Kirk Nieuwenhuis Gets Leadoff Opportunity

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• Lareplus February 22, 2013 at 3:21 am

  I think we all have to be hopeful. While we haven’t seen great things from any of the people who are lined up for a slot in the outfield, we have seen some glimpses of good things. Whether anything good can be sustained is just yet unknown.

  I have been a Mets fan from day one, when I was a little kid, and I have seen miracles from the Mets, and with the pitching depth and the strengths we have in the infield, maybe all we need from the outfield is to hold it’s own.

  It’s happened before and it can happen again. . .you gotta believe!

  Isn’t that what someone said?
• Just-Da-Damaja February 22, 2013 at 6:27 am

  SideNote: David Wright just spoke about his reaction to the Chase Utley dirty slide on Ruben Tejada

  Wright said he took a similar approach nearly three years ago after Utley knocked Tejada practically into left field with a borderline dirty slide, and the Mets showed little response.

  “I got to second base the next day,” recalled Wright, “and during a pitching change I called Chase over and I told him what I thought of the slide. He said, ‘Hey David, I play second base, if you want to do that, come after me.’

  “Chase plays hard and he expects us to play hard. As much as I didn’t like it, I respected his explanation and I moved on. I just think handling stuff privately is more important than beating your chest in front of the cameras and say, ‘I’m going to do this or I’m going to do that.’ That’s just talk.

  ——-

  now that is COMPLETE BS….

  in 2010, Wright was the first one in front of the camera, giving hard looks

  Wright was critical of Utley after Friday’s game, in which the Phillies second baseman slid hard into Ruben Tejada in an effort to break up a fifth-inning double play.

  “Chase plays the game hard,” Wright said. “He plays the game passionately. But there’s a thin line between going out there and playing the game hard and going out there and trying to get somebody hurt.”

  “He’s a second baseman,” Wright said when asked if Utley’s slide was clean. “He knows what it’s like to turn a double play, and he knows the difference between a good, clean slide and a slide that’s late. That’s a better question for him. But if he doesn’t mind guys coming like that after him, then everything’s good.”

  —————————————-

  So Wright has tough talk in front of the camera in 2010….than in 2013, says he doesnt do the talking in public and would rather have a private convo…so when Chase Utley says..well if u have a problem with my slide…YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CHANCE AT ME…has David ever retaliated? NOPE…

  this is almost as funny as Mike Piazza admitting he took karate lessons for his next AB with Clemens….

  super side note: at least Beltran ( on 1 leg back) in 2010, attempted to take out Utley…

  http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.439897.1314584710!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/alg-beltran-out-jpg.jpg
  • Alex68 February 22, 2013 at 7:24 am

    Are you surprised??
  • srt February 22, 2013 at 8:11 am

    John Harper – Daily News

    David Wright, who has NY Mets mega-contract, more assertive with age and speaking his mind

    http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/harper-older-wiser-met-life-wright-article-1.1270603#ixzz2LdIrIFh9

    ‘David Wright has always been as guarded as Derek Jeter, the man to whom he has often been compared, most recently when owner Fred Wilpon last week called him “our Jeter.’’

    But Wright is 30 now, engaged, in possession of what amounts to a Met-for-life contract, and suddenly he is sounding like a man who is becoming more assertive with age, willing to speak his mind for the good of baseball as well as his ballclub.’

    ‘As Wright continues to evolve, mature, whatever, he is likely to take more of a leadership role than ever, not only as the Mets’ elder statesman but someone who knows he’s going to be here for the long haul after signing his eight-year, $138 million contract extension in December.’

    “I’ll make my point but I’m not going to embarrass people and start dividing the clubhouse. I’ve gradually become more comfortable doing that type of thing, and now I’m extremely comfortable” says Wright.

