STEVE PHILLIPS ran the numbers to verify mathematically what he sensed intuitively. That Carlos Baerga not only failed as a Met, but as the kind of modern second baseman he actually had helped define earlier in the decade.
If Met fans had found Baerga’s performance offensive, Phillips knew it was not nearly offensive enough. Especially when viewed in comparison to others at his position. The pivotman had become pivotal to the lineup.
“When you used to say strong up the middle, you meant strong defensively at catcher, second base, shortstop and center field,” Phillips said. “Strong up the middle now, though, means you still want defense at short and catcher. But you need offense at second and center field.”
Nowhere is the evolution of the game from leather to wood – from one revolving around pitching and defense to hits and runs – more evident than at second base. The days of giving away outs at bat to save them in the field are about over.
Perhaps at a position as demanding as shortstop, an all-glove, no-stick figure such as Rey Ordonez can still be tolerated. Maybe. And probably only in the NL. But the days of carrying a Doug Flynn at second are completely over. These days your second baseman better be able to get to second base with extra-base power (think Jay Bell, Jeff Kent), base-stealing acumen (think Jose Offerman, Eric Young) or a combination of both (think Craig Biggio and Damian Easley).
Indians GM John Hart was at the forefront in inciting this trend. He determined offense was necessary at second and he had a willingness to move a player from another position to get it. That was Baerga, who was shifted from third base after coming to Cleveland in 1990.
Baerga would hit third on the ’95 Indians, arguably the best offensive team this decade, while Manny Ramirez batted seventh.
Speaking by phone earlier this week, Hart said his thinking was that financially in Cleveland it would be easier to procure and keep hitters than starting pitchers. So he devised an offensive club. He knew he could get corner thumpers – left, right, first and third – plus at DH. But Hart figured you needed at least a sixth hitting threat and determined it was better to give something away defensively at second than short, center or third.
“If you only have four or five bats in the American League you are going to get run over,” Hart said. “I can find the offense at the corners and DH. But I think if you can add that bat at second, also, you will win more than you lose.”
The proof of the evolution is in the numbers.
Last season, 24 men played at least 100 games at second. Just four (Baerga, Craig Counsel, Mark Lewis and Scott Spiezio) failed to reach double-digits in either homers or steals. Five years ago, nine of 22 men that played 100 games at second failed to amass either total. In 1998, 11 second basemen reached 45 extra-base hits. The total was five in 1993. It was just one (Davey Lopes) 20 years earlier (1978) of 21 second basemen that played at least 100 games.
The seven homers Baerga hit last season tied him for 15th among second basemen. Too bad for him he did not play in 1978, when seven would have tied him for sixth with Art Howe, Dave McKay and Frank White.
In the modern game, Phillips had to act. He signed Robin Ventura and shifted Edgardo Alfonzo from third to second, much as Baerga had done almost a decade earlier. The migration to second is now common. Biggio was a catcher. Eric Young an outfielder. Bell, Easley, Kent, Offerman and Fernando Vina came from the left side of the infield.
Alfonzo’s job will be to fit into a first class of offensive second basemen. The top three base stealers in the NL last year were second basemen, Offerman led the AL in triples, Biggio led the NL in doubles and became the first player since Tris Speaker in 1912 to reach 50 doubles and 50 steals in a season. Kent became the first second baseman with 120 RBIs in consecutive seasons since Rogers Hornsby in 1921-22.
This year the surprising Joe McEwing of St. Louis and Chuck Knoblauch have been among the game’s leading hitters, and Jay Bell and David Bell are outdoing Albert Belle in homers. Offerman has earned his staggering contract with doubles, triples and steals. Ex-Yankees Pat Kelly and Randy Velarde have been offensive revelations. Carlos Febles and Warren Morris appear up-and-coming keystoners. Vina, Young and Luis Castillo have been master thieves. Kent hit for the cycle this week. Biggio, Roberto Alomar and Ray Durham have been all-around stars.
Nineteen second basemen are either their team’s primary leadoff man or second hitter plus Alomar, Kent and Todd Walker routinely hit third or cleanup.
“I’m not talking about putting a butcher at the position,” Hart said. “But if you told me my second baseman could be adequate at one and better than that at the other, I would take adequate defensively and above adequate offensively.”