TAMPA – Cal Ripken Jr. remembered his father telling him it would take 100 games to feel comfortable moving from third base to shortstop in 1982.
Darn if the father wasn’t right then and again 15 years later when the son made the switch back to third. So Ripken Jr., now the second-most famous short-to-third transition, predicted it would take three-quarters of a season for Alex Rodriguez to be at ease playing the hot corner for the Yankees.
“It won’t be in spring training,” Ripken said by phone yesterday. “You can’t let [the old position] go as easy as you think.”
Told Ripken’s thoughts, Rodriguez was wide-eyed and open-minded, not just because he grew up idolizing Ripken, but also because Ripken made the transition with a similar body type (Ripken played at 6-4, 225; A-Rod is 6-3, 210).
Ripken said “he understood the logic” behind Yankees special coach Graig Nettles’ advice to have A-Rod play deep to most assimilate playing shortstop. But Ripken explained the third baseman needs to play shallower because if you are deep and about parallel with the shortstop, on a ball hit between the two there is risk of a collision or the players pulling up and the ball going through.
If the third baseman plays closer in, Ripken said, both he and the shortstop could go for that in-between ball at full speed. Ripken said a shortstop does not have to deal with the quick reactions and hooking, spinning balls the way a third baseman must. Rodriguez said about getting pelted like a goalie, “I don’t give a damn. I like getting down and dirty.”
Ripken cited popups as the other problem, noting shortstops are taught to catch only the ball behind them; as a third baseman he often froze initially to race in for balls in the air. A-Rod, who admits pop ups already are his difficulty, acknowledged it as “a great adjustment.”
Ripken said he expects A-Rod to make that adjustment – and all others – because “he has great hands and instincts for the ball.”
Ripken said that for A-Rod to excel he must completely let go of his old position.
“You have to get your mind set what the responsibilities are,” Ripken said. “If you are thinking about shortstop and not thinking third base, there is going to be mental lapses. I would highly recommend to Alex that you are a third baseman now. That is your identity now. It will make it easier.”
A-Rod said he already is of that mindset: “I’m 110 percent converted. That is what is going to help me become a better third baseman. I want to be a Gold Glove third baseman.”
THIRD TO THE WISE
The Orioles’ Cal Ripken moved from shortstop to become a full-time third baseman in 1997. Ripken says it will take the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez “three-quarters of the season” to feel comfortable with the switch.
Here’s a look at Ripken’s adjustment to third base:
1996 Errors at shortstop: 14
1997 Errors at third base: 22
April: 4
May: 7
June: 2
July: 3
Aug.: 1
Sept.: 5
Before All-Star Break: 14
After All-Star Break: 8
1998 Errors at third base: 8
