Who's in Center for the Cubs?
This year, obviously, it's Jim Edmonds and Reed Johnson. Johnson's performance, I understand. But to say I was leery of the Edmonds signing would be bit of an understatement. He's just crushed the ball and played great D constantly. On Friday, after Edmonds smashed his second home run, I labeled him a Cardinal Killer, and that statement blows my mind. Between Johnson and Edmonds, the Cubs have one of the most productive Center Fields in the league. But it hasn't always been this way.
Since I started watching the Cubs on a daily basis, roughly 1984 or so, the Cubs have not had a regular Center Fielder. Well, they've had a few capable Center Fielders, but they have yet to have a good one last more than three years. In fact, Corey Patterson has logged the most games there since 1984 and that alone tells you all you need to know.
Here's a list of the best Cubs Center Fielders since '84. You look at this list and wonder...what the Hell happened? For all the talk that Third Base got A.S. (After Santo), the sinkhole in Center Field has been virtually ignored by the local media. And really, this isn't even just a "last 25 years" thing for the Cubs. Really, since Andy Pafko in the 1940s, only Rick Monday was really any good for more than a year or two. But I don't have the patience to go through teams that played before I was born or before I was "baseball aware." So here's a crack at the last 25 years or so. And remember, these are the best.
1. Kenny Lofton - I told you this list sucked. Kenny played only a half a season for the Cubs, but this potential Hall-of-Famer was so awesome that he tops my list. (.327 BA, .380 OBP) If the Cubs somehow picked him up in 1993 rather than 2003 I wouldn't be writing this post.
2. Brian McRae - McRae was pretty solid for two seasons and he got traded half way through a lousy third. But he hit .280 with 75 stolen bases and 35 homers in his 2.5 seasons, and that's far and a way the best body of work for a "regular" Center Fielder in the last 25 years.
3. Bob Dernier - I like Bobby Dernier, and this is no knock on him. But he really only had one good season for the Cubs. He set the table for the 1984 team and stole 45 bases. Other than that, he hit .240 for a pair of injury plagued seasons. And he's my number three.
4. Corey Patterson - Ugh. By the time he left the Cubs, I hated Corey. But for sheer counting numbers, he's number one on this list. Most games, most homers. He only had one and a half decent seasons, out of five with the club. And this third overall pick in the draft was supposed to do a whole lot more. I will say he was decent on D, at least.
5. Jerome Walton - Everyone knows his story. 1989 Rookie of the Year; 1990 and beyond Bust of All-Time.
6. Dave Martinez - He had a decent year in 1987, hitting .292 with a .372 OBP. Then he was traded for Mitch Webster, who just misses the cut on this list.
7. Juan Pierre - His final numbers in 2006 looked like typical Juan Pierre numbers. .292 BA, 58 steals. But those numbers don't tell you what really happened. He hit less than .250 until August on perhaps the biggest clusterf*ck of a team I've ever witnessed. And he had a noodle arm.
8. Lance Johnson - Two injury plagued years, but the veteran did his job for 120 games I guess. I guess. </shakes head>
9. Jacque Jones - He mostly played right for the Cubs. Hit a bunch of bombs there but was universally hated. Then he shifted to Center for a half a season, lost all his power, and was generally well liked. I didn't get it then and I don't get it now.
10. Tuffy Rhodes - He had one good day. Nobody will ever forget his three homers off Doc Gooden on Opening Day, 1994. Total homers in 1994? Eight.
Honorable mention: Doug Dascenzo, Damon Buford, Mitch Webster, Gary Matthews Jr, Willie Wilson, Brant Brown, Felix Pie (the FutureTM)
I'm pretty confident that neither Jim Edmonds nor Reed Johnson is a long-term solution in Center for the Cubs, but as it stands now they've probably already earned their way up to number five on this list. Unreal.
Till next time...