I marvel at him. I wasn't any good anymore at 39 and had to get out. [As a shortstop] he had great range and was a great hitter. Now he's a slugging first baseman ... it's just amazing.

It's part of it. To me, shortstop, the defensive part is very, very important. And that won't be overlooked. I'm not going to sacrifice that. But you don't want a guy to struggle and play miserably offensively, but he plays great defense. We need a little bit of both.

Each of you, for himself or herself, by himself or herself, and on his or her own responsibility, must speak. It is a solemn and weighty responsibility and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government or politician. Each must decide for himself or herself alone what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn’t. You cannot shirk this and be a man, to decide it against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor. It is traitorous both against yourself and your country.
Let men label you as they may, if you alone of all the nation decide one way, and that way be the right way by your convictions of the right, you have done your duty by yourself and by your country, hold up your head for you have nothing to be ashamed of.
It doesn’t matter what the press says. It doesn’t matter what the politicians or the mobs say. It doesnn’t matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. Republics are founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe in. no matter the odds or consequences.
When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move. Your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and tell the whole world:
“No, you move.

The truth is a matter of circumstance. It's not all things to all people all the time. And neither am I.

Prepare thyselves for battle most fierce and awesome.

if they don't think he can play shortstop then they should think about trading him.