Does anyone else have the feeling that Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee has morphed into former fan favorite Mark Grace? On the surface, that’s a complimentary comparison. Mark Grace was a solid hitter, with a career .303 average, a good fielder who earned 4 Gold Gloves and was generally well-liked by his teammates (Sammy Sosa not included.)
The problem is that Derrek Lee is not being paid $13,250,000 a year to hit like an above average first baseman with limited run producing potential. He’s being paid an 8 figure salary to carry a World Series starved team offensively. Among National League first basemen, as of Sept. 3, Derrek Lee is 6th in hitting, 9th in home runs, 9th in RBIs and 10th in slugging percentage. For perspective, Derrek Lee still trails Mark Teixeira in both home runs and RBIs, though Teixeira was traded to the American League’s Los Angeles Angels on July 30th and is unable to add to his National League stats.
If you look at Derrek Lee’s offensive production since his April 2006 wrist injury, the numbers eerily compare with Mark Grace’s from a decade ago. It’s a shame that a fluke play at first over two years ago, when Raphael Furcal barreled into Lee after an errant throw by Scott Eyre, could so alter a career.
As the Cubs make their September playoff push, Derrek Lee somehow has to find a way to put some lift under the ball. It is no small feat to hit .290-.300 for an entire season, but there is no awe in watching a 6’5”, 240lb singles hitter.
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