I know I’m not alone in the baseball blogosphere or the writing world in general, but I have a nasty habit of leaving unfinished business with this site. But I can check one more task off the list: I’ve finally completed my page for Melvin Mora, the 2003 Futility Infielder of the Year. Here’s the intro to his page:

In the annals of futility infielders — of which somewhere there’s a big book waiting to be written under my byline — perhaps no player has risen from such humble spare-part origins to attain the lofty heights of Melvin Mora. From his native Venezuela through a lengthy spell in the Houston Astros chain to Taiwan and then the New York Mets, Mora endured a globe-trotting odyssey just to reach the major leagues. Though his 2003 season, his third in a Baltimore Orioles uniform, was cut short due to a litany of injuries, Mora spent time leading the AL in batting average and on-base percentage, made his first All-Star team at age 31, and finished with a stellar .317/.418/.503 line and 15 homers. For these accomplishments, Mora has won the coveted (if belated) 2003 Futility Infielder of the Year award.

Mora joins past winners Ron Gardenhire (2002) and Luis Sojo (2001), and if you’re wondering why there’s no Sojo page, please reread the first sentence of this entry again. I’m hoping to have one up in time for this site’s three-year anniversary next week.

The award itself — which goes to “The current or former player who best embodies the ideals of the Futility Infielder, which include versatility, scrappiness, humility, flirtation with the Mendoza Line, and the ability for Jay Jaffe to write a few hundred compelling words on his behalf” — isn’t limited to infielders, however. Along those lines, it’s only fitting to that I honorably mention Brooks Kieschnick, the Milwaukee Brewers’ pitcher-outfielder who threw 53 innings of 5.26 ERA ball in 42 relief appearances and posted a 1-1 record while hitting .300/.355/.614 with 7 homers, thus reviving a major-league career which had long since stalled. Kieschnick should take heart that continued success in his dual role will someday earn him a spot in my Wall of Fame. But he’ll have to wait his turn…