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Last night, in a win against the Nationals, 23–year-old rookie OF Daniel Murphy was 3 for 6 with two runs scored, three RBI and a home run.
He is batting .467 through his first 11 games, with a .556 OBP.
I am trying desperately to not be so excited about this kid. Every time he gets a hit, and I pump my fist, my wife, who is a Yankees fan, says, “Don’t forget Shane Spencer and Kevin Maas.” And she makes a good point.
What’s interesting is that, from what I can tell, the Mets are far more level-headed about Murphy than most fans are. You’d think the team would be hyping him up, while patting themselves on the back in an, ‘I told you our farm system was good,’ kind of way, but they’re not.
I, on the other hand, am giddy beyond belief, though I know I should just shut up, enjoy his performance and leave it for what it is: a hot start.
The thing is, he’s just so easy for me to cheer for – so, I can’t help but be excited.
Historically, I enjoy two types of players: either the hard-working, perfectionist professional, like Edgar Martinez and David Wright, or the overt, exciting, all-around, over-the-top showman, like Rickey Henderson and Jose Reyes.
Murphy falls in to that first category, obviously.
What intrigues me most is that, as I have been writing over and over again, ‘Daniel Murphy means Business,’ as he appears to be very serious about his job.
Also, for what it’s worth, I like how he prefers to be called Daniel, not Dan or Danny, as it speaks to the seriousness and 
discipline that he clearly applies to his game.
Equally entertaining is how he delicately places his bat on the ground with both hands following a home run, much like Lance Berkman – again, professional, no flare, he just hits and does his job.
I realize he’s played in just 11 games, which is nothing in the grand scheme of a baseball career, but he has shown an advanced comprehension of hitting, and the ability to execute appropriately in a variety of situations, which is not typical of most rookies.
So, while I feel I am justified in my excitement, I am trying real hard to keep it perspective since I may have made this exact-same post about Jeff Duncan.
Daniel Murphy for President.
Muphy + Tatis ‘08
The mets had a kid come up in 2004 who had command of the strike zone, patience, a humble attitude, shortened up with 2 strikes, and had a willigness to go to the opposite field……keep this up for the rest of the year and I say its time to give the kid number six and make him a second baseman
Castillo wouldn’t like that very much.
Who cares what Castillo likes? Eat his garbage contract and send him packing
Sounds great, but I’m not sure the Wilpon’s would be too happy about eating 8 million per year. Plus, that would make it obvious that Omar made a mistake, which he probably wants to avoid.
Castillo makes 4 mil a year, not 8. He got 4 yrs, 24 mil.
Which is 6 mil.
The point, though, is well taken.
But consider this – Castillo has contributed nothing to this season and will still get paid, so he’s already eaten about 4 mil. Maybe that makes him hungry for more contract-eating.
Good call Citizen Snips. Stupid new math.
And it was 25 mil, not 24. So about 6.25 a season.
Its $6 million a year, and if all works out and Murphy,Kunz, Martinez, and Church (all omar’s) are with the team next year I think people will let him slide on the Castillo blunder
One day this team will kill me is just as good a tag name as Chan Ho Parking lot
lol..nice..
CITIZEN SNIIIIIIPS!
I would not be surprised to see Mr. Murphy playing 1B in winter ball this year.
Matt, you’re absolutely right – what makes this kid different, for now at least, is his “advanced comprehension of hitting, and the ability to execute appropriately in a variety of situations.” Most rookies are free swingers, and Murphy is clearly not. This bodes very well for his future, because it shows that he is able to take a more intellectual approach to hitting, which generally reflects an ability and strong desire to learn.
No doubt, he will cool off – pitchers will adjust, defenses will adjust and the vast talent at the major league level will catch up with him. But after seeing what he has had to offer thus far, there is little reason to doubt that Murphy will adjust as well.
I hesitate to say it, but he may have played his last minor league game. He may be in the bigs to stay.
And how great, Mets fans, will it be every night to see home grown talent like Wright, Reyes, Pelfrey and Daniel Murphy on the field?
Pretty darn great, if you ask me.
Well Matt, you’re lucky Willie isn’t still around because he would have knocked this kid down real quick.
Sad part is that you’re probably right. And that makes me sad.
