By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine
Day 31 - Shane Victorino
Addition by subtraction -- you hear it often in sports.
It can't be quantified but you sure know it when you see it.
On paper replacing Bobby Abreu with Shane Victorino looked like a big step backwards for the Phillies. And a numbers guy like Bill James would have told you it was suicide.
There's only one problem with all of that, the Phillies did get better with the lesser but grittier player.
If you were wondering where Victorino developed his passion for the game, look at his journey to the big leagues. The fleet-footed outfielder was born in Hawaii and the Islands are not exactly known as a baseball hotbed.
But, Shane took advantage of his only chance. While scouts were in Honolulu observing pitching prospect Jerome Williams, Victorino put on a show as a blazing fast high school shortstop on the neighboring island of Maui.
"Everybody scouting [Williams] in Oahu heard about me in Maui," Victorino told MLB.com. "All of a sudden, in my senior year, there were all these people in nice collared shirts and slacks. It was nice to get that chance and the recognition."
The Dodgers were the most impressed and took him in the sixth round of the amateur draft. Eventually, Victorino signed for $115,000 and was off to the mainland.
The Phillies swiped him from Los Angeles in the 2004 Rule 5 draft and then worked out a deal to keep him after he failed to make the team out of the Grapefruit League. It was a wise decision. Victorino blossomed at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre in 2005, earning the International League's MVP Award.
Still, no one could give a remotely compelling argument saying that Victorino was a better baseball player than Abreu on the surface. Bobby was a fantasy geek’s wet dream. But, something was missing. Whether it was hustle, desire, the yearn to win or just chemistry with his teammates, Abreu’s time had run its course in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Victorino had already impressed many as the fourth outfielder early in 2006 and played even better when he was thrust into the starting lineup, first as an injury replacement for Aaron Rowand in center before taking over right when Abreu was sent to the Bronx.
In 153 games (80 starts), the Hawaiian hit .287 with 19 doubles, eight triples, six homers and 46 RBI. Defensively, he was a huge upgrade over Abreu and led the team with 11 assists.
Now firmly entrenched as a corner outfielder in a game obsessed with power, Victorino hopes to flash a little more pop to go along with his speed and defensive prowess.
“I'm comfortable now,” Victorino said. “It's another year of maturity, and I'm trying to get better every year.”
Tomorrow: Pat Burrell
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