Addison Russell channels Ozzie Smith, makes amazing diving play
For a moment or two on Saturday, we couldn’t tell if that was Addison Russell manning shortstop for the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium or Ozzie Smith in his defensive prime.
There was no visible difference as Russell robbed Jhonny Peralta of a second-inning basehit. From Russell’s instincts, to his cat-like reflexes, to the remarkable athleticism displayed on the back-handed diving stop, he looked every bit like the Wizard of days gone by.
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It’s a strong comparison no doubt. Perhaps one Russell hasn’t completely earned in the eyes of most fans at this stage in his career, but he’s shown flashes of that same brilliance.
One thing Russell can definitely do like Ozzie, perhaps more so than any other shortstop in recent memory, is field a baseball and bounce to his feet in essentially one movement.
It’s almost as if both guys are made of springs.
You can’t teach that or learn that. You either have that ability or you don’t.
Amazingly, Russell nearly made the exact same play on Jason Heyward in the ninth inning, but lost his footing coming up. Had he completed it again, Russell’s defense would have been the talk of Game 2. As it is, it’s the Cardinals defense getting the attention, for all the wrong reasons. Their two critical errors in the second inning opened the way for a five-run inning and an eventual 6-3 Cubs win.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813