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Omar Minaya just talked with reporters from the dugout.
…to give a sense, he sits in the dugout on the bench, surrounded by 20 reporters and a camera from SNY…in this case, a reporter sat to his left and to his right, as well…it’s an old bit to them, but for me it was interesting to see…
…obviously, there were a lot of questions about who is hurt, when will they be ready, and so on…
According to Minaya, Moises Alou will have surgery and should be on a bike roughly one week later, “hopefully.” He is expected to be back in four to six weeks, as had been reporters yesterday.
Minaya said, although he has already identified a few teams who have a surplus of outfielders, if he were to make a trade it would be for a player who is not an every-day guy like Alou – but who is better than a guy like Angel Pagan – and that it would likely be towards the end of the spring, not now.
Of course, it was pointed out to him that Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds are still on the market, to which he smiled and said, “Well, we are happy with the guys we have.”
In terms of people like Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo, i.e., guys in camp who had off-season surgery, the team prefers not to rush them. The goal, as he pointed out, is for every player to be ready for opening day.
Lastly, when pressed on the issue, he said he would only begin to get worried about the team’s injuries if this is all still going on during the last week of camp.
…he can say that all he wants, but i sense from his body language and reptitive rhetoric that he knows the difficult situation this team could be in when the bell rings on opening day…and beyond…
To Omar:
You restored my faith this winter.
Do what you gotta do.
Two words: Xavier Nady
Now this might seem like a very stupid comment, but what about giving a chance to Sammy Sosa. He hit 90 some RBI’s last year for texas. He is right handed, Omar has always had a love affair with him.
He should be cheap, He said he wants atleast 7 million to play but considering no one will pay him close to that I think the mets can get him for around 3 or 4. not too bad. He’d at least be equal to alou, then if alou comes back he can platoon with church.
1. Reyes
2. Castillo?
3. Wright
4. Beltran
5. Delgado ?
6. Sosa ?
7. Church ?
8. Schnieder ?
Whats another ? on this team gonna hurt?
thrilledge could play left field and first base…..at the same -
true strory
thrilledge could play left field and first base at the same time
(my bad about the 2x post)
Yeah, and be an easier out than Schneider at the end of the lineup. No thanks.
Omar, I have the solution to the outfield, first base and right handed bat off the bench:
MARCUS THAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
get it done omar
what solution is that for? Solution for a .275 OBP? I’ll take the bullpen arm and my chances with Anderson, Easley, Valentin and Clark.
Agreed. Other than the ability to hit some home runs, Thames is pretty much awful. Never walks, strikes out a ton, can’t run, can’t field. Pass.
seems like a random player’s name gets thrown out every week by the press, followed by posts here parroting that that guy’s the solution, get it done omar! Thames is not the solution, please do not get it done, omar.
It seems like he always wants to replace regulars with bench players. Like he wants to catch lightning like he did with Valentin in 2006. I am all for having a solid bench, but If Alou is down for a longer period of time, Church doesn’t hit lefties, and Delgado has the same kind of year as last…our lineup becomes pretty weak. What do you expect with a 42 year old outfielder? It’s just frustrating, hopefully the starting pitching can stay healthy, even though EL Duque is a risk…I don’t know, it’s just evident that the teams injuries and age is an issue, especially you are relying on them so heavily. Guys like El Duque and Alou aren’t just bench players to be replaced with backups. But like Minaya said, I will really be worried if all this is still going on during the last week.
great and wonderfully thought out altru426.
One minor caveat, Valentin was a starter his entire career, and never a bench player. So essentially you haven’t an idea what you are talking about.
Right. Except I wasn’t talking about his whole career. Valentin was not on the roster as the starting 2nd baseman in 2006. He played in 125 games in 2004 and then only 56 games in 2005. He became the starter after Matsui didn’t pan out. Minaya did not plan on him working out like he did, however I was pumped that he did.
So essentially, I do have an idea what I am talking about.
Regardless, the injuries as of right now shouldn’t be a major concern. However, if things haven’t improved by the last week, yes it is something to be worried about.
