IT'S NOT HOW I 'DREW' IT UP

For what it's worth, in Game 2 of the ALCS, Boston right fielder J.D. Drew (a former first-round pick who has played 1,233 major-league games) took a very poor route to a fly ball in a critical situation. With one down and a very fast pinch-runner at third base representing the winning run, B.J. Upton hit a fly ball (a pop-up, really) to short right field.

Now, in this situation the play has to be entirely in front of Drew. He should know that in that situation that if he has to turn to catch the ball, the game is over. Therefore, his entire approach should be on catching the ball at his starting position or in front of that position. On a pop-up, he should line himself up on ball in front of him, charge the ball, catch it chest-high and instantly unload toward home plate.

What did Drew do? He ran a banana to the ball rather than cutting the angle sharply, he slowed down to catch it rather than snag it on a dead run and he caught the ball well above his head, making a quick exchange-and-throw to the plate impossible.

Oh, yeah, and by the way his throw was up the line and the pinch-runner scored easily.

Well, you can't give Drew an error on the play because he caught the ball and because you can't assume the putout at home, or even give an error as long as another fielder gets a good glove on it. It's an earned run, for sure. But it wasn't a particularly well-fielded ball, and Drew gave himself and his teammates no chance to get an out at home plate.

Now, if you're not a baseball fan you might well wonder if outfielders actually make it their business to approach balls the way I suggested Drew should have played it. You may feel free to point out that you've seen a fat 46-year-old teacher play the outfield with less grace, and you'd be right. But, this old dude watched Tony Gwynn play right field for the Padres, and I saw him take the approach I described pretty much every game I ever saw him play. Tony Gwynn won five Gold Gloves playing right, but on his best day he never had the natural gifts for outfield play that J.D. Drew possesses. But Gwynn worked at his play and got the most out of his ability, and I believe he would've played the situation differently than Drew.

Really, if Drew had been aggressive and dropped the ball while charging or making the exchange it would be a shame, but as a teammate, as a fan, I would've understood. He would've been collared with an error, but it would've been an era of commission, not omission. It would've been a physical error, not a mental one. It would've been the kind of thing that sometimes happens to winning players who play the game with intelligence and a commitment to doing things the right way. It would never happen to a player who was tentative in approaching that situation...but which guy would you rather have as a teammate?