25
2012
Ike Continues To Struggle, Is A Trip To The Minors In Play?
An article by Former Writers
Coming into last nights game agaisnt the Marlins, Davis was hitting just 136. with 3 home runs and 7 RBI. After Monday’s doubleheader, Davis said that he feels better at the plate and felt he had some good swings. So far this season, Davis had already struck out 20 times.
In the opener agaisnt Miami Tuesday night, it wasn’t any better for Ike who like in previous games just looks over-matched at the plate and way too out in front on breaking balls. SNY broadcaster and former Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez, talked about Davis’ stuggles:
“Ike just needs to relax up there, it looks as if sometimes he’s out of the at-bat before it even starts and that greatly contributes to why he is always in a 0-2 hole.”
Against Josh Johnson is never a picnic and in two at-bats Ike went 0 for 2 and was was removed for a pinch hitter in the 7th against the lefty Randy Choate.
It was a surprising move by Terry Collins considering that Turner hasnt supplied much offense when he has played this year either. But it paid off as Turner walked in a inning that saw the Mets score their first run of the night.
“With Ike’s struggles, especially against lefties, I just felt Turner at that time was the better option.” Collins said after the game to the media.
From Ike’s demeanor on the field and off, you can see he is frustrated and maybe a little mentally drained. He just hasn’t looked like the same Ike Davis that we saw in his rookie season in 2010 and for 36 games last year before the injury.
Yesterday, the Braves sent 2011 All Star pitcher Jair Jurrjens to the minor leagues. I’m not saying its time to send down Ike, but if he continues to slump as badly as he has the Mets may have no choice.
The bottom line is the Mets need more production from the middle of the lineup – especially now with Jason Bay down with a rib injury.
It should be interesting to see how Davis’ responds to being pinch hit for at a crutial time in the game, but if that doesn’t serve as a wake-up call, then the alternative surely will..
About the Author: Former Writers
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His swing has been so over analyzed that it seems as though he has a multitude counselors.
I hope that whatever it takes, him and Mets discussing options, is done soon so that Ike is not mentally lost for the year.
no clue how close they are to making the move, but it has to have been discussed as an option. the #s are horrible, and the “eye” test indicates that they are fully deserved.
Keep in mind he did miss the majority of last season. So a couple weeks down to get away from the pressure and just recharge mentally, while working on all the mechanical stuff, might get him back on track.
he has a long future with the team, and they really need him to produce this year to hang in the race, And considering how little value he is adding with the bat, sacrificing a few weeks now could be worth it.
If they don’t want to demote him, play the “valley fever” card and do a pahntom DL stint. Something must ache on him, right? Then let Lutz have some time at 1B. they could use a RH bat now anyway.
TC said in post game interview last night when asked…that they haven’t even discussed the possibility of sending Ike down. He said it’s not about his health and the valley fever issue at all. Said he needs to just keep going up there and getting his swings in.
Last night he stated that Ike would be in the lineup today against Buehrle.
I don’t believe that it has not been discussed at all. He is likely playing word games. A FO, like any management team, will discuss everything (including trading guys that will never get traded) as part of the planning process.
So it has to have come up in some sort of “what if” way, though Terry is speaking in terms of “we need to send him down, what do you think” or some such!
either that, or the GM and the FO talked about it without terry.
I really don’t know but wouldn’t surprise me if this hasn’t been discussed internally.
Just letting some know what TC is saying publicly right now. And I’m willing to bet no until they do decide to go that route, they won’t be discussing it with the media.
I think many people here pen’d him in at 30+ HR, as well as Duda. And I took a lot of heat for being well under that mark.
For some reason, people forgot that a) they are both young and in their 2nd year considering Ike’s injury and b) Ike hasn’t played since early Spring 2011.
Expectations for these young players were set so high by so many, and now they are both struggling. Some expected it though, others called me nuts.
that was based on what they actually did last year, not some fantasy of a miracle improvement.
besides, they are both on pace for 30 HRs still (3 HRs in 10% of the season), so have some faith!
they are both also fully capable of having a nice hot streak (as players tend to do) where they will hit 3-4 in a week or so.
If we hit memorial day, and they are both hitting like crap and sitting at 5 or less, then you can start to panic.
Oh, it will also help to get to a part of the schedule where they face the crap teams with lousy pitching. Ike really hasn’t played in the last year almost, so facing guys like Hamels, Lee, Johnson, Lincecum, etc. when you are trying to get your timing back can’t be easy.
I don’t have access to the info here, but I would bet that out of the 17 SPs the Mets have faced, the majority of them have finished very high up in the Cy Young voting (if not have won one). It really has been a good stretch of pitching they have faced.
I would give Ike a longer leash than I would Duda. Duda looks completely over matched. Ike has a history of being able to hit at the major league level. I would send Duda down when Torres returns and slide Capt’n Kirk over.
Just one thing Daniel, you mention the Mets missing Bay’s production. What production is that? Bay has been a bust in NY.
I actually see it backwards. Duda looks just a tick off, and Ike looks like a mess.
Also, go back and look at the 1/2 season Duda put up last year (last 80 games, from when he basically became a regular). Huge #s over a pretty large sample size.
I agree Stick, Duda is taking good cuts but he is just getting under the ball.
