Ryan Theriot: Leadoff Hitter

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella confirmed yesterday that there would be no leadoff platoon this year, and announced that Ryan Theriot would be the leadoff hitter.

Theriot batted .283 in 42 games in the leadoff spot last season when he took over for Alfonso Soriano, who was dropped to sixth. The Cubs, who used six leadoff men last season, began camp wanting to look at both Theriot and Fukudome there.

“I’m just glad he has the confidence in me to stick me up there,” Theriot said after Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Rockies. “I feel comfortable at the top of the order — one, two. One’s good, two’s good. Honestly, just as long as I’m in the lineup. I cannot get [Piniella] to let me hit fourth or fifth. I’m working on that, so we’ll see.” cubs.com.

Even though Kosuke Fukudome hits much better against righties than Theriot, and even though the case for a leadoff platoon has never been stronger, I can’t say I’m terribly angry about this decision. Having Theriot in the one-hole allows him to be the best kind of hitter he can be - i.e., a guy that works counts and tries to get on base. Theriot struggled when Piniella told him to start swinging hard. Presumably, as the permanent lead0ff hitter, Theriot will understand his role.

Further, the only real difference between the number one and number two hitters is a tiny amount of extra at bats over the course of the season. Fukudome’s goal will still generally be to get on base and see pitches.

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So the Cubs Aren’t Getting Cuban Shortstop Hechavarria

Last week, there was a head-scratcher of a rumor that had the Chicago Cubs attached to a top Cuban shortstop prospect, who is free to sign with any team. Yesterday, word trickled out that the kid - Adeinis (not Adeiny, apparently) Hechavarria - would more likely be signing soon with the Blue Jays.

The Post has learned Adeinis Hechavarria is going to get more money than the $8 million Jose Iglesias Iglesias got from the Red Sox.

However, it won’t be from the Yankees. And it has nothing to do with the Yankees not wanting to spend the money on the Cuban refugee shortstop.

According to an industry source Hechavarria is close to signing a $10 million deal with the Blue Jays because he didn’t envision himself playing short for the Yankees.

Hechavarria, 21, was leery of Derek Jeter’s impending extension that will keep him at short for the foreseeable future.

Having seen Hechavarria work out often in the Dominican Republic, the Yankees were high on the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder with a body that resembled a young Alfonso Soriano. NYPOST.com.

Alfonso Soriano? Oh, well, in that case, we don’t want him. Kidding, of course.

The Cubs’ interest was always a bit perplexing given the expect cost, and the fact that Hechevarria and Starlin Castro sound like they are both equally good at short and equally ready to play in the bigs.

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Alfonso Soriano’s Knee is Going to Be An Issue All Year

Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano was something of a non-issue last year.

Not because there weren’t storylines swirling around him, but instead because he didn’t really show much to talk about on the field. He missed a third of the season with knee issues, and when he did play, he put up the worst numbers of his career. The Cubs hope offseason knee surgery will straighten things out, but we’re certain to continue hearing about the knee all season.

“He’s healthy, and we expect him to be a better all-around player,” Piniella said.

Soriano has been working hard with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. One suggestion Jaramillo has made is for Soriano to shorten his stride. Second baseman Mike Fontenot and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome also are trying to make that adjustment.

This will be the first year in which Soriano will not be leading off for the Cubs. He was dropped to sixth in the lineup last July 4. He batted .268 in 41 games there while hitting .228 as the leadoff man.

“I think he’s fine with it,” Piniella said of the switch. “We’re not going to expect 30 stolen bases from him or anything like that. Hitting in the sixth hole, he can save his legs a little more.

“What we need from Alfonso is some power and RBI production. The six hole is a really nice spot to hit in a National League lineup. I know he’s comfortable with it because I’ve asked him. Let’s hope he has an injury-free season and gets back to where he was a couple years ago and [is] a little more disciplined and [has] a healthy season, and a productive one.”

