2
2013
Valdespin’s Hot Start Can Get Him A Look The In Outfield
An article by 
Updated by Joe D. on 2/28
I bet this will get some of you excited about the outfield situation…
Jordany Valdespin, who is now batting .455 in Grapefruit League play, after two more singles tonight, is suddenly back in the spotlight thanks to his sizzling start.
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reported that the talented, but often misunderstood utility player “could get a look in the outfield” according to manager Terry Collins.
So far, ‘Spin has been getting all of his playing time at second base mostly because Daniel Murphy (strained muscle) has been sidelined and still about a week from returning to action.
New kid on the block, Daniel Nelson has been very high on Valdespin and maybe he was onto something…
Original Posted by Daniel Nelson on 2/24
As some of you might know from my previous articles, I’m a Jordany Valdespin fan. The Mets’ intrasquad game and first Spring Training game against the Washington Nationals have only solidified my fandom.
Okay, okay. Maybe I wouldn’t necessarily have dinner with the guy, but are the Mets paying him to be a guy that you want to have dinner with? I don’t think so.
In the past two days, Valdespin has gone 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Not a bad way to start.
Yeah, maybe he’s incompetent when it comes to social media, but we should all cut the guy some slack. He’s only 25 after all. I’ve made more questionable decisions this weekend alone than he seems to have made in his entire career.
I know what you’re thinking, “But Dan, you’re not being paid millions of dollars to represent professional sports franchise.”
True. I’m not. Like I said though, are the Mets paying Valdespin to be an ambassador for the Mets? Not really. That’s why we have David Wright. The Mets pay, or should be paying, Valdespin to hit baseballs really hard and not embarrass himself in the outfield. I could care less what he does with his personal life. As long as he shows up and plays well, he’s met my expectations.
What I’m getting at is Valdespin is a key player in 2013. We’ve already seen some upside with the other outfielders. Albeit it’s incredibly early to be making educated opinions, the outfield doesn’t look as bad as everyone’s made it out to be. Those kinds of issues always come about during the offseason. All anyone can do is talk. Things tend to be overanalyzed. I think what we’ve seen in the last two days paints a clearer picture than anything anyone has written about over the offseason.
There will be healthy competition for playing time in the outfield. If Valdespin plays the way he has, he could be our best outfielder. He’s versatile. He has the speed to hit leadoff, pop to hit in the middle of the lineup and the ability to come off the bench and pinch hit effectively. He might piss off a few people along the way, but he is who he is.
With that being said, it’s just good to be watching baseball again. It’s good to hear Gary, Ron and Keith. It’s good to see the Mets win and it’s great to be a Mets fan.
What are your thoughts on what you’ve seen so far?
About the Author: Daniel Nelson
Dan Nelson is a junior at San Francisco State University majoring in Journalism and minoring in Economics. He was born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey where he grew up watching the Mets. Dan was also the recipient of the 2013/2014 Otto J. Bos Memorial Scholarship, the largest scholarship the SF State journalism department has to offer. You can follow him on Twitter @pacific_theme
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I saw the Mets spring training portraits the other day and when I saw Valdespins I had to read the caption below….I didn’t recognize him without his Marlins hat. No plate discipline, no maturity, no thanks. Good luck in Vegas JVal.
You DO realize that last year was his very first 190 ABs in the majors. You DO realize that don’t you? And since you have ’86′ in your name that leads me to believe that you were around back then so you should be well aware of players that are hackers.
They never change and just like any other time in baseball history when you have hitters like that we all know they are told to cut down on their swings every single day of their baseball lives. I’m sure you know that and I’m sure you know the game’s history is littered with excellent hitters who were hackers. And being that you were around in 86 you should also know that not all hitters have the same approach. They never did and never will. If Jordany is going to be successful he will do it HIS way and any talk about him cutting down on his swing is no different than any other time in baseball history for hitters like him and just because there is suddenly now a “one-size fits all philosophy” players aren’t just going to all magically have good eyes.
