I know the numbers don't mean a ton at this point in the season; eleven games does not a representative sample make, especially not for any one player. And as a team, there's still far too little to effectively evaluate how good bad the 2013 Cubs will be . . . as a team. But if you combined all the Cubs' offensive stats from two weeks into the season to form a single player? Well, we've got almost enough stats to Frankenstein together our own utility player, even if all he is really good for is moaning "Fire bad!" and occasionally pinch hitting for Brent Lillibridge.
So far this season, the Cubs have amassed about 400 plate appearances, 11 homers, 35 runs, a 23.9% strikeout rate and a 5.5% walk rate (these numbers are offensive, of course, and, yes, I mean that in multiple ways). All that and more is good for a .635 OPS and a .275 wOBA. In case you're wondering, no, the Cubs position players have not yet attained replacement-level production. With positional, fielding, and baserunning adjustments factored in, they're worth 0.1 wins below a replacement level player. So that's awesome.
I used baseball-reference.com's play index to find a player in recent history who had posted a season similar to what the Cubs have accomplished so far this year as a team, and the result was mildly interesting. The player who most closely resembles your 2013 Chicago Cubs to date:
Dale Sveum, circa 1988. Check it out:
| PA | K% | BB% | OBP | SLG | wRC+ | wOBA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs, 2013 | 397 | 23.9% | 5.5% | .271 | .364 | 73 | .275 |
| Dale Sveum, 1988 | 495 | 24.6% | 4.2% | .274 | .347 | 68 | .280 |
After considering the numbers for quite awhile this morning, I've drawn the following conclusions:
. . .
Yeah, nothing really. I mean, we know neither the Cubs nor a 1988 Dale Sveum are very good, but we know that because of a lot more than just the past two weeks of data and a quick traipse through the annals of baseball-reference.com. I would never suggest that the Cubs are performing this way because of Dale Sveum. It's just a fun coincidence. It would be a more fun coincidence if their current manager was Barry Bonds and their wOBA to-date was .376.
Still . . . come on, Cubs. Would a little plate discipline kill you?
Comments
Maybe it would kill them, and then you’d feel really bad for your little joke!
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
It wouldn’t go atop my regrets list.
AndCountingQuote Reply
Kevin Gregg ——–> Cubs (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
This is a dream season for the Cubs.
Not the kind that fulfills all our hopes and dreams, the kind where random shit happens out of nowhere, some kid you knew in 5th grade lectures you on your lack of ear hygiene, and you remember where you put the keys to your luggage.
AndCountingQuote Reply
This is an interesting find, AC.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
Thanks. There were some other fairly similar names of consequence to come up: Ronny Cedeno, Corey Patterson, and Ron Coomer. It’s pretty fantastic.
AndCountingQuote Reply
@ AndCounting:
It’s like a team of Dale Sveum’s. what would the starting lineup be?
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
It would be evaluated on a day-to-day basis depending on matchups and who was on Dale Sveum’s good side at the time.
AndCountingQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Gasoline —————–> fire
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
It would go a little something like this:
C 2009 Pudge Rodriguez
1B 1997 Ron Coomer
2B 2006 Ronny Cedeno
3B 1988 Dale Sveum
SS 2008 Khalil Greene
LF 1991 Dante Bichette
CF 2005 Corey Patterson
RF 1969 Cito Gaston
It might actually turn out to be an improvement over this team.
AndCountingQuote Reply
Funny, I was thinking about the same thing yesterday, but instead of sveum, my comp was zambrano (career .273 wOBA).
GWQuote Reply
If wishes were assholes, you’d wish for Mitch Williams to die and two more Mitch Williamses would appear.
joshQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Fucking shit
WaLiQuote Reply
@ josh:
Wishes are assholes.
AndCountingQuote Reply
Cubs also signed Kameron Loe, apparently Clevenger to 60-day DL.
NateQuote Reply
Starlin Castro: still good at baseball.
AndCountingQuote Reply
Lincecum getting shelled
WaLiQuote Reply
I’m starting to think that Schierholtz signing is working out pretty good.
NateQuote Reply
Nate wrote:
Both DeJesus and Schierholtz should fetch some actual “prospects” at the deadline.
MylesQuote Reply
@ Myles:
Yea, I’m thinking that the signing of Sweeney or whoever that former BOS dude was is a sign they’ll try to trade DeJesus, Schierholtz, Soriano, and Hairston if possible. I assume they’ll just try to move everybody and get as much as they can back.
NateQuote Reply
Although I guess Hairston could be kept for next year he got a 2 ys deal IIRC
NateQuote Reply
What is this horse shit
WaLiQuote Reply
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Some awesome catching and pitching there in that inning. Cubs keep finding new ways to suck.
joshQuote Reply
Intentional walk —> really hard to justify. Especially against someone like Navarro (dying laughing) (dying laughing)
AkabariQuote Reply
@ Akabari:
BUT HE HIT TWO HR IN TWO DAYS!! HE WAS DUE FOR A 3RD
WaLiQuote Reply
Camp –> Not MVP
WaLiQuote Reply
All fail closers are belong to us
Suburban kidQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
AkabariQuote Reply
Cubs Bullpen —> Little League pitching machine
AkabariQuote Reply
Balking hell.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ AndCounting:
Random shit that happens out of nowhere like balking in the winning run, right?
uncle daveQuote Reply
@ Akabari:
Pitching machines don’t balk.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
It could be worse: Broxton gave up 6 runs in 2/3 inning for the Reds.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Beat me to quoting myself. If balking part of the Cubs Way®?
AkabariQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
GBTSQuote Reply
You know your pitching sucked when Marmol had the best performance of the day.
WaLiQuote Reply
Cubs just find ways to lose. And not your normal, competitive ways. You can’t trust a guy like Posey to get a hit, you have to make SURE.
joshQuote Reply
The Cubs screwed up by putting Navarro in the lineup instead of saving him for a pinch-homer.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Turns out the father in my garage-building hypothetical from last week doesn’t even have a child with thumbs, much less the ability to use a nail gun.
GBTSQuote Reply
GBTSQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
The bullpen blows. Carlos Marmol does too, but he might be the best reliever on the team. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
new shit: http://obstructedview.net/minor-leagues/prospect-profile-nick-struck.html
dmick89Quote Reply