Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
If you do not know who Ben Zobrist is, you really should get to know him. He is one of those players that every manager wants on his team. That is exactly why Jim Leyland wanted him on his team. I don’t mean the Detroit Tigers; of course I am talking about the American League All-Star team. Zobrist’s official position is second base and his selection as a reserve makes him the A.L.’s fourth second baseman. Does Leyland really need four second basemen?
Of course he doesn’t need that many. Leyland is trying to win this game and he knows that someone like Zobrist who can play several positions well is a great man to have at your disposal. Especially in a game like this where players will be in and out all game long at several positions, it will be great to have Zobrist in there where Leyland knows he can plug him in nearly anywhere.
I don’t mean that Zobrist is not deserving of the honor at all. The way he helps Leyland with this game is exactly the same way he helps out the Tampa Bay Rays each and every game. He is one of those like Chipper Jones talked about that can help you win 95-100 games because he does so many things well. That is the kind of player Zobrist is.
He might not have the most RBI, the highest average or score the most runs but he is definitely one of the more valuable players on the Rays and one of the most valuable among all of the sluggers of the A.L. All-Star team.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
