Dale Sveum working on the Chicago Cubs’ lineup for regular season
The Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum said on Sunday, March 25, that he is spending more time on deciding the team’s lineup for the upcoming season. Adjusting Darwin Barney, and playing Starlin Castro, assigning the role to David DeJesus and seeing Blake DeWitt, everything has to be considered.
"I've probably lost more sleep over our batting order than anything, as far as camp's gone," Sveum said on Sunday after the Cubs manager talked to his coaching staff about their options. "The last week might have something to do with that lineup. It's who's swinging good, what's going on, who steps up power-wise.”
The Chicago Cubs, without any shadow of doubt, are entering the regular season with a changed outlook. They have lately come down hard on the rivals in the Spring Training, outrivaling a lot of teams.
Nonetheless, to select and keep a strong lineup is never so easy keeping in mind the inseparable issue of consistency. For now, the team will rely on the hitting lineup that will have Barney, DeJesus and DeWitt as they have remained part of the offence this spring.
"It's a production-oriented business," Sveum said. "The way our lineup lists out, is it a cut-and-dried lineup on a single-day basis? I don't think that's going to happen unless we get true production from all our guys."
Barney has been hitting well, maintaining a .379 average in the spring. Although on-base percentage of DeJesus is .298, his batting stands at .195. He has to work hard on it if he has to get a place in the offence.
Dale Sveum has taken managerial responsibility at a time when the Cubs have a lot to do to set things in order. The last year they lost more than 90 games, resulting in the dismissal of the former manager Mike Quade.
While Dale Sveum ponders over adjusting things for the team, it will be interesting to see whether or not his strategy works out. However, the experience that he has will be a huge asset and advantage for him to turn the Chicago Cubs in a winning side.
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