Sarah's Take: Give rookies a chance
03/19/2006In Spring Training, the Dodgers are having the opportunity to take a good long look at the young Minor Leaguers. After a disappointing 91-loss season, the Dodgers should be evaluating everything.
Since general manager Ned Colletti and manager Grady Little are new to the Dodgers organization, they are not familiar with the Minor League system. They need to know the Minor Leaguers. I don't see the Dodgers signing many free agents every year. Although Colletti signed many big-name free agents this offseason, these veterans have short-term contracts. Therefore, the young Dodgers will have an opportunity to get to the Majors shortly. To me, every Minor Leaguer needs to make a good impression on Dodgers management.
Some Dodgers fans have criticized Colletti for getting so many former Giants and Red Sox. I don't mind where these veterans came from if they can play. Last year, the Dodgers had many new faces. I was upset because many of those veteran players couldn't play well ever. This year, the Dodgers have many superstars who are still in their prime. Although these veterans might not be in Los Angeles for a long time, they can make a lasting impression on the city. These veterans are supposed to fill in the gap until the Minor Leaguers are ready for the Major Leagues.
Some members of the media have been criticizing Little for not playing the veterans enough. I laugh and say, "Hogwash!" Jim Tracy never played his veterans much, especially not together. I never understood how the veterans developed communication. However, I can't argue with the results of Tracy's teams in April.
Obviously, Grady Little has a different philosophy than Tracy. Little has been playing the veterans in the same game. The veterans don't play every game. This is normal for every baseball team. Little has given the Minor Leaguers enough time to show what they are capable of doing. The Minor Leaguers have been impressive. Spring Training is the only time that Little can see what Minor Leaguers are doing firsthand. I have been enjoying listening to the exhibition games because they are the only time that I can get to know the Minor Leaguers. Sometimes during the season, Dodgers fans e-mail me asking about a certain Minor Leaguer. Usually I don't know, but if I can remember him from Spring Training, I feel less stupid. With two weeks until the regular season begins, I expect Little will play his veterans more than he has. Personally, I prefer how Little is running Spring Training to the way Tracy did.
Seeing players in person is valuable. Although some baseball fans think looking at a player's statistics tells them the whole story, I know better. I use statistics in my writings to illustrate how a player is doing, but I understand statistics don't tell everything. I find the defensive statistics are misleading. If a player doesn't make errors, the statistics show that he is a good defensive player. However, he might not have the range to make the necessary plays. Little can read scouting reports to learn how a Minor Leaguer is doing. But to me, scouting reports can be biased because the scout writes down his opinions about a player. I believe the time that Little is spending watching the Minor Leaguers is helping him to make an informed decision about who will be on the team.
While some members of the media are worried that the veterans will not be ready for the regular season, I am not. The veterans know what they need to do to get ready for April 3. The Dodgers have many positions that need decisions on who will play them. I am not satisfied with preseason predictions. Too many young players are having a good Spring Training, and they should be able to earn a position on the Opening Day roster.
The left-field job is wide open. Before Spring Training began, everyone believed Jose Cruz Jr. would be the left fielder. Cruz hasn't been in Vero Beach because he has been representing Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Last August and September, he was impressive while playing for the Dodgers. Cruz hasn't had the career that most people thought he would. Offensively, he has struggled. Although he has the most experience of any of the potential Dodgers outfielders, he shouldn't block a promising young outfielder.
Whereas most reporters are certain that the Dodgers will have a veteran outfield, I am not. I will be disappointed if Little doesn't look past previous performances and choose the outfielder with the best Spring Training to be his left fielder. My biggest complaint about Tracy was he didn't give the young players an opportunity to play for the Dodgers.
