From Left Field: Source With Knowledge Praises Travis d’Arnaud

10 Comments + Add Comment

• jon February 14, 2013 at 12:40 pm

  Thanks Jim but my only reassurance will come from him playing a full major league season at a high level (hopefully many but not necessarily at the level of the ridiculous hype but a high level.) Until then like most of our guys, excepting Wright and Niese and maybe Davis, its all hope.
• Joey D. February 14, 2013 at 1:29 pm

  Hi Jim,

  No doubt d’Arnaud looks good, however, as stated by Anthony ” is that d’Arnaud has spent time on the disabled list in each of the past few seasons, with his major injury – a torn posterior cruciate ligament last summer – shutting him down for several months.”

  Know he has been examined extensively by our own medical staff (no jokes, please) but as we know, when Jose Reyes was physically sound there was always that concern about his suspetability to injury. At such a young age, a catcher who already has suffered with back problems is also something to be concerned about. We’ll just have to see.
  • METS62FAN February 15, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    JOEY, AS FAR AS MY 57+ YRS OF MLB FAN EXPERIENCE IS CONCERNED INJURY CONCERNS ARE AS MUCH A PART OF THE “TOOLS OF IGNORANCE” AS MASK, SHIN GUARDS, CHEST PROTECTOR, BIG MITT.
    AS LONG AS HE CAN KEEP HIS EYES WIDE OPEN TO CATCH THE PITCH HE’S A HUGE PLUS OVER THOLE. EVEN IF HE ONLY PLAYS OUT HITTING AS A STEARNS OR DeLUCA & NOT A PIAZZA OR HODGES. HE WARRANTS BEING A SURE-FIRED + OVER HIS PREDECESSORS AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE PRESENTLY CATCHING IN OUR SYSTEM.
    • Joey D. February 15, 2013 at 12:17 pm

      HI 62,

      OK – you got a few years over me since I’m sure your 57 years of MLB fan experience didn’t start the day you could say “Metsie” as Casey would have said. LOL.

      The only concern with d’Arnand was with his back which was caused by a condtion and not injury. Who knows, it might not come up again and let’s hope it doesn’t. It’s just that we are starting to hear whispers out of spring training – not major but something – about his health being a bit more of a concern than when the trade was made.

      We hear whispers all over the place that never amount to anything, too. I’ve seen that in my 52 years of being an original new breeder!

      Good speaking to you again, hope all is going well.

      Joey
      • METS62FAN February 15, 2013 at 12:45 pm

        JOEY, I’VE LONG SUSPECTED THERE ARE REPORTERS THAT CHOOSE TO SEW DISCORD IN ORDER TO REAP EASY READERSHIP NUMBERS, IMO, NEARLY EVERY TEAM IN & AROUND NY HAS THOSE PRACRTICING THE BLACK ARTS OF YELLOW SKEPTICISM FROM THE WILLIAM HURST SCHOOL UNDER THE CURRICULUM MARKED “JOB SECURITY” EUPHEMISTACALLY ENTITLED CREATIVE WRITING 101 & BEYOND. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW NY WRITERS I’VE COME TO TRUST,i.e. MADDEN, HARPER,VACARRO,DAVIDOFF
        THOSE ARE MY CHOICES SIMPLY BECAUSE I HAVE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER CORRESPONDED WITH EACH AT LENGTH & FOUND THEM BOTH RESPECTFUL & THOUGHTFUL.

        JOEY, I ARRIVED @ 457 YRS PRIMARILY BECAUSE MY EARLIEST DATED MLB MEMORY WAS BEING SUPRISED ON SUMMER AFTERNOON @ AGE 6 WITH MY IMPETUOUS ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER’S PROCLAIMATION OF, “PICK UP ALL YOUR TOYS, WE’RE GOING TO TODAY’S BASEBALL GAME()DODGERS)” IT WAS, AS I RECALL TOAY MY VERY FIRST ‘LIVE’ MLB EXPERIENCE HAVING PREVIOUSLY BEEN LIMITED TO OUR 16″ B&W PJILCO’S BROADCAST RECEPTION. FROM THAT AFTERNOON, I DISTINCTLY RECALL MY MOST LASTING IMPRESSION CAME AT THE END OF THE ESCALATOR RIDE WHEN MY BREATYH WAS TAKEN AWAY BY THE SHOCK OF BASEBALL’S COLOR, GREEN GRASS, RED CLAY, WHITE LINES, WHO WON, WHO THE OPIONENT WAS ALL PALED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THAT BREATHTAKING EXPERIENCE IN TRUEST TECHNICOLOR.
        • Joey D. February 15, 2013 at 1:08 pm

          HI 62,

          Then you got three years over me. My first baseball game was at Yankee Stadium in 1960 – a friday night against Kansas City. The Yankees either lost 4-2 or 5-2 and the only real memories I have of that night is the view from our lower deck seats around third base. I think we sat further toward the back because I do recall the overhang just about coming where the light stations in right were seen.

          I also have some vague memories of the 1960 world series – like walking with my mother probably on the Grand Concourse and a lady (probably a teenager but at that age, anyone older than 12 seemed like an adult) coming out to update an innng’s result on the large paper scoreboard they had set-up. Also remember our teacher bringing in big table-type radio into our fourth grade classroom to listen to some of the game. I think I remember when Maz hit the home run but it obviously didn’t have an impact on my – other than thinking wasn’t the Yankees always supposed to win the world series?

