Wisch: With Cubs' Quiet December, The Power Is Out At Wrigley
By Dave Wischnowsky –
(CBS) Theo Epstein and the Chicago Cubs both have two World Series rings.
However, considering the fact that Epstein's jewelry was earned during the past decade, while the Cubs' rings didn't even come during the past century, it's reasonable right now to defer to Chicago's celebrated new baseball exec on all championship-related matters.
I'll trust that Theo and his front-office cohorts at Clark & Addison are indeed putting a master plan into place this offseason. Although, that said, as we near the end of a December in which the team has made very few moves – and no significant ones – I am scratching my scalp wondering exactly what that plan does entail.
More urgently, I'm curious just how the Cubs expect to score runs next season as they (theoretically) get the organizational ball headed in the right direction.
And I'm talking, like, any runs.
At all.
Last season, as the Cubs bumbled their way to a 71-91 record that left them 25 games out of first place they scored 654 runs (four a game), which the team ranked them 8th out of the National League's 16 ballclubs. Meanwhile, the Cubs' 148 home runs were good for 10th place.
Neither of those rankings are impressive, but from the 2011 roster, the Cubs have now subtracted their top RBI producer in third baseman Aramis Ramirez (26 homers, 93 RBI) and their top home run hitter in first baseman Carlos Pena (28 home runs, 80 RBI).
So far, they've replaced them with Ian Stewart (0 homers, 6 RBI in 2011) and, well – with reports suggesting that free agent first baseman Prince Fielder won't be signed – Bryan LaHair (2 homers, 8 RBI), I suppose?
If Stewart and LaHair are indeed the Cubs' Opening Day starters at the corners, that's a net loss of 52 home runs and 159 RBI from their positions, which would be fine if the Cubs were adding that production elsewhere.
But, really, we haven't seen any signs of that, either.
In fact, right now, the likely starters for the Cubs – catcher Geovany Soto, first baseman LaHair, second baseman Darwin Barney, third baseman Stewart, shortstop Starlin Castro, left fielder Alfonso Soriano, center fielder Marlon Byrd and right fielder David DeJesus – combined to hit just 76 homers and drive in 344 runs last season.
If you average that out, it's 9.5 homers and 43 RBI per starter, and with the players' collective .252 batting average, that means that next season the Cubs essentially will field a starting lineup of David DeJesuses (who hit .240 with 10 homers and 46 RBI in 2011).
Um, so, wait 'til next year?
Now, Epstein appears to be trying to build a younger Cubs team that can succeed in the fickle conditions of Wrigley Field by putting emphasis on pitching and defense. I get that, and applaud the novel thinking. But, that said, if you don't score, you can't win. So, someone still needs to drive in runs.
As of right now, it looks like the Cubs will be scoring with smoke and mirrors in 2012.
Or, perhaps more likely, not scoring at all.
If nothing else, Dave Wischnowsky is an Illinois boy. Raised in Bourbonnais, educated at the University of Illinois and bred on sports in the Land of Lincoln, he now resides on Chicago's North Side, just blocks from Wrigley Field. Formerly a reporter and blogger for the Chicago Tribune, Dave currently writes a syndicated column, The Wisch List, which you can check out via his blog at http://www.wischlist.com. Follow him on Twitter @wischlist and read more of his CBS Chicago blog entries here.
