Chicago Cubs: Most of baseball experiencing an offensive downturn

Chicago Cubs: Learning a new run-scoring culture

Again, this wasn’t just a Cubs problem. Across the board, hitting and run-scoring were down this year across MLB. Some critics might say that teams did this to themselves by concentrating on situational hitting to move batters but failed to score runs.

I agree, you’ve got to finish if that’s what you’re teaching your players and everyone’s got to buy-in.  I like what the Cubs new hitting Coach Anthony Iapoce said to MLB.com about the subject and was recently reported by Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune;

"…Iapoce doesn’t overlook situational hitting. “It’s all about executing a run-scoring culture,” Iapoce told MLB.com after being hired by the Rangers."

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You’re absolutely right, Anthony.  Teams need to look at all facets of scoring to lift their offense. They need to think about the home runs, the situational hitting, the doubles, the triples, the walks and what that hit means and how to execute it properly. It must be, as Iapoce describes, a “run-scoring culture” where every combination is playing off the other to one end: runs.

It’s not an easy thing to do – as was witnessed this painful season by many fans during numerous low-scoring affairs.

It can even be attested to by former Cubs hitting coaches Chili Davis and my old high school classmate John Mallee – there’s no job security in trying to produce a “run-scoring culture” and more times than not, teams go down instead of up.

A lot of it has to do with injuries and sustaining a lineup, which is near impossible to do for 162 games.