Pedro Feliz, as solid as they get at third
by David Rocksteady 5/19/09
In our second glimpse at a top Phillies defender we will take a look at Pedro Feliz. Similar to the way we look at Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz will not get the acclaim around here that Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen received. Those two were about as good as you will ever see and Feliz does not belong in their category, but he is arguably the best defensive third baseman in baseball right now.
Pedro's glovework is quite similar to his personality: quiet and laid back. When he first came to Philadelphia last season, I was not too fond of Feliz. He had the reputation of swinging at everything in sight and going for the long ball and he almost seemed lazy in the field and at the plate. However, my assumptions were wrong and his attitude is probably what makes him such a clutch hitter.
Back to his fielding. Again, like Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz is as fundamentally sound as they get. Always in the proper fielding stance, glove always touching the ground, and no wasted motions. You won't see many crazy diving plays from him but he will gobble up pretty much everything that comes his way.
The most remarkable facet of his defense is his arm. His throws from third base seem effortless and then ZOOM, a perfect strike to first base. Feliz makes it easy to forget how long of a throw it really is. And he is just as terrific with starting a double play; Rollins and Utley rarely have to move their glove. Pedro Feliz deserves a lot of the credit for the success of the defense. Even if he hits as poorly as he did last year, I will take his glove any day.
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