Newest Mets outfielder Collin Cowgill has been getting raves for his gritty play, and has even been compared to another Mets outfielder, Lenny Dykstra, for his intensity on the field and his all-out style of play.
In an article by Mike Puma in the NY Post, Cowgill’s former manager and one-time Mets Rico Brogna had this to say:
“He reminds me of the way Dude played,” Brogna said, referring to Dykstra, who was nicknamed Nails. “He’s got the run-through-the wall mentality to make a play 24/7. He just does whatever it takes to get the job done. The entire game matters to him, all aspects, from the moment he arrives at the ballpark.”
Cowgill told Puma that it’s all about proving he belonged and knowing he had to play a little harder than everybody else.
Mets outfield coach Tom Goodwin said that he received rave reviews about Cowgill from Oakland’s hitting coach, Chili Davis, shortly after the trade was made.
“Those are the type of guys you are looking for,” Goodwin said. “But you’ve got to have some talent behind that, and I’m sure there’s going to come a point where he’s like, ‘I’m more than just a gritty guy, I can play, too.’ That’s going to be the bottom line and I think he’s that guy.”
The article points out that Cowgill embraces the comparison to Dykstra:
“I would like to think I have that a little bit,” Cowgill said. “That guy is up there with Pete Rose as a guy that played the game the hardest. I would like to think I have a little bit and try as much as I can to play as hard as a guy like him. I would love to model myself after the way he played the game.”
Cowgill is likely to platoon with Kirk Nieuwenhuis in centerfield this season. He’ll turn 27 in May and last he batted .269/.336/.317 for Oakland with one home run and nine RBI in 116 plate appearances.