You aren;t replacing El Duque and Alou for the whole season. Go get guys who are used to starting and will expect to start, you have problems when everyone is healthy.
Just bc someone is a ‘bench’ guy doesn’t make them unqualified to start for a stretch. You just want them comfortable with going back to the bench when the time comes. Otherwise you are gonna have chemistry issues.
dave 27, you are right. just because someone is a “bench” guy doesn’t mean they are not qualified to start for a stretch. and excellent point on the having problems when everyone is healthy. i only get concerned when “bench” have to start for a extended period of time and get worn out. but you raise very good points, good stuff
rant time.
Maybe it is Yankitis (yankenvy?), but it is not required that a team have the best offensive player in the league at every position. It is actually normal to have a couple of stars/studs/big sticks in the lineup to do the heavy lifting, and have them supplemented by role players.
The key is to have a balance in the lineup, and guys that might not be all starts, but can put up solid numbers, get hot for a while and pick up some slack, and play good D and do the “little things” that help a team win.
If the top 4 is in place, that is the meat. CHurch, Schneider, and even Delgado are supplemental pieces that can still do some damage (they do have to carry their own weight), but shouldn’t be expected to put up MVP numbers. Alou would fit into this catagory too.
So, Pagan can handle LF for a month +. Delgado should be in the game, but who knows if he can hit. If not, eventually he will get replaced. Some new spare parts will come in to fill in the gaps.
Look at everyones favorite offensive team, the Phils. Ignoring the fact that their park skews the numbers, they have Rollins, Utley and Howard as the main cogs. Beyond that, 3B last year was a black hole, C fair to OK.
This year, they have Burrell (2 good months in the last 3 years! And an injury risk) – basically our, slightly healthier, Alou. Beyond that, retreads, back ups and role guys. ALthough I wouldn’t mind having Jenkins about now!
Well said. Though there should be some concern, the panic button shouldn’t be hit yet. Pagan is having a very nice spring, and could probably sustain a platoon to fill the needs for a month or so. Clark can fill in a bit. Nobody in their right mind expected Alou to play more than 100 games anyway so it’s an opportunity to solidify the bench. I’m more concerned with guys like Carlos and Carlos not getting their time in so that the timing is there for opening day. Besides, the young guys are showing alot of hunger right now. It’s nice to see.
I am actually hoping that Clark makes the team. Besides it looks as though Valentin might be healthy and does not mind starting in AAA. That would give us Easley, Anderson, Pagan, Castro, Gotay with Chavez healing and Valentin waiting.
Between Clark/Anderson/Pagan RF would be fine and a platoon of Anderson and Easley at 1B could spell Delgado for a while.
Meant to say LF.
thats a bad example bc everyone is a better offensive player when they play for philly so while they may not have the cache of the big name at every position thanks to their little league park everyone is a HR threat, shane beeferino had 12 HRs last year, need i say more.
so we need more big time hitters the runs needed to win whereas the phils dont bc basically anyone can produce there.
Not really. That’s like saying that the Phils need more big time pitchers in order to win because they have the band box. The most complete team will usually win 7/10 times. The Phills still have to pitch in that park and other teams offenses get better there too.
i disagree i think if everyone played in the same stadium the most balanced team would ultimately come out on top but thats not the case. i think when constructing your team if your stadium is an extreme pitcher park or hitter park that needs to be taken into consideration.
Ok then what do you do if you are Philly? Focus on pitching because that will be what wins you games because of the bandbox and then not score enough on the road? Or go the other way and forget pitching. Make your offense so great at home that its hard to win but get lit up on the road too?
Or in the Mets case. It’s a pitchers park so you sign really good pitchers? or go get great offensive players?
It’s got to be a balance of both — no matter where you play. Look at the Rockies, they’ve always been able to hit (obviously, not as well on the road), but they were never good until they got some good young pitching that could survive in their ballpark (and humidor or not, it’s still a hitter’s park — those gaps are huge in the outfield).
