NewsMaking the grade: Defense
Beat writer Mychael Urban assesses A's fielders
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
10/23/09 6:01 PM EST
"Making the Grade" is a four-part series analyzing the performances of various units of the 2009 Oakland A's. It kicked off last Wednesday with starting pitching, followed by a look at the bullpen last Friday and the offense this Wednesday. Today, the final installment: defense.OAKLAND -- The A's made 107 errors in 2003, then made fewer than 100 in each of the next five seasons. With that as a barometer, the 105 errors in 2009 -- tied for fourth-most in the American League -- represented a regression.
Not good news for a team bereft of power and heavily reliant on starting pitching.
In this case, however, the numbers lied a touch. Oakland's defense was downright bad in the season's final 15 games, making 20 errors over that stretch, but it was otherwise fairly solid.
To wit: Four of the six errors committed in right field were made by Jack Cust and Aaron Cunningham, and Matt Holliday made four errors in left and was below average in general on defense. Cunningham played in all of 16 games, and Cust probably shouldn't be playing the outfield at all; if he's back in Oakland next year, it'll be primarily as a designated hitter.
Also of note: Adam Kennedy made 13 of his career-high 20 errors at third base, a position he'd never before played with any regularity as a professional. And shortstop Orlando Cabrera made 14 errors before he was traded in late July.
Thus, the defense was better than it appears statistically. There were some growing pains, as evidenced by rookie shortstop Cliff Pennington's eight errors in 60 games, but Pennington was much better than the numbers suggest.
(Note: Only position players who appeared in at least 40 games are graded; Oakland's pitchers made 13 errors on the year, and only Dallas Braden (three) made more than one. Players who didn't finish the year in the organization are excluded, too, but their performances factored into the overall grade.)
Overall: B
Outfielder Ryan Sweeney was a human highlight reel, turning in sensational plays in center and right field. He also racked up 12 assists before teams flat-out stopped testing his exceptionally strong and accurate arm. "A+."
Catcher Kurt Suzuki didn't just play virtually every day. He played extremely well, posting a .995 fielding percentage while handling an extremely young staff with aplomb. Another "A+."
Second baseman Mark Ellis missed two month with a calf strain, and his .990 fielding percentage in 105 games (five errors) represented a drop-off from his typical excellence. But he gets to balls many at his position don't get to, he always makes the right play, and he's the rare second sacker who truly quarterbacks the infield. "A."
First baseman Daric Barton only played in 51 games, but he's improved dramatically on defense since his callup in 2007. He made one error and posted a .998 fielding percentage. A solid "A."
Outfielder Rajai Davis made four errors in 118 games, but he offset them with eight assists and by getting to a lot more balls than a typical center fielder. He wasn't always pretty, but he was pretty darned good. "A-."
Infielder Bobby Crosby had to learn three infield positions on the fly, and while he struggled at third base (seven errors in 42 games there), he was perfect in 51 games at first base and only made one error while filling in at second base. "B."
Outfielder Scott Hairston made one error in 57 games. His arm isn't great, but he makes the smart play. His routes need work, but he was solid overall. "C+."
Shortstop Cliff Pennington went through the same kind of trial-by-fire initiation to the big leagues that was thrown at Suzuki a few years back. He wasn't close to perfect, but he turned in some outstanding plays and showed off a cannon of an arm, suggesting that with improved footwork, he'll be an above-average defender before long. "C."
Catcher/first baseman Landon Powell made three errors in 36 games behind the plate and one error in six games at first base. Tough to grade someone on so little work, but anything more than a "C" would suggest he was above-average, and he wasn't.
Infielder Adam Kennedy ended the season with a resounding thud at the hot corner, making errors of every variety. He's an excellent second baseman and performed well in Ellis' stead, and he was OK at third base until late August, but you have to take the whole season into account and give him a "C-."
Outfielder Jack Cust should have been charged with more errors. He doesn't take good routes to the ball, and he played a number of singles into doubles or worse. He's not as awful as fans seem to think, but he's a DH. Period. A somewhat generous "C-."
Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
