Hanging Chad

A half dozen guys share the major league lead in errors, with 22. Rickie Weeks, the Brewers second baseman, a few shortstops and a pair of third sackers. One you've heard of - plays for the Yankees. Name of Rodriguez.

The other is Chad Tracy.

  Seems like eons ago when we were all gushing over Chad's improved glove work, doesnt it? Making stabs to his left, zinging accurate throws to first. 

Since then, Chad has re-established himself as a consistent liability at third, better than infielders in name only - folks like Shea Hillenbrand, or for those old enough to see his singular futility, Dave Kingman. Tracy was charged with another miscue last night, when his throw allegedly pulled CoJack off first. Although replays suggest the error may be unwarranted, remember that earlier in the game, Carlos Quentin was charged with an error on an ill-advised throw that skipped by Tracy - a ball we think most third baggers would have smothered.

It's unfair to say that Tracy's a disaster at third, but it's pretty clear he's not any good.  In 2005 fantasy leagues, Chad was eligible at 1B, 3B & OF, but in the 2006 reality league, he doesnt field any of these positions particularly well.

Despite four stolen bases in five attempts, which we can only attribute to battery shock, he can't run a lick.

Chad's ticket to the bigs, of course, is that he can swing a club. 

Not as well as last year, but there's no shame in that. A decline after a breakout year doesnt necessarily signal a bad work ethic as much as all the game's competitive forces swinging a player's performance back towards its true equilibrium. Some thought, and we had hoped, that Chad would get incrementally better year after year, on his way to superstardom. OK. Stardom.

2006, however, has been a mighty big bump in that road. The errors. The strikeouts. The .770 OPS, dead last among Diamondback starters, lower even than Jimmy Rollins, Dave Roberts or Kenny Lofton, and light years behind guys like Pat Burrell and Adam Laroche. This, after an All Star caliber, .912 OPS campaign.

We dont hear about Tracy's work ethic as much as last year. Perhaps that's part of the problem. More likely, we attribute his decline to the fact that Chad's not as good a player as many people thought - as many people hoped. One look at Stephen Drew or Chris Young puts his athletic limitations in perspective. He's been a grinder but is nowhere near the athlete that those guys are. Or near what George Brett was.

The Diamondbacks had hoped that Tracy could fill the gap at third created by Troy Glaus' departure. He hasn't.  They hoped that he could build on his 27 homer season of a year ago. He couldn't.  Just months removed from being compared to George Brett by his manager, and being generally regarded, along with Brandon Webb, as the cornerstone of the Diamondbacks present and immediate future, Chad Tracy's present and future as a proficient major leaguer are very much in doubt.