Do you think Jeter is a good fielding SS?

[Noggy]

He isn't bad enough to move off of SS yet mainly because there isn't a better player to put there as far as overall value. Alberto Gonzalez is the AAA SS and he has a really good glove, but his bat probably makes him no better than a utility fielder. Sometime in the next couple years, the Yankees are going to have to move him to 1B or OF.

Right. If only the Yankees had someone else they could play at SS....

http://blog.nj.com/hobokennow_impact/20 ... ndians.jpg

At this point, I don't know if A-Rod would be any better. He's bulked up since he was with the Rangers and has said himself he doesn't think he has the range to play SS anymore. Yes, the team would be better off if A-Rod stayed at SS when he was first traded to New York, but I think that ship has sailed.

[Matthias]

How did Jeter get 10 yes votes?

11 now.

How many accounts does blankman have?

[moochman]

He isn't bad enough to move off of SS yet mainly because there isn't a better player to put there as far as overall value. Alberto Gonzalez is the AAA SS and he has a really good glove, but his bat probably makes him no better than a utility fielder. Sometime in the next couple years, the Yankees are going to have to move him to 1B or OF.

Right. If only the Yankees had someone else they could play at SS....

I think the Yankees may be grooming Jeter's replacement. Similar range, I'm told.

[jake_harv88]

Also I would like to point out that Arod wouldn't be a much better SS at this point in his career. He's been a pretty poor 3B the past few years...

He's been a pretty poor 3B because he's a natural SS. What you're saying is, "I would like to point out that this new fishing pole is a hunk of junk. I tried shooting a bear with it and the bear didn't even flinch."

Hm, before you start treating me like I'm stupid you should listen up. Arod is turning 33, it wouldn't be surprising to see his defense decline more and more each year. Thats typically what happens to 33 yr olds who aren't defensive specialists like Omar Vizquel. Arod has been playing 3B for 3 years now, to suggest that he can just switch back to SS and be just as good is almost as ridiculous as your fishing pole comment. Its pretty clear that Arod would not be a better defensive SS than Jeter at this point in his career. Maybe if Arod were still in his 20s and Jeter was declining ,as he is now, I might agree but thats obviously not happening...

[Matthias]

Also I would like to point out that Arod wouldn't be a much better SS at this point in his career. He's been a pretty poor 3B the past few years...

He's been a pretty poor 3B because he's a natural SS. What you're saying is, "I would like to point out that this new fishing pole is a hunk of junk. I tried shooting a bear with it and the bear didn't even flinch."

Hm, before you start treating me like I'm stupid you should listen up.

Ok. I'm all ears.

Arod is turning 33, it wouldn't be surprising to see his defense decline more and more each year.

Jeter is turning 34.

Thats typically what happens to 33 yr olds who aren't defensive specialists like Omar Vizquel.

Like.... Jeter?

Arod has been playing 3B for 3 years now, to suggest that he can just switch back to SS and be just as good is almost as ridiculous as your fishing pole comment.

So if he's 33, then he probably played SS for... 22 years? 21? What do you think? I bet with an off-season spent taking grounders and work in Spring Training he could be back to form, no? Although, as Noggy pointed out, he has bulked up some since he last played short, so maybe not. But it would be at least worth checking out. In 2003, the last year that they both played SS, Jeter was 3rd from the bottom of shortstops in Fielder %age, last in zone rating, and last in range factor. Rodriguez was first in Fielding %age, 9th in zone rating, and 9th in range factor.

Its pretty clear that Arod would not be a better defensive SS than Jeter at this point in his career.

I don't see how this is at all clear. Nothing you've said really suggests this.

Maybe if Arod were still in his 20s

Or if Jeter were still in his 20s?

and Jeter was declining ,as he is now,

My favorite part of your whole post. Maybe if Jeter was declining, which he is... did you just tack that on at the end to look evenhanded? "I would pay you if it was Tuesday, which it is" ... just too funny.

I might agree but thats obviously not happening...

What? A-Rod turning back time to be in his 20s? No. Probably not happening. Although my deep pithy thought of the month a year or two ago was, "If time travel ever becomes possible, it becomes always possible" so... you never know.

In any case, to say that a player who has spent their career at one position is having problems at a new position, makes them unfit to move back to their old position, is just silliness itself.

[jake_harv88]

Proving me wrong doesn't prove you right my friend. You have no evidence to suggest that Arod would be a better fielding SS at this point. Jeter's defense is declining, Arod's defense is declining. Both of them are getting older and probably not better defensively. Since you will probably never see Arod play SS ever again i highly doubt you can prove he would be better. Even if Arod were better I doubt he would really be that much better, which is exactly what my initial comment was...

[BronXBombers51]

I don't see the point in putting A-Rod back on short at this point. They should have done it when they first dealt for him. At this point, at 33 years old and after he's been away from the position for 4 years, I don't see the point. Both A-Rod and Jeter are going to have to move to less-demanding positions soon, anyway.

While I don't think A-Rod would be any worse than Jeter on SS now, I also don't think you can expect him to go back to being the top SS in the league. He has bulked up since '03 and again, he hasn't played there in 4 years. I just don't think it's going to make that big of a difference. Their best bet is to put Jeter in the OF and A-Rod on perhaps 1B in a couple years.

[HOOTIE]

How did Jeter get 10 yes votes?

11 now.

How many accounts does blankman have?

Those 11 people need to face the music and show why Jeter is good.

PS Watching Jeter catch a pop up doesn't qualify as any evidence.

[The Jury]

Proving me wrong doesn't prove you right my friend. You have no evidence to suggest that Arod would be a better fielding SS at this point. Jeter's defense is declining, Arod's defense is declining. Both of them are getting older and probably not better defensively. Since you will probably never see Arod play SS ever again i highly doubt you can prove he would be better. Even if Arod were better I doubt he would really be that much better, which is exactly what my initial comment was...

Objectively speaking (not taking any sides), where is your evidence to prove that "Its pretty clear that Arod would not be a better defensive SS than Jeter at this point in his career?"

How is it pretty clear, considering that A-Rod, by all metrics, was a better fielding SS than Jeter when they both played SS?

[thedude]

He has done so much more damage to the Yankees, these past few years, than good with the glove. Wang should be openly lobbying for Jeter to move to first.