Spring Cleaning is underway with the A's sweeping the Blue Jays in three very close games, and then taking two from the Indians at time of writing. One thing that ran through my mind through the games with the Jays was David Eckstein, the shortstop for the Blue Jays. He's been called "pesky," "scrappy," "gritty" and many other backhanded compliments, and believe it or not he is a very polarizing figure.
David Eckstein plays every second like there's a gun to his head. He's a decent fielder at shortstop -- the hardest offensive position besides catcher and pitcher, but for different reasons. Shortstop requires immense athleticism, and Eckstein provides it. Furthermore, you'll often see him diving head first into 1st base to avoid a tag, and other such feats. This is where Eckstein gets his "scrappy" label. Eckstein isn't overpowering with his 5'6 170lb frame, and while he does have solid speed to the tune of averaging 18 SB per season (though this has deteriorated over the last three seasons,) he relies on his compact-contact swing to put him in a position to get him on base through this athleticism.
This 100% approach makes him a lovable figure in the eyes of sports writers and fans. Baseball has the interesting element of seeming accessible to the average human being. The average human can'tbox out a 7 foot Yao Ming to get the rebound, or go pound for pound against Warren Sapp at the line of scrimmage, and they don't believe they can. David Eckstein though, with his bunt singles, solid speed and good technique don't seem all that otherworldly though. People root for Eckstein because they want to cling to the idea that if we work hard enough, we can achieve anything. In a baseball world dominated by steroids, Eckstein is the new version of the American Dream. He and Shaun White are probably the two figures in sports that would demoralize me the most if they tested positive for 'roids.
Some people don't like him though. The professional writers over at www.firejoemorgan.com tend to pick on him. Some people tend to think that this "grit," if you will, that Eckstein possesses is some sort of mythical Baseball-turbo-juice that allows Eckstein to shine but can't be mathematically quantified. Some players get better through doping; Eckstein just pulls something extra out of the adrenaline vault. Some of the more statistically inclined fans think that this force is overrated since there exists no statistics to prove it. They see Eckstein as having a sub-par On Base Percentage to bat leadoff, and his reputation as clutch (also not yet mathematically proven) inflates his reputation.
While there is some merit to this disbelief, nobody would argue that just because people haven't mathematically quantified it, that means it doesn't exist. I think the David Eckstein-esque argument that proves to serve up the most heated debates between more traditional writers and Sports Geeks. Eckstein is fun to watch, hard working, and good at what he does for the most part, yet Sports Geeks tend to scoff a bit whenever the essence of "grit" is conjured up. I think there needs to be compromise on both sides. Eckstein is, in reality, an extremely talented baseball player. Anyone who reaches the Major Leagues is more talented than any normal fan, and Eckstein is notable even amongst this class (multiple times an All-Star.) While this ability does come in large part from hard work, it doesn't come from the Baseball Gods shining upon him by bestowing "scrappiness" upon him.
David Eckstein is talented, skilled, and good. Can't we just give him credit for that without having to explain it with the "gritty" and "pesky" labels?
2 comments:
Your comments about Eckstein are right-on. I remember a quote from a player about Eric Byrnes, a similar type player "He plays like his hair is on fire, he runs out pop-flies like wolves are chasing him". Sports Geeks scoff at this for a good reason. You can't get an appreciation for how this kind of player impacts every game/play/pitch unless you are playing with him or against him. These guys(prototype Ty Cobb, Pete Rose and yes, Nellie Fox)change the game around them like a change in the weather. You can feel it. You definately can't teach it and you certainly can't measure it but everybody who experiences it at ground level, players, coaches, scouts, umpires and sportwriters see it and worship it with unmasked jealousy. Yes, David should get much more credit for his athleticism. He is elite at the highest level but he is also "magic" in a way A-Rod, a much better athlete, can never be.
I don't have a problem with guys who go all out. Eckstein may be small in size but he is big in terms of heart. He's a good player when healthy and if he's healthy, he's going to be a pain in the rear for all AL East teams this year. Remember, he was the MVP of the 2006 World Series.
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