“Yea man, that was a fluky home run he hit against Washington. Let’s relax now, he ain’t that good, he hasn’t done anything yet. I trust my guys and Daniel Murphy isn’t one of my guys.”
“Ive seen this before guys. He’ll fall out of his tree eventually. He’s not Barry Bonds.”
Like he did with Jacobs.
I agree, there is nothing mroe exciting that watching young home grown talent. He is off to a hot start, no doubt, but we all see his approach at the plate, that great discipline, the ability to go deep into seemlingly every at bat, draw the walk, go to the opposite field, etc. All of this bodes well for a future in the bigs and i sincerely hope it continues.
However, we shouldnt over look Evans who is hitting close to .300 since he was called back up. We are *hopefully* seeing the beggining of the new YOUNG mets!!!
also, tied for 1st! Lets Go Mets!!!!!!!!
Yeah, good point. Evans has been playing his @ss off and it’s gone under the radar thanks to Murphy’s tireless heroics. Evan’s bat is hot and he’s getting hits when they’re needed. He had a roller-coaster ride the first time he came up but now seems to be settling down a bit. Kudo’s to whoever saw fit to keep him around.
evans is hitting .342 (only 32 ABS) v lefties…
doin’ his thang…
I think I’d say that seeing the Mets win the World Series is more exciting, but that’s the only fault I find wiht your statement…
Is Evans close to be hitting .300 since he was called back up. Does any one have those stats of before and after.
Cause if this it true then the Mets really will be adding more kids for the future potential.
And or for very good use in a package for a needed trade.
He’s batting .302 since being recalled up.
Thanks. Not bad so far.
But A. Reyes seems to be slipping to much.
Tow names come to mind for me as a note of caution – Rico Brogna and Mike Jacobs. Both great in mid-season call-ups and mediocre ever after.
The real key for Murphy in the long term is what position. If he can be a league average 2B defensively he’s set. If he’s a corner OF its a much tougher path.
Let’s give Mike Jacobs some more credit. He’s an above avg major leaguer. He maybe have 30+HRs and 100+RBIs before this season is over.
Prospects, which Murphy still is, are a crap shoot. If you told me that all Murphy would become is an above average baseball player, I’d take that right now.
Without checking, I believe Jacobs has an OBP around .280. As a shortstop that’s terrible. As a 1B that’s by far the worst in ML.
Just checked. He’s got it all the way up to .297. Still stinks, although he certainly has power.
His OBP is .297. Not good. Slugging .534, with 91 K’s.
He’s still above average, I think.
an obp of .297 does not equate to being above average in any stretch. let’s throw in mediocre to bad defense and first, little to no speed to speak of and he strikes out a ton. he’s a poor man’s adam dunn.
And the Marlins are the proverbial “poor men”
Adam Dunn has an OBP of .373. To call Jacobs a poor man’s Dunn shows no understanding of Dunn’s value.
Just like what the Mets did.
He’s more like a poor man’s Carlos Delgado, pre Willie firing.
Jacobs would be a lot better if he could get on base more. His SLG is fantastic, but an under .300 OBP is unacceptable.
The problem is he doesn’t walk at all, and doesn’t hit high for average (because he swings for the fences a lot and can only hit the ball when it’s pitched in his sweet spot).
I’d give Brogna more credit as well. He was a really good player done in by injuries. Mets fans also tend to forget he was dumped off on the Phils after we acquired Olerud and still had some nice years in Philly, Atlanta, and Boston. I think people tend to think as if he disappeared after he left the Mets.
I think of a guy that played third for us a few years back by th ename of Ty Wigginton. He was awsome and I loved the way he played the game. I also think of a guy that wore #6 in the 2000 playoffs and WS by the name of Timo Perez. He was like a sparkplug and was smoking hot in the NLCS. These players have moved on, but, I still remember them. I have an autographed Mets hat fro mthe 2000 WS by Timo and a plaque on my wall. I do like Murph and Evans and hope they stay with the team. We will need somebody at first next season when Delgado is gone. GREAT WIN , tied for first place, its time to drop the hammer and take sole possesion of first. We play the 4 against the Pirates, 3 against the Braves , 3 against the Astros and 3 against the Phillies ,we have to take 9-4 or 10 -3 and we will be in a GREAT PLACE !! LETS GO METS !!!
hey don’t be dissin’ MR BROGNA!
brogna was a top RBI man in the mid-late 90s for phils before his chonic shoulder ailmant cut his career short.
