Rockies' Tulowitzki epitomizes pure shortstop (hard not to like this guy)

[Rockiesfan_H]

Rockies' Tulowitzki epitomizes pure shortstop

By Troy E. Renck
The Denver Post
Posted: 04/04/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 04/04/2010 02:09:26 AM MDT

Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki has become a big deal at shortstop, and not just because of his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He was fifth in the NL's MVP race last year. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)


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TUCSON — Some kids want to be firefighters when they grow up. Or doctors. Or cowboys. Troy Tulowitzki wanted to be a big-league shortstop. He can't remember playing another position. In T-ball, he was in the six hole. In Little League, he appeared on ESPN, anchoring the middle of the infield. In high school and later at Long Beach State, he never thought of moving.
He kept baseball cards of Nomar Garciaparra in his back pocket during games. He wears jersey No. 2 to honor Derek Jeter. His pet boxer, tall, lean and strong, is named Ripken.
Tulowitzki is a shortstop. It's who he is, what he does, his business card in life.
"I have always wanted to play the position, and I always wanted to stay there," Tulowitzki said. "A lot of people thought I would get too big and have to move to third base. I have worked extra hard to keep that from happening. I always knew in my mind that I would have the most value for a team as a shortstop."
As the Rockies await the launch of their 18th season Monday in Milwaukee — the most anticipated since their hatching in 1993 — they have become a sexy pick to win the National League West, which they've never done. One ESPN baseball writer predicted they would win the World Series.
The root of these expectations can be traced to Tulowitzki and, of course, his position. Entering his fourth full big-league season, he's already the best shortstop the Rockies have ever employed. He finished fifth in National League MVP voting last year. In two of his three big-league seasons, the Rockies have reached the playoffs.
They made the playoffs one time before Tulo joined the team. Yeah, it's probably just a coincidence.
"He's one of those young men that we knew we had something when he arrived in the big leagues," said Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser, now a broadcaster. "He's continued to grow as a player and into a leader. When you can emotionally lead a team when you are struggling and still impact the game the way he does, that's special."


Ripken a revolutionary role model
Championship teams don't require a Hall of Famer at shortstop, but it helps. Shortstop is baseball's equivalent of the point guard or the quarterback. A team with a great shortstop can camouflage many weaknesses.
Tulowitzki, 25, credits Cal Ripken Jr. for steering him toward the middle of the diamond. Ripken revolutionized the position, showing that a bigger athlete can play somewhere besides the corners. Beginning in 1982, Ripken changed how the industry views shortstop. Once a spot for "Scooters," "Pee Wees" and "Wizards" — light-hitting defensive stars — executives now look for offense there, when possible.
That trend began in earnest with Alex Rodriguez and continued through Jeter, Garciaparra and Miguel Tejada. Their emergence inspired Tulowitzki, fueled his rocket ride from a 2005 first-round draft choice to a 2007 World Series appearance. But look around. There aren't many others like him.
That revolution has been deep-sixed. Guys such as Florida's Hanley Ramirez and Tulowitzki are aberrations. There's a reason the Rockies gave Tulo a seven-year, $31 million contract after his rookie season.
"We are blessed to have him," general manager Dan O'Dowd said.
On a lazy morning in spring training, before the games began, Rockies president Keli McGregor watched Tulowitzki run the bases at Hi Corbett Field. A former NFL tight end, McGregor marveled at his athleticism.

"Like Todd (Helton), he's another guy we would love to see retire as a Rockie," McGregor said.
Tulo's value goes far beyond his statistics, impressive as they are. He is a career .283 hitter who has averaged 21 home runs and 80 RBIs. That's even more impressive considering he lost nearly half of the 2008 season because of leg and hand injuries.
What sets Tulowitzki apart is not only the position he plays, but how he plays. Even at 6-feet-3 and 215 pounds, he's more brains than brawn. The Rockies have had some smart shortstops (Walt Weiss, Royce Clayton) and some talented shortstops (Neifi Perez, Juan Uribe), but never a shortstop who combined enormous raw talent with his instincts.
"He commands the game," Rockies infield coach Rich Dauer said of Tulowitzki. "Not only can he make plays, he has a keen awareness of everything going on around him. When everything gets fast, it slows down for him. There are 30 starting shortstops, and there are only one or two like that."
Tulowitzki was a quarterback until he reached high school, and it shows in how he prepares. Like most shortstops, he studies spray charts and scouting reports. But he takes it a step further, watching opponents' swings during batting practice and a hitter's approach in his first at-bat to see if it contradicts the recent intel.


"He does his homework"
However, the key to Tulowitzki's defense — Bill James' handbook ranks him seventh in range factor and first in double plays started and converted — is the knowledge of his pitching staff.
"He knows what guys are going to throw, what area we are going to work and how our pitchers have done against that team's hitters," said Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca. "We have a staff meeting breaking down the opponent and he takes all that information down. He does his homework."
Tulowitzki has had 2,118 fielding chances and he's committed just 30 errors. The Reds' Orlando Cabrera, considered a decent fielder, made 25 errors last year.
Baseball-reference.com's defensive metrics calculate that Tulowitzki saved 15 runs more than the average big-league shortstop last season. He believes he will be even better this season — the individual award he covets more than any other is the Gold Glove — after learning to relax.
"The biggest difference is that we have played in pressure situations. Now, if I get a routine groundball and I have a little trouble, I know I have time," Tulo-witzki said. "I don't have to get the guy out by six steps. I can get him out by two. I have learned from experience."
When the opportunity arose to work with Jeter at a baseball camp this past winter, Tulowitzki couldn't get a plane ticket fast enough. Jeter took interest in Tulowitzki's career over the last few years, even asking about him at the All-Star Game.
"We have a little bit of a friendship now, and I can pick his brain on how to handle situations. That's huge for me," Tulowitzki said. "I have the utmost respect for him. He's the face of baseball. How he plays the game, how he plays the position."
When Tulowitzki thinks of Jeter, he sees championship rings. Jeter has won five World Series with the Yankees. Tulowitzki is starting to develop a reputation as well.
"He's gangster," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "He plays with swagger."
Manuel picked the Rockies to reach the playoffs late last season because of Tulowitzki. His reasoning is the same reason so many around baseball, such as Ripken, are so high on the Rockies.
"Tulowitzki is a thinker," Ripken said. "He knows what to do in every situation, and that's an intangible value that comes from him being the center of the team."

[missionhockey21]

Interesting read, thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed learning how he approaches the game, its refreshing to see a young guy like him who obviously has physical talent combine that with research and study of the game to truly blossom. He is a big kid, and will eventually need to move (one day), but I love what I see of him at SS. Combine that with his work ethic and brains, and that is a player to build around.

Oh, and quote of the week?

"He's gangster," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "He plays with swagger."