86mets you forgot something.
Didn’t you notice a better bat and speed than any other outfielder?
And his errors last year was at SS not outfield.
Yes we will save the best attitude award.
And just think, the weekend is only half over.
Good post. i agree. Valdespin is one of the more athletic guys on the team. i’ve been tracking him for the past 4 years and, although it’s been a frustrating experience at times, it’s obvious the guy is a talented baseball player. And he probably can adjust well to the OF. The main thing i worry about, is not his ability to perform on the field at the MLB level, but if he has a ‘nasty’ tabloid Back-Pager in the NY Post of the Daily News and all the harsh lights of the Metropolis are on him and the Mets. How rel is that risk? Who know? On ability alone, he wins a corner spot.
Valdespin is his own worst enemy right now. Remains to be seen if that talent translates to a ML position starter, as opposed to a utility player.
he has an interesting skill set though as a utility guy, so if he can make the team that way and embrace the tole (as in, don’t pout and act like a baby), it could be a big boost to the team.
Jordany is not a utility guy,
He’s a bundle of energy and will only be a starter. I doesn’t project to be a utility guy in my eyes. It’s going to take TIME to find out because last year was his first time ever in the major leagues and he went about only 60 ABs or so over for being eligible for rookie of the year this year. But I bet anybody money he’ll be a starter in time.
I actually agree with you, but they are going to platoon until the team falls out of contention. If that happens, I expect Flores and Valdespin to be playing everyday at 2B and CF…
I like Valdespin, I don’t see why he can’t win an OF spot. Baxter is the perfect 4th OFer, he can hit a little but may be overexposed playing everyday. Valdespin might be the closest thing we have to a natural lead-off hitter … especially if its true he’s become more selective over the winter. He’s got the talent, and I don’t really think he’s a head case, immature and silly maybe but he’s a competitor, the kid wants to win. I like that about him.
Yea I think one can say he may have been immature or silly in the past in how he has dealt with things based in part on things he himself has said about his past behavior but looking past that he looks to be blessed with the raw skills that can see him become a Big Leaguer. I think while he may never win a gold glove at any position if he can continue to work on and develop that age old baseball philosophy of not swinging at pitches outside the strike zone then who knows what he may end up being. This may prove to be a key year in his development with him now taking part in his 3rd season at AAA if he doesn’t break camp North with the team.
Let Spin play the outfield in Las Vegas all season. We have plenty of other options for this year. Don’t rush the kid. Let him learn to play the game well. The 51′s will be the best AAA squad this organization has had in 30 years. So many young studs. They could actually learn how to win.
This team has plenty of depth. No need to promote kids to sit the bench or as a DL replacement. Let then play every day in the minors.
Why can’t he be given a chance to win a job in Spring Training?
Bayonne, it’s evident Collins has Valdespin in his doghouse. If that was not the case, Valdespin would not be taking reps at 2nd base but rather in RF.
The link below and his hot ST will get Valdyspin out if Terry’s doghouse.
http://newyork.newsday.com/sports/terry-collins-wants-mets-to-be-aggressive-baserunners-1.4731576
wait,
And you also say that this team has plenty of depth. Enough depth that you’ve already decided to send Valdy to AAA before Spring Training practically starts? And also you already decided this Mets team has plenty of depth???????
Did you ever even attempt to consider that maybe we can just see how much depth this team has in Spring Training first before declaring that they have any depth?
It’s obvious you didn’t.
Hi Bayonne,
Depth may be a bit strong…we have options in the outfield.
Spin is 25 and conducts himself somewhat unprofessionally. He is a great talent but could use some polishing. He has minor league options remaining. He should get the chance to learn a new position without the added pressure of learning in New York.
This team brought in a lot of outfielders. Some has been’s. Others never were’s. I’d like to see them sink or swim first. I’d like to see the Mets not rush Spin to the majors.
