Gordon Beckham: A Baseball Role Model for Youngsters

Gordon Beckham has been struggling mightily for the Chicago White Sox this year.  

Beckham has played in 90 games for the Sox this year. In those 90 games, he's hitting .250 with seven home runs and 30 RBI.

Personally, I find Beckham to be a solid eight or nine hitter in the Sox lineup. However, experts and White Sox fans had expectations that Beckham would be an elite second baseman by this season. He's not quite there offensively, leaving many Sox supporters disappointed.  

When one considers the offensive struggles Beckham has had, one might expect Beckham to be having a below average year in the field as well.

Gordon Beckham has never brought his struggles at the plate out onto the field—a classic example of the lesson Little League coaches try to teach their players, but can never successfully implement.

Gordon leads all American League second baseman in fielding percent and has made just three errors all year.

Beckham has made the difficult plays look routine, quietly becoming the leading candidate for the American League Gold Glove. Beckham and White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez make up the best fielding middle infield in all of baseball.

Whether or not Beckham wins the Gold Glove is up the air, but his defensive performance should be a lesson to youngsters. No matter how bad you may be hitting, don't take your struggles to the field. You can still contribute to your team's success with your glove. It may not be as flashy as hitting home runs, but it is valuable nonetheless.