After a fantastic Spring Training in 2005, Jason Repko made the Dodgers and sat on the bench. Repko didn't have a good rookie year. He is a possible five-tool player with a lot of enthusiasm. He made an impact on every game that he had an opportunity to get in, but for most of the last season, he sat and rusted. This Spring Training, he is excelling again. He is slated to be the fourth outfielder on the Dodgers until Jayson Werth returns from a wrist injury. Why hasn't Repko been considered to be the starting left fielder? I felt the lack of opportunity to play regularly hurt Repko's offensive skills and confidence. I hate seeing a young talented player being wasted because the Dodgers are not comfortable giving a rookie a chance to play regularly.
Cody Ross is another young outfielder who is having a good Spring Training. He is an older Minor Leaguer who is out of options. Not many people think he will have a good Major League career, but nobody can predict how Ross will do in the Majors. This spring he has displayed unexpected power. The projected Dodger lineup doesn't have an abundance of power, so having Ross able to come off the bench and hit a home run would be a big plus for the Dodgers.
This spring, Grady Little has moved the most treasured Dodgers Minor League prospect, Joel Guzman, from shortstop to left field. Because many left fielders are weak defensively, I am not worried about Guzman's defense. The kid can hit, especially with power. I think the Dodgers aren't considering Guzman for the Major League roster. Guzman hasn't played at the Triple-A level yet. The Dodgers don't want to rush Guzman. I don't want to hold the kid back, either. For two straight Spring Trainings, he has received a long look in the Major League camp, and he has done well. Ever since Adrian Beltre, the Dodgers have not promoted any position player quickly through the Minor League system. However, not every player is like Beltre, who needed Triple-A. If Guzman continues to do well this spring, I think he should be considered for the Major League roster.
For the second straight Spring Training, the Dodgers have a battle for the starting catcher position. Before Spring Training began, most people thought Dioner Navarro would be the regular catcher for the Dodgers. Although he did satisfactorily last August and September with the Dodgers, I was not convinced he was the catcher of the future.
Navarro had trouble knowing what to do with his mask on a foul ball. In my opinion, this skill should be learned early in the Minor Leagues. Not knowing what to do with his mask made every foul ball an adventure, and I was always scared that he would trip on it and injure himself. Before he came to Los Angeles, I heard that Navarro had a terrific throwing arm, but I didn't see any evidence of it. He didn't seem to be able to catch a basestealer. Usually when he tried, he overthrew for an error. Although the media praised Navarro's patience at the plate, I was not impressed. I thought he needed to be more aggressive.
This spring, 22-year-old Navarro has struggled. He has done OK defensively but nothing spectacular. He has a .064 batting average. To me, this doesn't make a Major Leaguer. I would like to see Navarro start the season at Triple-A, especially after he injured his hamstring. In my opinion, Navarro's strength is his ability to work with pitchers. The Dodgers can't keep a catcher without better basic skills.
The Dodgers have a 23-year-old catcher, Russell Martin, who is making a statement to be on the Major League roster. Many people within the Dodgers organization believe Martin is the future catcher. For two consecutive Spring Trainings, he has impressed me, not an easy feat. Reportedly he is a hard worker. This winter, Martin worked with Eric Gagne, and this probably will help Martin to get more prepared for the Major Leagues.
Martin, a converted third baseman, has displayed better than average defense. When he throws to second base, he throws perfect strikes and usually catches the potential basestealer easily. He can block pitches in the dirt. He is agile behind the plate, and this helps him to prevent wild pitches and catch foul balls. Before Friday's game started, Martin was hitting .380 during Spring Training. Though Martin hasn't played above Double-A, he has shown that he is ready for the Major Leagues. Since Navarro has an injury, the Dodgers should give Martin a chance to play in the Major Leagues this April.
I have heard a rumor that the Dodgers wanted to bring all of the players at Double-A up at the same time. People remember the team of the 1970s, and they think the famous infield arrived at the same time. This is not true. It would be nice if a team could go through the Minor League system together, but it is not possible. I hope the Dodgers will abandon the idea, and they will promote the players when they are ready.
I don't think the Dodgers will lose 91 games again this year. They have many young players who can help the Dodgers now. I hope the Dodgers will consider the rookies for each position. I am excited about the 2006 season.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
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