Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Soriano praised for his remarkable consistency – MLB News
The Chicago Cubs' manager Dale Sveum on Monday, September 10, complimented the left fielder Alfonso Soriano for his exceptionally good performance. The accomplished player has virtually become the backbone of the Cubs offence, hitting 28 home-runs in 2012.
Having hit 94 RBIs this season, the 36-year-old left fielder appears all set to take it to 100 RBIs and over 30 homers this season. But it was his Sunday’s two-run go-ahead homer against the Pittsburgh Pirates that drew applause, sealing his consummation as a quality batter.
"He's probably the biggest surprise in all of baseball, really," the team manager Dale Sveum said. "A lot of people had written him off. Another year older and the legs were another year older."
As he emboldens the club’s offence and fast moving to the record of 100 RBIs with over 30 homers, the team manager Dale Sveum is genuinely looking forward to Soriano’s new record, a milestone that will inspire tremendous confidence.
"That would be one of the better stories of the year," Sveum said. "I just thank God that he's put together that year for us, because obviously we haven't been all that productive this year."
It is worth recalling that Soriano took a considerably long period of time to pave the way for this record this season. When the season started, he had been unable to hit the first homer until his 120th at-bat.
That was frustrating for the veteran player given the fact that all the youngsters were looking to him for inspiration. However, with the passage of time, things changed remarkably and Soriano today has assumed a central figure in the team’s offence.
The consistency exhibited after May 15 has not gone unnoticed. If it is maintained at a time when the regular season is nearing an end, it will be a huge morale-booster for every Cubs player around.
"He's been the one cog in the machine that's been pretty much consistent ever since May 15," Sveum said. "He's been as good as anybody in baseball since May 15."
All eyes are on Soriano now as he is gradually inching towards a record-making season. It will be interesting to see if he attains it.
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