While I give props to DANIEL Murphy, the jury is out on just what he is.
Let me see what he does once the league adjusts to him. Because there’s where careers are made- being able to counter-adjust to the leagues adjustments (have I used that word enough yet?)
If he does that, then excitement will be justified.
PS- Off topic, but a sweep tonight is a MUST.
Or else what? Season’s over? Dismantle the team? Put everyone on waivers?
In all actuality, the season is already over. Quite a few Met fans proclaim that about 10 days ago when they trailed the Phillies by 3 games with 51 to play.
I agree that tonight’s game is a must win in the sense that the Mets are playing bad teams that they should beat up on and take advantage of the fact the Phils are playing a tough team. Series like these are must wins. Now ofcourse if they dont win, by no means it dictates dismantling the team and etc. The “must win” term doesnt mean that the season is over or anything as such.
“The “must win” term doesnt[sic] mean that the season is over or anything as such.”
…that is in fact, exactly what “must win” means. Must win implies we win or we go home (or the odd are so stacked against us we’re doomed).
Example of a “must win”:
Down 2-0 in the the NLCS. Game 3 = MUST WIN
Example of a “man we really should win or else I’ll be annoyed but nothing really bad will happen”:
Tonight’s game in DC.
Tonight’s game is DEFINITELY a must win. I’ve had things come up the past two nights and haven’t been able to go, but when I leave work tonight it’s two stops down the metro line :)
The thing about Murphy’s numbers coming down after the league “adjusts to him” is that leagues adjust pretty quickly these days. Everybody has video, and in this information age, scouting information moves faster just like all information does. I think one of Keith or Ron said as much on one of the broadcasts a few days ago.
So I’m going to be cautiously optimistic. Like Matt, I’m trying to contain my enthusiasm, because I do know Murphy could turn out to be a decent, but ultimately unexceptional player. But really, there are a lot of things about him that are different from the typical up and coming rookie — the plate discipline, the intelligence, the attitude… and these things bode well.
Also, while it is not uncommon for a new kid to get some big hits until settling down, Murphy has done something uncommon for a rookie, and that is work deep into counts and draw walks. A lot. That suggests an advanced understanding of the strike zone and an uncommon ability to predict the path pitches will take, something not ordinarily found in anything but the most seasoned of veterans. I suppose it’s possible Murphy has just been lucky with that, but I just don’t think so.
I could be wrong. But there’s a lot of evidence here to suggest that I”m not.
It would be nice if we could just hand the LF job to the 2 rookies next season. An OF of Murphy, Beltran and Church doesnt look bad at all right now. Then Omar can fully concentrate on improving our pen, which should be his first priority anyway and rounding out the starting rotation.
These kids are really not OFs though…and at some point FMart is gonna push for that LF spot.
I’d rather save my money on Delgado or a run at Teixiera and platoon Evans and Murphy at 1B. Then I’d look for a shorter-term stud bat in LF.
Church, And F Mart playing both ends of the OF is Ok because if Murphy and Tatis keep on keeping it up it will still be ok cause they are basically IF. Which means that they could be playing first and second..
Can you imagine the Mets next year (if there is no Delgado) starting with Reyes, Wright, Beltran, and then the four of them.
And if they stayed as good as they are doing now (OK so Murph will cool down somewhat) it would be good to go for a decade or so.
Daniel Murphy is the man.
Your wife is a Yankee fan? You must be a saint.
I’m not sure what kind of production to expect out of him, but it does appear that he is the kind of player that will give you his best at-bat every time. Which is really all you can ask from a player. The rest is up to talent (which I’m not sure of his level yet) and luck.
I am enjoying seeing he and Evans contribute. Hopefully Kunz can as well.
I really hope that Stokes may have found his calling and can be the long man we haven’t had since Darren Oliver in ‘06 (it beats being a 29 year-old minor league starter).
Nice to see some help from the farm.
Would love to see the guy vie for the starting 2B position next Spring Training.
I’ll wait till he makes a full tour of the league and the opposition gets a book on him. I remember Benny Abigiyani and his 10 homers in his first 79 at bats.
