(Get) A Sporting Life

I know it is nothing to get too excited about, after all it is only Juan Encarnacion, but the Tony & Juan show seems to be drawing to a close. Tony La Russa is right to be upset with Juan Encarnacion’s episodes of non-hustle, and I applaud the manager for doing something about it. This isn’t about Juan E’s style; I’ve defended him in the past, because he gives the impression that he’s coasting in the outfield, when in fact (last season) he had the best zone rating of any full-time right fielder in MLB. In other words, I don’t care how he looks, as long as he’s getting to the balls he’s supposed to catch. But this year Juan’s zone rating has declined. It isn’t bad; he’d rank about 7th in the NL in zone rating by RF. But his concentration isn’t what it should be. He’s had some glaring instances of lax hustle, in the field and on the bases. This is a team fighting to stay alive, and Encarnacion just doesn’t seem locked in. ... As for trading Encarnacion… I don’t know how all of this i...