Winning in a walk

June 3rd, 2008 at 02:56pm Matt Trowbridge

While some people keep waiting for the sky to fall, recalling the Cubs’ history of losing, this is a new era. Remember how the Red Sox didn’t win for 85 years? Well, they’ve won twice in four years, now, and they are the new Yankees, while the Yankees look like they may be the old Red Sox. The Cubs, too, have changed. Forget, for a moment, Carlos Zambrano, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez. The Cubs have often had a star pitcher and a bunch of home run hitters, but not even Ferguson Jenkins, Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo could get it done in 1969. But these Cubs take the easy route. They walk. The Cubs are second in the Major Leagues with 245 walks. The previous five years they finished 25th, 30th, 28th, 25th and 21st. The top five teams in walks all rank among the top teams in baseball: the Cardinals (.576 winning percentage), Cubs (.638), A’s (.534), Braves (.517) and Diamondbacks (.552). If the Cubs want to join the Red Sox in reversing their tragic past, the way to do it is to walk their way there. Boston has led the Majors in walks three years in a row and finished third in walks in 2004 when it broke its 86-year title-less jinx. As long as the Cubs keep following Kosuke Fukudome’s lead and continue to walk, they will win the NL Central. Period.

Entry Filed under: Walks, Manufacturing runs, Fukudome