Collins Reverses His Stance On Batting Tejada Leadoff

17 Comments + Add Comment

• Donal April 7, 2012 at 10:10 am

  I think you’re overstating the depth problem. Ya, we’re shallow. No doubt, but its not like Kirk is being rushed all that quickly. If he hadn’t hurt his should last year, he probably would have made his debut in September or something. If he hadn’t hurt his oblique during Spring Training, he would have more time playing with the big club and people would be demanding he be our Opening Day CF.

  Collins isn’t anchored to batting Tejada lead off. People had mentioned Murphy. He could go:

  Murphy
  Tejada
  Davis
  Wright
  Duda
  Bay
  Kirk
  Thole
  Dickey
  • L.J. Phipps April 7, 2012 at 12:13 pm

    I like your line-up, or I can go with Davis & Duda switching spots too.
• Mr North Jersey April 7, 2012 at 10:26 am

  After Reyes the Mets never had a prototypical leadoff hitter this is true. All the candidates Torres, Murphy, Tejada had some minus and some pluses. The concern for me was more the depth at CF. The idea of Hairston for a long period of time playing CF just was not comforting.

  If Torres is out for 2 or 3 weeks than calling up Kirk is how I would of gone. He already got his feet wet in AAA last season and was doing somewhat good over the 50 plus games he played before going down to injury.

  He is the closest to MLB ready centerfielder the Mets have and had it not been for the games missed this Spring who knows if he breaks camp with the team rather than Mike Baxter.

  Of course I say this with an admitted bias for wanting to see Kirk make the club for sometime.

  As far as Tejada batting leadoff I guess it is either him or Murphy. I kind of like having Murphy’s bat hitting behind Tejada myself. Though Collins has done a 180 on his position I would guess it also most likely only for a few weeks that is unless the team just clicks offensively and Collins decides not to change anything.

  My concern is Kirk’s style of play is with a somewhat reckless abandon so staying healthy will be a big concern.
  • t agee April 7, 2012 at 10:50 am

    Completely agree MNJ.

    Kirk’s got over 800 AB’s between AA and AAA and he’ll be 25 in early August. He would have been up in September had he not gotten hurt and had maintained his April and May production and had he done that he might very well have won a starting or platoon role in ST.

    Tejada is the best candidate by far for leadoff and with his short swing and eye won’t be a drag at the top of the order, in fact he and Murphy could set up 3, 4 5 and 6 pretty nicely.

    I would have much preffered to see Kirk come up with 200 2012 AB’s under his belt and have Tejada take over leadoff more in midseason form as well but it is what it is and I don’t expect Torres back for at least a month so they’ll both have some time to establish themselves at their new responsibilities.
• any April 7, 2012 at 10:34 am

  I’m with NJ. No, the team does not have a prototypical leadoff man now, and looking at all the candidates, Tejada makes sense at the moment. Kirk could do it, but not likely to put a rookie there his first AB!

  And IMO fans are not going to “take it out” on Tejada. If anything, they will be extra supportive, blaming the FO or Owners for Reyes leaving.

  And Terry’s main job is to put the best lineup out given the players he has in order to win games. And adjust as needed.

  And I really don’t see Tejada caving into some theoretical pressure. He was up at 20 playing in the majors, so he must have some stones! Basically Terry just needs to tell him to don’t worry about stealing, just play his game and get on base, and all good.
• K Maxx April 7, 2012 at 10:40 am

  Based on how badly Collins didnt want Tejada batting leadoff, I would imagine he’d give Alderson a grade of F for Fail on his offseason report card.
• srt April 7, 2012 at 10:51 am

  You know what you don’t hear? Tejada whining about having to bat lead off. Or batting anywhere in the line-up.

  I say give the kid a chance. We don’t have much speed in this line-up right now and as others have pointed out, don’t really have your proto-typical lead off hitter right now. Not all teams do, for that matter.
  • Hodges14 April 7, 2012 at 11:09 am

    Huh? What rookie or soph whines about batting anywhere in the lineup? Do you really think that Tejada not whining is that unique?
    • srt April 7, 2012 at 11:25 am

      No.
      • Hodges14 April 7, 2012 at 11:34 am

        Are you being short with me?
• Donal April 7, 2012 at 10:54 am

  Here’s something to consider: What if things had gone according to plan? what if Kirk mashed at Buffalo? Wouldn’t we basically be facing this situation anyway? Collins had to know that it was more than just possible, it was likely.
• Hodges14 April 7, 2012 at 11:12 am

  I looked at Kirk’s stats in the minors and saw he batted .268 in 300 AB. He struck out 98 times in 310 AB. That doesn’t seem like a player who worked his way to the majors, this wreaks of rushing a prospect, a habit I thought we did away with when Minaya got the ax.
• Metsie April 7, 2012 at 12:03 pm

  I do not like this move at all!
  Better to put Murphy at leadoff for now Maybe even Thole!
  Yes Tejada has the pressure of replacing Reyes but the comparisons are not going to be about the Glove it’s going to be about the Bat and only AMPLIFY if he is also forced to replace reyes as the leadoff hitter!

  Jumping Pagan in and out of the leadoff role was a key reason for his batting decline last year!
  Tejada should not be forced into changing his batting approach to be a leadoff hitter at this stage in his development.
  He’s not yet ripe enough to take on that challenge!

  His destiny may eventualkly put him there but he is not yet ready to tackle that role.

  Thole is a slap singles hitter and could improve on that by being a bit more selective.
  So I say throw him up there into the leadoff spot first and then figure out what to do if he fails.
  But leave Tejada alone…
• BXMets April 7, 2012 at 12:37 pm

  Tejada will be fine at shortstop. You dont seem to understand that baseball is in his blood. This how they grow up and what they live for. I see Tejada as another Omar Vizquel with less speed but equal defensively. Tejada may even pick up some more power. There is no quit in Tejada. Not too many 20 year olds can do what he’s already shown.
  • Metsie April 7, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    “Tejada may even pick up some more power.”

    Precisely why I say do not make him the leadoff hitter!
    He could grow to hit for some gap power (not goping to be a HR hitter but there is lots of different forms of power hitters out there)
    His biggest hurdle this year is maintaining his BA and hitting and to throw having to take pitches and merely get on base seems a bit too much to put him through so early in his tenure.
• trs86 April 7, 2012 at 12:42 pm

  I think this assumes that the Mets do not think Kirk is ready. Do we know he would not have made the team baring injury?
  • Metsie April 7, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    No but we have heard some rumblings that they wanted to leave him down in the Minors to get himself back into the swing of things coming off that injury.

    I think they believe Talent wise he was ready just maybe not health and recovery wise.
    It’s one thing to keep a player out for recovery reasons in the Minors but you don’t really want to do that on the MLB squad where your essentially playing a man short.

    So they planned on leaving him in the Minors until he showed his Shoulder is fully healed and let him sort out his swing and then promote him once they were sure it was all passed.
    The Oblique only sealed that assesment if you ask me and was probably also a big factor in sending him down as well.