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Mark Reynolds an All-Star?
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Let the speculation begin.
The question at hand revolves around infielder Mark Reynolds, and a possible selection to the National League squad for the up-coming All-Star Game. In the midst of a very forgettable season, three players on the Diamondbacks are actively promoted for a spot on the National League roster, and Reynolds remains the most curious.
While the game is weeks away -- July 14 in St. Louis -- pitcher Dan Haren, outfielder Justin Upton and Reynolds are under a microscope. While Haren and Upton have put up All-Star numbers, Reynolds' worth and value has been introduced essentially by the local broadcast media who cover the team on radio and television. To be fair, there's not much fan interest, ballot stuffing nor traditional media hype surrounding the 25-year-old out of Pikeville, Ky.
Reynolds is clearly on the bubble and may have a difficult time convincing NL manager Charlie Manuel of Philadelphia of his value to the roster. Not only is he hitting around .260, his peers have produced far better numbers.
Reynolds' natural position is third base, and the competition remains formidable. The Mets' David Wright is leading the league in hitting while Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals is right behind. Plus, Reynolds has split his time between third base (where Wright and Zimmerman hold court), and first base. Injuries to Chad Tracy and Tony Clark and illness to Connor Jackson forced manager A. J. Hinch to juggle his line-up and Reynolds, in recent weeks, relocated to first.
Competition aside, Reynolds needs to shake the cobwebs of 2008. While he smacked a team high 28 home runs and knocked in 97 runs a year ago, he also set a major league record by striking out 204 times.
Reynolds was not much better with the glove. His 35 errors lead the National League and he became the first player since Zoilo Versailles of the 1965 Minnesota Twins to lead the league in both strikeouts and errors.
Reputations tend to haunt players, and Reynolds steps between the white lines with an image problem. To date, no coach has come forward to take the young slugger under its wing. When ex-manager Bob Melvin was let go in early May, then hitting coach Rick Schu was dismissed as well. That ended what little rapport existed with Schu. Bench coach Kirk Gibson appears not to go out his way to assist Reynolds, and the unemotional Hinch has difficulty lighting a fire under any player.
While Reynolds receives marginal local consideration, he is likely to remain out of sight and out of mind nationally. That means watching the All-Star Game on television, and continuing his chase of Wright and Zimmerman when the regular season resumes July 17 in St. Louis.
Then again, Reynolds may have 2011 on the radar screen because that is when the All-Star Game comes to Chase Field.
