30
2011
Put Yourself In Jose’s Shoes
An article by 
I’m sure we’ve all been following along with what every baseball analyst and player thinks of Jose Reyes’ decision to remove himself from the game in the first inning of yesterday’s Mets season finale.
While I personally wasn’t too thrilled about this, I am super excited that Reyes became the first New York Met in their 50-year history to win an NL batting title. Now we just need a no-hitter, but that’s a different story.
A move like this though just goes to show that the game of baseball has changed from the past. Does the name Ted Williams ring a bell? Williams could have sat out the final day of the season in 1941 to preserve his .400 average. However, he played both games of a double-header and finished 6-for-8 on the day, raising his average to .406.
Still, 50 years from now, we will remember that Reyes won the 2011 NL batting title, not that he removed himself on the final day to accomplish this task.
In order to even be in a position to take himself out yesterday, Reyes was on fire over the last week, hitting at a 9-for-16 clip, as Joe D. pointed out.
The batting title is a marathon, not a sprint. Though Ryan Braun had 26 more official at-bats than Reyes this season (remember Reyes spent significant time on the disabled list), by rule a player needs 3.1 plate appearances per game to qualify for a batting title. Reyes averaged 3.3 at-bats per game based on a 162-game schedule, though he only played in 126.
Let’s all take a step back from the criticism for a minute. Put yourself in Reyes’ shoes.
No Met has ever won the batting title, though the franchise has had great hitters like Cleon Jones, Keith Hernandez, John Olerud and Mike Piazza—all of whom have hit at least .340 in a season in their careers.
Also, Reyes needed that little something extra as a bargaining chip heading into his free agency. Some teams may be weary of his injury history, and frankly a batting title shouldn’t downplay those concerns. But it still solidifies the point that when Reyes is on the field, he’s an extremely productive player.
If we could go back in time, I would have liked to see Reyes play maybe five innings yesterday. That could have been three at-bats at most. Even if he finished 1-for-3, he likely still would have won since Braun went 0-for-4 in last night’s game.
The fans could have given him a proper standing ovation in the fifth inning to thank him for a great season, and there wouldn’t have been all this hoopla surrounding the situation.
In the end, Braun will be the one playing in October, and that is—or at least should be—the ultimate goal of every player. Batting titles, MVP awards and Cy Youngs are nice, but winning the World Series is much more important.
If we have seen the last of Jose Reyes in a Met uniform, it was a nice ride. But was it really?
Though of course it’s more than a one-man game, Reyes never brought the Mets a World Series title, though they should have won it in 2006. He was also part of two teams that collapsed down the stretch.
In his Mets career, Reyes missed 315 games. While some of these were obviously off days, which are perfectly acceptable, the majority of these games were spent on the disabled list. That number amounts to nearly two full seasons of time missed.
So despite this mini-Reyes rant about yesterday, I definitely want to see him at shortstop for the Mets for the next decade. But will an organization with no money commit to a lucrative long-term deal with an injury prone player even though he’s the face of the franchise and just won the NL batting title?
Stay tuned this offseason to find out.
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2012. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports correspondent for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper, the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine and the co-managing editor of the Long Island Report website. Contact Jim at jmmanc@gmail.com. Click my name to view my website.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 26 | 17 | .605 | - |
| Nationals | 25 | 17 | .595 | 0.5 |
| Marlins | 23 | 19 | .548 | 2.5 |
| Mets | 22 | 20 | .524 | 3.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 22 | .488 | 5.0 |
Last updated: 05/22/2012
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terrible article…
I’m sorry you think so. Based on your other other comments, we are actually in the same boat about Reyes. I wasn’t thrilled initially when he came out, but he still legitimately won the batting the title based on the necessary qualifications to do so. So I’m totally excited for that, and that’s why I wanted to write this post.
Look, the Mets were not playing a game knowing they were going to the playoffs. Yes if clinched you sit Reyes after he got his hit in the best interest of the club to rest for the post season. I totally agree with that. He sat because he was afraid of not getting another hit and wanted to take a chance that Bourn would not hit in his final game (he went 0-4), so let’s put the facts on the table. This was a player looking to win glory for “himself”. Nothing more nothing less. You got your batting title but for me with a small “B”. I saw Ted Williams play and Jose Reyes you are no Ted Williams!
again, he went 7-11 in last 3 games.. he OVERTOOK the lead, why not preserve it for him?? again, he at least didn’t sit down he played!!!! got a hit and sat.. braun choked it up and went 0-4, whether you like it or not, JOSE REYES IS THE FIRST MET TO EVER WIN A BATTING TITLE!!!!!
also, since you saw ted williams played, do you remember who were the pitchers he faced back in the 1941? mostly bums who have never played the game because a lot of of the good ballplayers that year enroll in the army, also, the 2 pitchers he faced the last game of that season were dick fowler and fred caligiuri, 2 rookies at the time who had pitched a whopping 30 innings COMBINED! please shut up…
What a cheap shot at a real war hero. Ted Williams was a fighter pilot in WWII and was recalled to fly fighter jets over North Korea. He gave part of his baseball career to serving our great country and you denigrate his accomplishments? You should be ashamed. He had more character is his little finger than folks like you who want to defend and make excuses for “cutting and running” like a bunny rabbit into his hole to peek out once in awhile to watch what Milwaukee was doing. I 100% stand by my comment!
