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In Praise, Memory of Eric Hinskeby Cameron on February 11 at 5:33PM | comments (0)
[ comments (0) ] [ BallHype ] We take a momentary break from the non-stop pitching conversation for this: Retrospective praise for Eric Hinske, who officially left the Red Sox fold when he signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay over the weekend. Hinske, who arrived in Boston just a couple years removed from looking like a third base cornerstone in Toronto, was nothing short of a perfect addition. A pricey one, perhaps, but near perfect to serve the role they drew up for him, which was to do whatever the hell they wanted him to do. Think about it: The Sox thought enough of Hinske to make sure he was always the utilityman on the postseason rosters. Better yet, Hinske got time in each of the series, playing three postseason games, albeit in relatively brief stints. Were there dramatic steps backward in Hinske's form? Sure. A guy who once was a shoo-in for an upper-200's average hit only .204 when he got to the dish last year. But while his on base percentage staggered with his average, amazingly Hinske kept hitting for power; he knocked out six homers in only 84 games. What does that mean for the Sox? It means they're losing a versatile combination of a dual-corner infielder and corner outfielder - remember that catch and face plant in right field - who was also good for a big power hit once in awhile. It also means that if Hinske makes the Rays - and it says here he will easily - he'll have a chance to haunt Boston two, three times a year. Maybe more. That can't be a comforting thought for Boston fans, who can always look back on Hinske's game of dual-heroics (he also hit the game winning homer before the face plant) as proof of what Hinske could bring to the team when he was on, even if those chances got more and more rare as time wore on. |
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