I Like Tony
Tony Graffanino has won me over. It was during his at-bat in the 5th inning that I decided it, and also decided to write this piece, but it had nothing to do with the bomb he hit into the monster seats to give the Sox a 3 run lead. As he was fouling off pitch after pitch during the at-bat I began thinking about what he’s been doing for this team since he came over.
At the plate he’s been getting his share of hits, getting on base, and making it tough on opposing pitchers at the bottom of the order. In the field he’s been very steady with the glove including making quite a few good plays and even a couple of great plays, such as the catch of the foul pop up that Petagine couldn’t find tonight. Ironically, I was thinking right before the blast that about the only thing he’s lacking is some pop. What impressed me even more than the dinger, was the scoring from 2b on Damon’s infield hit in the 7th. That’s the kind of hustle I like to see from a ballplayer.
This guys been around for 10 years and although he’s been very solid when he plays, he’s really been just a utility player, playing a lot of 2b, but also logging time at 3b, SS, 1b, and even a couple of games in left field, but only averaging about 200 at-bats per season.
I thought it was a good move by Theo to pick him up to fill in for Bellhorn when he went down, and I knew that he would be a decent option until Bellhorn was ready, but I also thought Bellhorn deserved to get his job back when he was ready (or at least get a shot at proving that his troubles were behind him). I’m a firm believer that no matter how well a guy is filling in for an injured player, no player should lose his job because of an injury (try to tell that to Wally Pip or Drew Bledsoe). I still believe that, but I think this is a slightly different case. After all, Bellhorn didn’t really lose his job because of an injury, he lost his job because he was terrible all year, the injury just sealed his fate. And he hasn’t done anything down in Pawtucket over the last week to show that he deserves a shot to get it back.
I like Tony doing what he’s doing over at second. I think he’s the best option we have in the organization right now, and I suspect it will remain that way for the rest of the season.
I also want to note how much coincidence there always seems to be in what I write with what everyone else is talking about. As I already mentioned, I decided I was going to write this during Graffanino’s at-bat in the 5th, but before he actually hit the home run. At that point he was having a decent game, a couple of singles, a run, an RBI, and a couple of good plays in the field. A pretty good game, but not so much that it needed to be written about.
Then he goes on to hit the 3-run homer and score from 2nd on the infield hit, and now not only is he the talk of the post game show, but I’m sure it’ll be written about and talked about in the papers and radio tomorrow. I’m already hearing them mention everything I just wrote on the post game show, with the exception of the Wally Pip reference.
I really try to leave out the obvious and write about things I don't think anyone else will be writing or thinking about, and at the time I began thinking about writing this I believe that was the case, but sometimes fate interferes.
Oh well, that’s okay, Tony deserves to get his due.
At the plate he’s been getting his share of hits, getting on base, and making it tough on opposing pitchers at the bottom of the order. In the field he’s been very steady with the glove including making quite a few good plays and even a couple of great plays, such as the catch of the foul pop up that Petagine couldn’t find tonight. Ironically, I was thinking right before the blast that about the only thing he’s lacking is some pop. What impressed me even more than the dinger, was the scoring from 2b on Damon’s infield hit in the 7th. That’s the kind of hustle I like to see from a ballplayer.
This guys been around for 10 years and although he’s been very solid when he plays, he’s really been just a utility player, playing a lot of 2b, but also logging time at 3b, SS, 1b, and even a couple of games in left field, but only averaging about 200 at-bats per season.
I thought it was a good move by Theo to pick him up to fill in for Bellhorn when he went down, and I knew that he would be a decent option until Bellhorn was ready, but I also thought Bellhorn deserved to get his job back when he was ready (or at least get a shot at proving that his troubles were behind him). I’m a firm believer that no matter how well a guy is filling in for an injured player, no player should lose his job because of an injury (try to tell that to Wally Pip or Drew Bledsoe). I still believe that, but I think this is a slightly different case. After all, Bellhorn didn’t really lose his job because of an injury, he lost his job because he was terrible all year, the injury just sealed his fate. And he hasn’t done anything down in Pawtucket over the last week to show that he deserves a shot to get it back.
I like Tony doing what he’s doing over at second. I think he’s the best option we have in the organization right now, and I suspect it will remain that way for the rest of the season.
I also want to note how much coincidence there always seems to be in what I write with what everyone else is talking about. As I already mentioned, I decided I was going to write this during Graffanino’s at-bat in the 5th, but before he actually hit the home run. At that point he was having a decent game, a couple of singles, a run, an RBI, and a couple of good plays in the field. A pretty good game, but not so much that it needed to be written about.
Then he goes on to hit the 3-run homer and score from 2nd on the infield hit, and now not only is he the talk of the post game show, but I’m sure it’ll be written about and talked about in the papers and radio tomorrow. I’m already hearing them mention everything I just wrote on the post game show, with the exception of the Wally Pip reference.
I really try to leave out the obvious and write about things I don't think anyone else will be writing or thinking about, and at the time I began thinking about writing this I believe that was the case, but sometimes fate interferes.
Oh well, that’s okay, Tony deserves to get his due.
posted by Bob at 8/08/2005 10:57:00 PM
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