12-07-2009, 12:07 PM
I think the main reason that Law is "over Castro's nuts" is that Law takes the positional differences pretty seriously (on the defensive spectrum).
IOW, almost any pro ballplayer can easily play 1st base or corner OF. Thus, guess where most of the best hitters play? It's because hitting skill is almost all you're looking for at one of those positions.
SS is the opposite. There are simply very few humans who can play it effectively at the pro level. That's why it's extremely rare to find one who can field the position well AND hit...usually, you don't even need to hit that well to get the job, because it's so hard to find someone who can <i>field</i> the position properly.
So, Castro is a rare commodity, and rare commodities are always considered valuable. Hopefully, Jim realizes what he <i>has</i> (at the GM meetings). It should be obvious, when almost every other team is asking for Castro in trade requests.
IOW, almost any pro ballplayer can easily play 1st base or corner OF. Thus, guess where most of the best hitters play? It's because hitting skill is almost all you're looking for at one of those positions.
SS is the opposite. There are simply very few humans who can play it effectively at the pro level. That's why it's extremely rare to find one who can field the position well AND hit...usually, you don't even need to hit that well to get the job, because it's so hard to find someone who can <i>field</i> the position properly.
So, Castro is a rare commodity, and rare commodities are always considered valuable. Hopefully, Jim realizes what he <i>has</i> (at the GM meetings). It should be obvious, when almost every other team is asking for Castro in trade requests.
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance