Best Record in the Majors….Does This Still Apply?
By Joe Aiello | May 30th, 2008 | Posted in General
I got this E-mail from a reader and told him I’d post it. Discuss among yourselves as we celebrate being on top of baseball.
The Chicago Cubs should sign 40-year-old veteran outfielder Kenny Lofton. The East Chicago-native hit .296 last season with 31 extra-base hits, 23 stolen bases and he walked more than he struck out.
All season, the Cubs have been looking for another left-handed bat, and Lofton may be the answer. Kenny hit .313 last season against righties with a .838 OPS. Lofton can fill the platoon with the right-handed Reed Johnson if Jim Edmonds (3-24, .125) continues to struggle.
What the Cubs are hoping Edmonds will provide that Kenny won’t, is power. Piniella has been batting Edmonds 5th and 6th in the order, and last night ahead of Geovany Soto who is amongst the team leader’s in RBI’s.
Piniella has also started Edmonds in center in every game against a right-handed starter since he joined the team, and Lou has said he needs to start hitting.
If he doesn’t start hitting, and the low-priced Edmonds is waived, Kenny Lofton should be an option the Cubs consider.
And Kenny wants to play…
“Everybody says, ‘Why doesn’t anybody sign Barry?’ I say, ‘Why doesn’t anybody sign Kenny?’”, said Kenny Lofton.
Kenny still has good speed and is a good hitter. He can still cover ground in the outfield, but doesn’t have much of an arm, in which case you can use Reed Johnson as a late-inning defensive replacement if need be. He may not still be able to steal that base in a tight spot, but he’d still be a threat to run.
He got the job done last season and in the playoffs for Cleveland, where he was easily the most popular player on the team. You would also assume the Chicago-native would be well received by Cubs fans after collecting 16 hits (.308 average) in 12 games during the Cubs magical playoff run of 2003.
And in the season where the Cubs are chasing away the ghosts of the last 99 seasons, who better than Kenny Lofton to win a Championship with?
Is there an individual player who has endured more heartbreak than Kenny Lofton?
Kenny was a part of a great Cleveland Indians team (Thome, Omar, Belle, Manny in his first full-season, Eddie Murray in his last hurrah, Sandy Alomar) that lost Game 6 of the 1995 World Series in Atlanta giving the Braves their only Championship of their non-dynasty.
In 1997 he was traded to Atlanta, but the Braves lost the NLCS in 6 to the upstart Florida Marlins who went on to shock Cleveland.
The next season he was traded back to Cleveland, and after beating Boston they lost the 1998 ALCS in 6 to the record-breaking 114-win New York Yankees.
After first round divisonal series losses in 1999 & 2001, Kenny was traded to San Francisco. In the season after Barry Bonds set the single-season home run record with 73, Barry, with his obscene 268 OPS+ (greatest single season in baseball history) carried the Giants to the 2003 World Series where they blew a 3-2 lead and lost to the Anahiem Angels in Game 7.
The next season he was traded to Chicago in July and hit .327 in 56 games for the Cubs. Chicago lead the 2003 NLCS three games to one, Kenny experienced the Game 6 Mark Prior, Alex Gonzalez, Kyle Farnsworth meltdown, and watched the Florida Marlins win three in a row and then shock New York in the World Series.
In 2004 Kenny signed with the New York Yankees…
Finally last season Kenny was the spark that got the Cleveland Indians hot and into the 2007 ALCS where they had a 3-1 lead, only to have Boston win three straight and sweep the World Series.
Seven times he’s lost to the team that won the World Series. If the Cubs are due after 100 years, maybe Kenny is too.
May 30th, 2008 at 9:54 am
We never should have let Lofton go in 2004. We actually opted for Corey Patterson, a bigger letdown than Felix Pie. And Edmonds should be GONE because he is not only DONE, but the staunch leader Lou Piniella no longer trusts him. You had an error above — Lou benched him agains Lowe the other night, and now for two nights he has not let Edmonds even pinch hit.
BUT — Lofton is no longer a CF, and a CF is what we need. Lofton would provide no power, and some power from the left side is what we need. That makes replacing Edmonds a tall order as I know of no good candidates that cover both of these needs. And Lofton is a leadoff man, and like it or not, we have one of those.
Let Lofton be. But get rid of Edmonds. Either bring up Torres and give him a couple of weeks or go back to Pie, who is great defensively and might have some offensive upside. A team leading the majors in runs scored can carry a lone defensive specialist.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am
No thanks.
1st: Kenny can’t play CF anymore. I don’t know how to link to pages, but google search Baseball Musing’s Probabilistic Model of Range and check out Hardball Times Revised Zone Rating. He’s near the bottom in both. That’s not a good thing.
Weather you like these defensive metrics or not, when a guy is at the bottom in multiple metrics, its telling you something.
