Ben Zobrist ain't half bad splooge thread

[CBStew]

It's a proven fact that guys are more likeable when you agree with what they say.

Dislike.

I don't agree.

[Saul Goodman]

Ten thousand balls in a row and "Benny" swings at the first pitch. Neat.

[Saul Goodman]

Ten thousand balls in a row and "Benny" swings at the first pitch. Neat.

That's more like it, Benny.

[Tonker]

Zobrist slash line in August:

.278/.360/.430/.790

... and the last week:

.304/.360/.652/1.012

I think it's safe to say that Benny is over his injury and feels well and truly alive.

[SKO]

Zobrist slash line in August:

.278/.360/.430/.790

... and the last week:

.304/.360/.652/1.012

I think it's safe to say that Benny is over his injury and feels well and truly alive.

Read something the other day on twitter about how before he went on the DL for the wrist injury his avg exit velocity had tanked big time. When he came back the exit velocity was back to normal but he was hitting more grounders than he usually does so he still wasn't getting results. Since the end of July pretty much all of GB/FB/Exit Velocity numbers are lining up with his career averages. It would be very awesome if they had 2016 Zobrist back in time for the playoff run since if memory serves he was a fairly useful hitter the last couple of postseasons.

[Oleg]

Zobrist slash line in August:

.278/.360/.430/.790

... and the last week:

.304/.360/.652/1.012

I think it's safe to say that Benny is over his injury and feels well and truly alive.

Read something the other day on twitter about how before he went on the DL for the wrist injury his avg exit velocity had tanked big time. When he came back the exit velocity was back to normal but he was hitting more grounders than he usually does so he still wasn't getting results. Since the end of July pretty much all of GB/FB/Exit Velocity numbers are lining up with his career averages. It would be very awesome if they had 2016 Zobrist back in time for the playoff run since if memory serves he was a fairly useful hitter the last couple of postseasons.

[Saul Goodman]

Gold Glove finalist? Dafuq?

[Quality Start Machine]

Gold Glove finalist? Dafuq?

Gold Glove voting is pretty suspect. My only guess is that Zobrist had more chances and fewer errors at 2B than El Mago.

[SKO]

Bump for the game winning hit but also for hitting .260/.365/.387 on the year. The slugging isn't super sexy but that's not why he's here. Having vintage Zobrist and his OBP back is huge for the top of this lineup, and it's a pleasant surprise since I think most of us had written him off as finally going over the hill last year.

[Quality Start Machine]

Bump for the game winning hit but also for hitting .260/.365/.387 on the year. The slugging isn't super sexy but that's not why he's here. Having vintage Zobrist and his OBP back is huge for the top of this lineup, and it's a pleasant surprise since I think most of us had written him off as finally going over the hill last year.

It's funny, I feel like he's always seeing a lot of pitches, but his pitches/PA is 3.66, which puts him in the middle of the pack among Cubs' non-pitchers.

[SKO]

Bump for the game winning hit but also for hitting .260/.365/.387 on the year. The slugging isn't super sexy but that's not why he's here. Having vintage Zobrist and his OBP back is huge for the top of this lineup, and it's a pleasant surprise since I think most of us had written him off as finally going over the hill last year.

It's funny, I feel like he's always seeing a lot of pitches, but his pitches/PA is 3.66, which puts him in the middle of the pack among Cubs' non-pitchers.

I feel like he's actually swinging more often at pitches early in the count than he used to because teams are trying to take advantage of his tendency to take pitches by sneaking fastballs over on the first or second pitch.

[CBStew]

Bump for the game winning hit but also for hitting .260/.365/.387 on the year. The slugging isn't super sexy but that's not why he's here. Having vintage Zobrist and his OBP back is huge for the top of this lineup, and it's a pleasant surprise since I think most of us had written him off as finally going over the hill last year.

It's funny, I feel like he's always seeing a lot of pitches, but his pitches/PA is 3.66, which puts him in the middle of the pack among Cubs' non-pitchers.

I feel like he's actually swinging more often at pitches early in the count than he used to because teams are trying to take advantage of his tendency to take pitches by sneaking fastballs over on the first or second pitch.

I was always frustrated with Sandburg who almost never swing at the first pitch.  Consequently, that pitch was almost always a mid 80's fast ball over the middle of the plate and Sandburg would be down 0-1.  (writing this seems kind of silly given that Sandburg was one of the most effective Cubs' hitters in my lifetime)

[SKO]

Bump for the game winning hit but also for hitting .260/.365/.387 on the year. The slugging isn't super sexy but that's not why he's here. Having vintage Zobrist and his OBP back is huge for the top of this lineup, and it's a pleasant surprise since I think most of us had written him off as finally going over the hill last year.

It's funny, I feel like he's always seeing a lot of pitches, but his pitches/PA is 3.66, which puts him in the middle of the pack among Cubs' non-pitchers.

I feel like he's actually swinging more often at pitches early in the count than he used to because teams are trying to take advantage of his tendency to take pitches by sneaking fastballs over on the first or second pitch.

I was always frustrated with Sandburg who almost never swing at the first pitch.  Consequently, that pitch was almost always a mid 80's fast ball over the middle of the plate and Sandburg would be down 0-1.  (writing this seems kind of silly given that Sandburg was one of the most effective Cubs' hitters in my lifetime

It obviously works for some hitters who are extremely patient and extraordinarily disciplined and know they can work a count full or at least see 4 or 5 pitches anyway, but I think in Zobrist's case one way to get around some decline in power as he gets older is to just take that first hittable pitch and swing at it instead of taking it in the hopes of getting another mistake later in the count.

[SKO]

jumping on the first pitch again.

[Oleg]

jumping on the first pitch again.

You think that's bad, you should see his stats when he swings on 1-1 count.