Nationals Dug Their Grave, And Soriano Is Shoveling Dirt Over It

Oh, if Ted Williams was only resurrected and managing again in Washington.

Teddy Ballgame would take Alfonso Soriano, by the ear most likely, and march him out to left field -- Ted's old stomping grounds -- and screw him into the turf if necessary.

"THAT'S your new f***ing position," Teddy'd bellow in that booming voice of his. "Don't move until I say so."

Ahh, the old days.


"I'm a second baseman, dammit! A bad one, but that's what I am!"


Soriano, the Washington Nationals' petulant second baseman who the Nats are trying to convert into a leftfielder, is constructing quite an embarrassment for his new team. The Nationals acquired Soriano in the offseason from Texas. They admit to not inquiring of him -- or his agent; that's the way of the world now -- if he would be so kind as to move from second base to left field. Since Soriano owns the worst career fielding percentage of any second baseman in the last 50 years (.971), I can see the Nationals' logic. So it's not like they're asking Rembrandt to put down his brush and become a chimney sweep. But it probably would have been a good idea -- in this day and age of the prima donna athlete -- to make sure Alfonso was on board with a switch to the outfield before pulling the trigger on a deal.

But what Soriano has done -- refusing to physically take his position in left field during an exhibition game -- goes far beyond the pouting and brooding that most spoiled brat players demonstrate when they feel "dissed." It got so bad that Nats manager Frank Robinson had a team of eight players on the field the other day, because Soriano refused to jog to left field. So Robby had to make a switch before the first pitch was thrown.

The Nationals and Soriano have been round and around about this, almost ever since he was acquired. And Soriano has remained steadfast -- not folding, not capitulating -- in his unacceptance of the position the Nationals would like him to play. But, like most of these dramas, there is irony dripping from it like a melting icicle.

When Soriano, now 30, broke into the bigs with the Yankees in 2001, he was only able to play second base -- after a career in the minors as a shortstop -- because then-second sacker Chuck Knoblauch agreed to move to ... left field -- to make room for the rookie.

HA!

The Nationals are in this mess because when they traded for Soriano, they already had a second baseman, and a pretty good one: Jose Vidro. So Washington made the deal, and pinned their hopes on Soriano's being a reasonable person willing to do anything to help the team win.

Again, I say: HA!

It's cute how professional sports teams can still be naive in the 2000's.

But the Nationals' naivety aside, what Soriano is doing is unconscionable. He is poisoning the team's chemistry, and he can't possibly be winning over any of the team's fans -- not that that is important to today's player, either. It's not like the Nationals are asking him to be a catcher, or a pitcher -- two positions that would, indeed, be ludicrous for him to learn on the spot. It's left-freaking-field. At least it's not right field, Alfonso. That's where they would always put the worst player in pickup games.

That's not to say, of course, that there isn't a learning curve to playing left field. No position on a baseball diamond is as easy to play as it may look. Granted, left field is usually where your weakest arm is stationed, but you still have footwork and anticipation and catch-and-throw techniques and a host of other things that have to be mastered in order to become a solid outfielder.

But Soriano isn't even trying to learn all that. He clearly has no interest in doing so. He would rather sit on the dugout bench and sulk -- and make his manager and team -- who signs his paycheck -- look like fools.

The Washington Nationals may have erred in not doing more due diligence before trading for Alfonso Soriano. And Soriano is clearly in the wrong, too.

But there are no givesies-backsies in baseball trades.