Your skepticism is warranted, but this kid is not about home runs. He’s shown much more than power, and I think that is why the excitement is there.
The league will get an idea how to pitch him and he will have to adjust. I’ll wait until that time comes. I’ve seen too many flash in the pans in baseball over the years.
However, I’m still enjoying his play.
Agreed – he is not putting on a fluky power show like Maas, Spencer, Agbayani, or Jacobs. He is just hitting – going to all fields, working counts, etc.
No one is saying he’s a .470 hitter, but he comes off as a hitter, plain and simple.
Good point.
Another factor I think people tend to not think about is age.
Murphy is 23 years old and off the top of my head I am pretty sure the other players that are being referenced here were older. For example, why aren’t yankee fans talking about Shelly Duncan anymore? Oh yeah because he is a 28 year old rookie and career minor leaguer.
I already defended Jacobs earlier… but what the hell, I’ll do it again.
Jacobs is a much better player than the spare parts of Maas, Spencer, and Agbayani. They had their flash in the pan moments. Jacobs is an everyday player.
At the very least he’s not ‘fluky power show.’ The guy is going to hit 30+ HRs this year, and has shown his power is not a fluke in previous years. His OBP does suck, not his power though.
Imagine if he played in a neutral park? Dolphin Stadium is a tough place to hit
MATTHEW,
Did you refer to Mike Piazza as Michael Piazza? Nah, he wasn’t serious at all.
:)
He’s seeing on average 4.3 pitches per at bat right now, which is great. This’ll come back down to earth a bit, but if he can keep it around 4 that’d be as good as anyone on the team at pitch selection and getting on base.
It’s already coming down, last week it was like 4.8/5 pitches per plate appearance.
Pretty small sample size here, I think we’d all agree. But even if it weren’t, we could attribute this to good things — for instance, word could be getting around like “don’t bother throwing sliders outside to Murphy; he’ll just take them and you’ll walk him.”
There are other possibilities too, of course. But at this point it’s way early to tell.
All tied up in first.
42 game season to see who is NL east champion.
Note, however, starting September 22.
Mets finish at home with 4 games against the Cubs, and 3 games against the Marlins.
Phillies finish at home with 3 games against the Braves and three ganes against the Nats.
Marlins finish on the road, with one agame against Cinci, three games against the Nats, and then three games against the Mets.
As you can see, the Mets have the toughest schedule in that last week. Mets better build a cushion in the next 35 games.
Then again, the Cubs could clinch their division and home field before then and rest their regulars.
Hence this game tonight and the series against the Pirates are big. Sweep tonight and take two of three (or even sweep) the Pitts hopefully will give the Mets a game or more lead of the Phils and the Fish. Beat up on the weaker teams before you face the tough ones.
Mets are best served playing teams with something to lose. Everyone always looks at schedules this way, but in reality, as we saw too clearly last year, the scariest teams are the ones who are playing loose and carefree.
Cubs are a different story – even if they have clunched they won;t really be ‘carefree’ per se….but that 7-game roadie to DC and Atlanta the week before is MUCH scarier to me that home for the Cubs and Marlins.
Off topic – I’d mentioned this in a post late last night – compare Tatis’ and Church’s stats as of today…it’s spooky…
How so?
They’re almost identical in every category except runs scored..
Tatis – 205 AB, 62H, 9-2B, 1-3B, 10HR, 35RBI, 103TB, 19BB, 47K, .502SLG, .302BA
Church – 205 AB, 63H, 10-2B, 1-3B, 10HR, 36RBI, 105TB, 13BB, 50K, .512SLG, .307BA
Oh wow, that’s weird! Almost identical except for the OBP.
That is crazy.
I think equating him going by “Daniel” to his ballplaying is a bit much, but it sure is fun watching a home-grown guy do well. When does Jerry stop platooning him?
Yeah, just ask “Mike” Piazza and “Joe” Dimmaggio. They were clearly not serious hitters. haha
Jeff Duncan was the man in the day.
“I like how he prefers to be called Daniel, not Dan or Danny, as it speaks to the seriousness and discipline that he clearly applies to his game.”
I’m calling BS. My name is Andrew, and I go by Andy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t take my job any less seriously. It’s a matter of what his parent(s) called him – nothing more.
aww…i thought your name was mr. bananagrabber…….
