About That Alfonso Soriano Drop…

Alfonso Soriano is having a dismal year.  Sori wrapped that dismalness up in a nice, neat package Thursday against the White Sox, going 0-4 with 3 Ks and committing a fielding gaffe that had fans all over America muttering the cursed name of Brant Brown under their breaths.

It is, however, not fair to compare Soriano’s terrible drop with Brant Brown’s infamous missed flyball.  The Cubs actually still had a chance to make the playoffs when Brown missed that fly against the Brewers; Soriano’s drop made no difference to the team’s postseason prospects, because they had none.  Also, Brown’s drop came in a one-run loss, and therefore had a direct impact on the outcome.  Soriano’s happened in a game the Cubs dropped 5-0 and was therefore basically irrelevant.

Irrelevant in terms of that one game’s outcome, but not irrelevant symbolically.  In fact, I couldn’t think of a play that more perfectly embodies the way Soriano’s fortunes have slipped, taking the Cubs’ playoff hopes with them.

Soriano’s defenders want us to remember that he has played on a bad knee all year, and the guy must be a gamer or he wouldn’t keep fighting to stay on the field.  Well, I suppose you can attribute some of Soriano’s suckiness to the bad knee – the way he lopes after balls in the outfield and doesn’t run the bases for shit – but all of it?

The terrible looking swings at breaking balls outside the zone?  The feeble dribblers to third?

Honestly, if his knee is so bad that he can’t even swing the bat at Aaron Miles levels, he shouldn’t be out there.  It’s not like the Cubs don’t have other outfield options.  They have Jake Fox (who, after Thursday’s game, must never, ever be allowed to play first base again).  They have Sam Fuld.  No, neither of those guys measures up to Soriano when he’s at his best, but that’s the point – Soriano has been at his best for a cumulative total of about three weeks this entire season, so it’s not like those guys would be a drop-off (at least they can run without limping).

I don’t care if you’re paying the guy an absurd amount of money; if he’s a liability, he’s a liability.  Pat him on the back for his gumption and tell him to take a seat.  You know you’re having a bad year when even smiling company-man Bob Brenly is calling for you to be benched.