You Must Remember This: Alex Gordon to Omaha

Here’s my take on things back then:

I wrote a piece titled “Is Alex Gordon Still Part of the Process?” where my main concern was if it meant the Royals had given up on him, or if they were going to try to trade him.  I was surprised at the move at first, but it was clear that Alberto Callaspo was hitting well enough to justify keeping him in the lineup, and Chris Getz was coming back from an oblique injury but had impressed in his first few weeks with the club and Gordon was the odd man out.

I wasn’t in support of the move, just because if Alex Gordon‘s going to learn to hit major league pitching, the Pacific Coast League wouldn’t be the place to do it.  Plenty of players had made transitions to the outfield from the infield in-season or with little preparation or explanation.  It was Gordon’s promotion that forced Mark Teahen to right field, but Teahen didn’t head to Omaha then to learn the finer points.  He never went to Omaha to learn second base either, but the Royals tried him there too.

Mostly, though, I wanted Gordon to play, and not just play, but to play well.  I remember the same whispers of Gordon and Billy Butler being the future of the Royals in 2006, when people said it might be 2009 when  we start to contend.  Then it pushed back a year.  Then another.  Now we’re still rebuilding and waiting.  Alex Gordon seemed to be the symbol of that rebuilding – all this talent and no way to apply it.

Now

Overall, I think Gordon might be better off in the outfield.  Watching him, he did just as well as anybody else might be able to, and he was an upgrade over Scott Podsednik‘s defense for sure.  He made a few nice plays and looked comfortable.  Another little thing is the move to the outfield seemed to rid him of his tendency to double clutch on a throw.  Gordon’s glove was fine at third base, but he rushed his throws due to double pumping the ball.  There was a hesitancy there and he made a lot of throwing errors because of it.

The move makes even more sense considering the development of Mike Moustakas in 2010.  Moose hit 36 homers in the minors and is poised to reach the majors sometime in 2011.  With hardly any other options defensively, Moustakas will be the third baseman of the future, so Gordon would have been shifted somehow anyway.  Now, as we wait for the rest of the hitting prospects, at least Gordon can be settled in at a position that doesn’t block someone down the pipeline.

The hitting still hasn’t come around, and 2011, like the past two seasons, is a big year for Gordon, who’s promised to “dominate” this year.  Some of Gordon’s offensive issues aren’t likely to go away just from a move to the outfield – he’ll still strike out a good amount – but in a lower intensity position, he may have more time to work out the kinks in his swing or get a better feel for outside pitches (which invariably come on two strike counts and leave Gordon muttering on his way back to the dugout after a called strike three).

Mostly, I’m an optimist.  I still believe in Alex Gordon and I think in that eventual season where Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer and Mike Montgomery et al lead the Royals to the playoffs and beyond, Gordon will be a an important piece to that puzzle.

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