For Stocker, the unraveling was somewhat stranger. He was devoured by the turf at Tropicana Field. But Stocker couldn't deal with the combination turf-dirt infield at Tropicana. He was never a shortstop who dealt in the extraordinary, but suddenly, he couldn't even handle the ordinary. It got to the point, Stocker admitted, where he hoped ground balls wouldn't be hit to him.
Most teams rely on their shortstop to be their best defensive player.
When he can't handle a simple ground ball, it affects everyone around him. His skills were diminishing. There is no joy in a bloodletting. Both players were personable, professional. And if you think they were blocking the road to the pennant with their bodies, you're mistaken.