On December 15, the Orioles signed switch-hitting SS Cesar Izturis to a 2-year contract worth $5 million. Izturis won the 2004 NL Gold Glove at SS and made the 2005 NL All-Star team (but did not play). He spent the 2008 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, and has also played for the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Cubs, and Pirates in his 8 major league seasons.
Stats
| Year | Tm | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ |
| 2008 | STL | 135 | 414 | 50 | 109 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 26 | .263 | .319 | .309 | 67 |
| 8 Yr | 903 | 3165 | 342 | 822 | 135 | 27 | 12 | 231 | 86 | 169 | 304 | .260 | .299 | .331 | 67 |
ND's Take
From 1968-1980, the Orioles used Mark Belanger as their everyday shortstop. Belanger couldn't hit his way out of a wet paper bag, but he could field with the best of them, winning 8 Gold Gloves. Belanger "slugged" just 20 HR in his career, had a career .300 OBP, and only once in 18 years managed even league-average production (1976).
Cesar Izturis is definitely an above-average fielder. He has good range, and he doesn't boot the ball very often. But he's no Mark Belanger. At least not defensively.
Offensively, unfortunately, he is almost exactly Belanger. Izturis has a little more speed (leading to more triples, which accounts for his slightly higher SLG). But given the fact that today's baseball requires more offense, Izturis actually has a lower career OPS than Belanger compared to the league average (adjusting for park factors).
Orioles fans routinely excused The Blade's lack of offense because his glove was so good and because the O's were winning. I have a hard time believing that today's fans will be so forgiving, both because Izturis, while an excellent gloveman, is not Belanger's fielding equal, and even more so because the team is about as likely to sniff the postseason as Izturis is to hit 30 HR (ain't happening).
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