Chicago Cubs talk the walk
Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester has seen a few American League lineups in his day.
So I'll trust his judgment when he assesses the batting order of his current team.
"Like I've said from back in spring training, even with our pitchers, I feel like we have an AL lineup," Lester said this week. "We have the depth that makes these guys work. I think we've seen it early on. We get into (opponents') bullpens fairly early.
"We've had a few good games from the opposing pitchers here and there, but, for the most part, in those good games those guys are around 95-100 pitches in 6 (innings). You don't see too many guys going deep into ballgames."
The only thing lacking from the Cubs' lineup is the designated hitter, which team president Theo Epstein would love the National League to employ, but that's a story for another day. The Cubs are making do with that they have, and what they have is a relentless offense that grinds every at-bat.
There are a couple of things to look at with the Cubs' lineup. One is run differential, where the Cubs are plus-99. The St. Louis Cardinals entered Thursday second, at plus-50.
We've talked a lot about run differential already, so the other area I'd like to look at is walks. The Cubs have drawn 172 in 33 games. Projected out over 162 games, that would come out to 844 walks, and it would break the major-league record of 835, set by the 1949 Boston Red Sox in 155 games (the Red Sox played one tie game that season).
The great Ted Williams led the '49 Red Sox with 162 walks, with Vern Stephens at 101 and Johnny Pesky at 100.
The current Cubs are led by Anthony Rizzo, with 26. He's followed by Ben Zobrist (25), Dexter Fowler (23) and Addison Russell (19).
The addition of Zobrist via free agency and the quick maturation of the 22-year-old Russell are two big factors in the Cubs leading the National League in walks, on-base percentage (368) and runs scored (196) entering play Thursday.
Zobrist this week enjoyed a streak of 9 straight plate appearances reaching base safely, including 2 walks.
"Zo's been doing it for a while for us, and it's been awesome to see him swinging the bat well," Lester said. "That just really makes our lineup that much longer. Then you get guys like Javy (Baez) and Addy (Russell) down at the bottom of the lineup hitting the ball hard.
"These young guys have had a year (of experience). I feel like last year they got a little bit exposed as the year went on with swing-and-misses and strikeouts. I think this year these guys are feeling a lot more comfortable and having good at-bats and not swinging and missing as much as they were last year."
If there's a comparable Cubs team to this bunch, it's the 2008 team, which wound up leading the National League in walks, on-base percentage and runs scored. Those numbers no doubt translated to the '08 team leading the NL in victories (97).
That team got 81 walks from Kosuke Fukudome, who started well but finished poorly. Following Fukudome in walks were Aramis Ramirez (74), Ryan Theriot (73), Derrek Lee (71) and Mark DeRosa (69).
Lee and Ramirez were "selectively aggressive" hitters who also had success on first pitches, Lee batting .329 with 5 homers and Ramirez .304 with 7 homers.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon likes to say that hitters should go to the plate "accepting" their walks rather than "looking for" walks.
"We have guys who have that chip built in," Maddon said. "It's so hard to teach what our guys do, meaning their being able to look over a pitch. That's great decision-making at home plate. Everybody wants that, but not everybody has that.
"Most of the time you have to either draft it or buy it. To attempt to nurture that through the minor leagues is very, very hard to do.
"Having said all that, Addison has made great strides because he's surrounded by it so much, all these other guys in the lineup. Of course I talk about John (hitting coach Mallee) and his ability to teach. But Addison, just through observation, he sees these other guys doing it, and he's gotten much better at not expanding the strike zone.
"Again, you don't look for walks, you accept your walks. You do not expand your strike zone. You do not give in. Some guys just can't accept their walks and walk to first base. They have to get a hit somehow. Their lot in life is to get a hit as opposed to not making an out.
"I think our guys understand the benefit of not making an out. Why? Just because that's how they are. It's hard to teach that. It's easier to teach somebody to not strike out as opposed to accepting a walk."
Scouting report
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field
TV: WGN Friday; ABC 7 Saturday; Comcast SportsNet Sunday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Jason Hammel (4-0) vs. Francisco Liriano (3-1) Friday; Jake Arrieta (6-0) vs. Jeff Locke (1-2) Saturday; Jon Lester (4-1) vs. Gerrit Cole (3-3) Sunday. All games 1:20 p.m.
At a glance: The Cubs swept the Pirates in Pittsburgh last week, kicking off an eight-game winning streak. The Pirates (18-15) entered an off-day for both teams second in the NL Central, a division led by the Cubs (25-8). Andrew McCutchen has a line of .248/.353/.465 with 7 homers and 14 RBI. Francisco Cervelli leads the Pirates with a .403 on-base percentage, and Starling Marte leads in batting average (. 336). The Cubs went into Thursday first in the NL in runs, OBP and walks. Their pitchers led in ERA (2.67). The Pirates' ERA is 4.31, putting them 10th in the NL. They were sixth in runs, second in OBP and fourth in walks. Both teams have been carrying 13-man pitching staffs, meaning both have short benches. The Cubs embark on a three-city, nine-game road trip after this series.
Next: Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, Tuesday-Thursday
- Bruce Miles