Robbie Responds

Here’s what Robinson Cano had to say about the big error he made in yesterday’s game against the Jays (from Bryan Hoch).

“I should have taken it, straightened up and then threw it,” Cano said. “People always watch the bad things. I don’t want to make an error. I would like to be perfect and be the best guy out there. But I’m human and I’m going to make mistakes.”

The 25-year-old Cano has drawn criticism for what has been perceived as a “nonchalant” style of play, a comment that both Cano and Girardi have disputed. Girardi said that he believes Cano’s fluid defensive style leads observers to make an incorrect assumption.

“It’s interesting — when he looks really smooth, people don’t consider him nonchalant,” Girardi said. “When he makes a play like that, all of a sudden he’s nonchalant. I look at Robbie Alomar. Robbie Alomar had a smoothness to him when he played. Some guys are gifted with that.”

Girardi said that he believed on the play in question, Cano did not have his feet in the proper position to make the type of feed he attempted.

“The key is making sure you get the one out,” Girardi said. “To me, he got his feet tangled up a little bit and that’s why he made a bad throw.”

Cano signed a four-year, $30 million extension with New York before the 2008 season and has experienced a down campaign. He entered Sunday’s series finale with the Blue Jays batting .271 with 13 home runs and 60 RBIs in 132 games, and said that he had no intention of changing the style he plays.

“That’s the same way that I played in the Minor Leagues,” Cano said. “It’s not that I want to be like that. You see I’m getting here early every day and I work hard. It’s not like I’m going to work hard and then be smooth. That’s the way I play.”

I’m glad Hoch wrote about this. Cano and Girardi were basically reiterating what I wrote yesterday, about Cano’s style of play (when he makes plays it seems easy and when he makes errors it looks like there was no effort). Cano is slowly learning about accountability (an aspect of his game that some have questioned) now that he has an actual longterm contract with the big club. In the past, he’s been able to fly under the radar, and has come off as a secondary sort of player. But now, with his multi-million dollar contract in hand, he’s starting to hear the everyday criticisms that come with the NY territory. It’s something that he’s going to have to learn how to deal with (he hasn’t done too well with it this year), especially in light of Dustin Pedroia’s success with our rival Red Sox.

You know, I’ve heard that Cano hangs out with Bobby Abreu, Melky Cabrera, Jose Molina and A-Rod (when they work out), quite a bit. Maybe Cano should stick with Derek Jeter and learn from the master himself?