Best ever? Give these guys some time
Posted: Mon May 11, 1998 at 5:09 PM ET
ST. LOUIS (CNN/SI) -- When people stop me and ask me about the best shortstops in baseball today -- or e-mail me here at CNNSI.com -- it seems they're all ready to nominate their favorite player to the Hall of Fame.
Now, there are some good shortstops out there. But let's let them play a few years and see how they look over the long haul.
To me, consistency is the most important word that can be associated with a baseball player. Guys are given the tag of "greatness" before they've done anything. A guy makes a diving play and throws somebody out at first and all the sudden he's a Hall o
f Famer.
It just doesn't work that way. We need to allow these guys to spend some time and learn their craft.
The thing that determines true greatness is time.
Still, there are some things to look for in a good shortstop. One thing all the best shortstops have in common is great hands. They're the type of player who, if you're pitching with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, you want th
e ball hit to them.
The difference between these players comes in the range they exhibit and the instincts they have for the game.
Some of the guys today have great gloves, some are great with the bat. A lot of them need to put together both the offensive and the defensive sides of their game.
With that in mind, let's look at some of the best shortstops in baseball today:
Rey Ordonez, New York Mets: This kid has great baseball instincts. He probably
reminds me the most of me, with his ability to dive and get up and complete the play.
Of course, anyone can dive. It's being able to complete
the play -- again, not just once in a while, but on a consistent basis -- that makes a good player a great one.
Rey has a strong arm, at least strong enough. And he's pretty accurate with his throws. The Mets, at one time,
were a little worried about him making mental mistakes out there. But he's cut down on that.
One problem Ordonez may face is that he may get to too many balls. When you have a player like Ordonez who covers
a lot of ground, the chances of making a mistake are increased.
Covering a lot of ground can work against you.
Ordonez still has to learn to hit. He has to get an understanding of what type of offensive player he's going to be. He has to understand he's not going to be a power hitter. He has to learn to keep the ball out of the air. His goal should be to become
a good line-drive hitter. If you can hit line drives all the time, you can play on the moon.
Barry Larkin, Cincinnati Reds: This is a player that presented the whole package. In 1996, he did something that no other shortstop ever did -- hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases.
He can be flashy defensively, and he certainly has some great numbers at the plate. When you look at what he's done when he's been healthy, you definitely have to consider him as a Hall of Fame shortstop.
The problem with Barry has been injuries. Is what he did during his healthy years enough for him to be considered one of the greatest ever? That's going to be the big question with Larkin.
Nomar Garciaparra, Boston Red Sox: Garciaparra looks like he will be one of those shortstops that is more offensive minded.
He gets the job done defensively, but he's not particularly flashy.
It's tough to compare many of these guys because they are so different. It's kind of like when people used to try to compare me and Cal Ripken Jr. We were completely different ballplayers.
Garciaparra is a guy who can hit you 30 home runs and hit .306 (both of which he did last year). He's tough to compare to a guy like, say, Ordonez, who doesn't have the power but who probably is better in the field than Garciaparra.
Alex Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners: This is a guy who can really carry a team. And he's good defensively, too. He has a good range, a strong throwing arm. He's good looking. Heck, he's one People magazine's 50 most beautiful people in the w
orld.
He's not a flashy type shortstop. But look at the numbers offensively. A .312 lifetime batting average. In '96, he had 36 home runs and 123 RBIs. In '97, 23 homers and 84 RBIs.
He keeps that up for a few years and it won't matter where he plays.
Derek Jeter, New York Yankees: He is very good defensively, and he's starting to put things together at the plate.
He has very good hands -- like all these guys. Offensively, he could be a high-average kind of guy. He's hitting .314 this year, and hit .291 last season. He doesn't have a great deal of pop in his bat, but he's a guy who can get on base for you and m
aybe steal a base once in a while, too.
Edgar Renteria, Florida Marlins: He doesn't have the range that some of these other players have. He'll eventually become more of an offensive player than a defensive one. You'll see him make some good plays. But he not instinctively as good as,
say, Ordonez.
6-4-3 with Ozzie Smith: Last week, being successful against Chicago Cubs rookie Kerry Wood was just being able to make some contact. That in itself was a victory.
Still, the most impressive thing about Wood's 20-strikeout performance against the Houston Astros was this: He didn't walk anyone.
If he can get 20 next time out -- his follow-up performance will tell us a lot about him -- we've got something special.
Ozzie Smith is the baseball analyst for CNN/SI. His column appears every Monday on CNNSI.com.
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