Why The Cubs Should Sign Orlando Hudson

As I went through Carrie Muskat's inbox to properly respond to questions she cannot answer without much being left to the imagination, I stumbled upon this little nugget.

So, rather than break down the entire inbox I'll focus on a question about the gaping hole at second base.

Muskat's response is in italics, the cold hard truth as analyzed by yours truly is in the bold.

It seems to me the Cubs are still in need of a leadoff hitter. Wouldn't it make sense to sign Orlando Hudson to play second base? I know Starlin Castro is supposed to be ready to play in the Majors at some point in 2010, but who knows if he's going to be able to contribute to the Major League team any time soon. It seems an addition like O-Dog would give you a solid leadoff hitter with speed and allow them to slot Theriot down to No. 2 in the order, where he belongs.
-- Erich B., Bourbonnais, Ill.

Hudson has a career .223 average and .305 on-base percentage as a leadoff man.

Further breakdown of Hudson's numbers reveal the following.  His .223 average and .305 OBP come in a grand total of 105 plate appearances in 23 starts.  It doesn't take a sabermatrician to figure out that is too small a sample size to make a fair judgment.

Compare those numbers to Theriot's and Fukudome's.

Cubs fans, you really don't want me to do this.  Eh, screw it.  Someone had to bring you the truth.

Last season, Hudson, 32, batted .283 with a .357 on-base percentage with the Dodgers, who bumped him at the end of the season in favor of Ronnie Belliard. Belliard batted .347 in September; Hudson hit .237.

Theriot hit .240 in September.  Fukudome batted .200. 

Translation: Hudson hit for a higher average than Fukudome and was on par with Theriot in fewer plate appearances.  This is the kind of logic that comes nine months after a Cardinals fan and a White Sox fan engage in unprotected sex after polishing off a case of Ice House.

Hudson stole eight bases in 149 games.

Apparently, I'm supposed to be impressed with Theriot's 21 steals in 2009. Ha! Not when he was caught a team-high 10 times.  As for Fukudome, he stole six bases and was also caught 10 times.

Let the record show Hudson was caught only once last season. In fact, he has only been caught stealing 19 times in 69 career attempts over his eight-year career. 

Fukudome and Theriot combined to get caught 20 times in 2009.

His single-season high is 10.

That was in 2007.  He was caught only twice.

He's also reportedly seeking a one-year deal for $9 million. 

This is the same franchise that was willing to pay Milton Bradley $30 million over a three-year span.  And they can't find $9 million for one season to have a quality second baseman who doesn't need a booster seat at McDonald's?

Ugh.

I don't see him as being a good match for the Cubs. 

Over the past three seasons, Hudson has earned two Gold Gloves, stolen 22 bases (caught only four times) and posted a .291/.369/.438/.807 line in the two seasons in which he was the team's primary No. 2 hitter.

Yep.  The Cubs do not need a guy like that at all.  Not on a team that committed 105 errors.  Not on a team whose middle infielders aren't tall enough to ride a rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America.

And to think, I thought stupidity and ignorance were limited to Cubs fans.  It's a shame that it has reached the beat writers, too.

Inbox: Who's going to lead-off? [Cubs.com]