For Team USA to have its best chance of winning the World Baseball Classic, Jimmy Rollins should be at shortstop instead of Derek Jeter.

The decision, however, is not that simple.

Jeter is the captain of Team USA, the face of the tournament for the United States, a player who has appeared in both Classics and helped promote the event when other U.S. stars have not.

Team USA also has an obligation to give Jeter and other players the work they need to prepare for the regular season -- an obligation that sometimes prevents manager Davey Johnson from making optimal use of his roster.

Before Tuesday night, Jeter had played only 15 innings at shortstop over the previous 10 days, a far lower total than he would have compiled if he had remained with the Yankees at spring training.

So, Johnson played Jeter for nine innings at short in the elimination game against Puerto Rico and used Rollins as his designated hitter.

Twice, Jeter failed to stop balls to his left that Rollins might have at least knocked down, and both led directly to runs.

If Team USA had not secured its dramatic 6-5 victory over Puerto Rico by staging a three-run rally in the ninth inning, Jeter's defense would have come under heavy scrutiny.

Jeter, who turns 35 on June 26, is 4 1/2 years older than Rollins. His defensive decline is not exactly a secret within the industry; the sabermetric community, in particular, has pointed out his inadequacies.

Defense, however, remains difficult to measure, even with today's advanced metrics. A number of variables contribute to whether a fielder makes a play, and even Tuesday night, such was the case with Jeter.

In the sixth inning, Puerto Rico had runners on first and second, trailing 3-2. If Jeter had knocked down Alex Rios' grounder through the middle, he perhaps could have prevented the tying run from scoring. Instead, Rios wound up with an RBI single.

"That was a slider," Jeter said, referring to the pitch by right- hander Heath Bell to Rios, a right-handed hitter. "He usually pulls sliders. I've played against him enough. He usually gets out in front of sliders in that situation."

In the ninth, with Puerto Rico leading, 4-3, Ramon Vazquez batted against right-hander Jonathan Broxton with one out and Rios on second. Jeter got his glove on Vazquez's grounder up the middle, but the ball squirted out into center field, enabling Rios to score.

Jeter did not count on Vazquez, a left-handed hitter, getting around on Broxton's fastball.

"I was just trying to knock it down," Jeter said. "The bottom line in that situation is that Broxton throws so hard, you can't shade him up the middle. He can hit the ball the other way, so you've gotta play straight up."

Jeter actually improved on balls to his left last season, according to the plus-minus ratings on Bill James Online. Those ratings, however, ranked Rollins as the top defensive shortstop in the majors. Jeter ranked 31st.

Johnson's stock line is that he is as comfortable with Jeter at short as he is with Rollins. It will be difficult for Johnson to continue taking that stand after Tuesday night.

The last thing anyone wants to do is embarrass Jeter, who deserves respect and appreciation for both his distinguished career and his participation in the WBC.

Rollins, though, is the better defensive shortstop.

If Team USA wants to win, Rollins needs to play.

Philadelphia Phillies News News » Team USA needs Rollins, not Jeter, at short
Team USA needs Rollins, not Jeter, at short
MIAMI - What started as a touchy subject is about to develop into a full-blown controversy. What a win!