The latest Cubs article in the Chicago Tribune talks about how the Cubs are going to scrap the ’small ball’ approach from the last two years and go back to the ‘long ball’ approach. Paul Sullivan writes,

“After back-to-back sub-.500 seasons at Wrigley Field, the Cubs desperately need to regain the home-field advantage in 2007. And the best way to do that, they have decided, is to return to the power-ball approach of the past. So small ball is out, and clout is king once again.” Story Here

WHAT? The Chicago Cubs playing ’small ball’ the last two years. Right! Hilarious. Under Dusty Baker they were one of the worst small ball teams in the National League. They couldn’t put down a bunt if it was on a tee. They made running mistake after running mistake. They left men on 3rd basically every inning. If they didn’t hit the homerun - they weren’t going to score. So what changes this year? Nothing. It’s the same old Cubs just a new Manager.

Jacque Jones batting 2nd huh? The front of their lineup may hit some homeruns - but how many K’s will they have? Let’s take a look at their top three guys from back in 2005:

1. Alfonso Soriano - 36 HR’s, 125 K’s
2. Jacque Jones - 23 HR’s, 120 K’s
3. Derrek Lee - 46 HR’s, 109 K’s

Whoa!!! Three guys that consistently K 100+ times starting off the game. Looks like a lot of ‘hit or miss’ innings for the Cubbies. Throw in the fact that their #4 hitter Aramis Ramirez is a free swinger and their #5 hitter Cliff Floyd could top the 100 K mark; and it smells like trouble. Homeruns shouldn’t be hard to come by. But Wins will be hard to come by.