Jerry Hairston Stats & Scouting Report

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Background: Hairston's father, grandfather and uncle all played in the major leagues. A shortstop in college, he was drafted as a 21-year-old sophomore eligible out of Southern Illinois University. Strengths: With Hairston's background, it shouldn't be surprising that he has outstanding instincts and knowledge of the game. He shows alert baserunning, bat control and quick decisions on defense. His best physical tool is his short swing and ability to drive pitches all over the field, though he has also shown excellent hands at second base. Weaknesses: Hairston's arm strength and quickness are adequate at second base, and his speed and power are just a notch below average. The formula is consistent, just-below-average tools, excellent knowledge and makeup. The Future: There has been plenty of talk of Hairston taking Roberto Alomar's place at second in 1999 despite having less than 750 minor league at-bats. With the Orioles "win now" attitude, it is doubtful they would decide to put two rookies (along with Pickering) on the right side of the infield.

By putting Hairston on this list, IL managers showed that defense still counts for something in this home run-happy era. Not that Hairston is an automatic out; he has a lifetime minor league average of more than .300. But his calling card is his glove, and even longtime IL observers had a hard time remembering a better defensive second baseman. "With so much emphasis on offense, everybody's looking for that Carlos Baerga or Alex Rodriguez middle infielder who's going to hit 30 home runs," Syracuse manager Pat Kelly said. "But I hope he doesn't get overlooked, because he's tremendous defensively."