GLENDALE, Ariz. – And just like that Beckham-mania is dead.
Following Saturday’s 13-2 one-sided affair at the hands of the Cubs, Chris Getz was summoned by bench coach Joey Cora into the coaches’ office for a chat.
At first, he thought the news was about to be bad, considering he thought Cora told him to “bring your stuff.”
“I was trying to figure out what I did wrong [Saturday] to be honest,” Getz recalled. ” ‘Well, I signed some autographs, and figured I wasn’t supposed to do that after such a bad loss.’ I thought he told me to bring my stuff. I was like, ‘What am I doing? Sprints?’ Obviously, there was better news following.”
Yes, it was. Specifically, Getz was officially named the starting second baseman, outlasting the likes of Jayson Nix, Brent Lillibridge and of course, Gordon Beckham over the last four weeks.
“They sat me down, they were all in there,” Getz continued. “They said, ‘You’re the second baseman, be ready.’
“I’m excited. I went into spring training battling for the job. It was my goal to win the job. This is when it really starts, really counts. I’m excited.”
Forget the fact that Getz was hitting .350 after a 2-for-4 effort in the Cubs loss, he also showed a slick glove at second throughout the camp, and more importantly, carried himself like he belonged.
But with the news of Getz winning the job, that also means Beckham’s days in big-league camp are numbered. Not that he didn’t open some eyes along the way.
A first-round pick from the University of Georgia last June, Beckham captured the attention of the organization, and even played his way into being a second base candidate for a bit, despite playing just 14 minor-league games after he was signed.
“I’m happy with what I did here,” Beckham said. “I’m still here, still have some time. Chris is a great guy. It’s never fun not winning a job. I don’t know if I can remember not winning a job. I’ve gotten to know Chris, and he deserves it. It’s his time to go up there and show them what he can do. I’m proud of him. I didn’t have high hopes anyway, so it’s not that big of a downer anyway.”
The plan for Beckham is to continue getting at-bats in Cactus League games, and then when he is sent down, he will likely return to playing shortstop every day – his natural position. If Getz is struggling once the games matter come April, however, don’t be shocked to see Beckham get switched to second and waiting in the wings.
