How to avoid 3-peat

Standing in the visiting manager's office a half-hour after the Cubs flamed out in the playoffs, Lou Piniella was asked what could be done to avoid this scenario next year.

[Chris]

The Cubs do NOT need a massive overhaul, but they could use the following:

1) more ability to manufacture runs. Some more speed, bunting, and hit and runs would be nice when the boppers go through their inevitable slumps.

2) get Soriano out of the leadoff spot. His hitting talent is extra base power, batting him leadoff is the absolute worst spot to place him. Why Lou can't see that I have no idea.

3) left-handed bats. A left-handed centerfielder with some speed would be ideal.

[Chris]

The bottomline is the Cubs have to keep knocking on the door...eventually it will be opened, but you have to be persistent and keep making the playoffs year in, year out. The playoffs are a crapshoot at best.

Tweak the team to address some weaknesses mentioned above, but overall the team is very strong. 1st in runs scored and 2nd in runs allowed is just incredible, especially in a 16 team league.

[Alex]

Soriano in the leadoff works ok during the season because he can destroy mediocre pitching. But he CANNOT bat leadoff in the post season.
He doesn't know how to simply get on base and he's not going to hammer elite pitchers. It's important to put constant pressure on the opposition in the playoffs and Soriano can't do it. He sets the tone and it's a bad one.

[Larry Richton Park]

The Cubs should pick up the option on Rich Harden for starters and the Cubs need a left handed run producing bat in the middle of the lineup and move Soriano from the leadoff spot and try and obtain Brian Roberts form baltimore and let Samardzija compete for the fifth spot in the rotation.

[Larry Richton Park]

I agree totally.

Alex wrote:

Soriano in the leadoff works ok during the season because he can destroy mediocre pitching. But he CANNOT bat leadoff in the post season.
He doesn't know how to simply get on base and he's not going to hammer elite pitchers. It's important to put constant pressure on the opposition in the playoffs and Soriano can't do it. He sets the tone and it's a bad one.

[Jamie Adams]

You forgot one..The sports writers should quit writting about the so called curse.

[Brian Considine]

Come on Paul. You are missing some key things.

1) Dump Marquis. Sign Derek Lowe. He was made for Wrigley, he will step up in Harden's place early in the year while he takes it easy. If Lowe gets more money elsewhere, then John Garland or AJ Burnett are good options. Of course I want CC, but it aint happening.

2A) Sign Furcal to play SS and lead off, move Theriot to 2nd or trade him and play Fontonet on a daily basis. Soriano bats 5th. DeRosa plays RF. Fukudome plays center.

2B) You can't sign Furcal; then sign Abreu, Dunn, or go risky and sign right handed Vlad or LF Manny. What I am getting at is this team needs another middle of the order bat. Soriano is a rally killer and Derek Lee needs to find his HR stroke. Fukudome's offense could be hidden better in CF if we have a proven, big-game bat. Another big-game bat is a Must. DONT DEPEND ON THESE GUYS NOT GOING COLD AGAIN!

2C) I like the idea for trading for Carlos Beltran, but talking trades opens up a world of options and we truely dont know what is going to happen, so its stupid to talk. But Hendry, think Carlos Beltran..

3) Bye Bye Howry. Samardja takes his place. and if Wood gets crazy money elsewhere and leaves, hand it over to Marmol and get creative in the middle of the bullpen. But power arms that can control their pitches are a must.

[david James]

Walks- nothing you can do about that
Errors- I think teams should take fielding practice again on a daily basis.
Hitting- Right handers can hit right handers- Just ask manny and Russel Martin. It is actually more about approach. Why do you think Ryan Theriot hit 300 this year? He hit to right field. Today's quality pitcher works away with fastballs for show and sliders and curves for go. If our hitter don't change their approach we can count on another 6 runs in the 2009 playoffs. Tony Gwyn constantly commented on the Cubs hitting approach. I image Gerald Perry did the same, but did they listen to Gerald. Once you start hitting to the opposite field then they have to pitch you inside. I started to be a cubs fan in the 70,s. I still take 97 wins over those years anyday!