Alex, just to add some facts here: during the 1941 baseball season we were still at peace so Ted Williams was still facing the cream of the crop of pitchers for the most part, not the older, less talented pitchers who filled in from 1942-1945 during the war. We didn’t “officially” (we DID have many personnell fighting both the Japanese and Germans in China and England respectivley) enter the war until 7 Dec 41, 3 months after Ted Williams’ .406 season.
Hey, as a veteran myself I must point out you were out of line on knocking Ted Williams. He’s a legend as well as a symbol of someone who put his service to his country number one on his list of priorities. Bad job on this comment alex!
as i told maniac yesterday, my intention wasn’t to insult or offend anyone by it, just stating the pitchers who williams faced. to metfan, 86mets, maniac, and anyone who offended by any comment i made with no bad intentions i apologize. The CORE is with you…
As I remarked in a newer post…
Even if Jose played the remainder of the final game and went 0 for 5, he still would have finished the season with the batting title. He came out of the game because the title was in the bag and he was probably told this.
Jose finished the season with 181 hits out of 537 AB’s. If you take away the one bunt for a hit that everyone is crying about, and assume he finished the final game going 0 for 5, his end of the season stats would be 180 hits in 541 AB’s giving him a batting average of 332.7. Ryan Braun finished the season with 187 hits in 563 AB’s giving him an end of the season batting average of 332.15, which is still less than Jose’s average.
Now if Braun went 4 for 4 in the final game, he could have beat Jose with a batting average of 339.3, but he didn’t he went 0 for 4. Once Jose came out of the game, Braun still had a shot at winning the title but fell short.
All Jose had left to play for was to ensure the batting title was his, and the bunt base hit was all he needed to lock it up. I do not understand why everyone is hammering him about coming out of the game. The game was meaningless anyways. My first inclination would be that Sandy and Fred yanked Reyes out, because the Mets organization needed to win this batting title because it adds a bright spot to a less than spectacular season.
If you all looked at the stats, you would see that Jose won it legitimately and even if he played the entire game, the end result would have remained the same.
..and sitting out the last game(s) of a season to try and win a batting title is nothing new and not exclusive to Jose Reyes.
Willie Wilson
Alex Johnson
George Brett
Bill Mueller
Ken Griffey Jr,
Bill Madlock
Terry Pendleton
Ty Cobb
Tim Raines
It’s gamesmanship and nothing new. And I would not have faulted Ryan Braun if the shoe was on the other foot, and I bet he would have done it too although we’ll never know.
Griffey Junior has never won a batting title.
Griffey SR, i should say. He sat out the last day ahead and in this case it cost him as Bill Madlock got 4 hits to overtake him
STFU he meant. ken griffey SR, who in 1976 lost the batting title to bill madlock because griffey sr sat down at 336 and bill went 4-4 to overtake, YA LOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STFU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO CHOKE ON KIMBRELL’S BLOWN SAVE LAST NIGHT!!!!!!
It is so unfair that this comparison was made. Ted Williams, probably the greatest hitter who ever played was battling against his own talent and baseball history, not another player’s performance on that last day of the season. Williams was the last player that will ever hit .400 and he did it 70 years ago! If I am correct the closest anyone else has gotten to .400 was George Brett with a .390 average.
Had the Brewers played earlier in the day with Braun going hitless and Reyes pulled himself from a game after one hit it would be a different case. Reyes and the Mets used the math and gambled that Braun would have to get 3 hits in 4 at bats to beat.
This argument is a poor one at best. Jose Reyes only won a batting title. One of a few hundred in baseball history. Williams feat was one of only a small handfull.
Don’t bash Reyes or the Mets over a relatively minor award. They didn’t cheat and winning the title was the club’s first in 50 years!
LET IT GO DUDES!
I read a very interesting account of the Ted Williams story yesterday.
Most people know that going into the last game, Williams was hitting .39955 and that he felt that .39955 wasn’t .400, so he played.
After getting a hit in his first at bat, his average was high enough that another out wouldn’t put him below .400. After his first hit, no other at-bat he had that day threatened the .400 mark.
According to the account I read, when asked if he would take himself out if he were faced with a situation where he might have dipped below .400 with an out, he said something to the effect of “I’d have to think about that”.
I am 84 and an ardent fan pf Ted Williams, since I was born and lived in Red Sox nation. It is simply silly to compare the Reyes situation to Ted. He already clinched the batting championship before the last game..He wasn’t competing with anyone…Only issue was whether he would end season over .400. No one at that time, including Williams, thought it would not happen for many decades after. The common feeling was that it would occur again within a few years. At the time, everyone in baseball thought DiMaggio’s consecutive game hitting streak was far more spectacular and he won the MVP that year with numbers less than Williams. As for Reyes, he is a proud Dominican, from a country with a incredible love of baseball and a population of only 8 million, yet in their baseball museum in Santo Domingo, they honor some seven Dominicans who have won the batting championship. It is only natural for Reyes to want fervently to be added to that honor and to his country’s great contribution to major league baseball. Give him a break…He’s been one of the few major joys we Mets fans have had these past several years!
Really well said.
No matter the reason, it was still weak. He should have played and competed.The object of playing is to win the game, and with Reyes out, the MEts had less chance of winning. Iam a lifelong Mets fan, but this disappointed me.