MVN: Most Valuable Network

Anybody can be a good and gracious winner. It's how they react to losing the tells you something about people. And the last week has taught us something about Cubs fans:

Most of you are assholes.

These comments are all from Rosenbloom's blog this week, but it is largely indicative of what you can find elsewhere on the InterWebs:

Tedd: Raise your hand if this comes as a surprise. Soriano has NEVER shown up for the playoffs. There's a good reason he's not still playing for the Yankees. Last Year he batted .156 in that playoff sweep.

WV: He's not playing for the Yankees any more because they traded him for one of the best baseball players to ever live. By "never" (or "NEVER"), I'm assuming you don't remember his walkoff home run against the Mariners in Game 4 of the 2001 ALCS. Or his leadoff home run in the eighth of the 2001 World Series to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Or his home runs in Game 2 of the 2004 ALDS to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Or his home run in Game 2 of the 2003 World Series.

Other than that, nice point, Tedd.

Jeff: Well put. Remember when Soriano was out, gee the Cubs were still winning games. And how about learning to bunt the ball? With his speed? Oh I forgot, his fat wallet keeps him from running to first. Idiot. I say trade him, and throw in Lee and Ramirez to sweeten the deal.

WV: The Cubs were 70-39 in games started by Alfonso Soriano and 27-25 in games not started by Alfonso Soriano. A 52 percent winning percentage would not have gotten the Cubs into the playoffs. And, yes, Soriano needs to bunt more. Enough of those selfish home runs.

Anthony: Great article, I can't believe he even opened his mouth for anything but "I'm sorry" after that pathetic display in the playoffs. As much as Soriano is to blame, I think Pinella should have stepped up and said Theriot leads off and Soriano bats second. This way Soriano could strike out with men on base.

WV: Anthony, please look at the numbers that compare what happens when Alfonso Soriano leads off and what happens when people not named Alfonso Soriano leads off. Which do you believe is better?

KW: I agree - Soriano is the biggest problem with why Cubs have been inept scoring wise in October. He is good at hitting medicore pitching but cannot hit decent or good pitching. How can you score runs when your leadoff hitter looks overmatched at the plate?

WV: Soriano has five career home runs against CC Sabathia, more than any other pitcher. He has four against Tim Wakefield and Jamie Moyer. He has a .333 average against CC. .429 against Chris Carpenter. .417 against Tom Glavine. .407 against Mark Mulder. .278 against John Smoltz. .600 against Kevin Brown. This year he hit home runs against Brett Myers, Jason Isringhausen, Brandon Backe (2), Jake Peavy, Derek Lowe, CC (2), Glavine and Johnny Cueto (2), among others.

Tim Congdon: Talk about a sefish player. Sure he has the talent that many guys can only dream of, but where is the heart of a champion? Give me Theriot, Fontenot, Soto, and the two guys that play the corners of the infield evry day. Give me the effort of Mark DeRosa and the UNselfish willingness to play any position the team asks him to play simply because he gets to play Major League Baseball for a living. Maybe it is time to send A.S. packing to an American league team where he can be a DH.

WV: If Theriot, Fontenot and Soto presumably have the "hearts of champions," why are the Cubs not champions? Are their hearts of champions not enough to override the heart of unchampionness possessed by Soriano? Or does it have something to do with the fact that while a heart of a champion may beat in, say, an accountant in Elgin, that does little good when it comes to winning baseball games?

Also, you forgot Hoffpower in your wish book ... oh, here he comes:

Jeff: Soriano would be the first on my dump him list. Next would be Zambrano, two head cases that are expensive distractions and don't produce. I have been trying to figure out what Howry is doing staring at his glove. The only thing makes any sense is he's telling the baseball goodbye, enjoy the ride. Lee will have to move from the three slot unless he can cure his DP swing. Play Dero in left and Fontenot at second. Find a place for Hoffy,

WV: Two head cases. Or the Cubs two best players. Either way.

