of all American League players with at least 300 plate appearances. His .193 average with men on base was second worst in the league. His .101 average from the right side was, well, a mere seven singles from being triple zeroes.

Martinez says, "I'm a better hitter than that," and the Rays hope he's right. They are working with him extensively this spring, trying to find ways to increase his offensive contributions so they can keep his defensive brilliance in the lineup.

You can marvel at his range and acrobatic moves, and watch his highlights reel in awe, but the best measure of Martinez's valuable contributions might be this: The team ERA dropped from 5.77 in April-May to 4.43, third best in the league, after he took over.

"I don't thinkit's any secret our statistics pitching-wise were as good as they were the last four months of the season because of what Felix did at shortstop," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "This is the first spring training we've been able to watch Felix on a day-to-day basis, and he's truly one of the fine defensive players in the game.

"With that said, he's got to continue to develop at the plate. He's got to be a player that does all the little things we ask him to. If he's asked to drag bunt, he's got to drag bunt. If he's asked to sacrifice bunt, he's got to sacrifice bunt. If we ask him to hit-and-run, he's got to hit-and-run. That execution has to continue to improve.

"And he's got to