He needs to play 2B in the spring, since we’re saddled with only “brick hands” Murphy at the spot. He only has to be competent to beat out Murphy, who is as over rated a ball player as I’ve seen in my 46 years on this planet. If he would mature a bit and not act like an entitled spoiled kid, he could only help.
I like Valdy and felt he deserved a chance last year. This kid is one of the multitude of reasons I dont like Collins. The Mets were out of it the last two months of the season yet he still had Valdy riding the bench. He should have been starting everyday to see what he could do against major league pitching. As was stated, his athletic ability is clear. And he does potentially fill a few holes on the team. But then Collins gets people pigeonholed and that is how it is.
Valdy should be given a shot to win the RF job. But instead, the Mets with their intellect are going to play him at 2B during ST. That makes sense. No clear cut RF yet Murphy, Turner, the kid from Oak (cant remember his name), and Flores in the wings all can play 2B.
This team needs a guy who exhibits a little life instead of the multitude of players who act like the bottom of a pizza box. Valdy is exactly what the team needs. The only question is can he hit major league pitching. Again, if he played the last two months of the season, we might have the answer. Sadly, we do not.
You think Spin still has his El Hombre T-shirt cause that seemed to go overr really well with his teammates.
There’s not denying he has a lot of talent but he seems to suffer from Lastings Milledge disease, million dollar talent $ 0.10 attitude. Be nice if he could turn it around.
RF is wide open. And at age 25, Valdespin really has a clear path to that job with Mike Baxter as the only obstacle. And Marlon Byrd maybe vs LHP.
I believe Wilmer Flores is the “backup plan” for 2b, with the longterm plan being better defense there, maybe from someone like P.Evans or G.Cecchini or shifting R.Tejada over eventually in case Flores doesn’t hit enough to justify looking over his probably mediocre at best defense.
I am with you on this. Not only Valdespin but Flores as well would change the heavy left handed lineup for the Mets. Lets face it, we know what Murphy is and brings. Both Valdespin and Flores have more to offer.
The Mets should seriously explore trades for both Murphy and Turner since they need to create space on the 40 man roster. Lutz can take Turner’s spot and Flores can take over for Murphy at 2B and by creating space on the 40 man roster, some players like Lutz don’t have to be exposed.
The way I look at it, a player like Flores can hit at least 15/20 hrs and drive in 70/80 and he is only going to get stronger. Lutz should play LF in case Duda continues to be a Dud the Mets would have another power bat to put on that spot. And lets not forget that Lutz has been a 300 hitter for a couple of years in the minors. He just has not been given an opportunity.
I like valdespin as much as anyone as a player but the attitude IS going to hold him back….
And his problem here is he has to beat Murphy for a job…
Murphy has about the BEST attitude you could ask for from an MLB player!
So that means Valde has to supremely out hit Murphy to take 2B from him permanently or Murphy has to get and stay hurt.
While the latter is possible the former is probably not…Murphy is a pretty consistent .290-.300+ hitter…Tall order to fill for Valde….
Maybe he can show more power that might entice them to trade Murphy but if the hitting is equal I do not see a GM keeping a potential attitude problem (which usually translates to off-field issues) over a Lockeroom Warrior who can hit.
Valdespins ultimate worth may be as a trade chip. We may live to complain about it if he overcomes the attitude and becomes the player his talent seems to suggest he ought to be….
But you could get a bit more for him than Murphy in trade and you sure don’t want to have to go through Arb and FA trying to keep a kid with his attitude and ego….
You will lose him anyway as a guy who thinks he is great already will be the first to go take the best offer he can get from somewhere else and you wind up losing him anyway….
Better to lose him on your own terms!
OMG…..I’m pinching myself to see if I am awake!!
While I don’t particularly like Valdespin because of the things you mentioned, I totally agree that his athleticism and his obvious pop makes him a good trade chip. I am kind of amazed that no one in the organization has sat him down about his attitude and taken him down a few pegs because he’s a Mookie Wilson type of a guy skills wise. It’s a shame but maybe trading him would be best unless e comes back to haunt us!