Being healthy should definitely help Soriano in the outfield. He totaled seven outfield assists last season, the first time he did not finish in double figures since he was converted to an outfielder. Soriano led the Major Leagues with 22 assists in 2006. A big part of the problem was that he couldn’t plant on his left leg because of his sore knee.

Whether or not the Cubs will sub someone in late innings for Soriano has yet to be determined.

“Let’s see how this team is put together,” Piniella said. “I was talking to my coaches today and we have some work to do here outfield-wise. We need to find one other outfielder in camp who can swing the bat a little bit and at the same time play good defense for us.

“Right now, I’d like to just let them play and let them go. One thing we need to do is I need to rest [Soriano] a little more. We’ll do that.” cubs.com.

Soriano is expected to play in his first Spring Training game this weekend, and the Cubs will assuredly take it easy with him all Spring.

Putting Soriano down in the order is, of course, a good and necessary idea. But putting him in the six-hole, where the hitter behind him will likely be someone like Mike Fontenot? That could create a lot of non-fastball at bats for Soriano, where we all know he’s bound to fail. Hopefully he shows he’s fully healed and has his bat speed back so that the Cubs can move him at least to the five-hole where he’s more likely to see fastballs, with men on base. Marlon Byrd may do some things well, but getting on base is not one of them.

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First Spring Training Lineup Holds Clues for the Season

The Chicago Cubs will play their first Spring Training game tomorrow, and manager Lou Piniella has released the lineup for the game:

1. Ryan Theriot  SS

2. Kosuke Fukudome RF

3. Derrek Lee  1B

4. Aramis Ramirez  3B

5. Marlon Byrd  CF

6. Tyler Colvin LF

7. Mike Fontenot  2B

8. Geovany Soto  C

9. Randy Wells  P

Now, this lineup is, of course, both early and not necessarily indicative of the lineup Piniella has in his head for the regular season, but a few things should jump out at you.

First is, well, first. Ryan Theriot is batting leadoff, and not Kosuke Fukudome. This could be a sign that Piniella would rather have Theriot leadoff, generally, than Fukudome. Next, note that Marlon Byrd is fifth, with Tyler Colvin - who is holding Alfonso Soriano’s spot - batting sixth. This is almost certainly how things will play out at the start of the season, short of an offensive explosion for Soriano in Spring Training.

Then there is Mike Fontenot getting the nod at second base. This might mean nothing more than the fact that Fontenot was the presumptive starter last year, or that the Cubs expect to face a right-handed starter. But still, it’s interesting. It’s also interesting to see Geovany Soto all the way down in the 8 hole. Wouldn’t it be nice if he had a productive season?

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Alfonso Soriano’s Knee is Feeling Good

So far so good in Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano’s knee. He recently said he was worried that it was only at about 85 percent, but things are looking up.

“I’m surprised,” Soriano said Thursday. “I feel much better than [Monday]. That’s a good thing. It’s only the second day and I see the difference.”

He’s not running full tilt yet, but hasn’t felt any pain or discomfort. He is going 100 percent during the outfield drills, has done lateral movements, and says there have been no problems. He also hasn’t had any problems hitting. His winter workouts have paid off.

“I can move around – that’s the only thing I’m doing 100 percent is the fielding and I don’t feel any pain at all,” he said. “No problem.”

The biggest hurdle for Soriano to overcome is mental, not physical.

“I need to trust it more,” Soriano said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think my knee is good but now I have to trust that it’s 100 percent.”

He does some warm up exercises before the Cubs practice. He hasn’t needed any post-workout ice packs.

“I want to forget what happened to my knee last year,” he said. “[Trust] is the hard part. So far, the first two days I feel good.” Muskat Ramblings.

I’m still skeptical that Soriano’s only problem last year was his health, given how vocally and repeatedly he denied that health problems were affecting his performance. It really had the feel of an after-the-fact excuse.

BUT, I’m willing to believe it, pending what he shows on the field this year.