He needs to level out his swing and if he does he is going to start sending rockets all over the place as he seems to have the timing down just not getting good wood on it!
Duda has always been a slow starter anyway. He started slow last year too we just didn’t notcie because he was coming in only sporadically and by the time he got to play everyday he was already over it.
Give him till the end of the month , then drop him , but only if a hitter can replace him. If we dont have one, stuck with Ike and we will see what he gets us , judge him after the year
Ike is looking better and better in taking the third strike. I see the concentration. He’s locked in and really seeing the ball. Things will be much better when he and the umps start agreeing that he did in fact take strikes that result in strikeouts. Not sure if he needs the exercise or not, but he may not need to keep carrying that heavy piece of wood to home plate.
Funny. I have an idea for Ike: For two or three games, just look for the breaking ball. If nothing else, it may get the pitchers to start mixing in a few fastballs. Pops
I thought the people who wrote on this site were knowledgeable baseball fans. Every time I guy slumps you do not send him to the minors, he works thru it. Being pinch hit for is not a big deal nor is dropping him in lineup or giving him days off. Maybe even batting him in front of Wright, but talking about sending him down is ridiculous. Yesterday people were saying how we had to bring up Lutz because he was off to good start. Well now he’s 0-1 K looking with bases loaded, I guess that didn’t work. Give me a break
I would remind everyone that Carlos Beltran missed a lot of time due to injury and it took him nearly two months to get his swing back!
July 15 2010 he came back after missing almost a whole season and hit .213
Aug hit .271
Sept/Oct hit .321
Ike will sort himself out but it will take some time. Just give it to him because a trip to the Minors is not really going to get him back on track hitting MLB pitching.
If that means we lose some games well remember we are rebuilding right and it’s all about 4 years from now! At least thats what everyone has been saying since Last July!
timing you need to get up here, but if there are major mechanical problems to get sorted out, that is what you get sent down for (well, that and because you flat out aren’t performing at a ML level)
I don’t see mechanical problems I see problems with timing and bad guesses.
He has always been vulnerable to the low inside pitch his arms are just too damn long,
They are throwing junk at him and he just needs to get it in his head to look for it ntil they start throwing fastballs and then pounce on them.
And thats all about timing not mechanics.
I also don’t like his hands so low. Don’t know why he’s doing that because they weren’t that low last year when he was raking. Ike has a laid back approach as it is (a mix of laid back and swag) so i think the low hands just add more unnecessary movement and because of his particular style I think the less movement before he starts to turn his hips, the better.
in other words start higher, lol
Yes He has started with his hands lower than last year but there was a good reason for that…
He used to start off higher then drop his hands down low and then bring them back up before he started his swing.
I think he used that exccess movement as a timing mechanism so you may have a point that it has changed his timing for the worse.
But by making him lower his hands it removes the amount of wasted motion in his swing which should help him should he ever see another fastball in his career (lol)
If that hands drop was his timing he just needs to get used to the new way.
I have no issues with trying to quiet his swing mechanics he will be better off in the long run if he does.
But it could be part of his problem and coupled with the fact he missed so much time that he has to get that timing back before even his old swing can work.
He hasn’t really seen a lot of MLB pitching and it take a month or two at regular season strength pitching to get it.
If he still has problems come Late June and Jly then he may need to go down but not before then.
And any attempt to economize and streamline his batting mechanics is a help in the long run for him.
He just has a lot of stff to sort out after missing so much time!
That’s a great point about Beltran. And after Reyes missed most of 09 he started the year hitting .210.
.
You simply can not go a whole year (even 6 months) not seeing MLB Pitching and then not expect to pay the price for that when you get back until you have seen it long enough to get your timing and coordination back.
Ike will be ok we just have to let him go through it!
In Duda’s case he ALWAYS starts off slow but once he gets going he tends to keep going!
Duda is already starting to hit better – He’s hitting .400 in the last 7 games.
You could see it in his swing that he was going to start hitting.
His Swings were always just a hair off timing or under the ball. But the cuts themselves were all quality.
Not really the case with Ike at this point but he will come around.
Baseball is one sport were you can’t muscle your way to success as its all about skill. The sport can eat guys up alive mentally and that happens when you see a 140 batting avg. I wouldnt be surpises to see him take a trip to the minors for a week or two to get going at the plate.
They are pitching around Ike and getting out on inside breaking balls because Bay and Duda were also cold. I would hit him infront of Wright or Murphy so he can see some fastballs. Relax, see the first fastball you like and easy swing at first… up the middle until you get some confidence built up.
They didn’t have to pitch around Ike. He was swinging at balls out of the zone to start with.
If they are pitching around Ike, then he should probably stop swinging.
21K in 17 games?
If they were pitching around him, he’d walk more than 4 times.
It seems on most of those called strike threes, pitch would be on inside part of plate and he was taking it. He would swing on outside pitch and take inside pitch. Hit him 2nd for a couple of games to see if he can get some fastballs with Murphy and Wright behind him. and now that Duda seems to be coming out of his funk, Wright should still be getting his pitches.
Nice job Daniel, now you got the hang of it. Leave the reporting for the reporters and key in on hot-button issues we can debate. That’s what fans like and want. Good work!
Thats my son your talking about watch your mouths. Ike will get out of it give it some time he had a couple of nice swings tonight.