Jon Daniels, his eyes hidden behind fashionable black Ray-Ban sunglasses, began counting on his fingers to get the precise answer.

By the time Daniels counted the two games starting catcher Gerald Laird played at third base, he had moved onto his second hand.

Trust me, that's never a positive.

Then he spent a few seconds trying to remember if some dude named Chris Shelton played a game at third.

For the record, he did.

Final tally? Eight guys.

And just so you know, the Rangers led the American League West in errors at third base with 23.

Now, you know why Michael Young plays third base.

He solidifies the spot because the durable veteran has played at least 155 games each of the last seven seasons. And with a career fielding percentage of .980, he's not going to make too many errors.

"He's there for one reason," Ron Washington said. "He makes our team better."

This much we know about the Rangers until proved otherwise: They'll always hit and the pitching will always be suspect. Terrific defense is the only way to overcome shaky pitching.

"He's not going to kick balls around," Daniels said of Young, "whether it's his first game over there or his 1,000th."

It's no secret Young didn't initially want to move from shortstop to third. He didn't want to give up the responsibility that accompanies the position.

At shortstop, Young was intimately involved in the game. He could see the pitches as they were called, so he knew whether to shade a right-handed batter to his right because he'd be out in front of a breaking ball or to his left because he'd be a little late on a fastball.

And with a runner on first, Young decided who covered second on a steal attempt.

At third base, he won't see what pitch has been called. Ian Kinsler or Elvis Andrus will decide who covers the bag on a stolen base attempt.

"I have to find a way to keep my mind involved in the game," Young said. "That's really why I wanted to stay at shortstop. I know how much is involved and I wanted to make sure it got done right.

"I didn't want to give up the responsibility because I know how important it is to our team having success. It's a big responsibility and I wanted it on me. I'm going to help Elvis as much as I can with that stuff and he'll get it."

The move from shortstop to third will be considerably easier for Young than the shift from second base to shortstop he made five years ago to accommodate Alfonso Soriano.

He didn't feel comfortable until the All-Star break because he moved from the right side of the infield to the left, which meant all of his footwork and arm angles changed.

This time, all he has to do is get used to seeing the ball from a different perspective. At shortstop, he had time to see the ball and react. At third, he'll have to take a step and dive because the ball will be on him so fast.

It will also take time to become familiar with his new responsibilities on bunts as well as which balls he should field and which ones to leave for the pitcher.

"I know I can play third base," he said. "And I know I can play it a high level."

He also gives the Rangers an opportunity to keep their infield of Chris Davis, Kinsler, Andrus and Young together for several years.

"That's what the best teams do," he said. "They play the same group for a few years and let them learn how to win together."

Third base shuffle

A look at the eight players who played third base last season for the Rangers.

Player GP GS E F Pct.

Ramon Vazquez* 70 60 10 .936

Chris Davis 32 31 3 .962

Hank Blalock 31 31 4 .951

German Duran 30 25 5 .921

Travis Metcalf 19 14 1 .971

Gerald Laird* 2 1 0 1.000

Adam Melhuse* 2 0 0 1.000

Chris Shelton* 1 0 0 -

* - No longer on 40-man roster. Melhuse is in camp as a non-roster invitee.