OnBaseMachine
01-16-2008, 07:54 PM
Around the Horn: Middle infielders
Phillips looks to build on monster 2007 season
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
CINCINNATI -- His name was mysteriously missing from the year-end award season in 2007, but there was no denying that the Reds' Brandon Phillips was one of the game's best.
Phillips, who hit 30 home runs and stole 32 bases, was only the second player at his position to ever join the 30-30 club, and just the third in team history.
"Being a 30-30 player is an accomplishment, but you don't measure if a guy is better by how many home runs he hits or stolen bases," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "But I'm not taking anything away from his season. He had an excellent year."
Overall offensively, Phillips batted .288 and drove in 94 RBIs and held teams highs with 187 hits, 107 runs scored and 158 games played. The 26-year-old led all National League second basemen with a .990 fielding percentage while committing just eight errors. However, Arizona's Orlando Hudson was the winner of the Gold Glove at second base while the Phillies' Chase Utley received the Silver Slugger Award.
None of that matters now. When Phillips arrives at Spring Training, last year's achievements will long be buried.
"All players have room to improve and Brandon is no different," Krivsky said. "I don't think Brandon is satisfied. Knowing him, he'll go out and improve his game and try to do better."
For the first time since Barry Larkin and Pokey Reese in 2001, the Reds are opening a season with the same double play combination in consecutive years. Back with Phillips in the Cincinnati middle infield is shortstop Alex Gonzalez.
The Reds biggest free agent acquisition a year ago was Gonzalez, who was signed to a three-year, $14 million contract. Although picked up for his defense, Gonzalez showed that his bat wasn't dormant. A career .248 hitter, he batted .272 with 16 homers, 55 RBIs and 27 doubles that tied him for the team lead.
Considered one of the slicker-fielding shortstops in the game, the 30-year-old Gonzalez still committed 16 errors for the fourth time in five seasons. In 2006 with Boston, his career low was set at seven errors.
Gonzalez can get to many of the ground balls others can't, but he was missing more routine plays than expected. That could be because he was also playing with a heavy heart all year. His baby son, Johan, was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness most of the season and Gonzalez missed 28 games to go on the bereavement or restricted list to be with his family. It is not known if Johan's condition has improved during the winter.
"I'm very pleased with Alex Gonzalez," Krivsky said. "He had a very good year under some tough circumstances with his family. I think it was remarkable what he did under those circumstances."
Being better up the middle helped the Reds' overall team defense (.984 fielding percentage), which was seventh best in the NL after being ranked near the bottom in 2006.
"Our defense really improved last year," Krivsky said. "Most of Alex's errors were early on. I thought they worked well together. They were a good double play combination with excellent range."
Gonzalez's extended absences opened the door for Jeff Keppinger. A utility infielder afforded only limited big league chances in past seasons with the Royals and Mets, Keppinger batted .332.
Despite never before playing shortstop in the Majors, Keppinger played 47 games there in 2007 and committed just two errors in 188 total chances. He also proved to be a tough out, reaching base in 55 of his 67 games and striking out just 12 times in 276 plate appearances.
Another middle infielder in camp will be Juan Castro, who was limited to just 54 games last season. Castro, who batted .180, had season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in August but was expected to be ready when camp opened.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080115&content_id=2346332&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin
Phillips looks to build on monster 2007 season
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
CINCINNATI -- His name was mysteriously missing from the year-end award season in 2007, but there was no denying that the Reds' Brandon Phillips was one of the game's best.
Phillips, who hit 30 home runs and stole 32 bases, was only the second player at his position to ever join the 30-30 club, and just the third in team history.
"Being a 30-30 player is an accomplishment, but you don't measure if a guy is better by how many home runs he hits or stolen bases," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "But I'm not taking anything away from his season. He had an excellent year."
Overall offensively, Phillips batted .288 and drove in 94 RBIs and held teams highs with 187 hits, 107 runs scored and 158 games played. The 26-year-old led all National League second basemen with a .990 fielding percentage while committing just eight errors. However, Arizona's Orlando Hudson was the winner of the Gold Glove at second base while the Phillies' Chase Utley received the Silver Slugger Award.
None of that matters now. When Phillips arrives at Spring Training, last year's achievements will long be buried.
"All players have room to improve and Brandon is no different," Krivsky said. "I don't think Brandon is satisfied. Knowing him, he'll go out and improve his game and try to do better."
For the first time since Barry Larkin and Pokey Reese in 2001, the Reds are opening a season with the same double play combination in consecutive years. Back with Phillips in the Cincinnati middle infield is shortstop Alex Gonzalez.
The Reds biggest free agent acquisition a year ago was Gonzalez, who was signed to a three-year, $14 million contract. Although picked up for his defense, Gonzalez showed that his bat wasn't dormant. A career .248 hitter, he batted .272 with 16 homers, 55 RBIs and 27 doubles that tied him for the team lead.
Considered one of the slicker-fielding shortstops in the game, the 30-year-old Gonzalez still committed 16 errors for the fourth time in five seasons. In 2006 with Boston, his career low was set at seven errors.
Gonzalez can get to many of the ground balls others can't, but he was missing more routine plays than expected. That could be because he was also playing with a heavy heart all year. His baby son, Johan, was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness most of the season and Gonzalez missed 28 games to go on the bereavement or restricted list to be with his family. It is not known if Johan's condition has improved during the winter.
"I'm very pleased with Alex Gonzalez," Krivsky said. "He had a very good year under some tough circumstances with his family. I think it was remarkable what he did under those circumstances."
Being better up the middle helped the Reds' overall team defense (.984 fielding percentage), which was seventh best in the NL after being ranked near the bottom in 2006.
"Our defense really improved last year," Krivsky said. "Most of Alex's errors were early on. I thought they worked well together. They were a good double play combination with excellent range."
Gonzalez's extended absences opened the door for Jeff Keppinger. A utility infielder afforded only limited big league chances in past seasons with the Royals and Mets, Keppinger batted .332.
Despite never before playing shortstop in the Majors, Keppinger played 47 games there in 2007 and committed just two errors in 188 total chances. He also proved to be a tough out, reaching base in 55 of his 67 games and striking out just 12 times in 276 plate appearances.
Another middle infielder in camp will be Juan Castro, who was limited to just 54 games last season. Castro, who batted .180, had season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in August but was expected to be ready when camp opened.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080115&content_id=2346332&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin