Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
C'mon, this isn't the beer leagues. 90% of the guys out there are supreme athletes. Hell, Teahen is, at best, an average MLB athlete. If it were that easy, everyone and their brother would be getting switched to 2b/SS as they're clearly scarce positions.
Making a position switch up the defensive spectrum (i.e. OF to 2b as opposed to 2b to OF) almost never works.
This isn't about fielding ground balls, it's about footwork and arm angle. It's about knowing how to read the speed of the ball, the cut of the IF grass and the speed of the runner at 1b. All the while recognizing that many times said runner is coming at you (and your back may be turned). When do you range to your left to take the throw from the SP? And it has to be done as a reflex, not as a thought.
I'd be stunned if he made the switch well. I'll be stunned if Skip Schumaker makes it in STL. It just doesn't happen.
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I think Teahen's athleticism gets blown out of proportion because he has great baseball instincts, and this is what makes him one of the best baserunners in the league.
But as for pure athleticism, all one needs to do is see him try to go back on a ball in the outfield to know that he isn't at an "elite" level. It's a fine but significant difference.