A New Cubs Lineup

At the Chicago Cubs spring training camp in Mesa, Arizona, manager Lou Piniella told reporters he plans to shake up the team's batting order. The biggest change in the lineup? Left fielder Alfonso Soriano, who for the past two seasons has batted in the leadoff spot for the Cubs. Piniella said he's considering putting Soriano in the middle of the order. This would give other guys a chance at the lead spot, like shortstop Ryan Theriot, who was one of three Cubs to hit .300 (with at least 100 at-bats) or better. With the off-season acquisition of Milton Bradley, and the moving of Soriano down to the middle of the lineup, the Cubs will have a very potent and powerful hitter's row from batters three through six.

This is a move I've been calling for since the Cubs first signed Soriano. I've had numerous arguments over the years about Soriano's place in the lineup. Yeah, the solo homerun at the beginning of a game is great, but what if that first inning homerun came from Soriano in the fifth spot with two guys on base? Here's the way I would set up the Cubs batting order:

SS Ryan Theriot
2B Mike Fontenot
3B Aramis Ramirez
RF Milton Bradley
LF Alfonso Soriano
1B Derrick Lee
C Geovany Soto
CF Reed Johnson
Pitcher

Theriot led the National League last year with 154 singles, and led the Cubs with 22 stolen bases. That sounds like a leadoff hitter to me. Mike Fontenot has shown that he can hit for average (.305) and and a little bit of power (9 homeruns in 109 games), which has made Cubs broadcaster Ron Santo to call him "Little Babe Ruth." Ramirez has been the most consistent and clutch power hitter the Cubs have, it's time to move him to the third spot. I think Bradley would work best in the four hole because he would have Soriano and Lee to protect him. With Soriano in the fifth spot there would be more guys on base for when he hits the long ball. Lee has not been the same power hitter he used to be since he broke his wrist in 2006, but he is still a good hitter and would thrive in the six hole. NL Rookie of the Year Soto would reprise his role in the seventh spot. Lastly, I personally like Reed Johnson to start regularly in center field over Kosuke Fukudome. He's a tough out at the plate, a smart baserunner, and an excellent outfielder.

Either way, the Cubs won 97 games last year in the regular season, and there's no reason to think they won't repeat that. If having to decide where to bat Soriano is their biggest issue, I think the Cubs will be alright.

Hansbrough Will Be Fine

I'm a Duke basketball fan mainly because of the program Coach Krzyzewski runs.  So as hard as it was watching the Blue Devils lose to rival North Carolina last night 101-87, I have to tip my cap to the Tar Heels and hope that Duke can win on March 8th at UNC.  Particularly one player, Tyler Hansbrough, who I can honestly say I can't stand seeing beat Duke.  But after watching the game last night and thinking about all the times I've seen him play I have to say I don't think he'll be a bad NBA player.

There have been knocks against him in the last few years, with scouts projecting him to be drafted in the late first round, maybe even as late as the early second round, which may have persuaded him to stay and finish his college career.  But I have to disagree with the scouts' analysis. Hansbrough may not be the most gifted athlete, but he'll kill himself trying, which I think will make him a worthy choice.  

One of the reasons I like Duke's program is for the way Coach K gets his guys to play, never taking a play off and always hustling for the loose ball.  I think this is why I respect Hansbrough as a player.  He may not blow you away with a highlight dunk or crossover dribble, but he's always there.  Whether it's cleaning up offensive rebounds for put-backs or diving for loose balls, Hansbrough always seems to be involved.  I think it's his heart and hustle that has him leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring (21.8 points per game).  

I think at 6'8", with an NBA ready build, Hansbrough will be fine at the next level.  Yeah, he can't really create his own shot, and he admittedly has holes in his defense (Sports Illustrated 2/9/09), but I think what he lacks in those areas he makes up for with hustle and determination.  In the NBA, there are plenty of big bodies who can't create their own shot, and even more players who can't play defense.  But there are not many players in the NBA who I see play with the fire and passion Hansbrough has exhibited at the college level.  

As so many NBA teams have proved in the past, you don't need to have a roster full of superstars to win.  You need glue guys.  Guys who are willing to lay out for loose balls and fight off elbows under the basket.  If he brings his hard work and toughness, I think Hansbrough will be a perfect glue guy and a great teammate in the NBA.

Now, I hope he plays terrible on March 8th.

       

Interactive multimedia

I've now had the chance to view some of the online multimedia packages Mike suggested we look at. What's remarkable to me how simple and clean they look. Both the NY Times piece and the map on the Arizona Star Web site appear to be these simple little graphics, but they're not.

I thought the NY Times story was cool because it basically told itself. It almost seems like someone just left a tape recorder on the bench in the gym. But the snippets of interviews, along with shouts of encouragement and grunts of struggle, really told the story as the images flashed by.

The Arizona Star map of the golf course was cool, too. A great idea would be to copy what the Arizona Star did, and do it at other golf courses. You could put the map on an interactive screen in the golf cart, so you can get tips for each hole from the course's pro while you're playing. I'm not a golfer, but I know my brother and my Dad would love this, especially on the expensive courses that they only play once on vacation.

The most interesting thing to me is that these multimedia pieces don't even seem like journalism at first glance, especially the golf course map. But there had to be, as Mike said, some really good reporting done. I think it would be cool to work on a project like the interactive map. I can honestly say after viewing these, I've been brainstorming to try to come up with ways to make my project more interactive, or at least Web-friendly.

Day one, first blog

After our first meeting Monday night, I left class feeling good about Advanced Sports Reporting. I'm glad to have Howard teach this class because it means there will never be a dull moment. Plus, he was the first teacher I had when I transferred to Columbia College, so it's sort of fitting to have him for what is hopefully my last semester.

I'm also excited that our class will have the chance to try something new. Not being a broadcast major, I haven't had much of a chance to create multimedia projects. Working with technology is not something I set out to do, but becoming familiar and comfortable with multimedia would only be a smart idea, considering today's media and business markets. I'm anxious to see what my group can come up with.

Since this is a sports blog, and this is the biggest weekend in football, I'll make a prediction for Sunday's Super Bowl: Steelers 27, Cardinals 20. I like Pittsburgh's defense, and I think the bye week will cool off the hot Arizona offense.