30
2012
Jason Bay: The Player That Lost His Way
An article by 
What ever happened to Jason Bay? We have seen flashes of his old self over the past three years, but this is looking more and more like one of the worst signings in New York Mets history. The Mets are basically starting every game with 24 outs when he’s in the lineup, and when you factor in the pitcher, it’s more like 21.
I know a lot of Mets fans questions why they keep marching him out there every game. They think the only reason he plays is his $16 million salary.
That may have something to do with it, but it goes deeper than that. Bay’s collapse over the past three seasons defies logic. He was a 30 HR, 100 RBI guy for practically six years before he came to New York. In his last season in Boston (2009), he played in 151 games, and had 36 HR and 119 RBI. Since becoming a Met, he has played in 251 games, has 23 HR, and 112 RBI.
I’ll say it again. It defies logic.
Because it defies logic, the Mets will continue to march him out to play every game as long as he’s healthy. Without a concrete answer to justify why he’s playing so poorly, there is hope he will regain his old form. This was not a steady decline like we see in most players as their careers wind down. This was like pulling the emergency brake on his career. This isn’t supposed to happen.
There is only one explanation for Bay’s inexplicable collapse – it’s 100% mental. Before he even steps into the batter’s box, the battle is lost, because he has lost his confidence. He is worrying about making outs instead of thinking about getting hits. He is worrying about being the goat, instead of wanting to be the hero. It’s like what happened to Pedro Cerrano in Major League II. He has to dig deep and figure out what’s missing and causing him to play so awfully, much like Cerrano had to do in the movie.
The Mets are right, the answer is not in benching Jason Bay. You stand by your man. Jason Bay needs us. He needs the fans to rally behind him, not turn their backs on him. The Mets aren’t making the playoffs in 2012 so Bay’s poor play can’t hurt us anymore. Let’s give Bay all the support he needs to try and turn this thing around so when we need him in 2013, he will be there for us. I’ll get it started by sharing a motivational video for Jason, and the New York Mets to get their juices flowing:
About the Author: Mitch Petanick
Mitch is currently an Editor and Minor League Analyst for Mets Merized Online. His baseball experience includes being a former All-Conference collegiate baseball player who had numerous professional tryouts, and he is currently a hitting instructor. He has been involved with the game of baseball for over 30 years now as a player, coach, and consultant. Mitch is also a former Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @FirstPitchMitch.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 24 | 18 | .571 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 20 | .535 | 1.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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Jason is a fine young man of the game, i wish he could be the player that he was before, But i think it’s time to move on from him. Next year we’ll have outfield issues to fill.We need a high productive players to fill in positions. I don’t think Jason is the player for us and all the injuries he has sustained.
Good try, Mitch. Bay is finished I can’t support a player who consistently drags down my team. He’s an accidetal menace, scourge, blight. Inwish him well…elsewhere
You said: “There is only one explanation for Bay’s inexplicable collapse – it’s 100% mental.”
I couldn’t disagree more. I think it’s clear that it CAN’T be mental. If it was mental, he would have had periods of time where you saw flashes of his old self. If it was mental, he would likely do better on the road. If it was mental, he would likely do better when there is no pressure: like in a blow-out; or in spring training; or the end of a season.
Also, if by mental you meant pressure, he would not have done so well in Boston, where he was quite good.
I also disagree that we’ve ever seen anything approaching what he used to be. He’s run into a pitch now and then, but never an extended streak of any kind.
I certainly don’t know what’s wrong with him, but I’m 100% certain it’s not “mental”.
Your right, I thought it was just me who thought a player struggles due to his mentality. I think Jason Bay go into every at bat thinking I cant get a out instead of I’m going to knock this ball over the wall. After he strikes out he put his head down and walks to the dugout opposite of David, Ike, etc. That’s one of the reasons why I believed in Ike so much. Even though he was hitting .150 he still wanted to come up with men and scoring position and knock the ball out. I don’t even think Bay wants to play anymore. Maybe the motivation he needs is to be cut. He will get upset and want to prove the Mets wrong. its best for him and the team.
Im not going to bash Bay, because that really is like beating a dead horse. But I do disagree with Mets plan to keep putting him out there in the starting lineup. The money is guaranteed. But didn’t the Mets release that Second Baseman Castillo and Pitcher Oliver Perez before they could even finish out their contracts? You have to do it………………
I understand your reasoning, but I disagree. Bay is a dedicated and hard working player and it’s nearly impossible not to like him personally. But he is killing this lineup. When a manager makes out a lineup card on any given night, he does so for eithe one of two purposes, depending on the teams situation. A- when you have a contending club your lineup is made out to give you the best chance to win or B- when you have a rebuilding (or re-tooling if you like) you give younger players a chance to play to evaluate and develop them as Major League worthy or not. Trotting Jason Bay and his .164/.244/.318 line out there everyday, while keeping the more productive (and younger) Jordanny Valdepsin on the bench defeats both approaches at the same time. I don’t know what the answer is outside of platooning him with Baxter or Valdepsin. He has zero (less than zero actually) trade value and they aren’t just going to release him while owing him around $20 million for the rest of 2012 and 2013. But the plug needs to be pulled on the Jason Bay experiment because it’s a complete failure.
He needs the fans to rally behind him, not turn their backs on him. The Mets aren’t making the playoffs in 2012 so Bay’s poor play can’t hurt us anymore. Let’s give Bay all the support he needs to try and turn this thing around so when we need him in 2013″
I understand you like him and all that, but the guy has stunk up the joint.. He’s not the player he once was, with us he was a big bust. Good luck trying to tell that to the fans who pay the tickets to go see this guy go 0-4 with 2 or 3 K’s in the game… He makes $16 million a year, you think he’s worry? Financially he’s set for life, he sucks at his job yet he gets paid a lot of money.