Yes, the Mets have been at their best when they’ve had great pitching (in a pitcher’s park), but those teams also had a lot of good hitters, too. 80s: Hernandez, Carter, Strawberry, etc. Late 90s/00: Piazza, Ventura, Fonzie, Olerud/Zeile. This team: Wright, Reyes, Beltran, and hopefuly Delgado.
It’s fine to have great pitching, but you need good offense to go along with it (and vice-versa).
All I ever hear from my phillie-fan friend is how horrible the Phils’ 3-5 starters are. The Phils are gonna have to score 8 runs/game to win for those starters.
silly argument. It makes no sense if you think about it, because it’s not like they are playing against themselves.
That would make for some interesting Rollins quotes, however.
Can someone explain to me who in the Phillies lineup I’m supposed to be terrorized by besides Rollins, Utley, and Howard?
Pedro Feliz?
Geoff Jenkins??
Chis Coste?????
you’re right. I think the braves have a better lineup.
I would add Pat Burrell to the list. I know his numbers aren’t great, but he always seems to hit that big crippling home run.
I don’t think that Alou will be out for a month plus…I was under the impression that the 4-6 week period includes rehab time…if so, then he’d miss only 2 weeks of the regular season, assuming the worst case.
Regardless, I agree with you…there is no need to do anything drastic, i.e. acquire another player via trade/free agency, or call up a certain AA outfielder….Between Pagan/Easley/Anderson/Clark/Chavez, we will be fine. If Alou has to miss significant time, then its another story.
Right, he can’t do anything baseball-related for 4-6 weeks. Rehab will start one week after the surgery. Once the 4 or 5 weeks pass, he probably will be with the MLB team right away. No AAA assignment necessary because he’s the kind of guy who can just roll out of bed and smoke the ball.
What I was trying to say was that I thought the 4-6 week period includede everything–i.e. he’d be on the field in 4-6 weeks
I do think they’ll give him a rehab assignment, but prolly like 1-2 games or something
You are probably right. If all goes well, he’ll be back mid April which wouldn’t be bad at all.
Noble was saying yesterday in his article it was 4-6 weeks before baseball activities, so no Alou until May, at the earliest
C’mon, we’re talking about the guy who missed 3 months with a kinda/sorta sore quad last year. And every time he rehabbed, he’d get hurt again. Do you really think he’s coming back on the low side of that 4-6 wk estimate?
He’ll be out 6 weeks minimum, before returning to baseball activities (i.e extended spring training, b/c he’s missing ALL of spring training). He’ll have to get himself back into “game shape”. Which will mean another couple of weeks of rehab (knowing his usual MO). Then a rehab assignment for 3-5 games. And if, by some miracle, he plays 3 games in the minors without getting hurt (crossing my fingers)… he’ll be back in about 8-9 weeks from now (which brings you to about May 7th/8th). Not a moment sooner…
gipper, you are incorrect again.
yeah, that was the case back in 1970 I’m sure, but this is a new era where realistically only a handful of teams have the chance to win it all every year…and the Mets can be one of those teams, but not if the Mets aren’t going to go all in….Go all in, Sign Barry Bonds.
i agree with everything except the bonds part, but you know what in 3 weeks if we’re still in the same shape i may have to change my mind on that.
<>
This was in response to stickguy – rant time.
Tigers, Red Sox, yankays, Angels, Indians, Dodgers, Phillies, Diamondbacks….Blue Jays….these are the teams with an elevated chance to win, and look at those line-ups….STACKED…..As much as I love Gotay, Easley, and Anderson…..I mean…come on….Miguel Cabrera, Magglio, Granderson, Polanco, Carlos Guillen, Pudge, Renterria, Gary Sheffield…I mean…come on….GET BONDS!!!
Have you ever been the Shea Stadium?
I’d rather Todd Hundley take another stab at LF than try to watch Bonds cover that ground.
Can we stop the Bonds stuff?
The Angels, Indians, Dodgers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and BlueJays lineups are far from stacked. They have a few nice pieces and a few holes. Like most teams. The Yanks aren’t even that stacked. Matsui, Giambi, Damon, Melky… they aren’t stacked. Outside of the Tigers, every lineup has holes. It’s not that big of a deal.
