By George Ofman
The lynch mob was ready.
Upon hosting my first 10th Inning post-game show on WGN Radio on Sunday, I had to consider where the diehards would be coming from.
The Cubs had lost to the Reds 3-1 and did so in galling fashion. Would they rip the bullpen which, once again, coughed up another game a starter had masterfully crafted?
Some callers did.
Would they take their shots at the middle of the lineup that gave a first-timer a reprieve, and more than once?
Some callers did.
But most of the agitated if not downright furious fans saved their wrath for the $136 million dollar man.
Fonzi got his, and then some.
And he deserved every angry word.
Alfonso Soriano could be one of the most aggravating athletes to witness playing a sport he seemingly belies.
He’s not going to be much of a baseball player anymore unless he’s employed in the American League, where most designated hitters aren’t allowed to look at a mitt, let alone wear one.
Sorrowfully for the endless stream of sullen Cubs fans, Soriano plays a position meaning he must wear a glove.
Sunday was the kind of day famed O.J Simpson defense attorney Johnnie Cochrane might have said, “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must quit.”
Soriano botched a routine fly ball even Venus de Milo would have caught.
“At the last moment, I take my eyes off the ball and just think about the wall,” he said. “One second, I took my eyes off the ball, and I dropped it. I’ve got to have a little stop, because I don’t want to go into the wall. If you go full speed into the wall, it can be very dangerous.”
This would be fine – if Soriano was navigating a hair turn at Daytona.
A caller suggested Soriano should have his eyes checked. I’m sure his vision was 20/20 when he signed his contract.
Earlier in the game, Soriano also dropped a fly ball in foul territory. He was so terrorized by the oncoming wall, he did what appeared to be a combination of his ridiculous hop with a scissors step before the ball his iron glove and fell out.
What do the Cubs do with him now? Lou Piniella has taken him out of two games for late-inning defense. Late innings for Soriano might be the first three, not the last three.
Piniella has a dilemma on his hands.
“When you’re not scoring runs, you better put your best defense on the field,” the skipper said. “You can’t afford to give up runs when you’re not scoring.”
This might be a threat, not a promise. Remember how he resisted taking Soriano out of the leadoff role for such a long period of time?
“We’ll see what happens,” said Lou. “I’m going to go home and think about it. It’s nice to be going home. And hopefully we’ll start swinging the bats, putting some runs on the board and winning games with a little more frequency.”
But this won’t quiet the swelling underbelly that is Cubs fans clamoring for a change.
They want Tyler Colvin. Or Roosevelt Colvin. Anyone must be better than Soriano.
But what’s Piniella to do with a guy earning $18 million this season? And in case you forgot, &18 million for the ensuing four seasons, all of which must seem like winter to a management team trying to win games with an outfielder who can’t really play his position.
And did I mention he struck out twice on pitches that flirted with the dirt?
I’ll be doing the 10th Inning again onMonday. I get the feeling Soriano’s name will be mentioned more than once.
–
Comments welcome.
–
George Ofman is now with WGN radio after a 17-year run with The Score. He also blogs for ChicagoNow under the banner That’s All She Wrote.
–
You can also follow George on Twitter @georgeofman and on Facebook.
Posted on April 12, 2010