NEWSLETTER
Depending on how you want to describe the spectrum, the most difficult and important defensive position on the field is either shortstop or catcher. Mastering either one requires years of intense practice, instruction, and repetition.
Or, perhaps, if you can do one, you can just say eff it and do the other one with no problem:
Russell Martin expected to play SS for Canada at WBC: "You go ahead and put me wherever you want" #BlueJays
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) January 14, 2017
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Russell Martin has been an outstanding catcher for many years in Major League Baseball, but when the World Baseball Classic rolls around, it sounds like he’ll be chipping in at shortstop for Team Canada. That may seem crazy, but it’s kind of par for the course for a team that wants to put together the best group of players it possibly can for the tournament, even if it means reaching a bit – as Rotoworld notes, former big league pitchers Ryan Dempster and Eric Gagne will be playing for the team.
It’s also not necessarily that crazy to have Martin move around a bit in the infield, as he’s done it before. Although Martin hasn’t played shortstop in the big leagues, he has logged over 100 big league innings at third base and second base.
Check it out – he can handle it over there:
