Can we all agree on this?
Apparently, Corey Patterson has asked Dusty Baker to lead off and Dusty in his infinite wisdom has put him in the number one spot.
Huh?
Let’s take a look at Corey’s numbers:
His OBP mark is not particularly impressive. Actually, it kinda sucks. This year’s mark of .279 is the worst he’s had in any full season. in addition, Mr Contact has 71 strikeouts in 277 at-bats.
More to the point, there are other Cubs who might be more suited for the leadoff spot. Neifi Perez’s OBP of .312 is no great shakes but is certainly better than Patterson’s. Todd Walker doesn’t have a whole lot of speed but the name of the game is getting on base and Walker’s .357 fits the bill.
Dusty is known as a player’s manager and that’s usually a good thing. But don’t let that cloud your judgement, Coach.