All of the teams with “stacked” lineups have mjor holes. The Tigers and Yankees have deteriorating former-star players. Sure they have some great guys in their prime (Granderson and Cabrera, ARod and Cano), but all of the stat lines are declining for the rest of the team – sharply for some guys.
The Blue Jays lineup is actually pretty weak, especially when you consider Rolen is on the downslope of his career and Eckstein is an offenasive black hole, Thomas is aging, and Wells is coming off a horrible year.
The Phillies are not that impressive past their front three, the Diamondbacks are good but young – ditto the Dodgers.
And the Angels? Is that a joke? Guerrero, Hunter, and then?
The Tigers, Angels, yankays, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays will all score 800-900+ Runs this year, The Tigers might eclipse 1000…I can’t say for certain the Mets will…they scored 804 Runs last year, and Schneider blows…so…I dunno…add Bonds though, and the Mets have a legitimate shot a 1000 themselves.
How is the mets lineup worse than last year?
2007 – 2008
LoDuca – Schneider = loduca by a hair
Delgado – Delgado = push at worst
Valentin/Gotay/Castillo – Castillo = A whole year of castillo is much better
Reyes – Reyes = he better improve this year
Wright – Wright = still improving every year
Green – Church = head and shoulders better
Beltran – Beltran = same at worst
Alou – Alou = who knows?
Looks like a better lineup to me.
Tigers, Angels, yankays, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays will all score 800-900+ Runs this year,
The Yanks, Tigers and Phils might, but they will also allow about 800+ runs if they do. The Diamondbacks would have to improve an awful lot to get to 800 runs, and the Jays – well, see above.
As someone else noted, the lineup will at least be no worse. And the one position that some think might be a downgrade – catcher – i think will be better. The Castro/Schneider platoon will, in the end, put up slightly better numbers than what we got last year from the position.
You’re missing the point…it’s not about the Mets ‘08 line-up vs. their ‘07 line-up…it’s the ‘08 Mets line-up vs. the rest of the league’s line-ups….was the Mets line-up really good enough last year anyway? They didn’t even make the play-offs. SIGN BARRY BONDS!!!!!!
You’re missing the point…it’s not about the Mets ‘08 line-up vs. their ‘07 line-up…it’s the ‘08 Mets line-up vs. the rest of the league’s line-ups…
Wow, you completely blew by like every other person’s response to you, as well as mine, pointing out that you are vastly overrating all of these other lineups.
LOL sign Barry Bonds…I’ll add that to the countless other stupid things you have said this week…
I too agree with this.
We expect Alou to be out for minimum time. There is no reason to mortgage the future for a replacement (yet).
Let Endy/Pagan/Brady Clarke (whoever) replace him for a month or so.
If everyone knows you NEED a player you will get ripped off.
patience.
Am I the only one who thinks Alou will miss more than the “minimum time”? Hello, this is MOISES ALOU. Remember last year? Don’t misunderstand, he’s a phenomenal hitter when he’s in there — but the guy is ALWAYS hurt. And he’s going to start by missing the first 20-30 of this season. So you know he’s going top play no more than 90-100 games this year.
Do you really want Brrady Clark playing the other 62?
couldnt agree more. we met fans feel far too entitled sometimes.
“couldnt agree more. we met fans feel far too entitled sometimes.”
Booooo
What about Dan Johnson. I am not sure the A’s really want him with a young Barton ready to take over. He is Thames with a better OBP>
Such a long season, and so much shake out time.
When you have great pitching, you can go very, very far. The potential injuries that scare me sh*(less are the ones to our staff. Let’s hope they never materialize.
I agree that some panicky trade now won’t necessarily solve much.
I look forward to assessing where we are with this line up on March 21. Let’s see.
I was against the Mets Signing Alou in the 1st place last year, Granted the guy is a great hitter and hes clutch and all that but thta only help when hes healthy and actually playing in games, and how often has that been? hes too much of a risk.
