Sounds like WAR is telling us something we didn’t already know. So many teams – just from my own memories dating back to the sixties – often employed a no-hit great fielder as a regular for they recognized his importance day in and day out with saving runs and helping the pitchers than they did his offensive liability which literally created two holes in the order – the 8th and 9th spot – which curtailed many a big scoring opportunity.

Other teams employed the opposite – a fair (not great) hitter whose timely hitting was more important than his glove having some defensive holes in it.

WAR cannot begin to measure a player’s total contributions to their team in one statistic. There are the intangeables that are not captured in statistics but seen and felt every day. A perfect example is the 1969 Miracle Mets and Ed Charles. About a year ago I was blasted by some for commenting on how vital the Glider was to the team – it was ludicrious to infer that a 36 year old .207 hitter who played in just 61 games and drove in 18 runners could have been of any iimportance, especially a signficant role as I was suggesting.

Yes, based on the stats, he was a scrub. Based on what he meant to the young team in the clubhouse, dugout and the times he was on the field was immeasurable as many of the young players acknowledged his veteran leadership helped turn them into Champions.

Read up on what the players had to say and you’ll understand why many of us say one needs not to look at a mathematical formula but would find more pleasure and deeper appreciation by watching a player perform within the framework of his team and seeing all those intangibles first hand. Or, does WAR have a factor for chemistry and leadership factor to account for it’s calculations?

That’s why stats are fun but don’t lose sight that the real joy of the game is that it is a past-time with a human soul unlike any other sport in the world and looking at players, teams and strategy in terms mainly of stats ignores all that spirit – as we have seen with this front office for example.

If the kid can’t provide adequate offense, he’s going to have to spend time in the minors until he can. Especially since he’s a lefty trying to get onto a lefty heavy team.

Forget about the runs saved by his glove….
The question of MDD is CAN he hit MLB Pitching, Does he need time to adjust to it the same as when he needed each time he jumped a level in the Minors and if so does it make sense to wait till he ajdusts to AAA and have him struggle again when he finally DOES come up or does it just make more sense to let him play everyday. KNOW the glove is sound and give him time to show he can hit MLB Pitching in a year where even if he doesn’t it won’t cost this team a Playoff it never had a shot at no matter WHO you played out there or bat 8th?

I would be fine if they made MDD the everyday CF, Duda in LF and let Cowgill and Valde/Baxter platoon in the RF position until such time as one of them wins it outright or we make a trade for a guy like Stanton who can beat everyone else involved….

If the Latter happens and MDD still isn’t hitting then you got Cowgil, MDD and Valde to fight for playing time at CF.

Second he wasn’t on camera and did not expect someone to tweet it word for word….

Perhaps they did because of His poor attitude in the past perhaps not….

But if me and you were playing a game in Central park and you asked me I probably say the same thing to you!

When he says something like that on camera thats broadcast live then there is something to chastise him for.

A reporter asked a dumb question and he got an answer….
Just an unexpected one and one unsuitable for media yet notice the media didn’t think twice about putting it out there did they?

He wasn’t in front of a camera and was probably just standing next to the guy when he said it and didn’t expect the reporter to tweet it word for word!

Your right though JDD….You do have to cut him some slack for the language a bit…
I thought it was just hilarious myself….

Almost as good as Casey saying if you don’t have a catcher your going to have a lot of passed balls….He was being serious when he said that too!

Much ado about nothin…
The fact Verlander Drilled him might be a bit more telling…..But maybe thats what the kid needs to see showboating in the MLB when you haven’t proved anything is not the smartest thing to do.

If the Met’s could be happy with Duda doing that, he could probably hit between 280 and 300 with 15 to 25 bombs a year and drive in 90 rbi. Sadly they are pushing the mild mannered Duda to be something and someone he is not meant to be. Home Run hitters are born that way and it’s not just having power but, its also a mentality. Duda does not have it. He also does not seem capable of handling the NYC spot light.

so if Tejada went down, expect to see filler like last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksgm1RgvAms

as to carrying a glove only guy, you can get away with it if the rest of the lineup can cover, but you have to have a certain level of team offense, so can’t really have multiple black holes if you expect to ever score.

But im sure if i took u to another country where u barely know the language, in the biggest and hungriest media capital on earth, nothing u say would ever be taken out of context.

though if Spin actually won the MI backup job, that would let them essentially keep 6 OFs, but you better hope Tejada never takes an inning off!

the OF should be

Duda
Matt Den Dekker
JV1

Bench

Marlon Byrd – RHB
Baxter – LHB

done and done