You don’t need a calculator to figure out Ian Desmond isn’t likely to match the offensive numbers this year that he put up in his rookie season. Last year Desmond hit .269 with 10 home runs and 65 RBI. Sure, he struck out 109 times, but most baseball insiders saw him as Washington’s shortstop for the next several years.
The current season hasn’t been quite as kind to Desmond, though his defensive play has notably improved since the birth of his first child. He led the NL in errors at shortstop last year, but after a rocky first month, he has been solid with the glove.
Still, in this day of instant gratification, many fans apparently are more than willing to move on to someone else, notably Steve Lombardozzi, who has been tearing it up in the minors this year. Lombardozzi, primarily a second baseman and the son of the former big leaguer of the same name, hit .309 at Double A Harrisburg this year before he was promoted to Triple A Syracuse, where he has upped his average by about 50 points. Plus, Lombardozzi’s a local product who went to Atholton High in Howard County.
Ever hear of the “sophomore jinx” in sports? The label refers to the struggles some second-year players encounter after an impressive rookie campaign. It doesn’t impact everyone, obviously, but it’s no less real.
Hall of Famer Willie McCovey won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1959 despite playing in only 52 games. In 1960 he struggled, and following a game with the Dodgers in mid-July he was sent to Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League. It was a sobering moment for the 22-year-old, who endured three weeks in the minors. Some other notable second-year flops include 1958 AL winner Albie Pearson and 1996 NL winner Todd Hollandsworth. There are others too numerous to mention.
And sometimes a player’s rookie season is as good as it gets. Remember Joe Charboneau? Joe rocked the baseball world in 1980 with Cleveland, batting .289 with 23 homers and 87 RBI. He won the AL Rookie of the Year Award going away, but he got hurt in 1981, batted just .210 before returning to the minors and was big league history by June 1982. Former Nationals third base coach Pat Listach, the 1992 AL winner, never had as many as 400 at-bats in a season again and was out of the majors after 1997.
According to baseball sources, several teams have contacted the Nationals about Desmond’s availability. He won’t turn 26 until September and as such has not yet reached his prime as a ballplayer. We know that general manager Mike Rizzo isn’t particularly kind to bargain hunters, so it’s safe to say that — despite Desmond’s offensive dropoff — his low salary, lack of big league service time and obvious defensive skills mean no one’s getting him on the cheap — if he’s even traded at all.
No one doubts Danny Espinosa’s ability to play on the other side of the second base bag should he be called upon to do that. But if it’s just the sophomore jinx, wouldn’t it be wiser to see how things shake out in spring training next March?
Examiner columnist Phil Wood is a baseball historian and contributor to MASN’s “Nats Xtra.” Contact him at [email protected].
