Alfonso Soriano has been a guy you not only rooted for but also is the reason why you screamed at your TV. But unlike Soriano’s hitting he has been consistent and a staple in the Chicago Cubs organization since joining in 2007. The fact is, like it or not, Soriano has been a Chicago Cubs longer than he was a Texas Ranger, a Washington National, and even a New York Yankee. He has been both a dynamic leader in the clubhouse, an all-star, a mentor to young players, and lets not forget a good baseball player for the Cubs.
Here is some good stats to remember Soriano by:
· Alfonso Soriano places 11th among all Cubs with 181 home runs as a Chicago Cub. This places him above Andre Dawson (174), Derrek Lee (179), and Mark Grace (148).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 9th among all Cubs with a .495 Slugging % as a Chicago Cub. This places him above Ron Santo (.472), Ryne Sandberg (.452), Moises Alou (.484), and Mark Grace (.445).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 29th among all Cubs with a .812 OBPS % as a Chicago Cub. This places him above most notably Ryne Sandberg (.796).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 43rd among all Cubs with 889 games played as a Cub. This places him above Andre Dawson (867) and Hack Wilson (850).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 27th among all Cubs with 1685 total bases as a Cub. This puts him above Bill Buckner (1664) and Andre Dawson (1654).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 24th among all Cubs with 218 doubles as a Chicago Cub. This puts him above Don Kessinger (201), Hack Wilson (185), and Andre Dawson (149).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 32nd among all Cubs with 526 RBIs as a Chicago Cubs. This puts him above Shawn Dunston (489), Leo Durham (485), and Jody Davis (467).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 18th among all Cubs with 412 Extra Base Hits as a Chicago Cub. This puts him above Shawn Dunston (381), Andre Dawson (350), and Frank Chance (299).
· Alfonso Soriano tied with 3rd among all Cubs with 77.78 SB % as a Cub. He is tied with Bobby Dernier and above Ryne Sandberg (71.4), Billy Williams (64.66), and Ernie Banks (48.54).
· Alfonso Soriano placed 7th among all Cubs with averaging 18.8 AB per HR. This puts him above Derrek Lee (19.6), Billy Williams (21.6), and Ryne Sandberg (29.7).
These are amazing stats for any ball player and seeing how he ranks against other popular and iconic Cubs has to gives you the feeling that we should appreciate Alfonso Soriano so much more than we did. Yes his baby hops as he caught a flyball were annoying, his gazing at not quite homeruns frustrated us, his poor routes taken in the field resulted in us shouting, and his injury history caused many of us to ask what would have been. But that was Alfonso Soriano. He was a leader, a good baseball player, and most importantly a good human being. Most of the things Soriano did great did not show up in a stat book.
The fact is Soriano is an impressive baseball player and he should be appreciated for everything that makes him who he is. A great person and player for the Chicago Cubs.
He will be missed!
3 comments:
Nice article, sir.
you're freakin high. Being a "leader" in a losing clubhouse for the majority of your time there hardly makes you a "great" He quit in the playoffs against the dodgers, I still remember that sorry act. I'm friends with a few guys in the organization including 1 current MLB Cub, and he wasn't respected as a hard worker at all. What else are they going to say when he goes? They are being professional, you don't know his real story. Soriano was a disease.
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