My first name is Andy. Andy Bananagrabber, obviously. And that’s Mister to you.
lol yes sir mr. bananagrabber
Is it me or is it hard to believe that a guy who calls himself Mr. Bananagrabber takes himself seriously? ;-)
Busted. There’s not much I ever take seriously, unless it involves the Mets or beer. And double when those are combined.
My name is ReGina and I go by Gina. And I’ve never taken anything seriously in my life. So I’m calling bs on your bs.
Murphy waits well on the ball. He also sees the ball well. He also doesn’t flail at bad pitches.
In short he is already a major league hitter.
He could have very high upside but his downside is nothing worse than a major league player.
I have seen him take some good breaking balls the opposite way. I also have a feeling that he isn’t looking for pitches but adjusting as the pitch is on the way, if that is the case, his upside is a .300 plus hitter.
He also has improved everywhere he has gone. It seems like he rises to the occasion. If that is the case, he should be a good clutch hitter as well.
There is every reason to be excited about this kid. He has already helped us.
SUPERDAN(IEL)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yikes, Jeff Duncan. I don’t think Duncan had the stats in the minors that Murphy had put up– so there’s some reason to think that he will be good– how good we don’t really know.
The part about Murphy that I enjoy (somewhat echoing what has already been said) is how he conducts his at-bats. He seems to really battle when the count gets to 2 strikes. I’d love to see a breakdown of the average # of pitches he has seen per at bat. (The only one like this on the team currently is Wright, who tends to put himself in the whole– often at 2 strikes– and then shortens up or whatever and is a tough out.)
I think the Mets are also watching 2B– what can Castillo give us the rest of the year? Do you keep A. Reyes around (he’s cooled off, but if given more PT, what would he be)? I think it is possible you still could see Murphy at 2B next year. It seems pretty clear by now that Delgado will probably be back, so you need a OF (and FMart could be that OF.) If this plays out, you could then spend all of your offseason cash on pitching– re-sign Ollie and take a run at… Sheets?
I just doubt that Castillo will be gone that easily. That’s a big contract to take on with a guy with such bad knees and a problem staying on the field. Not to mention the fact that he stinks, or at least, that he has this year.
I’d love to see the kid get a shot at starting too, but I’m just not sure it’s gonna be 2B.
I know, I know, A. Reyes would be uhh…. crappy. Just like he is now and always has been in the minors. Replacing him with Luis Castillo makes this team better.
“or the overt, exciting, all-around, over-the-top showman, like Rickey Henderson and Jose Reyes.”
This does a disservice to both players, but especially Henderson, who might have been a “showman” but also worked extremely hard at his craft. This is a man who kept himself in playing shape into his 40s, and understood that the name of his game was getting on base. Henderson is a little odd, but also was a very hard working smart ballplayer.
Yeah, a hard worker that spent time playing cards with Bobby Bo during a playoff game.
and is also the greatest lead-off hitter of all time and a first ballot hall of famer but hey let’s keep recycling a tired old joke.
Fine, you’re right he was and always will be a bum because of a card game. I’m not excusing that, but to label him a “showman” and Wright a “hard worker” is not only dangerously cliche, but not true. Rickey Henderson was a brilliant baseball player, much of that due to natural talent, and a ton of it due to knowing the game and busting his butt to stay in incredible shape.
this kid as a lot of potential to blossom early like Wright did. we’ll see in the future. but I have a feeling Castillo will still get playing time, but Murphy should be playing his position at 2nd not the outfield. unfortunately, I dont think Murph has a choice but to wait it out.
I love Daniel Murphy! He’s become my “second favorite” Met right after David Wright! Of course he’ll cool off but for right now let’s enjoy the ride. Sweep tonight, Phillies lose, first place alone – Let’s go Mets!!!
Before we give this guy Castillo’s job, it’d be nice to see him play 2B. I don’t think this’ll happen in the Majors. It’ll have to happen in the Minors or during the winter.
That said, I’m looking forward to seeing a Tatis/Murphy platoon in LF when Church comes back.
You can’t platoon Tatis. This guy has been incredible for us for 205 at bats, which equates to 68 games and over two months. I think you can say that he will hit within this range plus or minus a 20 % pts, Hrs, and extra base hits, for the remainder of the season.
