Quote of the Day (Joe DiMaggio, on the Importance of Shortstops)

“The shortstop roams far and wide for his chances, and his duties are numerous enough to keep him busier than a one-armed paper hanger. Above all players he must be fast of foot, strong of arm, acrobatic as a trapeze artist. He must throw hard and far, overhand, sidearm, underhand. He must make his pegs while running, falling, skidding, from a crouch, even while in the air—with both feet off the ground.”—New York Yankee and Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), Baseball for Everyone: A Treasury of Baseball Lore and Instruction for Fans (1948)

Anthony Volpe’s multiple problems—for his first two seasons, at the plate, and now there and in the field—have nettled Yankee fans like myself who became accustomed to the yearly consistent excellence of Derek Jeter.

When Joe DiMaggio looked at the shortstops of the Bronx Bomber clubs of his time, he could see models of defensive stalwarts in Frank Crosetti, who held the position in his first years, and Phil Rizzuto (pictured), who did so through the end of the Yankee Clipper’s career, and beyond.

Implicit in DiMaggio’s analysis is how a great shortstop can relieve pressure on a pitcher—rescuing him from a desperate situation, or avoiding a prolonged at-bat that can put runners on base, tax his arm, and exhaust his spirit.

Though the Yankees have enough offensive power to go far into October, as they did last year, their weakness at shortstop may form part of a larger defensive vulnerability that could doom their chances. In any case, the top brass will have difficult conversations in the offseason about Volpe, a player they once characterized as one of their hopes for the future.