It's hard to know what happened, exactly, but Mike Fontenot's career fell right out from under him in 2009.
Fontenot, who will turn 30 in June this year, entered last season as the Cubs' starter at second base. While many players and fans missed the affable Mark DeRosa's clubhouse presence, Fontenot's 2008 season provided ample evidence that DeRosa's on-field skill set was expendable. In 284 plate appearances, Fontenot batted .305/.395/.514. Those are star-caliber numbers, and while it was apparent to all that another such performance was unlikely, his future as a late-blooming left-handed hitter looked bright.
Handed the starting job on a full-time basis, however, Fontenot fell to pieces. In 419 plate appearances, he hit just .236/.301/.377. His walk rate declined; his strikeout rate rose ...
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Article written by Matt Trueblood
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