All-Decade Team: Shortstop

As I wrote in an earlier post, the biggest dilemma you have when choosing an all-decade team in minor-league baseball is weighing a one-year wonder against guys who were quality players for two or three seasons. Do you put more value on having the best overall season or being a longtime contributor and fan favorite? That's the question that comes into play at shortstop.

There are only three players to consider for the position: Brad Hensler (2002), Jon Cahill (2003-04) and Brett Grandstrand (2006, 08-09). Let's examine each player:

* Hensler was only a one-year player, but what a year it was. The best-hitting shortstop the Wild Things have ever had, Hensler batted .313 with 25 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 54 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Each statistic is a record for Wild Things shortstops. The Chartiers Valley High School graduate helped Washington win the East Division and reach the Frontier League championship series. Hensler, who had no professional experience as a shortstop prior to joining the Wild Things, also is the lone Washington shortstop to be named all-league.

* Cahill followed Hensler in 2003 and actually improved Washington's defense at the position, which was hard to belive at the time considering Hensler's play. While Cahill didn't match Hensler's offensive production, he batted .287 and .274 in his two seasons and hit 10 home runs over that period. Cahill was Washington's best shortstop at turning the double play as his 61 DPs (team record) in 2004 shows.

* Grandstrand played three seasons in Washington and his strength was an ability to turn in the spectacular play on defense. He had more range than any Washington shortstop, and his .967 fielding percentage in 2008 is the team record. Granny also was better with the bat during his first two seasons -- which were wedged around a one-year stint in the Tampa Bay Rays' system -- when he batted .284 and .295, than you would think. The latter number is the second-best average for any shortstop. Grandstrand's average dipped all the way to .237 in 2009, but he did have 22 extra-base hits.

So who do you go with?

No matter who you pick, you're probably not wrong. There is a solid case for each.

With shortstop being such a difficult position to play well for an extended period of time, I'm going with Grandstrand, the guy with the most range and was better offensively than he was given credit for.

The question now is, can Chaill or Hensler land a spot as a reserve on the all-decade team?

All-Decade Shortstop: Brett Grandstrand (2006, 08-09).