    ‘He’s starting to sound as if he just might.’
    • Alex68 February 22, 2013 at 8:22 am

      Biggest phony in franchise history……
      • srt February 22, 2013 at 8:31 am

        Harper disagrees with you.
      • Alex68 February 22, 2013 at 8:44 am

        Signs ofg a phoney:

        It’s not about the money, i’ve made enough in my life to be ok…. Holds the frachise with financial issues hostage until he can squeeze out the last dollar of the contract… PHONY

        I wanna win, i’ll wait for the moves etc and see the direction of the team before i sign back with them… As soon as contract was offered, he signed without the team doing a single move in the offseason…. PHONY

        That utley situation… PHONY

        That strikeout against the cubs in 2008…. PHONY
        • srt February 22, 2013 at 9:07 am

          ‘It’s not about the money, i’ve made enough in my life to be ok…. Holds the frachise with financial issues hostage until he can squeeze out the last dollar of the contract… PHONY’

          ???

          If he wanted to make more money, he could have just waited and went FA.

          ‘MLBPA chief on Wright’s deal: “David understood that if he went out to market he’d probably make more $, and perhaps substantially more $.”
          • Alex68 February 22, 2013 at 9:11 am

            You cannot be this naive…If he wanted to make more money???? That means, he needed to come in this year, perform good all season instead of only the first half like last year, remember the second half? You think he was gonna risk $138 million dollar from the mets to have the pressure to perform this year to get pay? You’re crazy….. I get you like the guy, but we’ve seen enough from him to know he’s a phony. i am not surprise one bit at the things he does….
            • taskmaster4450 February 22, 2013 at 10:01 am

              Alex,

              I dont think you can bash Wright for that. Most players are seeing the light with that and going after extensions. If Wright performed reasonably this year (without getting hurt) he WOULD have made more money on the FA market. However, he would be a fool to risk tens of millions of dollars on that. Any player is. Cano is talking extension with the Yankees. If he is offered close to the $200M he is reportedly seeking, he needs to take it. Votto, Cain, and Hamels all took the money while getting themselves locked up for basically the rest of their careers. It is a sound business decision. Look at Lincecum….he turned down 9 figures last year and had a crap year. Lucky for him he is signed for a bout $20M this year but if he doesnt bounce back, that will cost him a boat load of money.

              You are over the line with your Wright bashing…you hatred seeps into all your posts. I agree with you he isnt the poster child some make him out to be. Wilpon was right when he said he wasnt a superstar…he isnt. Wright is a very good ball player who puts up consistent numbers (albeit inconsistently)….he is a star. Is that worth $138M? Who knows what anyone is worth when talking these numbers (at $400K the President is severely underpaid).

              Do I think the Mets should have at least shopped Wright to judge his trade value before signing him? Yes. Will the 8 year contract bite them in the ass? Yes if for no other reason than 8 year contracts rarely work out well especially when signed when a guy is 30. Does Wright need to show more emotion to be an effective leader? In my opinion yes. Is Wright a guy who can “carry” a team? Not in my view. But I dont agree that he is the garbage you portray him to be either. I understand how many want to make him out to be like Pujols, Fielder, or Kemp. He isnt. But that does not mean he is worthless either. He has most Mets records for a reason. Sure longevity has a lot to do with it but he still had to produce year in and year out to get there. He is a .300 career hitter with over 200 HRs,150+ SBs, and 1500 hits (roughly) Ultimately he will go down as one of the best Mets ever to wear the uniform (at least of everyday players) which is due in part to their pathetic existence for 50 years. Yet the fact that everyone else was so bad does not diminish what he did.

