January 22, 200719 yr He was able to use his speed to be not too shabby in LF last year, but CF could really expose his flaws. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/2218...T-cub21.article
January 22, 200719 yr QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jan 22, 2007 -> 01:02 PM) defense is overrated Rob Mackowiak would disagree with you Soriano in CF will be alot like Pods in LF if you ask me. His speed is going to enable him to get to balls nobody else will get to, but his lack of experience is gonna take him on some really bad routes to the ball. I think he is gonna freeze a few times with balls hit right at him, but he will be much better overall at the end of the year. That doesnt mean he is going to be gold glove caliber, but he will probably be able to get by with a little better than average defense.
January 22, 200719 yr QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jan 22, 2007 -> 01:16 PM) Rob Mackowiak would disagree with you Soriano in CF will be alot like Pods in LF if you ask me. His speed is going to enable him to get to balls nobody else will get to, but his lack of experience is gonna take him on some really bad routes to the ball. I think he is gonna freeze a few times with balls hit right at him, but he will be much better overall at the end of the year. That doesnt mean he is going to be gold glove caliber, but he will probably be able to get by with a little better than average defense. what are the Cubs looking at for their starting OF? Sounds like they'll ink Floyd to a 1-year deal. Are we talking a platoon of Murton/Floyd in LF, Soriano in CF and Jones in RF?
January 23, 200719 yr Top 5 LF Assists in 2006: yearID POS Player Assists 2006 LF Alfonso Soriano 22 2006 LF Craig Monroe 12 2006 LF Melky Cabrera 12 2006 LF Raul Ibanez 11 2006 LF Jason Bay 10 Top 5 LF Assists since 1996 (before that all OF positions were lumped together): yearID POS Player Assists 2006 LF Alfonso Soriano 22 2000 LF Bobby Higginson 19 1996 LF Bernard Gilkey 18 2001 LF Pat Burrell 18 1997 LF Bernard Gilkey 17 Amazing. Teams must have started running on him during batting practice. You run on a guy when you think you can press him into a bobble, he doesn't know where to throw the ball and/or he has a poor arm. This is an elegant expression of disrespect by the opposition.
January 23, 200719 yr Soriano has a hose though and I think teams were pushing him based on his in-experience. You'll see those numbers decrease and I think you'd have seen him turn into one of the better LF'ers in the game (defensively). However, it is going to be quite the learning experience for him out in CF.
January 23, 200719 yr QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 23, 2007 -> 11:17 AM) Soriano has a hose though and I think teams were pushing him based on his in-experience. You'll see those numbers decrease and I think you'd have seen him turn into one of the better LF'ers in the game (defensively). However, it is going to be quite the learning experience for him out in CF. That's what I seem to remember. He wouldn't take good routes to the ball, look a little out of position to throw, then use his arm to make up for it. Also, a few balls dropped that a more experienced OF would have caught, the runner would make a break and get gunned out. One thing Cubs have going for them here is Wrigley isn't the most spacious CF, but the wind and the average OFs around him will hurt.
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