You are not the only one who has seen Robinson Cano jog to first base, exerting a tepid effort that harms his reputation and, perhaps, his earning power?
Joe Girardi and his coaches reveal scores of appeals to Cano about how bad the visual looks — both to the fans and to impressionable younger Yankees — and that it is, quite frankly, not the way any major leaguer should play.
Yet the same folks disappointed in this aspect of Cano’s game nevertheless vouch for his work ethic, commitment to winning and belief that a lucrative long-term contract would not diminish either of those elements.
It is the Cano disconnect — the player not trying hard, except he is. The guy giving off a terrible impression in public, doing the opposite behind closed doors for his teammates. The loafer with impeccable work habits.
“When he hits a groundball to the second baseman or shortstop, I know what it looks like,” Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long said. “I get it. I know it is part of the perception. He’s been talked to a million times about it. But I am telling you that is not a true picture of how hard he works or cares, and so if that is his only downfall, it is not the worst thing in the world.”
Cano, for his part, offers little publicly on this part of his game. I have asked him multiple times over multiple years about the jogging and seeming nonchalance, and he always says he is playing hard.
Ask those around the team and different theories abound:
1. This is just the way the game is now — you have players who don’t always go hard at every moment.
2. He is trying to preserve his body. Reggie Jackson used to say he could dive for an extra 10 balls a year in right field or bat 600 times, you can’t have both and which do you want? This theory holds that Cano knows his body and over-extending on what is a routine out 499 out of 500 times doesn’t make sense in risk-reward.
3. Cano is so smooth and graceful that — like a prime-aged Carlos Beltran — he does not look like he is giving full effort, even when he is.
4. His frustration gets the best of him when he rolls a ball over. Paul O’Neill — who George Steinbrenner dubbed “The Warrior” for his intensity — used to jog to first after hitting routine grounders, so angry was he with wasting an at-bat. He nevertheless was beloved. Cano is not in nearly the same way. Is this about championships? Skin color? Something else?
Clearly, it is not good for Cano. He is going to get tons of dough no matter what. But it is possible teams could be less than thrilled to invest substantial dollars on someone who does not project constant hustle. It certainly bothers the Yankees, and I do not believe it is just about creating potential leverage in negotiations.
With the old guard fading away, Cano should be the logical baton pass to be the face of the Yanks moving forward. And this is not the face that the Yanks want to offer to the public — that it is fine to run half-speed at times.
As Girardi said, “He’s always going to be compared to how No. 2 plays.”
That would be Derek Jeter, the captain of the Yankees. For the past two decades, he has offered a how-to video on how to conduct yourself as The Yankee. Managing becomes easier when your star player sets the example — Tom Kelly used to talk about this all the time, how managing Minnesota was easier because Kirby Puckett was the hardest worker and played the hardest, and that everyone had to follow or look foolish by comparison.
And this is where The Disconnect is so interesting. Because, on one hand, Cano is setting a bad example in a certain element of the game — notably running every ball out. But in most other facets of the game he is model the Yanks would want their youngsters to follow.
Yankees first base coach Mick Kelleher, for example, is aggravated by Cano’s running style.
“He knows when he is jogging,” Kelleher said. “He’s been told enough by other players and coaches. He knows Derek Jeter has been running hard for 19 years.”
Yet when I ask if Cano is someone who could be given a mega-long-term contract, Kelleher did not hesitate.
“Yes, he is the right type,” Kelleher said. “He has a great work ethic, is a good teammate and is really the full package as far as an individual.”
Ah, The Disconnect. Those who have been around Cano a long time — Kelleher first met Cano upon his signing with the Yankees at 16 — talk about how he has gone from undisciplined to a slave to routine. He is out early three or four times a week before the full practice in spring working on his defense. Strength coach Dana Cavalea says Cano has seen the correlation between hard work and results, and now taps Cavalea that it is time for a postgame workout three or four times a week. There once had been big worry about Cano’s weight exploding, not as much any longer.
“Cano cares a great deal,” Long said. “ He is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. I’ve been his hitting coach for 10 years [between the majors and minors] and I have seen how he has matured. He makes great adjustments, has learned greater discipline. If he didn’t care and it was just about him, he would just hack away and never improve.”
Anyone who has been to a park well before batting practice knows Cano is a staple on the field, doing a half-net drill with Long designed to keep his swing quick and tight.
Those around the team regularly say Cano often times travels with friends and family, but describe the group as a benign posse and not a problem. Word also is, particularly with young Latin players, that Cano has become a valuable asset. He learned much from, particularly Alex Rodriguez, about tipping staff, preparing for games mentally and physically, how to eat, how to work out, etc, and now Cano passes that along. He has become a big brother.
And Girardi notes Cano’s “toughness,” how much he plays through as a middle infielder and getting hit by pitches. He has played at least 159 games in each of the last seven years — the only major leaguer to do so.
“He has left a chink in the armor [by not running balls out],” Long said, “but believe me, the great stuff badly outweighs the chinks.”