              Just some food for thought.
              • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 11:50 am

                Cano is talking extension with the Yankees. If he is offered close to the $200M he is reportedly seeking, he needs to take it. Votto, Cain, and Hamels all took the money while getting themselves locked up for basically the rest of their careers. It is a sound business decision. ”

                Cano…Cain….Hamels….Howard…..

                all play for very competitive teams….

                none of them sacrificed dollars for the sake of “winning”
            • Alex68 February 22, 2013 at 10:27 am

              Task, i am not bashing him for that, however, his phony BS he can leave outside the door. he should’ve kept his mouth closed when it comes to this, because as we all know, if the mets offered a good amount of cash he was gonna sign to stay here no matter how shitty the team looks, so all that phonyness about he didn’t need the money, he wanted to win is just that BS. also, the fact that after he signed we traded a CY Winner and did nothing else to improved the team is incredible to me he still comes out and say he likes the direction of the team. . he’s a phony who did good in the first half and got paid, while i don’t blame him for taking the money, one cannot forget the things he said prior to taking the deal. trust me, it’s both ways, if he decides to wait this year to be a FA he ran the risk of getting injure or maybe have a shitty second half as he did. the mets overpaid, he got his money move on… but still he’s a phony.. and a choker…
              • taskmaster4450 February 22, 2013 at 10:52 am

                Actually Alex, there is one problem with your argument: Wright signed the extension before Dickey was traded. He signed December 4; Dickey was traded two weeks later.

                http://newyork.sbnation.com/2012/12/4/3727500/new-york-mets-david-wright-extension

                http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dicker.01.shtml#trans

                As for him being a phoney, I am not sold on that. He does want to win as do most players. And I am sure lots of things went into his decision with the Mets including (very highly) the money. He is probably telling the truth when he said that he is comfortable in the Mets organization and wanted to resign because of friends he has. How many people in the corporate world make this same decision? Was the money secondary? Not likely. Did he offer a discount? Not by much, if at all. Wright got paid and that was important to him. But if he wanted maximum dollars FA was the way to go albeit with increased risk.

                Plus the other part of your basis for him being a phoney is believing that the Mets wont win anytime soon. I dont agree with that and, evidently, nor does Wright. This organization isnt that far from competitiveness.
                • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 11:47 am

                  and since signing…….wright has never once even remotely criticized the front office for not signing a player…not trading for a player….or basically anything ever…
          • TRS86 February 22, 2013 at 9:12 am

            Good lord am I bored of this conversation. There’s no point to it. They hate the guy, so moving on.
            “Oh I don’t hate the guy, he’s just a phony”. LOL.
          • Alex68 February 22, 2013 at 9:20 am

            “I don’t love the guy” But as soon as there’s a negative comment about him or his image i will do anything on my power to defend him, his dimples and his honor… Since 2008 your love and affection for the guy has no end… Now Moving on……………..
            • Wright's Dimples February 22, 2013 at 8:50 pm

              Alex68 — Wright’s dimples? Sometimes you make me wonder!!! But whatever turns you on.
    • alwayzamazin February 22, 2013 at 9:08 am

      more of a leadership role than ever? where was the leadership the 2nd half of last year? can’t make excuses about beltran or reyes dividing the clubhouse.
      his own manager said it looked like the team quit-he didn’t say the team EXCEPT for Captain Clutch
      sure, i like a nice pair of dimples but this is baseball not the movies, give me a captain with a pair where it counts!
      • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 11:51 am

        “sure, i like a nice pair of dimples but this is baseball not the movies, give me a captain with a pair where it counts!”

        and this is what i have always gotten at…

        the wilpons treat the season like a set of 162 movies they have to sell tickets to….
    • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 8:49 am

      yes this article sounds like a reporter who gets along with wright…

      if the reporter did NOT get along with wright, he would’ve been calling him out on the stuff i just did now.

      in a couple of years, when there are no more other folks to blame….and the mets are sub-500 again..and its just a boring August day, and if Wright is going through his annual 2nd half dive…..the same reporters will eventually write negative articles about wright…

      then everytime he looks at the field, its a dirty look, a scowl, he doesnt get along with the manager….an unconfirmed source said he was seen having an argument with a teammate….