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Alfonso Soriano is Still Recovering

Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has been quietly recovering from September knee surgery. He battled with problematic legs all season - or so we were told - culminating in the late season procedure. We haven’t heard much from him since, until he showed up at Cubs camp yesterday, telling everyone that, despite having more than five months to recover following surgery, he was still only at about 80 percent.

It was a pretty scary revelation. But Soriano now says he didn’t quite mean it like it sounded.

“I’m not running 100 percent,” Soriano said. “That’s why I said I don’t feel 100 percent, because I’m not running 100 percent. I’m running 75, 80 percent and I don’t feel anything at all. But when I start running 100 percent, I’ll know how I feel.”

The Cubs’ medical staff advised Soriano to not run full tilt this winter to avoid any setbacks.

“We’ll see in one week when I test my knee running in the field,” Soriano said. “My knee will tell me how I feel.”

What will likely be the hardest part of Soriano’s rehab will be the mental part. He has to trust that his leg is healthy.

“I say in my mind I’m 80 percent but that’s because I’m not doing anything like playing in the field,” he said. “When I test it, I hope my knee feels better than I think. I think it’s 85 percent. Maybe when I test it, it’s 100 percent.”

“He’s ready to go,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said of the left fielder. “He says his knee hasn’t bothered him.” cubs.com.

Let’s not mince words: Soriano was profoundly bad last year. Not just bad for Soriano, but bad for anyone. For probably the first time in his career, his performance did not even incrementally help his team win. Instead, he took away from the team.

I don’t know anyone who is expecting Soriano to return to the player he was five years ago - or even two years ago. But I think it is reasonable for us to hope that he is much better than he was last year. The Cubs’ lineup is so different with a successful Soriano, and hopefully the specter of Xavier Nady looking over his shoulder will help prod Soriano along the road to recovery.

Then again, Soriano’s already guaranteed $18 million per year for the next five years (sweet Jesus), so maybe he doesn’t care if he gets bumped by Nady.

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Someone’s Gonna Bat Leadoff, But Lou Piniella Doesn’t Know Who

Most of the Chicago Cubs’ lineup this year is set. We know that Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez will hit three and four. We know that Marlon Byrd and Alfonso Soriano will hit five and six. We know that Geovany Soto and the second baseman will hit seven and eight.

But one spot yet undecided is at the top of the order. Who’s going to lead off?

Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot say they want the job, which manager Lou Piniella said he likes to hear, but he’s not sure which will get the job — or whether it will be a combination of the two.

”I haven’t thought about it all that much, to be honest,” Piniella said. ”We’ll see what happens here in the spring with it. We’ll just use one one day and use one the next, and we’ll see. It depends how they’re swinging the bat, depends on who the [opposing] pitcher is — there’ll be some variable.

”But we’d like to stay constant, too. We’ll come up with something.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.

Haven’t thought about it much? Really, Lou? I mean, I get the deflection technique, but isn’t it, like, your job to think about things like that? Aren’t you being paid (an insane) $4 million per season to think about things like that?

Now that I’ve got that out of my system, I’ll say: I continue to hope that Piniella will seriously consider a leadoff platoon. Kosuke Fukudome hits righties so much better than Ryan Theriot. Ryan Theriot hits lefties so much better than Kosuke Fukudome. Look, I get wanting consistency of role, but in this case, the splits are so stark and clear that I struggle coming up with reasons to do anything other than a flip/flop of Fukudome and Theriot based on who is on the mound.

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Today is the Positional Reporting Date for Spring Training

By the end of the day, all of the Chicago Cubs invited to Spring Training will be in camp, preparing for the first full-squad practice tomorrow.

Of course, the date is largely a formality, as almost every Cub is already in Mesa. The only four remaining include three that make sense, and one that doesn’t. Veteran, established, positional players often don’t arrive until the reporting date, and so it is with Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirez.

But the fourth? Shortstop prospect Starlin Castro. Interesting that a kid who has a lot to show in order to make the big club this year decided not to come early. I’m not criticizing - there may have been good reasons - I just find it interesting.

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