Veras or Valentin?
Cormac Eklof Wednesday, January 25th, 2000
With a good few Celtic's losses to go until spring training starts there is a little controversy brewing on the online forums and the talk radio sessions of greater Boston, just who should be manning third base for the Olde Towne team come opening day, April 2000. Sure, things are a little dull and we need some sort of distraction from endless reports on Bob Kraft's attempts to get a new had coach for the Patriots, but really there is no controversy here. John Valentin is the Red Sox third baseman. Period.
Don't get me wrong, I would definitely count myself as a Wilton Veras cheerleader, but I think the kid belongs in AAA for one more year. Everyone loves Veras, and with good reason. He plays Third Base with the intensity of a hard-nosed smash-mouth NFL Linebacker, and makes up for a lack of speed with swashbuckling adventurous running on the basepaths. The kid simply has no fear. Not only can he hit for power but he has a great glove too, and goes after ground balls like Tommy Lee Jones after Harrison Ford. He will be a great MLB Third Baseman, of that there is no doubt. But Wilton Veras needs another year of AAA before he is ready to play 162 games in the Majors. There is no point in rushing him.
Valentin, to the naked eye, had a classic Jekyll and Hyde year, a below par regular season followed by an outstanding, MVP caliber post season where he smashed the ball around Fenway like he was playing softball at a company picnic. His 7 RBI's against Cleveland and first inning moon shot off Roger 'the greedy Rocket' Clemens at Fenway were all season highlights for the 1999 Sox. People spoke about Valentin only stepping up once the spotlight was on, but that is tremendously unfair on John, who had severe knee problems during the regular season.
Given time off before the playoffs his knees had time to rest and Val hit the playoffs running, the rest period had the desired effect and the ball was hopping off his bat something like it did in 1995 when Val hit 27 four baggers to go with 102 RBIs. John Valentin is the Boston Red Sox. Pedro and Nomar represent the new, John is the tie with the old. He has survived management changes and all sorts of personnel changes, he survived Nomar taking his spot and he has carried himself in a manner to which diplomats aspire. Sure he went on strike for two days when he was told he was being moved to second, but he realized his mistake and played some of the best second base played at Fenway in a long time. John has been a huge friend of the Jimmy Fund and has spent many hours visiting children in school and hospitals, he is immensely popular and very respected amongst his team mates and peers and is a club house leader, a player the younger Sox an turn to for advice.
Okay so, I hear you say, but in this harsh world we live in being a good guy isn't going to win the World Series. You want stats? I'll give you stats. Val had a tough year last year but still managed 27 doubles and 70 RBI's in 450 games. Wilton Veras hit 1 home run every 59 at bats in 1999 whilst Val hit one in every 37. Veras also struggled mightily playing Winter Ball in the Dominican Republic for Escogido, where he quite literally gave up and went home three quarters through the season whilst hitting .214.
Valentin spent a good chunk of his off-season exercising. After last season, doctors cleaned out scar tissue that had built up on the patellar tendon of Valentin's left knee and also repaired a slight tear in some cartilage. He is reacting well to the surgery and is primed for a big 2000. I'd go as far as saying you could see a 20+ Home run total, 100+ RBI's and maybe even another 100 run season (as in 1998 when he scrambled for 113) batting in front of Nomar, Everett, Stanley and co. Veras will have his day, but in 2000 let's enjoy number 13 Johnny Val in his prime and give him the respect he deserves not only as one of Boston's good guys but also as the potential all star third baseman he is.