[Brian Considine]

I dont care what any of you say. I am only 20 years old. I am not waiting 10,20,30,40,50 and so on years to see a world series championship. This is heartbreaking stuff and seeing the misery of certain old people is too much to take. This has to happen soon and remove a burden from all of our lives.

This team could not handle the pressure. It all obviously started with a rattled Dempster. He overthrew and cost the Cubs a real good shot at winning game 1.

The offense couldnt start a rally with 0 outs nor cash in with runners on. And the infield proved they get uptight with runners on base. I dont think Theriot is a priority on this team. I think Furcal would be a money player who would improve this team. We need a big time money player who wants to be in the biggest spotlight on the biggest stage. Manny would kill this curse in a heartbeat. He's not coming but we sure could use him in left rather than a weak-minded Soriano (Id move him to right for Manny, and Fukudome to center). This town thrives on the money player; Walter Payton and MJ. This team had no money player who wanted to be on the stage. They all had stage frieght.

[Craig]

I don't see how you can leave out the fact that the Cubs need a legitimate leadoff hitter badly. In the post-season (facing good pitchers) Soriano is the type of streaky hitter who is likely to get completely shut down. When runs are at a premium in the post season, the last hitter in your lineup that should be streaky, is the leadoff hitter who should be getting on base and pressuring the opposing pitcher/defense.

Two straight years of terrible post season performances means this club is missing something, and I believe it is a consistant spark at the top of the lineup.

[Brian]

I would not pick up the option on Harden. The Cubs don't need a pitcher who can only go six innings and who can only throw once every three weeks. That could really mess up your rotation over an entire season,

[WhichDawg]

what's really nice is the Cubs don't need to tweak to much, they're so close.
I agree, Soriano should not be lead off, he's proven that the last two years, especially against quality pitchers (agreed Alex).
I like Harden's 10 strike outs per game, even if he doesn't finish.
Zambrano will be Zambrano, he'll lose his stuff before he loses his tude, resigning Dempster should be first priority, he was a Rock.

This group is good and with a few acquisitions and some polish, who knows, they should at least make the playoffs regularly ;)

thanks for the year and go Lou!

[Dave]

How about finding a manager who isn't afraid to bunt a runner over or hit-and-run?

[Randy Bobb]

Brian Considine wrote:

I dont care what any of you say. I am only 20 years old. I am not waiting 10,20,30,40,50 and so on years to see a world series championship.

Are you gonna stamp your foot and hold your breath, too?
You've done us all a service ... the Cubs will wake up now and realize hey, Brian's not going to wait, we have to win the world championship next year. Many thanks.

[Mr Kennedy]

Very good article and good comments on baseball on here.Cub fans know what it takes to win,to bad the players don't.

[ex cub fan]

You forgot to mention that they should get rid of Ramirez and Soriano. Both these guys have had two chances to prove themselves effective in the post season and both choked horribly. Sure they are great in the regular season, but what good are they if they fall apart when it's most needed?

[FAN NO MORE]

Fire the manager who can't fire up his team.

[Gary]

So the Cubs only need to be tweaked to get to the next level? Come on! It's the leadership vacuum and the Soriano cancer holding them back.

[pedant]

Some of these suggestions are fine. But "Forget about 'Cubbie swagger'"? What does that even mean?

I'm not sure swaggering is voluntary. Usually when you are playing well it just happens naturally. Then when you play worse it seems to go away. For example, I haven't noticed many Cubs swaggering over the last few days. In fact, the only way to eliminate swagger is to play badly on a consistent basis - and I think Cub fans have seen enough of that over the last century, thank you very much.

It's almost as if Mr. Sullivan could only think of 9 areas for the Cubs to improve, thereby necessitating that the tenth be pulled out of his nether regions. Because who wants a list of only 9 things? Would anybody even read it?

[No longer a Cub fan]

I hope Mark Cuban buys the Cubs and does the following two things: 1. Fire Ron Santo and 2. Blow-up Wrigley Field.