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The quick case for Giants shortstop
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Burriss manned both second base and short stop in 2008 all while hitting .283 in 90 games. Photo: MLB.com
Giants General Manager, Brian Sabean, stated at the end of last season that three of the holes in the Giants' line up had been filled for 2009. Left field will be manned by Fred Lewis, no surprise there. One of the many super massive black holes at first base was finally (and will continue to be) filled by Pablo Sandoval, after a slew of impressive outings. And the vacancy left by the departure of Omar Vizquel will be occupied by Emmanuel Burriss.
The Giants had the luxury of seeing Lewis play in 133 games, and watched as Sandoval hit safely in 30 of his 41 games, good for a .345 clip. At first glance, the case may not seem quite as strong for Burriss…but it is.
Flashing a slick glove, blazing speed, and a tremendous attitude, the job is Burriss’s to lose.
Giants fans may wonder; why the certainty from Sabean? “Manny” did get a pretty sizeable audition, and performed quite well. In 90 games, Burriss hit .283 with an on base percentage of .357, stole 13 bases, and scored 37 runs.
Despite playing most of the year in a utility role or coming off the bench, Manny got stronger as the season went on.
Finishing April at the Mendoza line (.200), and unable to string together starts Manny had to make the most out of the opportunities he got. And that’s just what he did.
Burriss’s defense was steady enough to allow manager Bruce Bochy to trust him with either of the two middle infield positions, and his speed was, and will be, a commodity the Giants can’t have too much of.
In 19 games in May Burriss hit .295 and in 15 June contests he batted .305. As the Brewers steam rolled their way out of town on July 20th, Burriss was coming off a multi hit game and had solidified an everyday job, and played 51 games from that point on despite a brief stint on the DL. In that time he hit .292, scored 23 runs for the impotent offense and swiped seven bags.
Unlike too many young players (John Bowker) who tear up the league for a week or two and then are overwhelmed once the pitchers learn how to pitch them, Burriss made the necessary counter adjustments as the league adjusted to him. That’s why Emmanuel Burriss will be the opening day short stop next season.
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