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Levine: Strikeouts A Part Of The Cubs' Offensive Growing Pains

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The dreaded strikeout has found the Cubs and their slew of young free-swinging power hitters often early in this season.

Leading all of baseball in strikeouts, the Cubs have averaged 10 whiffs per game. That puts them on a pace for 1,620, which would obliterate the franchise strikeout record of 1,477 last season.

Despite that negative stat, the Cubs are 10th in baseball in on-base percentage and 10th in walks. Rookie third baseman Kris Bryant could become the modern day Jim Thome, who was a regular 100-walk, 100-strikeout performer. Thome's 612 career home runs were a testament to his impact on games despite his massive strikeout totals. Early in his career, Bryant has shown the same propensities of batting acumen as Thome, as he's walked 19 times and struck out 34 times in his first 23 games.

A strikeout is an unproductive out, but in the mind of Cubs manager Joe Maddon, there are differing types of strikeouts in when they occur and the impact on the team.

"When I was the minor league hitting instructor with the Angels, I came up with something called the B-hack," Maddon said. "That was your two-strike approach. Right versus right, keep your fastball swing loaded and look away first and choke up. I believe in adaptations. There are mental adjustments to make more than physical."

Maddon pointed to several players who he's seen drastically change their approach and avoid the strikeout in two-strike situation, including one of his own.

"Anthony Rizzo right now is probably the poster child right now for the two-strike approach," Maddon said. "I think (Cincinnati's) Joey Votto is as well. Those two guys really stand out to me."

Bryant, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell will all be fighting for NL Rookie of the Year honors and could all be near the top of the league in strikeouts as well. Soler has struck out 46 times in 31 games, while Russell has whiffed 30 times in 18 games.

"It's all about adjustments," Maddon said. "It always comes down to the player, and if he really accepts that he wants to do this. If they don't accept that type of thinking, you can preach as much as you want, and it just won't happen. It is very difficult to get a guy to change on the fly in the major leagues. You need to do these things in the minor leagues. It is like bunting for a hit. It is really hard to do. You don't ask people to do what they aren't really good at up here, because they really are not going to get it done properly."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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