Cincinnati Reds: Was Shortstop Paul Janish Worn Down Last Season?

John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks Cincinnati Reds shortstop Paul Janish's problem last year was that he was worn down.

Fay wrote in his article "How about Janish as a backup?" that "Janish is lean and tends to get worn down. That may have been why he was so bad last year"

First, at 6'2", 200lbs, Janish is not much leaner than most ball players and this is the first I've heard anyone talking about him getting worn down.

In this article, Fay compared Janish's numbers of 2011 and 2010 to support his thought. "He had a combined 419 at-bats in the majors and Triple-A (in 2011). In 2010 — when he was limited to 200 at-bats — he hit .260/.338/.385," wrote Fay.

If you look at Janish's career, limited at-bats have really had no effect on his production. For instance, 2006 was one of his best seasons. He had a combined 448 minor league at-bats, yet he hit .304 with a .460 slugging percentage.

Not only do I think Janish is capable of handling a full season, I also do not believe he is as bad as Fay thinks he is.

As I wrote in my December 17, 2011 article "Have the Reds Given Up on SS Paul Janish," Dusty really likes Janish and I do not believe he has given up on him.