Another Kevin Mitchell after he is traded. There are wife beaters playing. As long as he is NOT Delmon Young like or on PED’s (he worked out to bulk up) who cares as long as he produces on the field. Want nice root for Jason Bay.
Yes Hotstreak but lets be clear here….
As far as producing on the field all we really have are 3-4 Pinch Hich cold off the bench HRs from him at the MLB level and a Good season in Winter ball and ST….
I agree if he performs no one will care about the attitude…
But it really is a stretch to say he HAS performed yet…
Yeah he jacked one out in ST vs a Pitcher who was probably getting his first start and working on throwing strikes not getting a guy out.
Kids ALWAYS do great at the beginning of ST and then when the Vets and Pitchers catch up it’s all gone…
He will get into games no doubt about that and what he does there will determine if he is a performer or not.
Totally agree. Look at my post in this thread on February 24, 2013. I saw him take BP. It was a contest in BP between Valdy and Cowgill. Valdy actual looked bulked up (no fat) like Kevin Mitchell. He was hitting like him too. Long moon shots. Guess what it carried over into the game. Cowgill in BP was purposely hitting doubles and singles to RF at will. Then at will when he wanted to he pulled it deep. Guess what it carried on to the field. I saw them in that game. Guess what all ST those two are a hitting machine. I realize hotstreaks end. The trick is what you do after you cool down. DW is very bad at that. In summary if Valdy’s bat is a force he will play regularly. Its a long spring and a marathon season/
Are they a hitting machine when facing Fully Up To Speed MLB pitchers or do they just look like that in BP and ST because the guys throwing the ball really were not throwing the same they will when they count?
Thats the only point I was trying to make….
Kingman used to hit 20 out of the park in BP but then when the Pitcher was trying to get him out he hit one after we were down 5-0! LOL
ALL I’m trying to get accross here is as good as he looks now most of that is a product of him playing Baseball ALL WINTER…He is still in game shape and sharpness.
Not true for Duda and the Pitchers he is facing at this time.
Yes he HAS the potential to win the job from Duda but considering those 15 HRs and 55RBI Duda had last year it’s still his job to lose until the last weeks of ST where the Pitchers are closer to Game State and results are a little closer to what reality is when the games start to count.
If Valde hit Righty it might be a very different picture cause then you could platoon for awhile.
It only the start of ST. Valdy will cool down as pitchers see his weakness. Also he is not the greatest teammate. When one player said I hope I don’t have a locker next to him it tell all. He still is immature. Lets see him play but I think he goes back to the minors. Cowgill,,Turner & Hicks will be on the bench. Byrd will play RF & Baxter will be on the bench.
I believe Valdespin has the energy and spark this team could use in the lineup however I would love to see him go to LV and hopefully mash the ball then mid year be brought up and continue this play. Then next offseason hopefully we can package him with some of our young RHP arms to Miami for Stanton. I mean Miami should be all over him considering he has already expressed his interest as a fan on Twitter. He would also be there poor mans Reyes for there Latino fans.
don’t forget the Marlins would save a good $25 since he has his own at. Loria should be all over that.
Valdespin had a two run homer in Kissimmee FL in todays 7-7 tie after nine innings.
Who looked good;
Valdespin. Cowgill (scrappy all the way good CF, SB couple hits). Satin. Kirk (nice CF and hard hit gap out), Edgin (blown save was due to error)on error, Lutz, Jamie Hoffman (nice hr)
Who looked ok
Harvey (boarderline good except for hr given up I think on change up to a lefty a no no) , Familla
Who looked so so
Hefner (the longer he stays in the harder he will get hit),
Who looked bad:
Duda at least 3 strikeout (seemed like Golden Sombrao though)
Travis d’Arnaudo (atleast 2 stikeouts looked over matched)
Finally, Collins is getting it. Valdespin should be undoubtedly the starting LF come Opening Day like I’ve said for weeks, not Duda.
