David Eckstein’s Starting Role in Jeopardy?

Get ready folks. This is yet another rant about David Eckstein. What’s funny is that I never wrote an entire entry about him until now. If you are my consistent reader of this blog, you should know by now that David Eckstein is absolutely my favorite player and the one I respect the most in baseball. My love and respect go out to him everytime on and off the field.

With great players like Jerry Hairston, Matt Antonelli, I’m starting to get worried that David Eckstein’s playing time at second base will get cut short. Yes, Jerry and Matt are awesome players and it’s an honor having the two talented players with us. 

Jerry Hairston is a great addition for this club. He recently played for the Yankees, who took the 2009 World Series ring in their hands. The reason why I like this guy so much is that he is a versatile player. Meaning he can fill in the holes when it comes to positions. He can play second, shortstop, and even center and right field. I think he will be a great substitute throughout the season when a player needs a break.

Matt Antonelli is the young player that I really look forward to. I see a lot of promise from him and I wouldn’t be surprised he gets a starting role at second base someday. He is still learning but the way he learns and being the best he can be makes me smile. I watched his videos of his swings and he proved to me that he is a hard working guy, which makes me really proud of him.

However, I believe Eck deserves to keep his starting role at second base because of this main reason. 

Things he show on the baseball field are amazing.

When I see his actions on the field, I immediately see a glow from him which makes the team bright as well. Last year, he had the fewest errors among second baseman in baseball and led the highest fielding percentage as well. The way he dives for the ball, gets his uniform dirty, chokes up his bat to get a hit, the bruises on his body from the baseball that he got hit from pitchers always catch my sharp attention all the time. Throughout his career so far, he played mostly at shortstop, a position he was not familiar with throughout the minors and beginning of his career. He needs more time to play at his natural position and he deserves that time.  

He also does exactly what needs to be done not only at second base but when he is up to bat. For example, when we need to move a runner over, he will draw a sacrifice bunt. When we need a walk, he will work the pitch count and get a walk. Heck, he will even get a walk by getting hit by pitches. Even the painful ones. I respect everything he does to make the team and the game better. He does the little things that may not be important for boxscores and games but those little things are huge for me. What bothers me sometimes is that he does all those important things but I personally think he doesn’t get a lot of recognition.

Numbers don’t mean everything when it comes to baseball and other sports in general. Don’t worry. I do like to look at numbers. Aside from that, I absolutely love the energy he brings to this club. He has ton of energy for a little guy and that is a great example of a true baseball player. Energy allows the team to rise with a positive attitude and will not let the team fall. Not only his energy makes me proud, his performance on the field amazes me as well. When he joind the Padres, he really changed this team as a leader in the clubhouse. The young guys are watching him and his great example, while becoming the best they can be due to his mentorship. I love seeing things like that from not only him but other players who have been around baseball for a long time.   

Yes, he is 35 years old but that doesn’t mean his playing time is going to get limited. Age should not block his way of playing baseball. He has the ability to rock out on the field and to play his very best. I respect him so much and I hope to see the same David Eckstein continuously on and off the field.

Conclusion:

Eck deserves a shot to start as much as the ones who want to have a starting job at second base as well. It’s going to be very interesting everytime when I see who is going to play at that position during the regular season. Eck will either keep his starting role or his playing time will get cut. I’m leaning towards option number one.