Yeah, we have to give Tatis a lot of credit at this point. He’s been consistent for as long as anyone on the team has this year, excluding Wright and Reyes. And, not for nothing, he also hustles his butt off.
I know its premature to get hyped over this kid but it really looks like he has an idea up there at the plate. He almost always works a good count and doesnt really swing for the fences. We have to see how he does as many people said earlier when the league adapts to him but so far so good. I like the kid and hopes he can stick around. Dan the man Murphy…..oops my bad Daniel the man Murphy
Yes, I think what bodes best for him is his ability to work the count. If you look at Jacobs who got off to a brilliant start, you can see by his OBA that he doesn’t get how to approach an at-bat. That’s the difference between those two hot starts.
Murphy should not be made into a 2B. His defense is not good enough. Ideally he would be made to be our 1B of the future…. although, if Delgado keeps hitting, he might get his option picked up. In which case he can play LF until 2010. By then FM should be ready and he can take over 1B.
What I think is being over looked here is that with Murphy, Stokes, Evans, A-Reyes, and a couple of other minor leaguers, it has shown that the farm systems may not be as bad as everyone says. Not saying that any of the above are HOFers or gonna be solid starters for years to come, but it does say that they are decent players that can develop hold their own in the majors and even possibly become a good role-player. These guys may open some other GM’s eyes and make it easier to trade up in the off season or mid next year
Stokes is not really our farm hand. I think we picked him up from Tampa in the offseason. However, he is a fresh arm and I am impressed by his velocity. He could be the long man we have been looking for this season, and could also pick up an inning or two in the later innings if he has that sort of velocity.
By the way, can we give some kudos to Omar a bit for some of his offseason moves- Tatis, Stokes, arguably Cancel… I’ve always said that sometimes things are won/lost on the margins (meaning the 24th/25th guys…)
Couldn’t agree more, Matt. Easy to get excited about a start like this, throw around Sparky Anderson-style superlatives- But this kid’s the real deal. Smart patient hitter, so impressive, veteran-like at the plate. Games I’ve seen, he’s been fine in left, too- First start, he finds the wall, makes that first catch- Yeahh! :) He just gets it, understands exactly what he needs to do to be successful. And he’s doing it.
Mets in 09:
Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Wright 3B
Delgado 1B
Beltran CF
Church RF
Tatis LF
Schneider C
Bench:
Pagan
Chavez
Murphy
A. Reyes
Castro
Switch Murphy and Tatis and you got it made. Murphy needs more playing time, Tatis is a veteran and will be very good coming off the bench.
Or Tatis in LF and Murphy at 2b and Castillo on the bench!
And our pitching staff?
Santana
Ben Sheets (FA)
Perez (re-signed)
Maine
Pelfrey
The bullpen will need to be revamped…
But if not Perez or a Free Agent-
Niese looks more ready every start !
The Sat 8/9 game that he didnt get called up for, he
pitched another very good game.
Now 3-0 in 3 starts @ AAA — 2.95 ERA AA & AAA
no thanks on sheets. his next injury-free season will be his first. it’s like getting a younger version of pedro. same predilection to having to spend time on the dl, minus a younger pedro’s talent.
I like John Lackey as well.
There are a few good pitchers out there this year. Whether they will all be available to us we don’t know yet.
I would even think a guy like Aaron Harang may be had. I am not sure why he has been flat this year, I wonder if its fixable.
The Mets MUST make a move for another impact bat this offseason. That’s a must. Tatis won’t cut it and neither will Murphy (not yet).
I don’t think it’s likely that the Mets will get both a big bat and SP, plus whatever they must do with the bullpen. Therefore, I think it’s okay to go with Tatis and Murphy and wait for F-Mart while we focus on big pitching, like Sheets, et al.
Bingo. Have 5 quality SP that can pitch 200 innings. That will go a long way towards fixing the pen.
Sheets has not gon 200 innings since 04
CAN.
Maine, Perez, Pelfrey have never pitched 200 innings.
First off, there is no way that Castillo should get his job back. I think we should just forget about him and move on. I would much rather A. Reyes and Easely splitting the starts next season.
Also, I don’t think Tatis should get the starting position next year. He is better suited as a clutch, veteran who can come off the bench and start a few games to give guys a rest.