You don’t just throw a guy who hit 15 Hrs in two Thirds of a season and had 55 RBI away that quickly….
Valde will get his playing time, where doesn’t matter but he needs to do a lot more than Jack a few HRs early in ST against Pitchers not trying to do anything but get thir pitches over and breaking balls to break as a clear case of winning the job away….
The Kids always look like Hall Of Famers the first two weeks because they usualy played baseball all winter long, have something to prove and face the Vets and Pitchers who aren’t trying to compete until later in the month when they gear up to Full Season strength and effort.
Give him a full season of play and I guarantee that Valdespin will put up 15 HRs and have more than 55 RBIs. Even if it is true that pitchers this early are trying to get their stuff across and not trying, Duda is falling way behind. Like I said in another article, he’s lucky the likes of Kirk, Bax, Den Dekker and Brown aren’t doing that much better either. When it comes right down to it, Valdespin has a lot more tools to help us in the long run than Duda.
Hitman I’m not saying e can’t do that…Just that when he did get playing time he wasn’t anywhere near that trajectory….
He had 8 HRs in 206 PA….
5 of them as a Pinch Hitter in 47 PA
3 HRs in 159 PA as an actual player….a HR every 53 PA
Duda hit 15 Hrs in 459 PA a HR every 30.6 PA
I’m sure not going to throw away the power of Duda for some appearance of power by Valde when most of it was as a Pinch Hitter and not as a guy playing the field.
Valde’s good showing as a PH fits his Hyped up personality regarding himself…
Rested he is going to make a showing…But when actually played he doesn’t seem to play with the same energy as he does when he gets into a game he sisn’t actually start.
Until Duda shows he lost it and can’t hit those HRs anymore I go with the hope that Duda can improve on what he did in a BAD Sophmore year (remember Hetwards slump?) and hope he hits his cieling because on a power level Duda’s ceiling is 30+ to 40 and I don’t see that from Valde….
And Valde has the speed to play RF where Duda does not…
So let him make his bones there and then if Duda loses the job you can put Valde in his spot.
I think taskmaster 4450 and hitman have great points, Why is Duda just handed the LF job?
Has he proven anything? The outfield should be and is wide open! Byrds 35 and Baxter is a
backup! Maybe Cowgill is for real and maybe Kirk but RF and LF should be wide open!
Let everyone compete and let the best two men win! As long as Murphy,Wright, & Davis are on the team Flores will never crack the infield and either will Spin!! So the only chance they have is the outfield and don’t tell me Flores is to slow what is Duda a speedster? I’m not a
TC fan he’s got tunnel vision and once he gets someone in his head like Byrd or Duda you
can forget about anybody else getting a real chance! I can’t wait for SA to hire Wally next
year!!
15 HRs last year on a team that has even less power than it did last year!
Cowgill cf, valdespin in right, Kirk in right, Baxter and Byrd on bench,,,
Valdespin
Cowgill
Wright
Davis
Murphy
Buck
Kirk
Tejeda. Line up looks different without the possibility Duda brings, hey if not much pop at all in the line up. If Valdespin earns a spot I say give it to him, he can run and got some pop as well, something we need, I am also not for just giving Duda the spot, but we do have to see what he got, if he doesn’t produce well then see ya.
Like I said on another thread, the three OF spots should be an open competition. Duda has done nothing to be handed the LF job. The Mets have enough options that an open competition this Spring will lead to the best five OFers making the team. Duda’s power has yet to transfer over the course of an entire season, so it’s all simply potential right now. What we know for sure though is that this team is in dire need of speed…any speed. Obviously ‘Spin won’t stay this hot…but I still think he should be in the open competition to start in our OF.