And please, don’t give me that crap that he got like this due to his concussion.. the guy had 6 HR and 38 RBI by july 25th of 2010, so no excuse to what’s been happening, since coming to NY he’s been a big bust.
I’m fed up too…just trying to figure out how a guy can just fall apart like Bay has. Maybe the Mets are just cursed!
Jason Bay should go to Terry Collins and say “Terry, I want to be benched. I am not helping our club and you have players that are contributing more now and need playing time. I want to be a bench player until I can find myself and contribute again.” Maybe this has happened and TC said “No, you are staying in the lineup as my everday left fielder. The Mets are not giving up on you.” Do you think this may have happened?
Jason Bay doesn’t deserve our sympathy only our scorn. He’s laughing all the way to the bank. While reading this the song that came to mind was Sympathy for the Devil. He’s all out of chances as far as I’m concerned and he should be cut as soon as possible. I believe his presence on this team is a buzz kill and the team sucked ever since he was activated form the DL after the all star break. He is a black hole in our lineup.
Metfan Lou, Not a chance.Just the opposite is what needs to happen.Collins should tell Bay he stinks and will never play again.Or he could tell him get a foot closer to home plate and i will give you some ab’s to see how that works.The bottom line is he can not play anymore and no further analysis needs to be done.Just cut him, take the hit and move on from a horrible signing.
And for the record–the broken record–Bay is not a hateable or contemptible player (despite the cliched “laughing-all-the-way-to-the-bank” claptrap). I honestly think he gives it his all when he goes out there.
Defensively, he’s fearless and above-average good. But he sucks so much as a hitter that none of us needs to think of indulging his inabilities with bat in hand any longer.
In the vernacular of the ’70′s Russell……’right on’!
Boston has Calj Crawford and we have Jason Bay. Is there a trade brewin’ here?
“The Mets aren’t making the playoffs in 2012 so Bay’s poor play can’t hurt us anymore. ”
If Bay hadn’t had such a poor tenure here, that would be a different story.
Absolutely, Donal. Thanks to BAY, we aren’t in contention. I’m afraid Mitch may have given us the ol’ goony bird argument, which is predicated on arguing up one’s own backside.
I don’t think it’s a mystery as to why Bay has been awful…
It started with the fences killing his confidence followed by missing half a season.
The Confidence hurt his decisiveness at the plate which hurt his Bat Speed.
And the myriad of injuries he has suffered trying to make up for that bat in the field has caused him to lose even more bat speed.
Pitchers lose MPH on thier fastball and can overcome it if they learn to pitch smarter!
But batters losing bat speed can hardly ever compensate for it because they don’t call the shots on what pitch they get to swing at!
And the Pitcher eats them up for breakfast!
Great points and analysis Metsie…I’d like to point out that David Ortiz was said to have lost his bat speed as attributed to his slumps in previous years and look at his stats this year. Bat speed is also something scouts use to explain declines but at 32 or 33 his bat speed shouldn’t be much of a concern. He’s more than likely doing something mechanically at the plate that is so minuscule, that it can’t be noticed. I wonder if the scouts actually measured his bat speed to determine if in fact his bat speed has slowed, and can attribute this slowing to something mechanical, or just not having it anymore.
Well thats where the confidence works as an amplifier for the Bat speed.
Lack of confidence causes you to not commit and adds delay to the start of a swing that needs to start sooner to get the head of the bat into the strike zone.
In Bay’s case he has tried to compensate but then gets out front and rolls over on it which explains al;l the Weak ground balls to the right side.
If he could just stay healthy long enough he could possibly pull himself out of it!
That confidence is also causing him to wait for a pitch that is never going to get better than the ones he has been taking….
As was pointed out he takes the first two fat fastballs and then weakly sways at the breaking ball and rolls over on it.
He should go up there and be more aggressive but I think his confidence is shot and truth is he should have been left in the Minors during his rehab until he hit down there before he was thrown back into facing the MLB pitching.
Maybe the multiple concussions have contributed to his lack of bat speed. Even David Wright wasn’t himself after he was beaned.
It takes a while to recover totally, and then he gets hurt again. I think the way he’s always banging into the wall. shows he’s not athletically gifted. Yes, he’s fearless, and plays hard for the team, but athletic is a different story. I mean, countless other outfielders manage to avoid the wall day-in and day-out.
I don’t know, maybe the conks on the head, and not being supremely athletic have conspired to rob him of his batting skills.
LOL Barry maybe, but Wright was afraid of inside Pitches due to the beaning, Bay still seems to have no fear regarding OF walls though!
But seriously the missed time does affect you just as the missed time hurt Ike it takes time and regular ABs vs MLB pitching to get up to speed and hit them.
But it seems that in the past whenever bay came close to breaking out he would get hurt again and miss even more time…
Truth is while it might be possible for him to get back to what he was we really shouldn’t bother trying as by the time he does figure it out his contract will be up anyway!
Lets just call it a failure and move on.
WHile it’s a shame we will have wasted all that money on him it would be an even greater shame to waste a roster spot on top of it!
Bay stinks. Kiner is right about him. He goes up there, takes two fastballs down the middle then swings at a change or a curve in the dirt. He never has the count going his way. Truth is, he does not seem to be able to drive a fastball even when he knows one is coming.
What nonsense! Jason Bay is simply no longer a major leaguer. His career is over. Forget about 2013. Use him as a pinch hitter, if you must. Better still, release him and take the hit. It’s worth it not to have to endure seeing him look so pathetic in the batter’s box. Anyone in his place would make watching the Mets more tolerable.