He is now in a position where he has to make plays in different parts of the corner where guys on turf don't have that option. Cirillo plays every day. Offensively, he did more than enough to be considered for a Gold Glove. Mansolino listed soft hands and a strong, accurate throwing arm among Cirillo's defensive strengths. The most important aspect, he said, was Cirillo's mental approach.
Some people call it concentration.
I call it showing up for every pitch. There are about 140 pitches in every game. Some guys show up for about 130. Of those 10 pitches, two or three might be hit in their general area and they don't get the first step because they weren't focused. Jeff has the ability to block everything else out.