I agree with the idea of giving Valdy a shot at an outfield position and that spring training would be a great opportunity for the coaches to determine if he has the raw talent to play there. If so, however, it is not the right time to give him that job in the outfield this year. He has played a little over a dozen games there his entire minor league career and thus a season in Vegas would do wonders for him to really learn the position. He has to learn how to position himself, getting to understand how to interpret the sound of the ball as it hits the bat, getting that jump, knowing how to back up another outfielder, fielding caroms, shading the sun out of his eyes in early innings, learning how properly go back on long flies over his head by taking his eyes off the ball and running with his back to the plate to quickly get to the spot he anticipates the ball will end up at and how long that might take (a mistake made by inexperienced outfielders is to turn the shoulder and watch the ball instead).
And, of course, there is developing a strong and accurate throwing arm which includes with a runner on third the technique of properly back peddling on a fly hit right him so he can have forward momentum to get more on the throw than throwing flat footed.
I doubt all this could be learned in spring training. It might not take a full season over in Vegas either, but it is going to take more than the 31 days remaining on Joe D’s countdown to opening day.
Hi Joey,
I agree with you 100%. Its not fair to stick the kid out in a tough RF without any experience. I think he should start the season in AAA to learn the position. Also He needs to learn to not try to hit the ball out of the park every time up. He is definitely not leadoff material at this point. It would be great if he could learn to bunt and use that speed to max effect. Another concern is what if he is given the RF job on the big team and he struggles. How will his psyche withstand being sent down after a month or 2 in the bigs. Not very well, i expect.
Spin has a lot of strikes against him given the rap on his attitude and no true position (why is it that every Met fielding prospect has no true position?). But, and that is a big but, and if, and that is a big if, he can adapt to the OBP philosophy, he is the leadoff hitter this team desperately needs, and they will need to find a spot for him. I say RF but agree that the D could be an issue.
If he hits .320, OBP takes care of itself.
How is he going to hit .320 with that huge swing?
Okay, how about .309?
“why is it that every Met fielding prospect has no true position?”
Because we keep drafting Shortstops? LOL
Valdespin drives me nuts. I would imagine he drives all of us nuts. His talent is there and so apparent, and we need his skills set on this team so badly. I wish he’d understand the opportunity he has before him and just makes the jump from boyhood to manhood already because that’s what’s holding him back. I cant get on him for the thing’s he’s done because we’ve all done them as teens, who doesn’t rebel against authority at that age? I know I did.
I understand what you are saying but in all honesty, what has he really done wrong that is a big deal? It isnt like he is getting arrested for bashing in mailboxes. He has had DUIs or been caught partying with the wrong crowd. Sure he posted a dopey photo on Twitter and then tried to cover it up. But this is far short of a Melky Cabrera situation.
Tak you have to admit that if it wasn’t for all the other smoke around this guy the Twitter pic would not have burst into flames as it did…
He DOES have a bit of an attitude…Most kids do! Many Kids here have it!
It’s not a real problem because people grow up eventually. The Question is not what has he done but what will he DO if that attitude is not kept in check….
Lets be clear here this town will eat you up alive if you give it even the slightest opportunity to do it. And when that happens you had better have a lot of friends on the team to support you…
If (and I can’t say he has) POed some Vet Teamates he will not get that support and all that talent will be wasted or traded only to be regretted once he gets the mentoring he needs somewhere else.
I was at the game last night and will state that Kirk looks like complete s**t up there. He was 2-1 against Strasburg when he dropped a nasty curve on him to go 2-2. But then he came back with an offspeed pitch down and off the plate which Kirk chased for strike three. Next AB, against a lefty, he struck out on 3 (it might have been 4) pitches;none of which he was close to. His last AB he did hit a hard liner to LF.
Valdy looked good. He does make things happen. I know it is early, but if he keeps it up, he needs not only to be on the roster but playing. And since the OF isnt exactly impressing people, I think a starting job out to be within reach. Thus far, Duda struggled. Brown-nothing. Baxter-slow start. Cowgill-impressing. Kirk-awful. Byrd-nothing. Den Dekker-impressing.
At this time, I think Den Dekker gets the nod over Kirk. I know plenty of time left, but Kirk needs to get it in gear if he wants to make this team.
