White Sox 2009: Gordon Beckham

The call-up of Beckham -- happening so early and as a third baseman, no less -- didn't come with open arms. Fans thought it would hurt his development. And Ozzie, well...

"If you see Beckham in the big league, we are in trouble."

Guillen was right, sorta. Beckham was brought up in desperation, as Kenny Williams was looking for some sort of spark. With Josh Fields failing to take the third base job and run with it, the Sox moved Beckham from short to third down in the minors just weeks prior to his call-up.

It was a risky decision by the Sox. They drafted Beckham as a shortstop and were planning on keeping him there, dealing with the eventual dilemma of having two shortstops when the time came. But always in the win-now mode, Beckham was forced to learn third on the fly while dealing with the pressures of playing in the majors as a top prospect.

Beckham aced both tests. Offensively, he showed more poise and confidence than most of the veteran-laden White Sox team. He needed to after going hitless his first 14 plate appearances and starting his career 2-for-28. From then on, he worked his way into the No. 2 hole and became the team's best pure hitter; inside or outside, he handled the pitch and sprayed the ball with authority. He displayed some power (14 homers), but the 28 doubles and gap power is what the Sox have missed over the years.

Defensively, Beckham did what you'd expect given the circumstances, and as the season went on, exceeded expectations. He was called up as a shortstop playing third, but left the season as a future third baseman, which you could argue was his make-up from the start. Beckham had some problems going to his right and a tendancy to lean towards short, but physically, he's quick enough and has a strong enough arm to become a better-than-above-average third baseman.

Going Forward

If there is anyone you can label untouchable on a Kenny Williams' White Sox team, it's Beckham. There isn't an aspect of his game that's a liability. As a fielder, hitter, runner, run-producer and leader, Beckham appears to have it all.