Dodgers Preview: Shortstop

by user The Beast

Can Furcal repeat another strong season in '07?

At shortstop, the Los Angeles Dodgers feature one of their best all-around players in Rafael Furcal.

Last season, Dodgers GM Ned Coletti was heavily criticized for giving Furcal a $39 million dollar deal. However, Furcal surprised many critics by playing much better than he was expected to.

One year later, it appears that Colletti got a bargain. Furcal proved to be a major asset for the Dodgers, as he emerged as the most consistent offensive player on the team. He hit .300, provided significant power leading off with 15 homers and scored 113 runs, the most for a Dodgers leadoff hitter since Maury Wills scored 130 in 1962.

Despite a solid year, Furcal will be intensly watched this spring. A year ago, he showed up noticeably flabby following knee surgery performed shortly after signing his contract. His lack of conditioning resulted in shoulder and back problems, leading to an April in which he batted just .198, had a .306 on-base percentage and notched only two of his 63 RBIs. The Dodgers would surely benefit from a faster start.

Overal Grade: A-. Furcal remains one of the best Dodgers in regards to hitting.

Also published at http://socalsportsblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/dodgers-preview-shortstop.html

TylersaltAll-Star

1023 days ago

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Don't forget all the bases he steals, as well.

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The BeastAAA-er

1023 days ago

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Good point, he can steal very well. What I don't like about Furcal at times is the fact that he makes too many errors.

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TylersaltAll-Star

1023 days ago

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True, but he has fantastic range. Errors are such a poor measure of defensive skill, it's sickening. He makes more errors because he gets to a lot of balls and has a lot more chances. The converse would be someone like Derek Jeter, who doesn't have very good range, so he makes fewer errors because he can't get to a lot of balls which would end up being tough plays and possibly errors.

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The BeastAAA-er

1023 days ago

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Never thought of that. Good point. Same could be said for Orland Cabrera of the Angels has good range, but makes a lot of errors.

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Bball3345Draft Pick

1023 days ago

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From watching Furcal A LOT when he was in Atlanta, he made most of his errors on routine plays. He had better range than almost any other SS, which made up for those silly mistakes. Also, Furcal has one of the strongest arms I have ever seen.

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