20
2011
Why Is Scott Hairston Still Here?
An article by 
As Ted Berg from Tequarters mentioned today in an article about Bobby Parnell’s apparent finger injury:
The other thing: A bunch of Mets fans seem really eager to show Scott Hairston the door, and I certainly hear that. He has looked awful at the plate and underwhelming in the field. The last time I said a guy needed more time he got cut (specifically: today), but I have to figure the Mets will have a longer leash with Hairston. Unlike Brad Emaus, Hairston has years of experience to show he can be a capable if unspectacular part-time outfielder. Cutting him because of 28 miserable plate appearances (again) seems a bit rash.
While I do agree with this, in terms of 28 AB’s is a very small sample size to judge from, it stems from a quality of all aspects of play. Currently, Scott Hairston has 28 AB’s, with 12 ending in a strikeout. Hairston has five hits, one of which being a home run that drove in two runs. He has 5 RBI on the season. I am listing all of these facts as separate, since in a sense they are not directly tied to each other. Hairston’s home run was a major rally-point in a 6-5 loss to the Rockies, but outside of that home run, Hairston has looked awful at the plate. Against lefties, who Hairston has a career .279 BA, Hairston has managed one hit, a double, his two walks and struck out EIGHT times. For someone who was brought in to be a good righty bat against lefties, this is unacceptable. A .077 BA from your primary RH pinch-hitter is ridiculous.
Forgiving this fact and saying well Hairston, the .228 career hitter versus RHP’s is hitting .267 with four hits and only four strikeouts is better, but this goes against his career platoon split, and the odds of starting Hairston against RHP’s over Willie Harris (the quicker defender) is slim, especially once Jason Bay is expected to return, possibly today is low.
NOW…on to the fielding misplay yesterday that could’ve ended the inning. Scott Hairston completely lost track of the ball, took an awkward body positioning and could not locate his glove/prevent his moment of ineptitude and allowed the fly ball to go off his glove, as he was actively prepared to catch it. This lead to a double that scored the third run of the game, and blew open the flood gates. A fifth outfielder, which is what Hairston will become upon the return of Bay is expected to either mash, or be a great defender. Hairston is neither, and the way the bat looks this season seems as if Hairston’s regression wasn’t an anomaly but an actual decline.
I am not promoting the release/DFA of Scott Hairston YET. But this isn’t as much a spur of the moment decision as much as it is a compilation of failures both offensively and defensively, in clutch spots on both sides of the ball. Unless Hairston picks up the pace with the bat and the Mets continue losing games, I believe Hairston will be the next to go, possibly with Chin Lung-Hu.
About the Author: Sean Kenny
Sean Kenny is a student/writer currently attending school at the City College of New York. For more Mets news, notes and thoughts follow him on twitter @TheSeanKenny
12 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 25 | 18 | .581 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 21 | .523 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 23 | .477 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 17 | 24 | .415 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 12 | 32 | .273 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/19/2013
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Look, I can’t understand for the life of me why we opened the season with 3 backup left fielders anyways. It should have been Duda and either Harris or Hairston. In my opinion Harris and Hairston pretty much fill the same role, that is back-up outfielder. Hairston looks HORRIBLE at the plate, everytime he comes up, I assume an OUT. Granted the missed catch last night was a fluke (Probably) and was due to the collision with the wall.
All I have to say is thank god Bay is returning and lets all say a prayer for him to be healthy and stay healthy. This lineup definitely needs Bay as added protection, something neither Harris, Hairston, or Duda every provided. To be honest, outfielders of Hairston’s capabilities are a dime a dozen, so why fret cutting him. I rather see Duda or F-Mart get more work, rather than put a veteran out there who will provide the same offensive and defensive production.
With Bay coming off the DL someone will need to be gone, and I can not think of a better candidate. We don’t need 3 backup outfielders (Hairston, Harris, and Murphy in an emergency).
DFA Hairston and if he wants to leave, let him. If he wants to get his swing back and work on his stuff in the minors waiting for a callup, even better.
IT IS TIME FOR THE NY METS TO START HOLDING PLAYERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR PLAY!!! If they succeed, reward them, if they fail, cut bait! Just because they have guarenteed contracts should not mean they have guarenteed positions/jobs.
