New York Yankees: Once-Disrespected Robinson Cano Is Greatest 2B in Team History

The New York Yankees have had some great second basemen.

Tony Lazzeri and Joe Gordon are Hall of Famers, Bobby Richardson played on nine pennant winners and four World Series winners, and Willie Randolph played on four Yankees pennant winners and two World Series winners.

Tony Lazzeri is considered the best of all the Yankees second baseman, but Yankees fans realize that, day by day, Robinson Cano is supplanting Lazzeri.

Yankees management, including general manager Brian Cashman, never considered minor leaguer Robinson Cano a top prospect. There were many failed attempts to trade him. How lucky can you get?

In July 2003, the Yankees discussed a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Ken Griffey Jr. Cano was one of the players to be sent to the Reds. A Griffey injury ended the talks.

During the 2003 off fseason, it was believed that Cano would be sent to the Chicago White Sox in a three way trade in which the Yankees would get Troy Glaus. The deal fell through.

One month later, the Yankees offered Cano to the Texas Rangers as part of the trade in which they acquired Alex Rodriguez, but the Rangers decided that they would rather have Joaquin Arias. Yes, a team's scouting system is important.

Almost every time the Yankees were involved in trade talks, Cashman offered other teams Cano, including a failed trade with the Kansas City Royals for Carlos Beltran and a completed trade for Randy Johnson.

Since he joined the Yankees on May 3, 2005, Cano has been an integral part of their team. He is an outstanding defensive player, probably better than Randolph, Gordon and Lazzeri, and almost as good as Richardson. In 2011, he won a Gold Glove, committing only three errors all season.

Cano has batted .307/.346/.490 in his six-plus seasons. Last year, he hit a career high 29 home runs while batting .319. He averages 22 home runs and 92 RBIs over a 162 game season.

Tony Lazzeri played for the Yankees from 1926-37. He batted .293/.379/.467, averaging 17 home runs and 114 RBIs over a 162 game season. In 1927, he finished third in the league with 18 home runs. Only Babe Ruth with 60, and Lou Gehrig with 47, topped Lazzeri, but they were pretty good players.

Lazzeri hit exactly 18 home runs in four different seasons, which is a strange statistic. His best season was 1929, when he hit .354/.429/.561.

Neither Joe Gordon, who lost two season defending the freedoms we cherish today, nor Willie Randolph were Lazzeri's equal.

Robinson Cano won't be 29 years old until Oct. 22; his best years are ahead of him.

Unlike Lazzeri, Gordon, Richardson and Randolph, Cano bats from the left side. The friendly right field stands are easily within his reach, although he is not strictly a pull hitter.

The dimensions of the Yankees new ball park are the same as Yankee Stadium, but there often is a wind blowing from left field to right field that helps balls hit in the air towards right.

One criticism of Cano is that he walks only about five percent of the time. He has improved that recently, but it remains a negative. However, it may be that Cano's most effective when he is aggressive at the plate, and becoming more selective might hurt him.

Yogi Berra and Roberto Clemente were not know for wearing out pitchers.

Robinson Cano was named after Jackie Robinson. It would be wonderful if Cano could match Jackie's greatness as a player. 

That is not likely, but it is possible. But even if Cano fails, it is no disgrace to be almost as good as Jackie Robinson.

References:

Captain's Blog

Baseball Reference