Rivas a reluctant leader

Only holdover infielder remains a talented enigma

BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Maybe Luis Rivas appears taller and leaner this spring because he is the only one left standing from the Twins' starting infield a year ago.

Third baseman Corey Koskie and shortstop Cristian Guzman left via free agency, and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz was traded at midseason last year.

That's why the Twins need Rivas, 25, to finally have the big season his talent has promised since he was a rookie in 2001. And why second base is as much a cause for concern as the rest of the infield.

"We could end up with a whole new infield from what we've had the last two years. That's a big turnover," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've talked about Luis going over to short, and as it started breaking down I saw where we're at, and I really wanted Luis to play second base.

"I'd like to have one guy still left out there who has a good feel for what we try to do, and then put somebody out there with him who he can maybe help out in the middle."

That's not necessarily the way Rivas sees it. "It doesn't make any difference to me," he said of the changes across the infield. "I'm just another player, like anybody else."

That's where some of the concern comes in -- concern with a player who goes from being the younger follower among the infielders to the senior member expected to lead. A player who has demonstrated little leadership ability and enough ambivalence that he lost his job to Michael Cuddyer last season -- until Cuddyer was needed to replace Koskie at third.

"He had the opportunity to play there, and he did a very good job. What can I say?" Rivas said of Cuddyer taking over second base at the end of last season. "I don't feel bad. It's just baseball, I understand that."

Not exactly the sound of a guy fired up about regaining his starting job or trying to prove something this year.

"They know what kind of player I am," he said. "I expect more from myself. The problem is always injuries -- can't do anything about that. This year I just want to be healthy and see what I can do."

After a strong rookie season, Rivas lost much of 2002 to a broken hand and its lingering effects, and last year he was slowed by a groin injury and elbow pain. He had minor surgery during the offseason to remove bone chips.

But the bigger problems for Gardenhire and the coaching staff have been the lapses in concentration, the playing out of position, the lack of preparation, the wasted at-bats.

"He understands the game," Gardenhire said. "We just want a little more concentration out of him on an everyday basis -- that's all we're looking for out of Luis, instead of sitting up in the clubhouse playing cards and us having to say, 'Go to work' every day... . It's going to be put in his head. The thought process is that he's going to have to do more work this year."

If he does, the talent should do the rest, especially in the field, where he already might be one of the best.

Even last year, when injuries hampered him and he got more criticism than kudos for his overall performance, Rivas was one of the best defensive second basemen in the majors, both by measure of fielding percentage and "range factor," which attempts to measure the number of balls a fielder reaches per game or per nine innings.

He had by far the best season of his career in both categories (.994 fielding percentage vs. career .982 mark and 5.15 total chances per nine innings vs. 4.27).

In fact, he ranked ahead of both Gold Glove second basemen (Seattle's Bret Boone and Florida's Luis Castillo) in both categories, including a .994 fielding percentage that ranked third in the majors for second basemen with more than 450 total chances. Statistically, his range was better last year than 10-time Gold Glove winner Roberto Alomar in his prime.

"Luis Rivas has all the potential to be a Gold Glove winner," Gardenhire said. "He's as quick as anybody we've seen in the league and has as good a hands as anybody. It's about staying out on the field all year long and proving it."

Rivas said he has lost weight since last year and feels as quick and strong as he has in years. Teammate Luis Rodriguez, who saw Rivas in winter ball in Venezuela, said the player many there consider the top second baseman in the country appeared quicker in the field than he had ever seen him.

And Gardenhire said Rivas has appeared energetic and sharp in camp so far.

"We'll see where we go," Gardenhire said.

Game started at second base

Player            Team         FPct. TC  G* E 
Placido Polanco   Philadelphia .995 571 109 3 
Marco Scutaro     Oakland      .995 546 123 3 
Luis Rivas        Twins        .994 496 109 3 
Luis Castillo     Florida      .991 687 148 6 
D'Angelo Jimenez  Cincinnati   .990 692 146 7