Yankees interested in Zambrano?

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=72999:date=Dec 26 2009, 12:56 PM:name=KBwsb)-->QUOTE (KBwsb @ Dec 26 2009, 12:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Rok, nobody here thinks Jim is a drooling idiot. He somehow scored a dream job despite not being qualified for it; that alone makes him both savvy, and a stud, in my mind. Good for him.

Bad for us.
I applaud his positive efforts. And I weep when he does things like sign Grabow, and pursue Capps. One thing seems clear, though. He does not know how to put together a consistently good offense.
Let's look at the most elemental, all-encompassing statistic.
The most <i>important</i> offensive stat (really, the only one that matters): Runs scored.

Rank in MLB for Runs Scored (Cubs)
2009: -22nd
2008: -2nd
2007: -18th
2006: -28th
2005: -20th
2004: -16th
2003: -20th

Average rank during Hendry's 7 years: 18th in MLB.

And, you can see by looking at the chart, that 2008 was an outlier. Take out that year, and Jim's teams are surprisingly consistent: they rank in the lower 3rd of MLB teams almost every year.

Is someone now going to argue that there is no link between scoring runs and winning baseball games?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Not disproving your point, but you have to look at run-scoring from an NL-only perspective to be fair, because...

2009: 7 of top 10 teams in AL
2008: 7 of top 10 teams in AL
2007: 6 of top 10 teams in AL
2006: 6 of top 10 teams in AL
2005: 6 of top 10 teams in AL
2004: 7 of top 10 teams in AL
2003: 6 of top 10 teams in AL

Cubs' rank in <b>NL</b> in runs scored...

2009: 10th
2008: 1st
2007: 8th
2006: 15th
2005: 9th
2004: 7th
2003: 9th

Average: 8th