Spring Break - Part IV

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If ya missed it earlier this week, check out Part I here, Part II here, and Part III here.

One of the biggest moves the Sox made this off-season is one I didn't realize was even on the horizon and doesn't have an on-field effect on their 2011 club at all - the signing of Alexei to an extension that keeps him under Sox control through 2016 at a very reasonable price.

This kid last year went from "potential" to proven. Offensively and defensively. Sure, he still is the last guy you count on to produce at the plate in April, but at the end of the day, I'll take the steady and impressive end-of-year offensive numbers the Cuban Missile has consistently put up out of a middle infield position.

But more importantly, Alexei stepped up in a huge way defensively to become not just a plus fielding shortstop, but arguably the best one in baseball. In fact, at various times last year his advanced defensive metrics had him as the best overall defensive player in baseball (not just at SS).

Now this didn't get Alexei much more than a cursory nod by most people for the Gold Glove, but that's because the morons who vote on it went with Jeter, one of the more iffy fielders in the game. And the commentators all focused on Texas' youngster Andrus as the better alternative because of that team's run to the World Series.

Alexei's time could very well come. The Gold Gloves are extremely name-brand impressed and just as much about offense as anything. But given the way advanced defensive stats are coming into vogue, given the flashy way he plays Short, and given that he can be as fearsome with the bat as any SS in the AL, we could just see the Cuban Missile as a Gold Glove winner.

So to have this guy tied down for a good price (just over $8M per) for the foreseeable future is huge. Especially because he's still raw. Alexei has even greater upside than he's shown - 25+ HRs and .300 average is not at all beyond him. He certainly can be a far better base-runner - The Missile is definitely one of the fastest guys on the team, clearly he just can't figure out how to read pitchers. But you can't teach speed and while you can't teach SB instincts, you can train a guy up a lot better than he is now. Combine all that with the type of D Alexei was playing last year and what a franchise piece this kid is becoming.

And he may not be alone in his Gold Glove pursuits in the middle of the Sox infield. With offense illogically being such a major factor, Beckham will definitely enter the 2B discussions if he can reach the kind of potential he's shown.

Now sure, that sophomore slump was disappointing after what he did for long stretches as a rook. But look beyond the year-end numbers and check out these splits - .310 average after the All-Star Break, to go along with a .380 OBA and .497 Slugging Percentage. Those are WOW type numbers for a middle infielder. So if Beckham can do that for a whole year, he's going to get noticed. As in All Star and Gold Glove type notice.

Especially because Beckham has quietly and quickly turned himself into a heck of a fielding 2B. I couldn't tell you if his stats add up defensively, but just from watching him I've seen him do a lot of very impressive things. Remember too - this was his first year at the position. This season, maybe next, Beckham may break into the realm of the best fielding 2Bs... or at least near enough that his outstanding bat will make up for the difference when it comes Gold Glove time.

And how sweet of a thought that is. In baseball, much like the other major sports, success comes up the middle. Catching, pitching, center field, and of course your SS and 2B. If they can build on what they were doing in the 2nd half last year, the Sox middle infield could be as strong as any - offensively and defensively - in baseball. And it's all with guys who won't be leaving the Southside before 2015.

And know who else will be around until 2015, bringing both a plus glove and a healthy bat to the middle of our defense? Rios. While Dunn and Paulie will get the attention as the big boppers, the key to the Sox lineup and defense lies with this trio - Rios, Beckham, and Alexei. Their D allows all the money the Sox have invested in starting and relief pitching to do its job. And their athleticism allows the Sox to have a much more balanced, dynamic offensive attack.

The Sox, like most teams, will have speed in their leadoff spot. But one key factor to making a team a consistent offensive producer day-in and day-out is having speed in the 2, 5, 6, and 7 spots. That's where Beckham, Rios, and Alexei come in - they've got the bats to hit for a plus average and show dangerous enough power, so you're not giving up pure production in those lineup holes. But they also bring enough speed that Ozzie can steal them, can hit-and-run with them on base, or bunt them into scoring position. They also can take 2-3 bases on a hit, meaning you've got to string together far fewer good at-bats to get some runs across the plate.

I've said it a whole bunch around here, but after watching a ton of beer league softball type station-to-station slugging teams on the Southside and then watching more dynamic offenses such as in 2005, 2008, last year, and of course, whenever teams like the Twins, Rays, and Angels come into town, I've learned something about baseball success that I haven't seen talked about too often.

That's the importance of a consistent offense. Sure, the big boppers will score runs in bunches and make your overall stats look nice. But for every 12-4 win, you're gonna have a number of 2-1 losses because home runs, even from the best guys, just don't come with enough frequency. And if you've got those big sluggers, most coaches quit coaching and try to justify such by saying they didn't want to take the bat out of their big boys hands.

Well, that's idiotic. Even the best sluggers make far more outs than hits, and hit more singles than homers. So you shouldn't be basing your whole strategy on the least likely to occur event. Instead, you need to build your team with guys who can hit for average and get on base from the top to the bottom of the lineup. That allows you to get production in every inning and avoid a dry spell just because a key guy or two are slumping.

You also need speed and fundamentals, so that when the hits aren't coming (bad weather, tough pitcher, team slump, injuries, just one of those days...) you can still muscle across a few runs. Steals, bunts, hit-and-runs, taking advantage of errors, going first to third, sac flies, hitting behind runners... you do those kind of things and suddenly you can get a run or two without much in the way of hits.

That consistency not only allows you to squeak out a handful of wins when you don't have much for O, but I also think it keeps your players and team from getting into big, sustained slumps. If you're not hitting but draw a walk, steal a base, and score a key run, suddenly you're not as down on things, suddenly you're not battling so many demons. Same with if you can come up with a key bunt, a sac fly, or a cheap hit that only got through because the 3B was playing up for a bunt or the 2B was moving to cover 2nd.

It goes even more for the team - while losing always sucks, it's a lot easier to keep a winning vibe and some momentum if you lose a hard fought 4-3 game where you grinded out a couple of runs on a day it was clear you had nothing going. But if the team meekly goes up and down w/o ever really getting into the game, it takes something out of you. Do that a few times in a row and now it really starts to effect a team.

So, bringing it back to our strength up the middle, Rios, Beckham, and Alexei will be every bit as crucial to our success this year as Dunn and Paulie. They'll be the ones, along with Pierre and AJ, responsible for keeping our offense going when the fireworks get the day off. Their speed/average/pop combo will allow this lineup to play whatever game is needed that day.

Death by a thousand singles and doubles - we can do that. Tough out a 3-2 victory with great D, some manufactured runs, and some clutch hits - we can do that. Slug our way to a 12-9 victory - yep, we can handle that, too. And having the ability to do all those very different things is how you win enough of the 162 regular season and another 15 or so post-season games to bring home another title.


Please check in tomorrow for V.


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