Now we are stuck in a spot where the team is scrambling for a replacement and either way its going to be someone that wouldnt normally be playing everyday, be it from our own bench or in a trade.
Omar should have gotten a solid reliable left fielder last Offseason to begin with.
BTW, im not going to sit here and sing the praises of Omar because he got Johan, that fell into his Lap and we all know it, had the Red Sox or Yankees keeped their offers on the Table we wouldnt have Johan right now, Omar diddnt make that trade happen, the Twins having no other options made that trade happen. So dont sit here and Play Omar up to be some savior because eh go Johan, any GM couldve gotten that deal done, I could have gotten that deal done.
Oh yeah?? They why AREN’T you a GM?? Don’t be an idiot.
Blah blah blah. I wish we had hired you. What a coup that would have been.
Risky is relying on Alou, not signing him. If you have a bat that can hit well enough to spell his innings you are fine. That is where Omar has made his mistake. He likes OF with a lot of defensive ability and not looking too much at the offensive side. See Endy and Pagan. Both are great defensive replacements but will not carry Alou’s bat when out.
So in a way I agree that we should not have relied on Alou but it was a no brainer resigning him. There was little on the market that would have added up to a year of Alou/Endy.
Dude…they signed Alou with the expectation that hes not going to give you 130 games if that…they signed him because he is a solid hitter when he is on the field.
Not to mention the fact that qualtiy of available LF’ers was/is less than overwhelming
Yup your goal is to hope that Alou gets about 100 games and is healthy in September. Think about this. Last year even with their injuries Alou and Chavez combined for 478 AB’s 71 R, 155 H, 26 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 66 RBI and 229 TB. While hitting .324. What’s wrong with that production again this year. The key is getting at least 90 games out of Alou. I am not too worried about Chavez injury because it appears as though Pagan is the RH clone of Endy anyway.
Oh, I’ll bet you could have! I bet you could be a great GM…please. There are a enough foolish comments that we all have to suffer on this blog w/o yours. Try to think before opining.
One guy I would take a look at is Tony Graffanino. He had offseason knee surgery, but if he is healed he could be the perfect fit for this team. He can play all over the place…and he’s from Amityville.
I’d at least check in with him.
There’s also Jeff Cirillo. Any thoughts on him?
I know both of these guys are older, but they are reliable ML’ers that could be perfect stopgaps until the starters come back. They’d also have usefulness off of the bench and wouldn’t cost anything more than a contract.
What would be the odds of talking Jeff Conine out of retirement?
I mentioned Graff the other day. The news is very quite on him, I don’t know if he retired or was invited to spring training by anyone or what? He would be a great addition to the team as he plays about every position and would cost very little.
I think we have enough play-anywhere, professional hitters with Marlon, Easley, and Valentin, no?
I think Graff has played in more positions and has some RH pop right? What’s wrong with adding more players with versatility? Especially if we plan on these guys coming back.
Did Omar actually say he was looking for someone better than Angel Pagan, or was that an infered statement?
Hopefully it was inferred. It would be pretty rotten of Omar to come out and say that.
I assume he meant someone with more pop?
Pagan can do alot of things, including defend the position.
Then again Pagan may open in center.
Ryan Church should move to LF, where he has played most of the time. He didn’t play RF for one inning last year. Church and Alou as a platoon might end up making sense, and they can get a younger, healthier guy to play RF full-time, like Juan Rivera or Nady.
I like the idea of giving Church a chance to play everyday in RF. They aren’t going to be willing to part with what it will take to land a Rivera or a Nady.
Why would we move 2 above average hitters to a platoon role? Alou if healthy should play. Church will be a great addition to the offense as a permant player.
By the end of the year, Alou and Church will probably add up to one full-time player. If you’ve ever been a hockey fan, you know what concussions can do, and Church might not be 100% for months.
With Beltran a high injury risk as well, there are going to be more than 600 ABs that need to be filled with someone who can contribute more than 1 thing (such as Thames, a one-tool player if ever there was one).
