rockin500
01-26-2005, 11:41 AM
well, the cubs are playing with fire again in having leadoff. To be fair to Dusty, the Cubs dont have a prototypical leadoff hitter. He has been working with Brett Butler this offseason to improve his plate discipline.
The biggest factor in his success is cutting down on strikeouts. If he shortened his swing up and became a little more slappy of a hitter and uses his speed like he showed flashes of last year, he should be able to raise both his average and his OBP to a respectable .350-.360. His OBP before his September swoon was .345.
also, he has willingly accepted his role in being a leadoff hitter whereas before he was trying to prove he was a #3 hitter. Hell, I'll take a 60 walk/120 Strikeout season as that would be marked improvement.
The biggest factor in his success is cutting down on strikeouts. If he shortened his swing up and became a little more slappy of a hitter and uses his speed like he showed flashes of last year, he should be able to raise both his average and his OBP to a respectable .350-.360. His OBP before his September swoon was .345.
also, he has willingly accepted his role in being a leadoff hitter whereas before he was trying to prove he was a #3 hitter. Hell, I'll take a 60 walk/120 Strikeout season as that would be marked improvement.