      Mike Lupica nailed it perfectly the other day

      “– Kevin Youkilis, who has one of the biggest hearts in baseball and has always had one of the dirtiest uniforms, speaks from the heart about the Red Sox this week and you immediately got the idea that he’s slashed the tires on Joe Girardi’s car.

      You know why?

      Because it takes nothing these days for something to be treated as a controversy.
      No, check that.

      It takes less than nothing when we exist in a sports culture where we require a Big Story for every single news cycle.”

      “where we require a Big Story for every single news cycle”

      write that and put it up on ur fridge…

      now u know how the wilpons use the press to their advantage….

      i can see it going down like this…

      Jeff: Hey Adam, you need a story? I got a big one for u
      Adam: Hey Jeff, whatcha got ?
      Jeff: Yeah we had a trip to the walter reed hospital and some guys didnt show up
      Adam: which ones?
      Jeff: Beltran, Castillo, and Ollie….Gee didnt show up either but I gave him a pass
      Adam: thanks, Jeff, my boss was really pressing me for a story, clicks are down since last wk
      Jeff: No problem, just say you heard from an unconfirmed source that I was raging mad
      Adam: I know the deal Jeff, no names
  • taskmaster4450 February 22, 2013 at 9:35 am

    In my view, this attitude is a big problem. Wright, Murphy, Duda, Tejada, and the rest are cardboard cutouts. They show little emotion. In other words, they are too nice.

    Think of that ’86 team. Yes they had a chip on their shoulder but they backed it up. And, teams knew that antics werent going to fly with the Mets. Most on here will recall the lesson that Eric Davis received at the hands of Ray “I fought in the Golden Gloves” Knight when he came into 3rd in a manner deemed unacceptable to Knight. How many fights did that ’86 team have? Pitchers threw at a Met and there was going to be some type of retaliation.

    Now I am not advocating dirty play. But the fact was players showed emotion. Carter wore his heart on his sleeve. Hernandez did nothing to hide is displeasure at something. Backman and Dystra were fiery players. Knight, Mitchell, and Straw were always willing to throw down if needed. Their passion came through. Sure they had players like Teufel, Mookie, and others who were “cool customers”. However, they were offset by the others.

    What are the Mets now? A bunch of pansies and Wright is at the top. The situation with Collins against Milwaukee last season was the first time I saw him show emotion at that level. That is sad coming from a leader. Once in a while a gasket needs to be blown especially in a competitive game. The only one on the team with any overt passion is Valdy. That is probably why I like him and want to give him a chance (that and the fact that he is the only one with decent athletic ability). He argued with the HP ump about a bad call in a game the Mets were out of…that shows a fighter. Sure many can say his attitude is bad. So what? A team needs a few bad (ass) attitudes if it is going to be successful. This team has too many guys who resemble the bottom of pizzas boxes.
    • van February 22, 2013 at 9:47 am

      also a team that should have won a few more WS if they hadn’t partied themselves into the ground, and gotten broken up due to it.
      • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 8:33 am

        if keith and carter were in their mid-20′s instead of their mid-30′s….i think we dont drop off that quick in 89-90….
    • Identity Theft February 22, 2013 at 10:13 am

      Murphy is a cardboard cutout? Puhleeze!!! I must be watching an imposter. Actually Murphy is filled with emotion, guts and is always ready for the next challenge.
      • Fonzie13 February 22, 2013 at 10:42 am

        When was the last time a Met took out a catcher blocking home? Ty Wigginton! How often do you see a Met take out the 2nd baseman or shortstop breaking up a DP? Task is right. This team hasn’t shown any balls since those late 80′s teams. Even the Piazza led Mets didn’t retaliate after one of theirs got knocked down. They need a few guys like that on the team.
        • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 8:36 am

          to be fair…..most of their fiery pitchers were closers…

          franco….
          benitiez ( dont laugh )
          wagner
          k-rod

          santana has the heart of a lion….but he’s never been known to be a head-hunter…

          the only SP i can recall like that was Pedro….and like keith and carter, we got him at the tail end of his career, only getting a few miles out of him….
    • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 11:48 am

      LOL ===> This team has too many guys who resemble the bottom of pizzas boxes.
  • hotstreak February 22, 2013 at 10:50 am

    David as we all know IMHO rightfully has a reputation of being soft. There was an important exception and I remember it well. It was Utley’s dirty slide into Tejeda.

