In the clubhouse, Kevin Millar is a valuable commodity. Having a guy who'll drop trou, bust with some karaoke or do just about anything to lighten the mood after a nutcrunching loss pays dividends throughout a long, tough summer.
In the field, however, Millar's long been considered something of a defensive liability, a rap he's been trying to beat. While Millar does admit to limited range in the outfield, he thinks his glove work at first base is vastly underrated.
"I have never been a bad first baseman," Millar said. "I have always been a below average outfielder because of my lack of speed and arm strength."
The problem, he said, is that the tag of poor outfielder turned into "below-average defender. But at first base I never earned that label. It was just there."
"Is it frustrating to have the label? Of course, but I have enjoyed to try and prove every year that I am a better first baseman than people give me credit for," Millar said. "By no means do I feel I'm Don Mattingly, but my job is to be the best I can be."
The numbers speak for themselves: Millar is the only player in the MLB besides the Red Sox' Kevin Youkilis to play more than 50 games at first base this season without an error. But with Millar, the intangibles will probably always speak louder. How can you help it, when the guy does such a great Ray Lewis dance?