HL: In addition, and we all should have known this by now, the guy can't hit in the cold weather. That's why he's started slow in April the last two years. $136 million...we must be paying him by the excuse, not the hit. Most of Soriano's beefed up stats happen in games that are already decided - he'll get hot, and for 3 weeks he'll hit .450. Then he'll go back to swinging for the fences, rather than trying to get on base or extend an inning to help his team.

WV: Here's a log of Alfonso Soriano's home runs in 2008:

1. April 6: Solo home run with score tied in bottom of fifth.
2. April 11: Solo home run with Cubs trailing by one in top of sixth.
3. May 2: Two-run home run with Cubs trailing by two in the top of the ninth.
4. May 12: Two-run home run with Cubs trailing by one in the bottom of the fith.
5. May 13: Solo home run with score tied in the bottom of the first.
6. May 14: Solo home run with score tied in the bottom of the first.
7. May 16: Solo home run with scored tied in the bottom of the first.
8. May 16: Three-run home run with Cubs leading by three in the bottom of the second.
9. May 17: Solo home run with Cubs leading by one in the bottom of the fourth.
10. May 17: Solo home run with the Cubs trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh.
11. May 25: Two-run home run with the Cubs trailing by one in the top of the third.
12. May 31: Two-run home run with the Cubs trailing by one in the bottom of the second.
13. June 1: Solo home run with the Cubs ahead by one in the bottom of the sixth.
14. June 3: Three-run home run with the Cubs ahead by three in the top of the eighth.
15. June 7: Solo home run with the Cubs ahead by one in the top of the sixth.
16. July 27: Three-run home run with the Cubs trailing by three in the bottom of the fourth.
17. July 28: Solo home run with the Cubs ahead by one in the top of the third.
18. July 31: Solo home run with the Cubs ahead by four in the top of the eighth.
19. August 3: Solo home run with the Cubs ahead by two in the bottom of the eighth.
20. August 5: Three-run home run with score tied in the bottom of the seventh.
21. August 6: Three-run home run with the Cubs ahead by two in the bottom of the third.
22. August 14: Two-run home run with the Cubs ahead by three in the top of the fourth.
23. August 29: Solo home run with the scored tied in the bottom of the seventh.
24. September 2: Solo home run with the scored tied in the bottom of the first.
25. September 6: Solo home run with the score tied in the top of the third.
26. September 6: Solo home run with the Cubs ahead by one in the top of the fifth.
27. September 6: Three-run home run with the Cubs ahead by two in the top of the sixth.
28. September 14: Solo home run with the score tied in the top of the first.
29. September 16: Solo home run with the Cubs ahead by one in the bottom of the seventh.

So, HL, the finally tally is: 12 go-ahead home runs and four tying home runs in one season. That's 16 of the 29. That's 55 percent - well above the mid-40 percent career range of the best home run hitters in history.

Tall Handsome Genius: I hope Hendry completely overhauls this team by trading Soriano, Ramirez, Lee, and Fukudome. ... I would build the team around Soto behind the plate; Johnson in CF; Theriot at SS; and Fontenot at 2B---with new men at the four corner spots and three of them LH hitters. Preferably young guys with a lot of energy. Maybe Hoffpauir if he can catch the ball. Not Felix Pie---he has to go. Watching him passively let fly balls drop in front of him, hoping somebody else would go get them, told me all I need to know about him as a centerfielder. If Edmonds and DeRosa will stay without being starters every day the would be good bench players and spot starters.

WV: Let's review, Soriano, Ramirez, Lee, Fukudome, Pie ... bad. Very bad. Good? DeRosa, Edmonds, Hoffpauir, Johnson, Theriot, Fontenot and Soto. Which one of these is not like the other ones?

There are more than 160 comments like this at Rosenbloom's blog (read for yourself if you think I'm just cherry picking the worst). You also can see the strum and drang at Bleed Cubbie Blue. Another Cubs Blog has gotten their fair share of such comments. ESPN's message boards are rife with such nonsense. Not to mention Paul Sullivan's mailbag.

Good show, people.

Labels: Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Assholes, Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs, Steve Rosenbloom