Posts filed under 'Derrek Lee'
September 6th, 2008
There’s worse things than hitting ground balls with guys on base; I’m a Twins fan, and the Twins lost a one-run game the other day when they hit a leadoff triple and the next two guys struck out. Derrek Lee is going through an unlucky stretch this year, but he’s never hit into more than 18 double plays in a season before, and that was with Florida. His previous tops as a Cub was 15.
If Cubs fans hate double plays so much, maybe Chicago should trade the left side of its infield. Aramis Ramirez has hit into more double plays (81) than Derrek Lee (77) the last five years with the Cubs. And fan darling Ryan Theriot is also among the NL leaders, grounding into 16 double plays this year. So, in Theriot’s second full year with the Cubs, he has hit into more double plays than Lee hit into in any of the seven previous seasons. And Theriot never hit 46 homers in a season (and never will).
By the way, it’s going to be tough for Lee to set a double-play record; he doesn’t even lead the league. Houston’s Miguel Tejada has grounded into 27. In fewer at-bats. Three others have at least 22, all in fewer at-bats, making Lee only the fifth most-likely NL player to ground into a double play this year.
I guess Wally and all you others who are so down on D Lee would have traded Cal Ripken if you were the GM of the Orioles in the 1980s. He holds the all-time record of grounding into 350 double plays. He passed some slouch named Hank Aaron, who had set that record before he ever set the homer run and RBI records.
September 4th, 2008
Cubs fans have flip-flopped harder than any Presidential candidate. They used to love Derrek Lee and denigrate Aramis Ramirez. They said Ramirez didn’t hustle (OK, he didn’t) or hit in the clutch. They dismissed his career-high 119 RBIs in 2006 by saying he disappeared the first month after Lee was injured for the season.
Now, Cub fans call Ramirez (.276, 24 HRs, 100 RBIs) the man they want up in the clutch. And say Lee (.291, 18, 77) is a sure double-play about to happen. Truth is, Lee has been better than the Cubs could have expected. He was a career .270 hitter who had topped 90 RBIs and 30 homers once in six seasons with Florida. He’s averaged .304 with 30 HRs in his four healthy seasons in Chicago.
Lee is also a class act and a Gold Glove first basemen. His problem isn’t hitting into a league-leading 25 double plays, it was hitting .335 with 46 HRs in 2005 and making Cub fans think he was Albert Pujols.
August 27th, 2008
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Barack Obama’s recent comment about Cubs fans is only fair.
“You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there. People aren’t watching the game. It’s not serious. White Sox, that’s baseball. South Side.”
After all, he’s speaking as a White Sox fan. They love to exploit that over-played Cubs fan stereotype.
If what Obama said does touch a nerve, it should only anger someone as a fan, not a November voter. Cubs fans/Obama supporters need to respect his White Sox loyalty, albeit misguided. And as fellow C-Notes blogger Tony Garcia noted, his loyalty just better stay consistent once October rolls around.
As for Derrek Lee’s response?Â
Some believe the first baseman owes Cubbie Nation an apology for agreeing with Obama. It’s understandable for fans to be a little perturbed with Lee; but if he’s going to apologize for something, it should be for the fact he still leads the National League in grounding into double plays.
July 23rd, 2008
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The Cubs are 1-4 since the All-Star break. The Brewers are on a six-game winning streak and just one game behind in the standings. Kerry Wood has debilitating blister. Derrek Lee leads MLB in grounding into double plays.
The good news? Alfonso Soriano is expected to return to the lineup tonight. Oh yeah, and the Cubs still have the best record in the National League.
No worries.
July 15th, 2008
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If the Cubs are indeed destined to win the World Series this year, then their eight (minus the injured Alfonso Soriano and Kerry Wood) representatives better prove it in tonight’s All-Star Game.
With a National League-high eight players (plus Lou Piniella in the dugout) selected to the All-Star Team, the Cubs hold a bulk of the responsibility in helping themselves win home field advantage for the World Series.Â
Although, some argue that a certain Cubs outfielder voted to start doesn’t deserve the honor over snubs like Xavier Nady or Aaron Rowand; and this, in turn, jeopardizes the current NL-favorites chance of game seven at Wrigley Field in October.
Fair enough. But, show me a Cub that “doesn’t deserve” to be in the All-Star Game, and I’ll show you Derrek Lee, Ryan Theriot or Mark DeRosa.
June 25th, 2008
A co-worker here says he hates the Cubs because they can buy anyone they want. He names Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez as examples. That’s weak. Very weak. (At it must sound like blasphemy to all those Cub fans who for more than a decade screamed at Tribune Co. to stop squeezing nickels.)
The truth is, the Cubs rank only seventh in the Majors in payroll, two spots behind the White Sox. The White Sox have ranked in the top five for three consecutive years. The Cubs, as far as I can tell, have never been in the top five, at least not recently.
And, while the Cubs have only two regular position players who came up through their farm system (shortstop Ryan Theriot and catcher Geovanny Soto), the White Sox have just one (third baseman Joe Crede). And they tried to trade Crede all spring. Of the White Sox’ top 16 players (nine starters, five starting pitchers, closer and setup man), they’ve got exactly two home-grown players in Crede and Mark Buehrle. The Cubs have five, including Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Marmol and their revolving door at No. 5 starter.
 I would argue the Cubs have lost more in free agency (Greg Maddux, who went on to win three consecutive Cy Young Awards as soon as he left the Cubs) than they’ve ever gained. And long-time nemesis St. Louis has signed, or traded for, more star players than the Cubs ever have, adding Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Mark Mulder and Scott Rolen, among others, in their prime.
 Most of the Cubs free agents have been mid-level players such as Mark DeRosa and Ted Lilly. What has made the Cubs so good is they made a couple of players better than they traded for in salary purges by other teams. Usually, those type of players are on the down side of their careers (Jim Thome with the White Sox, Scott Rolen now in Toronto). But Derrek Lee had never batted over .282 in parts of seven seasons with Florida. As a Cub, we’re hugely disappointed if he’s not hitting well over .300. Aramis Ramirez hit .234 his last full year in Pittsburgh. Ramirez had one big year with the Pirates, batting .300 with 34 HRs and 112 RBIs his fourth season. But he hit .235, .179 and .256 in abbreviated action the previous three seasons. This wasn’t the Yankees outbidding everyone for A-Rod. The Cubs got Aramis Ramirez for a song because they were the only ones who really wanted him. They should be applauded for that foresight, not criticized. In four years as a Cub, Ramirez has averaged more than 30 homers and 100 RBIs and batted over .300. The Cubs didn’t import a star. They made one. No, make that two. Both Lee and Ramirez are far greater as Cubs than they ever were as Pirates or Marlins.
April 8th, 2008
Derrek Lee’s distress from a 2006 broken wrist, which hindered the first baseman’s power last season, appears to be of no consequence this season (at least for now, knock on wood).
So far through 30 at bats in seven games (I know, it’s only seven games), Lee has three homers (I know, it’s only three home runs) with an .833 slugging percentage (third in MLB). Last season, it took him 81 at bats in 20 games to hit his first homer. He eventually hit 22 home runs in 567 at bats, his fewest since hitting 21 in 2001 (not including the 2006-injury year where he hit 3 HR in his first 13 at bats before the whole wrist thing).
Now, if only Soriano can figure a way out of his .147 OBP and get back to his premier lead-off form, Lee’s RBI number (4) wouldn’t look as pathetic as his fighting ability.
