Guerrero Can Hit In Any Language

Vladimir Guerrero is the prototype of the player described as the guy who can roll out of bed and hit without warming up or having a book on a pitcher.

These hitters don’t care if it’s hot out or cold. They aren’t affected by being a full-timer in the lineup, the designated hitter, or a pinch-hitter. Have club, will travel. Age doesn’t get to them, either, for the most part.

Guerrero, a native of the Dominican Republic who never considered it a high priority to learn English, might be the greatest natural batsmen of all time. At least he comes off that way. You wonder if he can hit homers with his eyes closed.

The question, with Guerrero on the open market these days, with his career winding down, and teams only willing to commit to him year-by-year, is if he can keep doing it forever. There was a time when Guerrero was a pretty slick fielder, too,  but he doesn’t have the same wheels at 36 as he did at 26.

In some ways Guerrero’s production is counterintuitive. He seems to swing at anything thrown within hailing distance of the popcorn man, connecting with pitches he has no right to lay good wood on. Yet his career batting average is .318.

He also hits home runs, 449 of them in his career, drives in runs, 1,496 of them, is a nine-time All-Star selection with the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels, and Texas Rangers, won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 2004, and has won eight Silver Slugger awards.

Guerrero was last the possession of the Baltimore Orioles, who didn’t really need him since no matter what they did they were going to finish at the bottom of the American League East Division. So, like the typical college basketball star, Guerrero was one-and-done in Baltimore.

His legs are shakier than they were when Guerrero covered a fair amount of territory in the outfield and he was stealing 181 bases, so it’s a lock that Guerrero will find suitors for the 2012 season only among American League teams that need a designated hitter.

If David Ortiz leaves the Boston Red Sox, is Guerrero a suitable replacement? Hard to say. He won’t supply the same power. Can he remain a full-time DH after turning 37 in February? Guerrero can be the key piece for a pennant contender with few weaknesses, or he can be a key piece for a budget-conscious team on the rise with young players in need of an anchor bat.

Even the most seasoned scouts will find it hard to say with precision whether Guerrero will be a bargain or a bust next season. His track record and history indicates he is good enough to keep playing and that he can be a true asset for the right team. But it’s also possible that his career is poised to fall off a cliff.

There has been a lot of talk that the bottom-dwelling Kansas City Royals are sitting on a wealth of young talent about to graduate from the farm system. Even if that bunch of guys is ready to rise a little bit of experience mixed in on a low-payroll team can’t hurt.

Guerrero could be a one-year wonder for the Royals. He’d be removed from the pennant race, but still doing a job he loves–hitting away.