During last night's YES Network broadcast, the fellows got talking about Alex Rodriguez's recent struggles with pop-ups. Michael Kay asked, "Have you ever given any thought to why such a magnificent athlete like A-Rod has such a hard time with pop-ups?"
Joe Girardi replied, "Michael, I believe that every player who plays the game has a weakness, and that's his. No matter who you are, you have a weakness."
A moment later, Kay said, "So everybody's got some negative. What's [Derek] Jeter's?"
Girardi: "I think Jeter's strength is going to his right, and going to his left he's not as strong. I think all infielders are more comfortable going one way or the other. It's just a preference and I'm not sure why it happens."
Notice that Girardi never actually used the w-word in reference to Jeter, but it's clear that he's bought into the Conventional Wisdom, which even in New York is that Jeter's simply not good on grounders up the middle. This has nothing to do with numbers; I'd be pretty surprised to learn that Girardi has spent his winter evenings by the fire, scouring The Fielding Bible in search of various Yankees' weaknesses.
Anyway, it's probably true that most infielders are more comfortable going one way or the other. But the best infielders -- you know, the ones who win three straight Gold Gloves -- typically are quite proficient going both ways. Girardi's just the latest to state the obvious. In seven months we'll find out if the Gold Glove voters are paying attention.
Rob Neyer