Valdespin is far from perfect, but as I posted yesterday morning at “2 Guys,” it’s preposterous that he was dismissed out of hand from the outfield competition, such as it is. Before ST started, Collins said the focus for Jordany should be at 2B. Why?
And yet we hand the job to Lucas Duda. And talk up Kirkkkk as a platoon. Both of those players got the full audition last season and failed. I hardly think they should be handed jobs, since it’s reasonable to have serious doubts about both of them.
In addition, Collin Cowgill should get a shot at the full-time job in CF. Why relegate him to the bench against RHP?
I know there are issues with Valdespin. He’s not popular in the clubhouse. But he’s undeniably athletic. He just played outfield in the WBC.
Then we watch Brown try to move out there in RF and, frankly, it’s just unthinkable that the Mets could put another lumbering clod out there. If you build around pitching, let’s support it with quality defense.
I don’t believe Mike Baxter can hit, btw. Nice guy, terrific guy, no pop.
I’m glad that Valdespin has forced his way into the conversation, regardless of how inconvenient that might be for some in the organization. It’s troubling that he’s only an afterthought. I don’t know if he wins the job or not, but it’s ludicrous to relegate him to 2B where there’s no need at all — Flores should be 2B in Vegas.
Lastly, look at it as an investment. Even if some don’t like Jordany, his market value will double if he demonstrates an ability to hit in the bigs. There’s upside. Maybe he becomes a chip down the road.
He’s a 25 year-old who played the entire winter – going up against guys who are still breaking-in their arms. I’m willing to be he’s hitting around .225 throughout the last two weeks of ST.
When the better pitchers are in the Spring Training games later in March, Valdespin’s true test will begin. We know he can hit a fastball that’s not on the corners of the plate. But can Spin handle offspeed pitches and sliders/curves from lefty pitchers? So far there is no evidence he can. He reminds me Kirk on an offspeed pitch. Both Spin and Kirk are embarrassing.
the true test is not only for the young rookies who you don’t like because of who’s administration got them. But the test later in ST is gonna be largely on the filler-type players your buddy got for this team because they think they can turn water into wine. But who knows, maybe one of them could wind up being a flash in the pan although i highly doubt it. (as if that has never happened before in Mets history).
A journeyman is a journeyman is a journeyman.
And you’re embarrassing for calling Spin & Kirk embarrassing. 2 kids who just came up for the first time in their lives last year. YOU are the one that’s embarrassing. And you know what? I think your namesake would disagree with you as well.
so shouldn’t Cowgill and Brown get the same benefit of the doubt? They have about the same small amount of ML time after putting up some good MiL #s. So there has to be just as much hope for them to succeed as there is for Spin or Kirk.
Well that’s what i’m saying in essence but in a different way. If that guy is gonna call 2 rookie kids embarrassing and wait until the end of ST when the competition gets tougher than the same goes for all the filler type guys too. You got the point
That’s all i’m saying and no need for a back and forth argument on semantics.
wasn’t arguing semantics. Just pointing out that (as in many other ways) “our” guys are looked at/treated differently than ones from the outside.
and Cowgill is a good example of one where a number of people have immediately dumped all over him, while cutting slack to a guy like Kirk, when in reality, they are pretty much in the same position.
so yes, any of the younger/low ML service time guys should be treated the same.
Right now the OF that I’d break camp with is:
LF – Duda (on short leash + 100 AB’s as starter)
CF – Cowgill
RF – Byrd
4th OF – Valdespin (can take over LF if Duda stinks it up)
5th OF – Baxter (he can back up all 3 OF positions (spot starts in CF against tough righties)
Neweiheuis LF in AAA (needs more work but maybe can become a player)
Den Decker CF in AAA (i really hope his bat adjusts in AAA – if so he can be a great CF for years to come)
Looking like valdespin will make the trip north
[...] were reports starting on Thursday from both Adam Rubin and on Metsmerized that he might start to get a chance out there. From what I have seen so far, the entire season [...]