Come to Think of It: Analyzing the Value of Chone Figgins for the Cubs

A new year, a new scapegoat. Last year's playoff failure was blamed on the Cubs being too right-handed. Now, at least based on what Cubs manager Lou Piniella recently had to say, the thinking is that the Cubs are too slow. Lou's need for speed aside, it is true that the Cubs are a slow, plodding bunch. They rank last in the NL in stolen bases. And while the stolen base has not been as popular since 'roided up players starting popping muscles out of their shirt sleeves, it seems to be on a bit of a comeback. Meanwhile, rumor has it that the Cubs will try to "steal" Chone Figgins if he enters the free agent market. Figgins certainly has speed. But he has not been an effective base stealer this season. The primary value of the stolen base lies in the success rate; stealing at less than a 75 percent success rate is detrimental to an offense. This year, Figgins has stolen 39 bases and has been caught 16 times, f...