On the hitting side, it is the first time I have seen Cubs players walk to the plate and look like they have a plan. Whether Fukudome is wearing off on the other players or not, the fact is that the Cubs are more patient at the plate from the top to the bottom of the order...
The Cubs are a completely different team on offense than I remember them ever being. No matter how good or (usually) terrible the Cubbie offense may be in any given year, the one constant was that the Cubs would never take many walks. Always - always! - displaying poor plate discipline, the Cubs would hack and flail at just about any pitch thrown towards home plate.
This year, however, the Cubs seem to be attacking the pitcher with a plan in mind. The hitters are patiently waiting for something to hit, and even notably hack-tastic youngsters like Felix Pie and Ronny Cedeno are clearly making a conscious effort to get ahead in the count. I don't know the cause of this either - although Fukudome's fantastic example is certainly a strong possibility - but I hope like hell that it keeps up. This lineup has enough power that it would simply be a crime not to have lots of men on base when the homers are hit. If they gave out awards to coaches, I'd say the Cubs hitting coach would have to be an early favorite.
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