Cano takes on another dimension
Ozzie Guillen recently said he had a player in the constellation of stars of the New York Yankees that often goes unnoticed and burst into a cascade of praise (Red Sox vs. Yankees Tickets).
This is Robinson Cano, second baseman of the Yankees who was selected as the best player of the month of April in the American League.
For Guillen, the manager of the Chicago White Sox, Cano is an anonymous figure within the New York Yankees, overshadowed in a lineup that includes Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada.
Guillen does not exaggerate: Cano has driven New York’s offensive during the first month of the regular season (Boston Red Sox Tickets at Fenway Park).
Dominican performance is remarkable, considering that it has responded with more than the challenge put to him by his manager Joe Girardi, who climbed to fifth in the at-bat after the departure of Hideki Matsui.
Here the evidence. At the start of the day Wednesday, Cano led his circuit in average (.376) and was second in homers (nine), runs scored (23) and slugging (.723). He also heads the statistics of PAHO (1142), one that reached base plus slugging measured. Boston Red Sox Tickets
But most impressive has been the surge in production when runners are in scoring position, a side which has acquired another dimension.
The turnaround has been 180 degrees in 2010, batting .308 (8 for 26) with two homers and 13 RBIs. Now is a more patient and selective hitter at the plate, excelling despite Rodriguez (.253) and Teixeira (175), which are in front of you in the order offensive, have started off.
Girardi is what I expected from Cano at 27, to regard him as a player with enough experience to meet growing demands. Cano hit fifth knew was on the horizon and prepared with Kevin Long, the hitting coach for the Yankees, to improve on that aspect, although barely had a month to do upon returning to the Dominican Republic.
