This Week’s Man Crush: Endy Chavez

When Ichiro Suzuki returns from the DL, the Mariners are going to have a problem in the outfield. In the first three games of the year, Endy Chavez has shown so far that he is more than capable of being an every-day outfielder. Unfortunately, so have Ken Griffey Jr., Franklin Gutierrez and Ichiro. And Griffey isn’t going to be content hitting DH the rest of the season. He’s going to want to be in left field ASAP.

Nonetheless, Chavez is off to an impressive start as the Mariners stand-in lead off hitter while Ichiro recovers from a bleeding ulcer. He’s hitting .385, driven in two and scored three. Plus, he’s swiped a couple of bags and only fanned once. Aside from maybe walking more, he’s doing everything a leadoff hitter is asked of while playing solid defense.

It’s a good problem for the M’s to have since Gutierrez is also playing well while hitting in the two slot. Chavez and Gutierrez have combined for impactful 1-2 punch at the top of the order (combined .320 average). But if Griffey gets off to a slow start (he’s DH’d two of the first three games), he’s going to want M’s manager Don Wakamatsu to insert him back into the outfield on a more permanent basis so he can get a better feel for the game. Whether it’s a legitimate request or not, I don’t think the M’s can afford to have a disgruntled Griffey struggling at the plate.

About the Man Crush: This is a weekly installment for the blog where, for good or for bad, I’ll highlight one stand-out player or sports celebrity.