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March 05, 2008

Yanks Who Were Not Short On Leather

With so much recent discussion about Derek Jeter’s fielding ability, today, I found myself wondering “When was the last time that the Yankees had a full-time defensive asset playing shortstop?”

You probably have to go back to 1991 – when Alvaro Espinoza was the Yankees shortstop. (From 1992 to 1994, Mike Gallego did a solid job for the Yankees with the glove when he played short – but, he was never really a full-time shortstop in New York.) The problem with Alvaro Espinoza was that he was one of the worst batters in Yankees history.

If I had to offer an all-time “Top Ten” of Yankees slick fielding shortstops, I would offer the following list – with the caveat that it’s derived in the absence of data and formed mostly due to subjective feelings:

1. Bucky Dent
2. Gil McDougald
3. Alvaro Espinoza
4. Fred Stanley
5. Phil Rizzuto
6. Tony Kubek
7. Everett Scott
8. Gene Michael
9. Tom Tresh
10. Frankie Crosetti

What do you think about this? Would you rank them different? Would you include someone else? Would you take someone off this list?

Posted by WW Staff at March 5, 2008 09:33 AM

Comments

I don't remember Tresh being considered a particularly outstanding defensive shortstop, although he was a good left fielder. I would probably replace him as well as Espinoza, Stanley and perhaps Michael with Roger Peckinpaugh, Mark Koenig, Lynn Lary and Leo Durocher.

Of course, I am also considering only reputations, not stats.

Posted by: Bob R. [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 5, 2008 10:00 AM

How long was Kevin Elster on the Yanks, two weeks? He had quite the defensive reputation. Tony Fernandez too.

Gallego was a 2b that happened to play SS.

From what I remember, the Yanks were pretty poor @ SS until Jeter came up. They also had a hard time filling 3b since 89 when they traded Pags.

Posted by: Raf [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 5, 2008 10:41 AM

I thought Tony Fernandez was a awesome fielding shortstop.

Enough so, that when Jeter came in, I noticed a big differance, and never really forgot it.

Posted by: Sonny M [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 5, 2008 01:02 PM

Fernandez was very good - but, past his prime, IIRC, by the time he played SS for the Yanks.

Posted by: Steve Lombardi [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 5, 2008 09:56 PM

I also think if this list is in descending order, Rizzuto and Scott should be #1-2. Phil was considered a brilliant defensive shortstop in his day, the peer of Marty Marion and other contemporaries.

Posted by: Bob R. [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 6, 2008 12:03 PM