If you read my Spring Training notes from Port St. Lucie on Sunday, you may have been surprised – as I was – that Michael Cuddyer is deaf in his left ear due to a childhood virus.
He has barely played left field in his career (3 starts in 13 year career) because of it, but is willing to give it a shot after he was told that manager Terry Collins is considering the idea of keeping Curtis Granderson as the right fielder.
“I don’t have much experience, but there’s no saying I can’t go over there and learn,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in being an athlete, not just a right fielder or a first baseman, just being a baseball player.”
Cuddyer added that hearing the center fielder call for a ball shouldn’t be an issue if the Mets do intend to have him play in left.
But why the sudden shift in philosophy when since the day the Mets announced they signed Cuddyer the message has been he was the team’s right fielder and occasional first baseman?
Apparently Collins was very happy with how Curtis Granderson handled himself in right field, particularly on balls off the wall, and prefers to keep him there despite his MLB worst throwing arm.
“I hate to take anything away from Curtis; he played very well out there,” Collins said. “And to now say, ‘Go play left,’ and Michael has never played right in Citi Field is difficult.”
According to FanGraphs, Granderson’s throwing cost the Mets 7.4 runs, worst among 16 qualifying right fielders.
“I had an old scout years ago tell me if you worry about arm strength, you’re going to get your butt kicked,” Collins said. “You better worry about catching the baseball.”
Collins says he plans to monitor the next 10-14 days of spring training games before finalizing his decision. So there you have it my friends.
