San Francisco Giants: Why Brandon Crawford Is the Answer at Shortstop
While one of the most popular topics of debate and discussion surrounding the 2011 San Francisco Giants has been the poor performance of Miguel Tejada and the subsequent need to acquire a shortstop who can solidify the middle infield both defensively and offensively, a young ballplayer from within the Giants' farm ranks has quietly made the need for an acquisition obsolete.
Brandon Crawford made a huge entrance onto the big league stage with a grand slam for his first major league hit and has since been very impressive with the bat and the glove.
Here are three big reasons why Crawford is the answer at short instead of someone brought in from the outside, particularly Jose Reyes ...
1. Crawford Has Proven He Can Hit at This Level
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Brandon Crawford was called up to the major leagues very abruptly and without much warning following the season-ending injury to Giants catcher Buster Posey.
Not only was his call-up sudden, but it was also from San Jose, not Triple-A Fresno, meaning the elevation in level of play would be drastic.
Crawford didn't blink. In his first game, he delivered a clutch grand slam in Milwaukee to help the Giants, who were down 4-1, defeat the Brewers 5-4.
On June 8, with the Giants in a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning against the Nationals, Crawford hit a go-ahead triple to give San Francisco a 2-1 lead. The Giants went on to win 3-1.
The rookie is currently hitting .268 with a home run and 8 RBI in 13 games, proving that he can hit big league pitching.
2. Crawford Has Shown Range and a Solid Glove at Short
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One of the biggest weaknesses the Giants have had to contend with thus far in 2011 has been their limited range at shortstop.
The 37-year-old Miguel Tejada has lost considerable range at the position and has committed several costly errors thus far, leading to calls for General Manger Brian Sabean to make a move to acquire a younger, more sure-handed shortstop.
Enter Brandon Crawford.
While the youngster has made a couple of rookie-mistakes, he has shown excellent range and a strong arm at short, as evidenced by a full extension dive to snare a sharp grounder headed for center field that would have tied the game when the Giants were clinging to a 1-0 lead behind Matt Cain on June 8th.
Crawford's defense has been a very good upgrade at short, and he has shown he can handle the rigors of the middle infield for the Giants.
3. Jose Reyes Would Be Too Expensive
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Jose Reyes would most likely be a 3-4 month rental that would cost the Giants much more in young prospects than they would like to give up.
Now that Brandon Crawford has shown he can not only survive but thrive at the major league level, there's no reason to mortgage the future by bringing Reyes over from New York.
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Brandon Crawford Is the Latest Member of the Giants' Youth Movement
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Tim Lincecum, Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and now Brandon Crawford.
The Giants youth movement continues, and what a talented bunch this is. The future is quickly taking shape on the infield for the Giants, and it looks very bright.
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