SIGN BARRY BONDS
…this team is on the brink of being great, it’s a risk worth taking. Do it, and do it now so the press can get over it by opening day and so he can get acclimated to the team
Anyone against signing Bonds is thinking with their hearts not with their heads. Any baseball statistician will tell you its that obvious (and I have discussed it with a few of them).
As I said above, have you ever been to Shea Stadium?
This guy provides less coverage than the US healthcare system. Anything you gain you’ll lose in balls dropping all around him in left.
Oh, and if you didn’t notice, Bonds hits lefty. So after Wright you’d have Bonds (lefty), Delgado (lefty), Church (lefty), Schneider (doesn’t matter), and pitcher, and already you only have one RH pinch hitter. Boy, that will be a tough lineup to manage against.
It’s not 2002. And you think a steroids free Bonds is going to be healthier than Alou? Stop the nonsense.
You know, you don’t win anything on opening day. Just because a guy misses it doesn’t mean he’s going to miss the whole season.
RELAX.
Ok I get the defense point and that’s why I am not for it but to use the LH part does not make a lot of sense. You do realize that Bonds had a OPS of around 1.000 against LHP last season right?
Add to the dropped balls that you’d wear out Beltran quickly from all the extra ground he’d have to cover.
Thing is can he cover the ground to play LF? If not then he is just a really good Julio Franco. Bonds would not come here to just be a pinch hitter and if he can not play the field at all, what else can he be in the NL? Maybe at a place like Philly with little ground to cover?
I’m not sure, that at this point, Bonds is above being a Julio Franco-like player off the bench. And he’d be absolutely perfect at that. I’d be much more content with Endy filling in for Alou if I knew Willie had Bond’s bat available when offense is needed.
And the idea that Bonds can’t hit anymore is crazy. His stats were unbelievable last year–he just wasnt able to play everyday.
Dave 27 makes some good points regarding Defense, but the rest of his post is total nonsense. As a bat, Bonds fits. If you dont like him for other reasons fine–but dont say he cant hit.
When a team decides that they’d prefer not to sign a player who’s under federal indictment, I don’t call that “thinking with their heart.” I call that using common sense.
Nah, let’s sign Bonds AND Clemens!
Man people have been crying for Thames like crazy…you guys sure he’s all that available??
‘ The Mets inquired about the Tigers’ Marcus Thames at the winter meetings, but the talks failed to gain traction. As Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski says, “We’re not looking to move Marcus Thames. He’s an important part of our club. I can’t say any player is untouchable by any means. But he fits our club very well.” ‘
I have been crying about the thought of getting him. Tears of sorrow.
I don’t understand the aversion to Sosa. He can’t possibly expect anything more than league minimum at this point and if he stinks you can always throw him away.
I would not be upset with Sosa at all. I think he would fit in well and would love the chance to play in NY for a contender. If he has backed off his demands to start and get 10 million then why not? Only thing is that if he and Alou are healthy it will be tough to get them both AB’s. Church will play due to his fielding. I guess against a tough lefty though you could sit Church and start Alou, Sosa and Castro. :) If I was a LHP and saw that at the end of a lineup I would just switch arms.
Who are all of these Left Handed pitchers everyone is afraid of??? I’ll give you Hamels, but beyond him , there aren’t any good ones in the league… Hampton and Glavine? who cares.
Its not the starters, its the relievers. When managers start being managers and playing the LH, RH thing in the 6-9 inning. Even a guy like Show who is nothing to be affraid of in many AB’s can be devestating to a LH hitter late in the game when he only has to pitch to that batter.
Heard an interesting statement from Will Caroll of Baseball Prospectus the other day regarding Spring Training injuries.
He says injuries early in the spring are a positive indicator for health over the rest of the season. This contradicts a lot of what I’ve seen here on metsblog the last few days… as well as common sense.
Carroll says known injuries are easier to handle than unknown injuries. This is because the doctors/trainers know that they are going to have to treat/monitor injuries and they have time to work out a treatment plan for the player (ultrasounds, chiropractors, etc.)