          Great memories.
          • METS62FAN February 16, 2013 at 11:02 am

            JOEY, NOT TO PLAY ONE-UPMANSHIP; BUT SIMPLY TO PARRY.. I’LL SEE YOUR TEACHER W/RADIO & RAISE U A CATHOLIC BISHOP FROM THE SUNDAY PULPIT. BISHOP RILEY, PASTOR OF “OUR LADY OF ANGELES” PARISH WAS RENONED FOR INSISTING HE, ALONE, CELEBRATE THE 9:00 AM SUNDAY ‘CHILDRES MASS” WHEREIN HIS WEEKLY HOMILY TYPICALLY BECAME A TWIB Re BROOKLYN DOPDGERS’ RECAP. WS PARTICIPATION OR NOT. BISOP RILEY WAS FAMOUS FOR TWO PROCLIVITIES HIS PASSIONS FOR KIDS & THE DODGERS, IT WAS THE FIRST DEDICASTION TYHAT PROMPTED HIS HONOR OF HAVING A BROOKLYN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL NAMED AFTER HIM BISHOP RILEY HS.

            WARNING TO MY FELLOW MMOers:

            UNDERSTAND I WILL TAKE AS A RAW, PERSONAL INSULT ANY HUMOROUS ATTEMPTS TO ALIGN TE BISHOP’S DEVOTION TO YOUTH WITH ANY OF THE SCANDALS PRESENTLY CHALLENGING THE CHURCH, BEING RUN, POORLY BY SHORTSIGHTED IDIOYS WHO GRADUATED FROM A SEMINARY AS THEIR (IR)RATIONAL FOR HONOR.

            BE FORWARNED! THIS IS A SPORTS , METS COMMENTARY PLATFORM.. THANK U IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR RESTRAINT.
            • Joey D. February 16, 2013 at 2:57 pm

              Hi ’62,

              Well, you one-upped me on that one.

              When I was in Hebrew School, one way to induce kids showing up for Sunday morning classes was an outing at Yankee Stadium. Needless to say, I lost out of my chance by watching Chuck McCann on Sunday mornings (like a lot of us did – don’t think the school had the money to take even a third of the student body LOL).

              There is a video that contains the only two known surviving broadcasts of the old Knothole Gang show that aired prior to Dodger games. One of them was on my fifth birthday and so whenever I see snippets of Jackie Robinson with the kids, I keep on thinking of what was happening with me that day back in 1956.
              • METS62FAN February 17, 2013 at 10:50 am

                JOEY, MY THIS REMINISCIENCE IS GREAT FOR THE SPIRIT, I MUST ADMIT THAT GROWING UP IN A COMPLETELY DODGER DOMINANT ENVIRONMENT, I PERSONALLY ONLY WAS EXPOSED TO NYY THROUGH THE 50s DURING OUR(MY 4Y OLDER COUSIN & I) NIGHTLY SUMMER STOOPBALL GAMES. LIVING IN A TYPICAL BAY RIDGE 2-FAMILY WITH 2 IDENTICAL STOOPS SEPARATED BY STAIRS TO SHARED BASEMENT. WE’D OFTEN REPRESENT OUR TEAMS,I WAS THE “BUMS”, OF COURSE, AND IN HIS TYPICAL ROLE OF COUNTER-CULTURALIST, MY COUSIN, TOM, WAS THE LONE YANKEE ENTHUSIAST, I BELIEVE UNDER 20 ON THE ENTIRE BLOCK. AS NIGHTLY WE RAGED OUR OWN INTERLEAGUE CONTESTS EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEPICTING A WS AS WE EACH HAD OUR OWN STOO[P TO DEPICT OUR HOME BALLYARD WE’D PLAY A BEST OF 7 ALTERNATING 7G SERIES BETWEEN STOOPS. I, FOR ONE CERTAINLY HAD THE ONLY HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE SINCE, FOR SOME REASON, TOM’S “HITS” TENDED TO SHOOT OFF ON A RH ANGLE SINCE THE SIDE HEDGES ON MY STOOP WERE ON THAT SIDE EACH BALL INTO A HEDGE WAS AN AUTOMATIC OUT, HIS STADIUM’S HEDGES BORDERED THE LH SIDE NEITHER OF US HAD DIFFICULTY AVOIDING. TYPICALLY WE WOULD ANNOUNCE WHCIH OF OUR HITTER’S AB WAS COMMENCING AS MORE LIKELY THERE WERE MANY MORE APPEARANCES BY MANTLE, HODGES & SNYDER THAN ONE SHOULD ACTUALLY HAVE. ATER ALL WE WERE JUST KIDS KEEPING A SELECT LINEUP STRAIGHT WAS NOT SOMETHING WE HELD EACH OTHER TO, PERHAPS SINCE IT ACTUALLY HAD NO BEARING AS WE WERE THE ACTUAL ‘HITTERS’ BE IT RIZZUTTO OR MICK AT BAT AS EACH HAD THE SAME LIKLIHOOD TO REACH ACROSS THE ENTIRE STREET ON A FLY, INCL OVER PARKED CARS, A POKE WORTHY OF IT’S AUTOMATIC HR DESPIGNATION
                MY POINT, BEING, IF NOT FOR THOSE NIGHTLY STOOP TILTS I COULD’VE EASILY TOTALY IGNORED WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE BRONX WS NOT WITHSTANDING.
                MY MOM & ‘NANA’ WRERE TOTALY HEARTBROKNE THEIR HARD EARNED “DOLLAR FOR THE DODGERS” CAMPAIGN TO KEEP THEM IN BKLYN HAD BEEN WASTED; HOWEVER NOT UNTIL 1962 DID THE NYM MAKE AN APPEARANCE NO THE STOOP WHERE THEY NEVER LEFT UNTIL TOM OUTGREW THE LEAGUE BY GOING TO HSIN ’63.
• Hank February 14, 2013 at 2:15 pm

  Better to hear than Travis is an overrated bum…but it still means nothing. Here’s to hoping the kid can both remain healthy and show us he’s worth the already overstated potential.