Save all your C+C Music Factory singing for the comforts of your own car (with the windows up). This really made me sit back and say “hmmmm, really?” Really.
You know who Ivan Rodriguez is a lot like as an offensive player now? Derek Jeter . They both are extreme groundball hitters these days who have had their power greatly diminished. Among players with 300 plate appearances, Rodriguez ranks third in the majors in the amount of groundballs hit to every flyball (2.56) and Jeter is sixth (2.41). Jeter has six homers, Rodriguez five. They both — amazingly — have six steals. Pudge ranks 115th in OPS (.756) and Jeter is 123rd (.747). Rodriguez has a .295 batting average/.338 on-base percentage/.417 slugging percentage compared to Jeter .284/.348/.400.
Remember when Jeter was good for 20 HR, a .315+ BA, 20 SB? Just sayin’, I’m starting to wonder where he’s going to be in 2 years. Will he remain at SS, defying logic to preserve a memory? Will he be too proud to consider a position move? With the Yanks desire to both keep their aging stars too long (unlike Boston, who is OK with letting their heroes go: Damon, Pedro, now Manny) and keep Jeter as the face of the organization, will the aura of Jeter be something the Yanks can’t maneuver around?
Ernie Banks moved from SS. So did Ripken. Yogi moved from behind the plate. Robin Yount was an all-star SS before becoming an all-star CF. Baseball history is littered with guys who moved from the positions that defined them so they could prolong their careers. Why should Jeter be any different?
Could Jeter play left field? He won’t have the power to man 1B, but it would keep him in the infield. There’s no chance ARod could move back to SS, swapping with Jeter. Unless, of course, Jeter LOBBIED for it, which seems more than unlikely. And even if he did, could ARod do it? He’s not getting younger, and with a desire to remain healthy to pass Bonds in a few years, 3B is probably less physically demanding. Would Jeter move to 2B, swapping with Cano? I don’t think Cano has that sort of range, either.
In a few years, Damon, Matsui, Abreu, Giambi, etc. will be gone. Will Jeter allow himself to become the full time DH? Will his pride get in the way? I have no idea. I would like him to stay at SS, but with age and declining range, we must begin to face the inevitable.
Just so long as it doesn’t devolve into a Favre-like unwinnable tug-of-war…