2nd: You think Cubs fans really care about what he did in 2003? Or how popular he was in Cleveland? If he starts out 0-4, he’ll get booed just like everyone else gets booed.
The terrible defense mixed in with the mediocre offense is worse than great defense and bad offense (Pie) in my opinion. Give me the no hitting defensive CF on a team that leads the league in offense any day.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I agree with Rick. I would just add that the Cubs have enough on their hands getting over the hump after 100 years without bringing on an individual who has a history of not getting over the hump….
May 30th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Can Hoffpower play RF? If so he’s the answer. He’s 5-12 (.417) with 2 doubles and a SB. You then move Fukudome to CF which he has played before both in Chicago and in Japan. Yes the defence worse but still addiquate and then you get Mitch’s bat in the lineup every day.
And if he can’t he needs to be sent back to Iowa when Ward returns and learn it quick!
May 30th, 2008 at 11:13 am
He’s 5-12 (.417) with 2 doubles and a SB.
Sample size, my friend.
you get Mitch’s bat in the lineup every day.
Who is Mitch?
May 30th, 2008 at 11:32 am
1) Didn’t I bring this up in February? No one liked the idea then.
2) One of the reasons Fukudome signed in Chicago, and not San Diego, is that Hendry told him he’d be a Right Fielder where he’s more comfortable. I like him in RF. Let’s leave him in RF.
3) Mitch is that guy that wears the pink Cubs hat and green polo shirt behind home plate. Isn’t it?
May 30th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I like the idea of power that edmonds can supply, but if we don’t start to some kind of production soon he needs to go. In that case I’m all for Kenny…..I practically cried when we let him go! He was a huge reason for the 2003 magic and I see no reason why he can’t still be a productive player on this team.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
If Pie stays at Iowa past this SUNDAY, he will have used up his last major league option. Though Pie could still be optioned back to Iowa this year, he would be out of options in Spring Training of 2009, and would be guaranteed a ML roster spot (or his release).
If the Cubs call Pie back up before Monday, he will still have an option remaining during the 2009 season.
For this reason, I look for a decision on Edmonds/Pie at the end of the homestand. If Edmonds doesn’t hit will, I think he may be cut Sunday and Pie called up.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Fukudome has done an outstanding job in right field….I am hesitant to mess with that. I just don’t think Kenny Lofton is the answer. However, I do think the Cubs are lucky enough have enough to have enough power to carry a position for defense, whomever that may be. Thank you Soto!
May 30th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I’d like to see some detailed stats/comparison on Lofton’s defense. As I have stated before, I will take his offense any day of the week. Yes, we have the best record - now - in MLB. However, I seem to remember some 100 year drought? We can always use his speed and offense off the bench, Lofton, even at 40, is way better offensively than Edmonds, Reed, Pie. Show me some concrete numbers on his defense and exactly what the cost (either in runs per game, w/l, whatever) of having his alleged sub-par defense will be…
May 30th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
^ I used the same argument for Edmonds, when the naysaysers said he was done defensively. In an small outfield like Wrigley, it shouldn’t be weighed as heavily.
May 30th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I’m against making the defensive concessions of Fukudome to CF and Hoffpauir in RF. If Kenny is in the bottom third in CF defense, I would also pass on him and just bring up Pie. Other than that, i think David Dejesus can be looked at as a possibility.
May 30th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Well I’d love to see a quantity as well, but I don’t think its out there. Same thing can be asked about the Murton haters…
May 30th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Well, Edmonds showed us something today….kinda liked what I saw. I know it is only one game, but it is a start. I believe he still has something in the tank, and I think he can be an asset for this club. Maybe he can start to come around, then we can end all of this talk about what to do in CF.
May 30th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Can someone explain to me (or tell me where I can find a nice easy-to-understand explanation) of options and what it means when they have so many options left or none left, etc. re: reply #8 which got me to thinking of this not-stupid question. Thanks!
May 31st, 2008 at 12:40 am
At this point Edmonds is still our best option in CF. Pie was lost at the plate and at least Edmonds makes better contact. Last I checked Pie had 23 K in 65 at bats. Edmonds has 27 K in 135 at bats. I do not think that we lose anything in defense with Edmonds vs. Pie. I have been trying to keep up with Joe’s minor league reports and from what I can see, Pie is not tearing it up in the minors. If my observations are correct, he has not earned a call up. So why bring him up if he does not add value? What role does he play on the team?
May 31st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I think you are calling up for ‘potential’ even if he is not immediately better than Edmonds. He started off lost in AAA and needed to work out his his swing but has been better in the last 5 games, going 6/19 with a homerun, triple, 2 doubles and an even 2/2 K/BB ratio. We know from the last couple of years that he can hit AAA if given the chance. If his confidence is back, I think you should bring him up and give him some playing time.