The Zobrist Condundrum

Over the last few weeks there has been an awakening surrounding Ben Zobrist. With his 10 RBI day a few weekends ago and his sudden hot streak, Zobrist once again has the Rays Community all aflutter. After being mired in a yearlong slump in 2010 and sleepwalking through the first few weeks of 2011, we watched the mighty Zorilla destroy the Twins and set the team record for most RBIs in a day, hit over .500 for nearly a week, save kittens from redwood trees, kill fastballs by the hundreds, and consume American League pitchers with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse. But for all the statistical acclaim and the occasional Zorilla doll, it seems Rays fans don’t know what to think about Ben Zobrist. He seems to be more than the marginal utility player he was during the closing days of Devil Rays futility, yet his all-star appearance of 2009 seems like a distant memory. Is he a super-versatile slugger or was that Hobbsian season a Gilkey-esque mirage? What about 2...