Q.  Could Seager play 140 games in a season at SS?

A.  He could, yes.  If he ever got his catch-and-throw footwork down.

It's funny, but like Marco Scutaro, Josh Wilson, Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto,  I like Kyle Seager better as a shortstop than as a 3B.

Lonnie had asked about core training, whether it could give him the explosiveness to step-and-dive like Liddi.  My opinion is No, because Seager just doesn't see the ball off the bat like Liddi IMHO.

But at SS, this lack of suddenness doesn't cost him.  Seager has time to read the ball at SS, and he can take advantage of his natural timing to take the hops at nice moments.

Core training could help Seager w/r/t shortstop play, because it would help his first step that much more.

I'm flabbergasted.  Kyle Seager could play bat-first SS in the major leagues.  Hey, Boston got sick of Julio Lugo's out factory and went to the 35-year-old Marco Scutaro at short.

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Q.  Does that mean he could back up, even behind an injury-prone SS?

A.  Given that he learned the catch-and-throw footwork.  I'll guarantee you that Kyle Seager could learn to defend SS as well as Josh Wilson defends it.

Which, to me, is huge news for the M's org.  Somebody down there was several steps ahead of the curve.  Putting an infielder at SS for the first time, after he is in the majors, takes some serious cajones.

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Q.  Would Zduriencik give Seager a shot at starting SS?

A.  Well, Brendan Ryan is grinding out a measly $1.75M for next season...

Our man Capt. Jack was born and bred in the National League.  That means shortstops who not only make the plays, but also shorstops who rob base hits, who perform miracles in the field.

The American League just does not play that way.  The Yankees have had Jeter at SS for 30 years.  The Red Sox had Nomah, tried Lugo for a bit, and now they're back to a terrible glove, bat-first 35-year-old at SS.

Pretty defensive play and moving the runner over?  It's just lost in the noise of three Ranger home runs on the night.  Deadball baseball was MADE OBSOLETE by Babe Ruth!  I'm serious about that.

After a few years here, the nimble-minded Zduriencik may be shaking off his NL orientation.  We don't mean that condescendingly.  In the AL you just gotta score runs.

Has Zduriencik reached the point to where he can bring himself to play without an NL shortstop?  That's like the last word, the day on which the divorce papers are final.  It would be a tough breakaway for him, we're guessing ... :- )

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