Message 1 was sent with Emaus, now it is time to send Message 2…
Technically, Message 1 would’ve been Blaine Boyer. But so far the new FO seems very open to holding players accountable for their performance, even if it’s a player they signed themselves and not a leftover from the previous regime. I have to believe the leash that Hairston is on is drawing shorter and shorter by the day. I suspect that if Bobby Parnell’s DL stint is the minimum that when he is activated that Hairston might be the likely “odd man” out. I don’t expect to see him in a Mets uniform for more than 2 more weeks at best, unless he magically finds his stroke at the plate and dramatically improves his glove work. In other words, 2 weeks and Scott Hairston is likely done here.
Mets won’t make a move on him until Bay is ready to come back. Makes no sense to do otherwise.
You’re not going to bring up Duda unless he’s playing everyday, and he’s not ready for that. He needs more MiLB seasoning.
(And Duda doesn’t look like a legit outfielder, anyway)
Hairston had always been considered a decent defensive out fielder. His OB and contact ability is what kept him from being a starter for a 2nd division team but his contact this year has been awful and his defense putrid. Not what your looking for in a 4th or 5th outfielder.
It really makes you wonder how come we never have any 2nd tier type minor leaguers who can come up here and play role positions off the bench? Murphy and getting Pagan back from the Cubs and Endy I guess is all that I can think of. Maybe Alfonzo when he was first brought up. Everyone else has to be brought in from somewhere else or brought back over here. When you have to find your entire bench, every year from guys who are waived, not resigned, non tendered, rule 5 what do you think your gonna get?
At one time we had guys like Mitchell, Teufel, Elster, Hojo, Heep, Dykstra. A couple of trades and a few from our own system. Not just waiting around to see who “we can get” every year. Actually thinking about it beforehand. Trading off the 25 for a prospect (Hojo), looking for a good match for a player we have who has a glaring weakness and trading for that compliment (Teufel), having options available from the farm that have UPSIDE.
Last year we had one scout for the entire NL. The majority of his job was to provide a scouting report on upcoming opponents. I highly doubt if we had any eyes on players with the view of how they might help us. Same in the AL. We probably didn’t have any scouts out there at all. Minors? Forget it. Our manager probably filled out a form listing some pluses and minuses about the opposition players but actually scouting them during real live competition? I’m sure he had other things he was busy with.
We need to get back into the scouting everywhere mode. The mentality that players can be found everywhere. Know what you like in everyone’s system so your actively prepared to upgrade when the call comes. Bounce your strengths to someone to provide depth for your weaknesses but you have to have scouting professionals provide the basis of your opinion. That can’t be done if you employ just one scout for the entire Major Leagues.
The Braves find guys everywhere. Kerry Lightenberg came off an independant league team in North Dakota. O’flaherty came from the Mariners, Moylan from the Australian team in the World Baseball Classic, Venters from the 30th round. Kimbrel was drafted TWICE by the Braves. We go Type A free agent and scrap heap or trade for injured relievers. It’s a joke.
Hire the best scouts, pay them the most of any other organization. Treat them the best, pay them a small recurring bonus based on what the players they discover do in the Major Leagues. Make this the team everyone wants to work for. Get the scouts and you’ll get the players.
One thing the new administration has done is make each scout responsible for 3 different organizations top to bottom. I think this makes a lot of sense in many different ways. Spotting trends with their philosophy, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities. I hope it pays off.
I’d say Hair(less)ston has the month of April locked up…maybe.
Incidentally, rumor has it that Frenchie is raking
He raked last April too. He usually gets off to hot starts.
Well I for one AM promoting the release of that bum, Sean.
Sean, that’s the same question I’ve been asking myself ever since the Mets signed him during the offseason. Outside of the ONE thing he was supposedly good at: raking against LHPs (which he’s not doing here. SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!!), this was one move I was completely baffled by. He was garbage last year for the Padres, he’s worse this year. Bring on Evans already, the man who I (and Terry Collins) wanted to see come up north in the first place.
“A bunch of Mets fans seem really eager to show Scott Hairston the door, and I certainly hear that. He has looked awful at the plate and underwhelming in the field.”
Having said these words, I assume Ted Berg is now part of the bunch!! Or does he need to grow a set?
Hilarious reading all the comments. Dump this guy, cut that guy, wee hah!!! Fact is it ain’t football. Making guys press and making guys look for airline tix to Buffalo after every game, doesn’t hack it in baseball. You can’t play the game if you press. But if that’s what you all want, you are seeing the results.
Last night was not the first time this season that Hairston has had a problem in LF, I remember how Murphy had his problems in LF but at least he could hit.
Maybe we DFA Hairston and play Murphy in LF when needed?
His fielding has hurt this team on more than one occasion, especially I believe twice at home.