Why Are You Doing This to Us, Lou?

It wasn’t exactly a confirmation, but Lou Piniella did suggest on Friday that Alfonso Soriano will start the season in the lead-off spot for the Cubs.  According to Bruce Miles, Lou cited the team’s “two division titles in a row” as reason for this.  And I’ll cite a weak division and good pitching as the main reasons the Cubs were able to win those two titles, largely in spite of the one huge flaw in their line-up, namely Soriano being the lead-off man.  Offensive inconsistency has been this team’s biggest problem the last two years and not having a real lead-off man has been the biggest culprit behind said inconsistency.  That’s why, two straight off-seasons, Jim Hendry has tried to land Brian Roberts – and had he been successful, Roberts would now be leading off and not Soriano.  Clearly, Piniella feels there is no better option than Soriano, otherwise he would make a change.  This is necessity not preference.  I say Lou should take a longer, harder look at the roster and find someone, anyone besides Soriano to bat #1.  I just don’t think I can take another year of it.