Robinson Cano: Best New York Yankee Second Baseman Ever?
February 28, 2010 · Perry Arnold · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
New York Yankee Brian Cashman was quoted in today’s New York Daily News as saying that Robinson Cano has a chance to make a name for himself that people will remember forever.
Cashman predicted that Cano has the chance to win batting crowns, MVPs, and implied that he could have a Hall of Fame career.
What came to mind is whether Robinson Cano is the best Yankee second baseman who has ever pulled on the pinstripes.
The Yankees have had some very memorable players at second.
With the great teams of the 1920s and 1930s, Tony Lazzeri was a rock at second base.
Lazzeri was great, great enough to be chosen for the Hall of Fame by the Veterans’ Committee.
In the 1950s and 1960s Bobby Richardson was great in the field and at times very good with the stick.
In 1962 Richardson had 209 hits and hit .337.
Richardson retired after the 1966 season when the Yankees had become really bad and he was only 30-years-old.
In the 1970s when the Yankees went to three straight World Series contests, the Yankee second baseman was Willie Randolph.
Randolph is best remembered by young Yankee fans as a coach with the great Yankee teams of the late 90s and early years of this century.
Randolph was a very good player, not Hall of Fame great, but very, very good.
Cano is better than any of the great Yankee second basemen of the past. Cano is a hitter who has most often been compared to Rod Carew. Cano is still only 27 and has already played four plus seasons in the bigs.
In the championship year of 2009, Cano came into his own with the bat, hitting .320 with 204 hits, 25 home runs, and 85 RBI.
In the field, Cano is one of the smoothest fielders anyone will ever see. He gets to balls with what appears to be little effort. He has very strong hands and can throw runners out at first on plays other fielders simply cannot make.
Robinson Cano is the greatest second baseman the New York Yankees have ever had.
And the skys in Robbie’s future are very bright indeed.
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