TBDS Late Night: Soriano To Second? Here We Go Again

All systems are go on Chicago's man crush on Sam Fuld. While reading Gordon Wittenmyer in the Sun-Times, I came to the conclusion that the Cubs beat guy asked the wrong question in today's piece.

(Me being critical of a beat writer? Why, I never...)

Alas, Wittenmyer should not have asked who should be batting lead-off. Instead he should have asked what he truly wanted to ask. A question I will go out on the limb and ask.

How in the world can Lou Piniella get Sam Fuld in the everyday line-up.

In a small sample size that would make Mike Fontenot look like a giant, Fuld is hitting .368 with an on-base percentage of .455 in 22 plate appearances. In an even smaller sample size, one that would make Mugsy Bogues look like Shaq, Fuld is hitting .545 with a .643 OBP in 14 plate appearances in the top spot in the order.

Usually, Piniella finds a way to ride the hot hand until it burns out. But with balancing a topsy-turvy bullpen, the lack of a back-up catcher and a musical chairs of hilarity in the outfield, Fuld was the odd-man out on the North Side.

In a perfect world, Piniella could place Fuld in center, shift Kosuke Fukudome to right and move Milton Bradley to the bench. But in a perfect world, Jessicas Biel and Alba would be fighting to not lose my love toniiiight Adam Dunn and his career 1.088 OPS at Wrigley Field would be trying to out-hit his fielding deficiencies as a Cub rather than putting up solid, if not, spectacular numbers for the Washington Nationals.

So this is where I suggest shifting Alfonso Soriano to his original position, second base. In the past, I have made this suggestion to get another bat in the line-up. But today, I'm pitching the Soriano-to-second campaign to get a better defender in the outfield.

None of the everyday outfielders is a good defender at the position they play everyday. Fukudome is a right fielder playing center. Once upon a time, Bradley could go get it at any of the three outfield spots, and still has an above average arm in right. But with his injury-riddled past, his next step could be his last. And despite having two good defensive years prior to this one, Soriano has struggled for whatever reason in the outfield.

In my opinion, the Cubs have only two choices in regards to Soriano's defensive positioning. They can either keep him in left field and hope he out hits some mistakes and throws out some others or they can move him to second base where his career OPS would put him among the elite offensive second basemen.

But that's not my decision to make. Thankfully.

Quality Linkage:

Nothing. I read nothing today. But tomorrow, I'll come with something strong.