    What DW said made me proud of him. He said It they (meaning the Phillies) are going to slide like that then maybe we should change our approach how we slide.

    For that one brief instance DW shed his image of being soft.
    • taskmaster4450 February 22, 2013 at 10:54 am

      Let me ask you a question, do you think if that slide took place with Hernandez at first or Knight at third, that Utley would have gotten off the field without one of them in his ear?
      • hotstreak February 22, 2013 at 12:30 pm

        Some and I thought you were one of them call me a DW basher. I am because a lot of his play is soft. However what he said (not did) still for that one brief instance made me change my opinion of him. Sadly he went back to being Mr. Wright a.k.a. Nice Guy. We all know where they finish.
        • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 10:21 pm

          ….this used to be us

          http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19971805
    • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 8:31 am

      heres the thing though…

      david only appeared tough in front of the camera…

      he just said….that chase utley told him, if he had a problem with the slide…that HE will have a chance to slide into 2B, so basically…if u want some..BRING IT….

      David has never taken Mr. Utley up on that offer…

      Carlos Beltran instead…did none of that tough talk poser boy BS…he just tried to take Utley AND the SS out AT THE SAME TIME…and mind u…he did that when he had a BAD KNEE…

      http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.439897.1314584710!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/alg-beltran-out-jpg.jpg

      sorry…but….the team is in essence a reflection of its owner…

      SOFT…NICE….and occasionally they say the right things….

      when u get someone who IS outspoken and shows a LITTLE emotion….most times the wilpons run them out of town…crap on em in the press…and the little sheep just follow suit
• van February 22, 2013 at 9:40 am

  Odds of Kirk playing FT and putting up a .275/.350 line are pretty slim. now, if they platoon him with Cowgill, it is certainly within reach.
• taskmaster4450 February 22, 2013 at 9:47 am

  A terrific article John and wonderful humor mixed in. You are correct. On the grand scale, there are things a lot worse in the world than the 2013 Mets roster. In fact, it is important to keep baseball in its proper perspective.

  As for the team itself, I am glad you spelled out what you think. I am in agreement that things are no where what the doom and gloom people proclaim. Alderson is following a model that leads to success. It is proven repeatedly. Not only has he utilized it but teams such as the Yankees, Giants, Cardinals, Phillies, and others have done so in the past couple decades.

  Are the Mets there yet? Nope. But they are far from the Marlins at this point. They are an organization on the rise and the patience used by Mets fans, even if forced will pay off. There is talent ascending towards the major leagues. 2014 and 2015 will see a lot of it entering into NYC. Fans just need to be patient.

  As for Mr Weiner and saying the Mets need to spend money, I think it was Rubin who wrote that someone should tell him that the last 3 WS winners had an average payroll of $111M. But then again, what would you expect a rep from the union to say other than promoting of higher salaries; that is his job.
• Russell Zanca February 22, 2013 at 10:05 am

  Kirk can at least give decent D in CF.
• jdon February 22, 2013 at 12:51 pm

  one thing I learned last year: Kirk is a minor leaguer. cannot hit a good fastball belt high or above. hard to improve bat speed. he is a bat head dropper. quicker down below, late upstairs. strikeout machine.
• Sloatsburg Mets Fan February 22, 2013 at 7:47 pm

  “Biggest phony in franchise history……”

  Says the biggest fugazi tough guy, cyber bully on the planet
• Sloatsburg Mets Fan February 23, 2013 at 9:05 am

  Just,

  I understand what you are saying and to a point I agree with you. You are entitled to have your opinion and so is everyone else. Regarding D. Wright, correct me if I’m wrong but you fall under the not a big fan column, yes? Yet you framed your argument with fact based examples and didn’t take to character assassinations of a man who has a sterling reputation of being a good guy.

