![\"braun\"](\"http:\/\/i.a.cnn.net\/si\/2007\/fantasy\/07\/26\/market.movers\/t1_braun_all.jpg\")
The knock on Braun is that he is, by any measure, a downright awful defensive thirdbaseman, while Tulowitzki played a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop for the NL champion Rockies.\u00a0 Rob Neyer points out <\/a>that, while Braun had the highest slugging percentage ever for a rookie, he also had the second-worst fielding percentage for a thirdbaseman, rookie or not, since 1910.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u00a0I understand the impulse to say that\u00a0any player\u00a0that had\u00a0a year that bad defensively doesn’t deserve the award.\u00a0 But here’s my question:\u00a0 If Braun was playing left field, would his defense be as much of an issue?\u00a0 Doesn’t it seem like the Brewers are the ones at fault for playing him at third, when it was painfully obvious that he didn’t belong there?\u00a0 When Ryan Howard won the Rookie of the Year Award a couple years ago, I didn’t hear anyone saying he didn’t deserve it because of his defense, but surely Braun is a better defensive player than Howard.\u00a0 The difference is only that Howard’s team didn’t ask him to play a position he couldn’t handle.<\/p>\n
Tulowitzki had an amazing year and looks like he’ll be an excellent shortstop for a lot of years.\u00a0 But the offensive numbers for Braun (.324, 34 HR, 97 RBI in 113 games) are just too impressive.\u00a0 The Brewers should move him to a corner outfield position and he could be an MVP candidate next season.\u00a0 I don’t think Braun should be penalized for a mistake his organization made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brewers thirdbaseman Ryan Braun beat out Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for NL Rookie of the Year honors yesterday, in the closest contest the award has ever seen.\u00a0 Did Braun deserve the award?\u00a0 I say yes, but it probably should have … Continue reading