Hopefully, the Mets’ young players like Murphy, Evans, and A. Reyes pan out. If so we can look forward to a great ‘09
I love this kid murphy….i remember 2 years ago in ST when he came in for wright….he didnt have a name on his jersey, the announcers didnt know who he was…and a few plays into his “debut”, he took a pop-up off the noggin at 3b…
then, over the next few games, the kid showed he could hit. ive been following him ever since.
he may never be a superstar,although he may, but, what he has shown is that he will make an ideal 2 or 3 hitter, even now, bc of his extreme plate discipline. he fits the lineup and the locker room energy and attitude that we want. with his flexibilty, we have a lot of options, and that is the biggest boon to us for the offseason. now, we get the biggest name we can to boost our offense whethere it be tex, trading for holliday, or resigning delgado…we just play him at LF, 2b, or 1b…he wont hurt us.
*he actually is a pretty good OF, although not pretty…has a nice arm too!
I love watching the Mets in the hunt…but i love it even more that we are getting there bc of contributions from some of these kids in a reyes, kunz, evans, and murph-man….
its exciting to be a met fan right now….what a strange feeling
lol
btw….win, lose, or draw….bring manuel back! he is worth a second look, if for nothing else, how he handles the media and his players.
love him
i still say for the Mets to come full circle, we need a decent power hitter, but one that hits for average…then we we can have that free swinging slugger.
3 options for 09 in my eyes…
[yes, i do believe that 1 of carp + fmart will be ready for next season, and that we can stuff castillo on the bench or trade him]
1-trade beltran and bring in HOLLIDAY!!!! ill take his consistancy and .300 avg over the streakiest hitter in baseball anyday
either church of Fmart move to CF, leaves room to resign delgado or sign Dunn
2-lay all the money out for Tex, and try to win the bidding war
*dont see it happening
3-let it rest on the kids
personally, id like to open city field with[being realistic]:
1-reyes-ss
2-murphy-2b
3-wright-3b
4-HOLLIDAY-lf
5-church-rf
6-carp/dunn/delgado-1b
7-Fmart-CF
8-schneid/castro-C
johan, OLLIE, Maine, Pelf, Niese
[gotta bring Ollie back]
I am for that IF they throw in another guy. Problem is you have no one to play CF. Fmart will not be ready and does not project to be a CF. That’s a tough position for a 20 year old in NY. Church has played a lot of CF, if he can still play CF then maybe.
Albert Pujols didn’t project to be a great hitter either. Why worry about projections. Its between the lines what counts.
Look at Holliday’s road splits.
I still think the best option for next season is to hunt pitching first. We are not as deep in the farm in that spot.
Let Evans and Murphy play LF next season and have Tatis on the bench to be the super utility man.
Pickup Delgado’s option, it only cost us 8 million more.
Delgado
Castillo
Reyes
Wright
Schnieder
Murphy
Beltran
Church
Bench
Castro, Tatis, Endy, Easley, LHPH
Johan, Maine, Pelfrey, 2 of the following Perez, Sheets, Lowe, CC, Garland, Dempster
Bullpen
Wagner, Kunz, Sanchez, Feliciano, Show, Smith, LRP to replace Heilman.
Looks good except I’d switch Easley for A. Reyes, and add Pagan to your bench. I’d much rather have Pagan than Evans.
I can agree on Evans for Pagan but I am not a big fan of Endy.
As far as A Reyes, I hope we give him the Gotay treatment. Look at his numbers, he is TERRIBLE. He’s not a prospect and he’s never been good.
The same can be said for Easley’s hitting #s. I just think Easley is getting old (38) and with Tatis as a bench player you need someone on the bench who can be a defensive replacement in the infield ala Endy for the OF.
I don’t want to rain on your parade, but you know who he sounds like when you say “he just hits and does his job”? I think about Kevin McReynolds. Sure, we’d love him to contribute McReynolds production, but we sure wouldn’t want that personality. I haven’t seen him enough to get a great feel for this kid’s personality, but I’m just sayin’……..
McReynolds gets a bad rap because of his situation. The guy produced with no flair. You don’t have to have everyone on the team have a NY personality. However, I think Dan will have a much higher OBP. I am not sure about the HR’s yet.