  It is your choice what players you like and don’t like just no need to character kill a guy who is known as a “good guy”. I can see if it were a guy that was known to be a jerk then maybe you take that into consideration.
  • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 10:45 am

    The thing is…its BIGGER than just Wright….I actually think Wright is ok….to me he is just another athlete paid to entertain…he does some nice things here and there for folks…i’ll never forget the espn special with that lil kid that had cancer and wright visiting him….but imo…he…like 99.999% of the athletes out there…are really about self….thats why i find it shocking that 2 of the biggest humanitarians baseball has produced in the past 20 years, also were the 2 of the most productive players in met history…….were both villianized at some point by the front office during their tenure here….Beltan with the walter reed incident…and Dickey on his way out….

    to make this about Wright would be very misleading…

    this type of stuff has been going on since the early 90′s…the mets as a whole have been soft…weak….

    20 years ago, this is what Fred Wilpon said about the transition from the 86 mets to the 92 mets

    The most ruinous of their mistakes took three basic forms: miscalculation or outright ignorance of the intangibles winning players need, particularly in New York; quick-fix trades that recklessly disregarded long-term effects; and the disastrous breakup of what was supposed to be a seamless passing of the front-office command from chief operating officer and general manager Frank Cashen to his lieutenants, McIlvaine and Harazin. Wilpon is positively penitential in acknowledging all three elements. “Not enough emphasis was placed on the mix of people and the chemistry that are essential to winning,” Wilpon says. “It was almost like Rotisserie baseball.”

    basically…to sum it up….

    it seems that if u have a set of cojones on this team….u will at some point take it out on the other team ( the wilpons dont mind so long as u dont embarrass the league and bud ) ..BUT occasionally you will hold the front office accountable as well…

    Beltran defying the wilpons and getting surgery ( which proved to be the RIGHT move )…led to the Walter Reed hospital incident…

    Dickey defying the wilpons orders not to climb Killma. mountain….and also saying how the team felt when ownership punted on 2011….and a few other things…basically led to the team making him a villian 3 weeks before he was traded….

    Wright is the poster boy for the type of player the wilpons have been dying to have….basically a more talented version of Gregg Jeffries…

    good looking….marketable….wont fight with anyone….a hit at the box office…and occasionally at the plate…at least enough to keep the marketability going…
  • Just-Da-Damaja February 23, 2013 at 11:29 am

    actually…i fall under the category of…keeping david wright is ok, so long as you surround him with veteran leaders who provide all-star caliber production

    the contract is not prohibitive…its fair market value from an annual year perspective….

    my thing is this….

    there is NO point in keeping david wright…if u cant keep david wright and cant surround him with all-stars even when they were available….and with any free-agent…u can come up with excuses not to sign them…

    this is what a potential lineup could’ve looked like…

    1 – Bourn – 12 mil
    2 – Tejada – 500K
    3 – Murphy – 3 mil
    4 – Wright – 8 mil
    5 – Ike – 3 mil
    6 – BJ Upton – 15 mil
    7 – Duda – 500K
    8 – Travis – 500K

    that right there is roughly 50 mil….

    add in the rotation…and the relief crew…and payroll STILL does not touch 90 mil

    the mets saying that johan = 31 mil and counting Bay’s entire 18 mil salary is just their way of justifying not signing folks…

    next year…in a much THINNER free-agent class…they’ll sign wally to be manager…and point to the thin class as to why they didnt sign anyone…and just use wally ball to sell tickets

    signing wright + signing nobody = status quo… ( no gamble….more than likely )

    signing wright + signing some top free-agents = potential progress ( highly likely )

    trading wright for top prospects = potential progress ( gamble )