Career Charted: Second Base

This had a shocking result for me how much Roberto Alomar monopolized the votes. The tribe has spoken against Jeff Kent with 0 votes. Craig Biggio was the person I expected to get the most votes. It turned out Alomar got 6 and Knoblauch got 2. Chuck I expected to get some love and I will cover below.

Alomar had nothing memorable during his time in San Diego. He was the son of Sandy Alomar Sr and brother of Sandy Alomar Jr. He is easily the most talented of the Alomar crew. He would move over to Toronto after 3 seasons and that is where his career starts to pick up. By 1992 Roberto Alomar would become a great #2 hitter on a World Series winning team. He would start racking up the hardware with his first of 10 Gold Gloves.

This card does a lot for you. 440 points doesn't wow me as a lead off hitter. his best use is probably where he was on his World Series winning team, as a 2 hitter. He score runs and drives them in with a 9 or above single. The 2B+5 makes it easier for me to swallow him as a lead off hitter.

Roberto	Alomar	10
HR	0	1992
3B	19-20	2B+5
2B	17-18	A(22)
1B+	14-16	440 PTs
1B	9-13
BB	4-8
FB	3
GB	1-2
SO

Alomar would help the Blue Jays win the 1993 World Series, leading to Julian a poor child eventually  being orphaned and taken in by underachieving, identity stealing toll booth worker. We can hardly blame Alomar for that. What we can Alomar for is spitting on an umpire during the 1996 season. Karma would bite him and his Orioles that year as Jeffrey Maier would reverse-rob a homer run for the Yankees that year in the playoffs.

This card and his 1993 version are very similar. If you don't have a salary cap he is an mutant. With his 550 point tab on both it is hard to imagine he will be able to score and drive enough runs in to be worthwhile. If you do pay the points here you have to bat him second or third and hope he leads your team in RBI and runs. 

Roberto	Alomar	10
HR	20	2B+5
3B	19	1996
2B	16-18	A(21)
1B+	15	550
1B	10-14
BB	5-9
FB	4
GB	1-3
SO	0

He would go on to Cleveland and have some great years like his 1999 card pictured above (from MLB 2000 set). He would be traded after the 2001 season to the New York Mets. The Mets would move Edgardo Alfonzo to third base. The Mets were reloading after failing to make the playoffs following their "Subway Series" loss. Alomar turned from a 5 tool player to an average player on the plane ride to New York. 

I have a hard time finding a place where this card is anything but a hole filler. 

Roberto	Alomar	7
HR	20	2002
3B	19	SS+2
2B	16-18	A(20)
1B+	15	220
1B	7-14
BB	3-6
FB	0
GB	1-2

I have a small fascination on the mighty falling. Chuck Knoblauch I doubt got votes because he was the lead off hitter for 4 World Series champions. Knoblauch had the worst recent example of the "yipps". Yipps meaning clearly a mental block when performing a physical task. 1999 he would have over 20 errors. Many of those errors were very unforced. He was never the same and would be out of the league shortly. In 1997 Robbie Alomar's 6 consecutive AL Gold Glove streak would end to Chuck Knoblauch. 

Chuck	Knoblauch	9
HR	0	1997
3B	19-20	2B+5
2B	17-18	A(21)
1B+	13-16	360
1B	8-12
BB	5-7
FB	4
GB	1-3

This week for Career Charted I am picking a few interesting players and selecting years that you all may be interested in seeing. Vote for next weeks here.