Who's on second?

It’ll probably be Guillen.

The correct answer is Sizemore.

Hell, I like the scrappy little guy and I’m confused.

If the question is who WILL be the second sacker, its Guillen. If the question is who SHOULD be there, its Rhymes.

But I voted with the heart for the scrappy kid who’s actually producing at the major league level over the born to be a major leaguer type who so far hasn’t made the adjustment.

Can Sizemore come around eventually? Sure he can. Rhymes is already showing that he can do so, with an adequate glove to boot.

Guillen is not in my mix, you can’t count on him to stay healthy. Defensively, he seems to give away whatever extra pop his bat provides at the plate. Biggest knock, though, is the durability. There’s a double whammy there, if insisting that Carlos manning second base is the reason Sizemore doesn’t get the consistent playing time necessary to adjust to big league pitching.

Brennan Boesch was all-star and going to easily be rookie of the year. Armando Galarraga was good enough to be perfect for a night. Rick Porcello was the next Justin Verlander. Alex Avila was Johnny Bench. How’s any of that turned out?

Fact is, Rhymes’ minor league numbers lead you to think he’s going to come back to earth like all the rest. It’s really just a matter of time.

Scott Sizemore has had 117 plate appearances in the major leagues. He has a .205 average, with a .282 on base percentage, one homer, nine RBI, no steals, six doubles, and 13 walks.

A few years ago, a young infielder was drafted in the 20th round of the amateur player draft, and made his major league debut in a September call up. He hit only .167 with no homers or RBI, not even an extra base hit or a stolen base for the month. He started the next year, replacing a popular player for whom he had been traded, and he proceeded to hit just .198 in his first 100 plate appearances, with only two homers, just two walks, and six RBI.

But the team stuck with him despite the jeers of fans, and he managed to finish the season with a .271 avg, a modest .312 OBP, with 32 steals, 7 homers, and 54 RBI, and was voted rookie of the year.

16 years later, he retired with a .285 career average, 282 homers, over 1000 RBI, 344 steals, 10 all star appearances, nine gold gloves, seven silver slugger wards, and was inducted into the hall of fame. The Cubs were glad that they didn’t judge Ryne Sandberg on his first 117 plate appearances.

Another young infielder was called up one September, and in his first 48 plate appearances, he hit just .186 with no homers, no RBI, no extra base hits, no steals, just four BB’s, and an OBP of just .255. But the team stuck with him, and he retired some 20 years later as one of the greatest players in team history, with five gold gloves, four silver slugger awards, eight all star appearances, and a World Series MVP award. The Tigers are sure glad that they didn’t judge Alan Trammel based on the small sample of 48 plate appearances in one September.

Another young infielder was called up by the Cardinals in mid season, 1998. He logged just 122 plate appearances with a .254 average, a .292 on base percentage, one homer, 11 RBI, no steals, just five BB’s, and six extra base hits. Twelve years later, Placido Polanco has been an All Star, gold glove winner, and has a silver slugger award.

Just a few years ago, a young player was called up with the Tigers, and in his first season, he logged 152 plate appearances, hitting .278 with a .340 on base pct, seven extra base hits, eight stolen bases, and 13 walks. On top of that, he was thought to be a great fielder, making highlight reel type plays in Center field. He was just a little guy, but had speed to burn. Nook Logan’s run with the Tigers ended when he was sent to the Nationals for no consideration during the following season.

Beware of small samples.