubhouse. The guy that was always in the middle of the fun, and sharing gifts with guys that had his back every day.
“Gramps” was a light-hitting career backup catcher that had one job to do – catch Jon Lester. He didn’t steal bases, he couldn’t carry the load every day, he was a guy that had only earned 200 or more plate appearances three times in a 15-year career. What he was able to do was, right the ship. His personality, guidance, and leadership helped a young roster find its way when the game or pressures became tough. He would remind the guys of their incredible potential, and challenged them to reach that potential.
This Cubs team misses these guys
Offensively the Cubs have had their leadoff hitter reach base in the game’s first at-bat 16 times in 52 games. In the 46 at-bats, they have only recorded 10 hits, 5 walks, and once the leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch. I was the biggest proponent of Kyle Schwarber leading off, but admittedly, that experiment went horrendously wrong. Ben Zobrist hasn’t exactly torched the baseball since he’s taken the top spot in the order either.
The Cubs as a whole seem off. When you talk to them they say the right things. When the camera is on them they aren’t freaking out, yelling at each other, and they don’t look as if they are stressing. Heck, the Cubs relievers dance in the bullpen when the offense hits homers now. But something is off. It is as if each of them is pressing. Each of them is trying to be that guy, the hero. When doing so they are more times than not coming up short. These are the times that a grand, wise, veteran would tell a young slugger to try and move the ball the opposite way.
Joe himself is almost saying as much.
“We have to score the runner from third with less than two outs with something other than a home run,” Maddon said. “We’re just hitting home runs to score runs. We have to become more efficient moving the baseball. I’ve been talking about it for three years now.
“You have to get to the point where you move the ball and make adjustments,” Maddon added. “Middle of the field, opposite field, get the home run out of your head. If it happens, it happens. We just got too big there.”
How do they change it?
I don’t know that, hell if I did I would be in a Major League dugout somewhere and not writing musings on an internet blog. I can, however, make some suggestions.
The first thing they should do is remember that they have more potential than any team in baseball. A Chicago Cubs infield of Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist/Javier Baez, Addison Russell, and Kris Bryant is far and away the most talented in the game. They each have the ability to and have done amazing things on the diamond.
The next is, relax and don’t treat each at-bat like it is the last at bat in game seven of the World Series. I used to tell my players that they can’t hit a five-run home run, so loosen up and don’t try to do too much with the ball. A ball away hit it away. A ball inside, drive.
Lastly, turn the lights on. There is another level in which these guys can play, and they haven’t even come close to it yet. Now there is a huge difference between playing at a higher level and trying to play at a higher level. It is hard to explain but, if they are out there trying to play at a high level it more than likely will turn out badly. I think that is what we have seen over the course of the past two months. A team trying too hard to play at a level they know they can play at. It has to be natural. They need to play the game as they know how, one pitch at a time, while not doing too much.
I mean, it sounds easy… right?