I agree. I actually liked McReynolds and generally speaking I enjoy the serious, business-like ballplayers, but I think that McReynolds’ personality was a seriously bad fit for that team, and perhaps to some extent NY. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a guy like Lastings Milledge didn’t exactly fit well either. I’m just saying that when things are going well and he’s producing, his business like approach is great. When he’s struggling and the team is losing, that could be viewed as a major problem in the clubhouse. Wright is a professional hitter, but certainly has shown the ability to enjoy the game and have a lot of fun playing it as well. All business, all the time, might be a little extreme.
Kevin McReynolds had a personality?
I remember there was a poster of McReynolds that said “Talk Softly and Carry A Big Stick” and there were guys hiding behind trash cans because his bat was so big. It was perhaps the lamest thing I ever saw.
I actually owned that poster. He had a log over his shoulder that was slightly narrowed at the ‘handle’ to look like a bat. I was 10. I don’t know what I was thinking.
We need to sign Francisco Rodriguez this winter.
Amen to that. That makes us better immediately.
I love this guy. I hope he doesn’t get too much press otherwise teams might pitch around him. He is much more clutch than Beltran and Delgado. He has done everything the Mets have asked of him. He has changed positions. He pinch hits. He is hitting close to .500 but is asked to sit almost every other day. Then when reinserted he produces. Show me another young player hitting that much that would agree to sit. Lastings Milledge sure as hell didn’t.
what does milledge have to do with this? ur probably one of the same ones that were “outraged” about what he said during ST, saying he should talk about his team, yet would make unnecessary comments about him.
Whoa, whoa, back up. Your wife is a Yankees fan? How does that work, exactly?
Murphy has been terrific so far. Aside from the obvious almost .500 BA (that will surely come down), what I like about this Kid and why I think he’s the “Real Deal” is his “beyond his 23 years” approach at the plate. If you watch him closely when he’s batting, he is hardly ever fooled and hardly ever flairs at a ball down and away. Also listen to the post game interviews, at 23, he knows allot about hitting and about what the opposing is trying to do. The fact that he can go the opposite way with power should not be taken lightly.
Now, on the Castillo front;
It’s obvious the future in LF is F-Mart, at vleast that’s been the expectations. If F-mart finally takes over in 2009, and Murphy is still a 300 hitter, where does that leave him?
I know one thing, If Castillo becomes a “Road Block” to Murphy playing 2nd base in 2009, Mets fans will run Castillo out of town before he gets a chance to even pack his bags. I will be out in fromt leading the lynching Mob!!!!
Daniel Murphy is an exciting young player. I really want to see him get more playing time over Evans and Chavez. Also, I really like Argenis Reyes and I would rather a platoon situation with him and Easley that for Castillo to get his job back.
We’re all excited by Murphy. While it’s true he could come down to earth with a hard thud, he underscores how important it is to give promising kids on the farm a chance, even if they are not elite prospects.
Murphy was NOT an elite prospect. Throughout the year I didn’t see one comment by any writer or fan on this site … or any beat reporter for that matter … who said Murphy had to be brought up and given a chance because he has the goods to succeed. If anyone was hyped, it was the teenage hitting machine.
Daniel is looking good…but I cant get my hopes up. Its like a rollercoaster ride with these Mets.
I do hope he continues this performance.
LETS GO METS!
You don’t have to be an “Elite” prospect to have a great baseball career. I’m sure is you looked it up, there are quite a few HOF players that weren’t considered Elite Prospects very early in their careers. Allot of the so-called can’t miss, “5-Tool” prospects turn out to be busts and never amount to much or live up to their billing.
Murphy might be one of these “Mike Piazza type” players that weren’t heavily scouted and weren’t considered “Elite” yet they have that inner quality and drive that propels them to greatness or at the least a solid Major-League player.
Piazza was the last player the Dodgers drafted in the 1988 draft. He was their selection in the 62nd round. It is believed that the pick was partly a favor on the part of Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who is godfather to one of Piazza’s brothers.
Who knows, two years from now we might have another David Wright on our hands since to me they are both very similar in the way they play the game and the seriousness that they take to the plate. The kid so far has shown that he can hit to all fields and even has shown some nice (and surprising) power the other way. Then again, he could be just a flash in the pan but I will remain optimistic and say not. You never know!