He did say that this is not necessarily the case with Delgado – since he has had hip injuries in the past – but it bodes well for many of the current injuries to the roster. I hope that brings some of you down from the ledge!
I can see that, it’s sort of like getting it all out of your system, better now than later.
A month ago I posted on the blog to trade Delgado while he still had trade value, I knew he was already over the hill, he couldn’t catch up to a single fastball last year. We need to make a package deal including Delgado, Castillo, Alou and El Doque in exchange for some youth, people who can actually stay heathy. I wish Piazza would come back. It’s a shame the mets didn’t sign Eckstein.
OK I was with you for a moment, youth movement, get stable bats then you said you wanted Piazza and Eck? Boy that’s a complete switch.
I would have traded Delgado, Millege, and Pelfrey to the Angels for Kendry Morales and Ervin Santana but ……
You’re right, I didn’y explain myself, I want Piazza, not for his youth, but for old time sake, he did so much for the team and I would like to see him win a championship with the mets. About Eckstein, he’s not a star in any which way but he a perfect everyday player, the mets don’t have to have a star at every position. He playes hard and thats a good example.
About Eckstein, he’s not a star in any which way but he a perfect everyday player
True. Except for his mediocre on-base percentage, complete lack of power, avereage (at best) range, and terrible throwing arm, the guy is absolutely perfect.
very fundemental, does things the right way and by the way, that Eckstein was when he first came up, he is much better now.
does things the right way and by the way
And he’s 5′6″, grits his teeth, and growls a lot. Blah blah blah. He is also a sub-average major league baseball player already past his prime.
Look, we’ve been over this all in the winter. I know some guys think Eck is the greatest thing ever because he works hard. Great – he works hard to produce minimally acceptable stats for an every-day player.
Would you rather have a lazy talented player or a hard working not so talented guy? I would rather prefer the latter, Oh, did I mention, he isn’t injury prone?!
Would you rather have a lazy talented player or a hard working not so talented guy?
Lazy and talented. Or just talented, as I doubt a truly “lazy” player can make it in the game of baseball.
I would rather prefer the latter,
Good for you. Hopefully one day you’ll get a job as the Braves or Phillies GM.
Oh, did I mention, he isn’t injury prone?!
You mean except for the 30+ games he’s missed each of the past two years thanks to . . . injury?
Besides, I don’t consider a player with a .309 batting average “sub average”.
there must be a reason you’re sooo against him. Talking about lazy not making it in the game of baseball, look on everyday overpaid bums who wouldn’t even run out a ground ball, they’re sort of “in the game of baseball”. Take his overall carrier and see how many days he missed due to injury.
you’re the type of guy who would want Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the team, even though they’re two lazy cheaters, as long as they produce (or have produced in the past). Good for you, maybe one day you’ll be a trainer selling steroids.
Besides, I don’t consider a player with a .309 batting average “sub average”.
I love people who cite one offensive category – especially when the guy has a career year in that category – to prove a guy’s worth. He also had a 9 VORP. That’s not good.
As for your second post – I still can’t decipher a single thing you wrote. You might want to try proof-reading. I mean, I’ll come up with an occasional typo, but cheez, is that English?
And no, I don’t want Bonds. Or Clemens. I just want actually good baseball players that will help the team, and Eckstein doesn’t fall into that category.
And I noticed that you failed in several attempts to actually address anything I wrote. I suspect that, like most Eckstein sycophants, you have absolutely no idea whether or not in fact Eckstein has superior “fundamental” skills, but you’ve read several columnists who say that he’s gritty or something. But exactly in what way is Eckstein better at the fundamentals than Reyes, Castillo, or any other middle-infielder for that matter? I breathlessly anticipate the font of baseball wisdom that will come from your computer in response.
I wouldn’t want to trade Pelfrey, he’s young and has a huge upside. Best of all, he’s homegrown.
You’re missing the context here – that was before the Santana trade, when we’d still have had 3 other young, homegrown, pitchers with upside.
I still think Pelfrey has more potential than Phil Humber.
Do you think Delgado has ANY trade velue now? If yes, would you trade him and for who?