Dale Sveum Has To Stop Moving Starlin Castro Around In The Lineup
The Chicago Cubs are going into another tailspin, but mainly because the offense isn’t coming up with the big hit. That’s not surprising as it’s loaded with young kids, and the veterans are showing some signs of wear and tear. However, my biggest issue is the consistent moving of Starlin Castro around in the lineup, and frankly- Dale Sveum is making it as tough as can be on his young shortstop.
This has nothing to do with talent, as Castro has as much of it as anyone in baseball. This comes down too mind frame and plate approach. In my mind, Starlin Castro is as good a 2 hitter around. He’s going to make solid contact, can drive a ball into the gaps, will hit a few homers, and is the perfect hit and run candidate because he doesn’t strike out much. There’s a mindframe and specific approach for a 2 hitter and it’s just that. When you move from that spot to 5, you’re now a run producer. Your swing is going to be longer, bigger, and more powerful, making you prone to strike outs, pop outs, and weak ground balls. It also can make you prone to opening up the strike zone more. Obviously, you have to be a certain kind of hitter to hit 3-4-5 in the big leagues, but can you honestly say Starlin Castro is a 5 hitter? I can’t.
It’s time for the Cubs to stop acting like a desperate team, and start putting guys in spots where they believe they’ll be for years.
As bad as the Cubs have been this year, Dale Sveum hasn’t exactly impressed me with his decision making, and sometimes I feel like he’s trying to take too much control, push too many buttons, and it’s not working. I’d like to see the Cubs forget about W’s and L’s for the rest of the year, and make good decisions for the future. Hitting Starlin Castro 5th? Has to cease immediately- before it’s too late.
This is the lineup I’d like to see on a daily basis.
1) CF- Brett Jackson
2) SS- Starlin Castro
3) 1B- Anthony Rizzo
4) LF- Alfonso Soriano
5) RF David DeJesus
6) 3B- Josh Vitters
7) C- Wellington Castillo
2B- Darwin Barney
9) P
Let’s see what happens with that. It can’t be any worse than what we’ve seen so far…right?
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