I've seen this done on other sites and I thought it might be fun to do here. Every week I will post a new mlb baseball player and his stats and a short summary of his career (courtsey espn.com). It will not be a red sox or yankee player because there will be a lot of bias involved. You will give him a 1-10 score and after averaging him out we'll give him a lettergrade. This weeks player: David Eckstein
#22 David Eckstein Age: 30
Height: 5-7
Weight: 165 lbs.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Pos: SS
Born: January 20, 1975, Sanford, FL
Full Name: David Mark Eckstein
College: Florida | Others
Experience: 4 years
2005 Salary: $2,333,333
Pronounced: Eck-STYNE
Season TM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
2001 Ana 153 582 82 166 26 2 4 41 43 60 29 4 .285 .355 .357 .712
2002 Ana 152 608 107 178 22 6 8 63 45 44 21 13 .293 .363 .388 .751
2003 Ana 120 452 59 114 22 1 3 31 36 45 16 5 .252 .325 .325 .650
2004 Ana 142 566 92 156 24 1 2 35 42 49 16 5 .276 .339 .332 .671
2005 StL 24 91 9 25 5 0 0 5 10 5 2 1 .275 .362 .330 .692
Total -- 591 2299 349 639 99 10 17 175 176 203 84 28 .278 .348 .352 .700
Scouting Report
2004 Season
It's so easy to like David Eckstein, because he plays the game the way everybody swears they would if they could play in the majors. He doesn't do dumb things and he makes all the routine plays. His .988 fielding percentage led major league shortstops, though his limited range and lack of offensive oomph mean he'll never be considered for a Gold Glove. At the plate, he was what he always has been: an annoying hitter to face. He struck out once every 13 plate appearances, the second-best ratio in the league.
Hitting
Unlike in 2003, Eckstein was healthy last year. Unfortunately for him, that fact simply exposed his shortcomings as a hitter. He is simply too small to inspire any fear in a pitcher, and he is an aggressive swinger, so he's not prone to drawing walks. The best thing Eckstein has going for him is Mike Scioscia's love of the hit-and-run, as he is one of the best in the league at handling the bat.
Baserunning & Defense
Eckstein's rag arm is infamous by now, but it was amazing how few times it seemed to cost the Angels last year. He has become amazingly adept at getting rid of the ball quickly, and he and Adam Kennedy were impressive as a double-play tandem. However, Eckstein rarely makes spectacular plays because of his limited range, and his size further limits his ability to stop balls by diving. He's beginning to slow down a bit on the bases, though he matched his 2003 steals total with 16 last season.
2005 Outlook
With no appreciable baseball skills other than heart and determination, Eckstein's job likely never is secure. And in his second year of arbitration eligibility, he no longer comes cheap, either. That could spell a slipping grip on his everyday job, as the Angels would like to bring in a harder-hitting shortstop. Eckstein might be needed to play second base while Kennedy is recovering from knee surgery.
I give him a 7