Much like the Norse God, the Loki we've gotten hasn't really been the one I/we expected. I figured we were getting an Ichiro-level of unselfishness at the plate, and a fielder who tragically lacked the insticts to be a standout defender. Instead, I've gotten the sneaking suspicion that Aoki is a bit of an underachiever. I won't presume to actually know the man or what his work habits are, but he gives me the impression of a player whose innate hitting ability was so impressive (by Japanese standards) that he never needed to develop the rest of his game the way his other contrymen did. Not to say that he consciously slacked off while everyone else shagged fly balls... but on a more subtle level, he may have just never needed to leap a defensive plateau, and so he didn't.
Of course I could be all wrong here. He's rich and handsome, and I'm finishing up a theatre degree while watching him play major league ball. But as a fan, I've found it much harder to enjoy his play than I expected.
Thanks for the warm welcome DaddyO!