Jeter, Cano adept with the glove, but deadly with the bat
01/17/2007 2:00 PM ET
Around the Horn: Middle Infielders
Jeter, Cano adept with the glove, but deadly with the bat
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
The following is the third in a series of weekly stories on MLB.com examining each Major League club, position by position. Each Wednesday until Spring Training camps open, we'll preview a different position. Today: Middle infielders.
NEW YORK -- They can turn a double play any day of the week, but it's at the plate where Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano really do their damage.
The Yankees' middle-infield combination teamed up to put a 1-2 punch on the American League batting race in 2006, as Jeter and Cano finished second and third, respectively, behind the Twins' Joe Mauer.
Along the way, they earned hardware to remind them of their in-season exploits, with both players logging a Silver Slugger Award -- given to the top offensive player at their position as voted on by Major League managers and coaches.
Jeter, 32, added an AL Hank Aaron Award and his third consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award to the mix.
Beginning his 12th full season as the Yankees shortstop, Jeter is the team captain and has long been established as the face of the organization. He lost out on a bid for his first Most Valuable Player Award last season, falling 14 points shy of the 320 logged by the Twins' Justin Morneau.
Many had expected Jeter to run away with the balloting following his tremendous 2006 campaign, but he logged 12 first-place votes -- three fewer than Morneau.
Jeter, once again an All-Star after missing the 2005 squad, finished second in the AL with a .343 batting average and 118 runs scored. He was fourth with a .417 on-base percentage and sixth with 34 stolen bases.
A clutch performer who batted .381 with runners in scoring position in 2006, Jeter also hit 14 home runs and drove in 97 runs, though the Yankees captain would have traded his kudos and accolades for another World Series title.
"You've heard me say it a thousand times, but winning the World Series for the New York Yankees continues to be my main focus," Jeter said in a statement following the MVP vote. "There is no individual award that can compare with a championship trophy, and I look forward to working towards that challenge again in 2007."
In 2004, Jeter became the first Yankees shortstop to win a Gold Glove Award. However, his fielding has remained a regular source of criticism, even though he has added two more to his trophy case.
New York Yankees
• Catchers: Posada steady as it gets
• Corner IF: HS teammates reunited
• Middle IF: Good gloves, great bats
• Outfielders: January 24
• Starters: January 31
• Bullpen: February 7
• DH/Bench: February 14
Last year, Jeter's .975 fielding percentage ranked fourth in the AL, while his 15 errors were the third-fewest behind the Rangers' Michael Young and the White Sox's Juan Uribe (14 each) among all AL shortstops who played in at least 130 games.
Cano, 24, helped create a dangerous offensive tandem with Jeter during his second full Major League season. The All-Star hit 15 home runs and collected 78 RBIs for the Yankees, finishing just one point behind Jeter with a .342 batting average -- good for third in the American League.
Cano missed six weeks during the summer with a hamstring injury, but he finished the regular season on a tear, batting .373 (41-for-110) in September to earn AL Player of the Month honors.
Since taking over as the Yankees' full-time second baseman in May 2005, placing second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting, Cano has gained entry into discussions about baseball's best young talents.
The left-handed-hitting Cano finished ninth in the American League with 41 doubles, and for the second straight year, he did some of his best work away from Yankee Stadium. Cano led the AL again in road batting average, hitting .364 away from the Bronx.
Continuing to improve his defensive craft, Cano started 115 games at second base for the Yankees in 2006. He posted a .984 fielding percentage, committing nine errors in 572 total chances and works well with Jeter up the middle.
Miguel Cairo is set to return as the Yankees' utility infielder. Cairo became a valuable player for New York last season when Cano went down to injury for 34 games, batting .239 with 30 RBIs in 222 at-bats. Cairo played all four infield positions in 2006, plus one game in left field.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
© 2001-2007 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Around the Horn: Middle Infielders
Jeter, Cano adept with the glove, but deadly with the bat
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
The following is the third in a series of weekly stories on MLB.com examining each Major League club, position by position. Each Wednesday until Spring Training camps open, we'll preview a different position. Today: Middle infielders.
NEW YORK -- They can turn a double play any day of the week, but it's at the plate where Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano really do their damage.
The Yankees' middle-infield combination teamed up to put a 1-2 punch on the American League batting race in 2006, as Jeter and Cano finished second and third, respectively, behind the Twins' Joe Mauer.
Along the way, they earned hardware to remind them of their in-season exploits, with both players logging a Silver Slugger Award -- given to the top offensive player at their position as voted on by Major League managers and coaches.
Jeter, 32, added an AL Hank Aaron Award and his third consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award to the mix.
Beginning his 12th full season as the Yankees shortstop, Jeter is the team captain and has long been established as the face of the organization. He lost out on a bid for his first Most Valuable Player Award last season, falling 14 points shy of the 320 logged by the Twins' Justin Morneau.
Many had expected Jeter to run away with the balloting following his tremendous 2006 campaign, but he logged 12 first-place votes -- three fewer than Morneau.
Jeter, once again an All-Star after missing the 2005 squad, finished second in the AL with a .343 batting average and 118 runs scored. He was fourth with a .417 on-base percentage and sixth with 34 stolen bases.
A clutch performer who batted .381 with runners in scoring position in 2006, Jeter also hit 14 home runs and drove in 97 runs, though the Yankees captain would have traded his kudos and accolades for another World Series title.
"You've heard me say it a thousand times, but winning the World Series for the New York Yankees continues to be my main focus," Jeter said in a statement following the MVP vote. "There is no individual award that can compare with a championship trophy, and I look forward to working towards that challenge again in 2007."
In 2004, Jeter became the first Yankees shortstop to win a Gold Glove Award. However, his fielding has remained a regular source of criticism, even though he has added two more to his trophy case.
New York Yankees
• Catchers: Posada steady as it gets
• Corner IF: HS teammates reunited
• Middle IF: Good gloves, great bats
• Outfielders: January 24
• Starters: January 31
• Bullpen: February 7
• DH/Bench: February 14
Last year, Jeter's .975 fielding percentage ranked fourth in the AL, while his 15 errors were the third-fewest behind the Rangers' Michael Young and the White Sox's Juan Uribe (14 each) among all AL shortstops who played in at least 130 games.
Cano, 24, helped create a dangerous offensive tandem with Jeter during his second full Major League season. The All-Star hit 15 home runs and collected 78 RBIs for the Yankees, finishing just one point behind Jeter with a .342 batting average -- good for third in the American League.
Cano missed six weeks during the summer with a hamstring injury, but he finished the regular season on a tear, batting .373 (41-for-110) in September to earn AL Player of the Month honors.
Since taking over as the Yankees' full-time second baseman in May 2005, placing second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting, Cano has gained entry into discussions about baseball's best young talents.
The left-handed-hitting Cano finished ninth in the American League with 41 doubles, and for the second straight year, he did some of his best work away from Yankee Stadium. Cano led the AL again in road batting average, hitting .364 away from the Bronx.
Continuing to improve his defensive craft, Cano started 115 games at second base for the Yankees in 2006. He posted a .984 fielding percentage, committing nine errors in 572 total chances and works well with Jeter up the middle.
Miguel Cairo is set to return as the Yankees' utility infielder. Cairo became a valuable player for New York last season when Cano went down to injury for 34 games, batting .239 with 30 RBIs in 222 at-bats. Cairo played all four infield positions in 2006, plus one game in left field.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
© 2001-2007 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
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