One thing area the Los Angeles Dodgers have prided themselves on perhaps more than any other team in baseball in recent years is their depth and versatility.
A big reason the Dodgers have won seven consecutive National League West championships while reaching the World Series twice during that span is players being unselfish and willing to play different positions for the betterment of the team.
Perhaps no one has embodied that more than Chris Taylor, who has served as one of the Dodgers’ utility men in recent years despite having the talent to be an everyday big league shortstop.
In a recent episode of “Live From Sunset Strip,” which features Ross Stripling interviewing different teammates on Instagram live, Taylor discussed the challenges of moving around positions and why he is willing to do it:
“I’d be lying if I said it was an easy thing to deal with mentally. We all want to be everyday players and ideally I think everybody prefers to be at one position all the time. But it’s just one of the sacrifices that comes with playing on a playoff-caliber team like the Dodgers; hopefully a World Series team.
“I’ve said multiple times I’d rather be in my role, where I’m playing all over the field, maybe not every day but for a World Series team, than maybe being an everyday shortstop for a team that’s not going to be in contention in October.”
Despite playing just about every position except pitcher and catcher, Taylor admitted that his natural shortstop position is still his favorite:
“That’s where I grew up playing, so I’ve always felt like that’s my bread and butter. And I feel like that’s where the action is. But I’m not against any of the other positions. I think I enjoy playing all over and I’ve kind of embraced the utility role, but at heart I’ve always been a shortstop.”
Stripling fills a similar role on the Dodgers’ pitching staff, often going back and forth between the starting rotation and bullpen. He recently shared a similar sentiment to Taylor about being willing to do it in pursuit of a World Series.
Whenever baseball returns in 2020, the Dodgers will have arguably their most talented roster ever. That may mean less playing time for Taylor, although with the potential for doubleheaders, having a player of his caliber that can move around the diamond will be a huge advantage for L.A. in a shortened 2020 season.
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