The Cubs entered Wednesday’s game with a 2-13 record in ballparks with big outfields — San Diego, Arizona, Colorado and Detroit.
Manager Lou Piniella said it’s no “coincidence” they have played so poorly.
“Wrigley Field is a smaller ballpark that plays to our scheme of things a lot better,” Piniella said, adding the Cubs are “built for power.”
“You need athleticism, you need more stolen bases,” he said. “I think we’re last in the league in stolen bases.
Look, our team has to hit, and when we don’t hit, we look flatter.”
Piniella absolved Milton Bradley for making Kosuke Fukudome track down the deflection of Kyle Blanks’ inside-the-park home run Tuesday night.
“I didn’t see where if [Bradley] had gotten over there the outcome would be any different,” Piniella said. “The ball took a flukish bounce and rolled on the dirt part, and I said: ‘Oh boy, here we go.’
“We’re not going to get to some of these balls that other teams do, plain and simple. Obviously if you played in bigger ballparks like this, you [wouldn’t] put a team like ours together.”
Looking for answers: With so many multiyear contracts, is there anything Jim Hendry can do to shake things up in 2010?
“I haven’t even thought about next year yet,” he said. “We just haven’t played up to our capabilities. It’s kind of a mystery to all of us.”
Dempster watch: The Padres stole three bases Tuesday night off Ryan Dempster when he failed to pay attention to the runners.
Two of them scored in the third inning.
“He lost his concentration there,” Piniella said. “He was focused on throwing the ball, focused on getting hitters out and he lost focus. We reminded him, believe me. … One guy we should’ve thrown out and it cost us. That’s not because of people not giving effort.”
Piniella said “effort” isn’t an issue with his team.
“These guys care and they’re trying to do their best,” he said. ” And if I don’t see people hustling, I have talked to ’em and we will take care of that if it arises.”
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Big number
6
Runs the Cubs had scored in their last eight games at Petco Park entering Wednesday.
