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Alex Cora is 3 for 15 in three rehab games with Triple-A Buffalo.
Jerry Manuel suggested to reporters yesterday that Cora will likely return from the disabled list on Tuesday or Wednesday.
… getting cora back is important… apparently, i was not giving him enough credit… for starters, he stabilizes the bench, being able to fill in for Luis Castillo and Jose Reyes… but, also, i now realize the type of leadership he brings to the dugout… he talks to every one… he’s always on the ball, thinking, talking about the game, studying, sharing information with teammates, etc… in the clubhouse, he checks in with people, talks baseball, and encourages a smart-brand of play… it makes sense that people around the game praise this guy, yet stat-junkies dismiss him…
Last week, SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt relayed an anecdote on air that he learned from Cora, who explained to Burkhardt that the turning point to the team’s season, so far, may have been the rain out in Philadelphia on May 3. That day, the team was able to just sit, talk baseball, eat dinner together, and, for the first time all season, they got to truly know one another, and, according to Cora, this made the team seemingly closer.
For what it’s worth, the Mets are 18–8 since the rain out in Philadelphia.
Cora had been hitting .333 with a .435 OBP in 26 games for the Mets, prior to being put on the disabled list with thumb injury.
Interesting story from KB, obviously team chemistry, which so many people here have dismissed, is important to a teams long term success…..
I believe team chemistry is important, sure….but I think too much is made of it sometimes. The reality is, if the team wins, people are happy….if the team loses, people aren’t happy.
I guess the argument is kinda the chicken and egg argument. Then again I don’t hear anyone raving about the great chemistry on the Washington Nationals……
Lots of bad teams have a lot of fun and eat together. It because a “chemistry class” when they win a lot of games and most importantly a title.
Of course it is great if guys are on the same page and get along but the bottom line it comes down to execution and most critically pitching.
I spell bad, ugh, with awful grammar too.
On the BS report with Sean Casey, Casey went out of his way to say what leader Alex Cora was… so having this guy back def can’t hurt..
That said.. this team seems to have found some chemistry between Sheff and Santos.. but really Martinez and Valdez are over matched a lot of the time.. so I’d welcome back Cora in a second.
With a long and gruelling season, cross country flights, all the time on the road, chemistry is important in my opinion.
With Cora coming back now I’d vote to send down Ramon and keep Valdez until Reyes is back. He plays some serious SS.
I guess it is irrelevant since it will only be a difference of a few days but do you think they send Martinez down ahead of Valdez and keep Valdez for late inning defensive purposes?
I don’t think so. I’d rather have a semblance of a stick off the bench in Martinez rather than a glove in Valdez. Cora has proven to be pretty solid defensively and lately Martinez hasn’t been terrible either.
not with Church and Pagan out…we’ll see what happens with Pagan
Cora has been so big for this team this year. I’m pumped we are winning with all these injuries but having him starting at SS is such a big upgrade over Martinez and Valdez. Please be back by Tuesday Alex.
Matt:
Great story.
But if that day was the turning point, is Cora still THAT important.
I understand the value of intanglibles. But I also like Valdez. Any word on what will happen to him when Cora returns? Should we assume he gets sent back to AAA (or would RMart go down)? I am sure Valdez will be gone when Reyes returns.
I just think Valdez is more valuable then RMart and on the field Cora.
KIcked,……..Clearly Valdez has a better glove in the field than R Martinez.. They are both pretty much non-existent with the bat. So I agree that Valdez has more value, but that is not the way they were called up by the Mets indicating that they hold Martinez in higher reguard. Has Valdez opened their eyes? Time will tell. Either way it will be great to get both Cora and Jose Reyes back! LGM!
As good as he is I think there’s a reason Valdez hasn’t seen the majors in a couple of years until now. I like having Cora around and can’t wait till he comes back (of course it’s Reyes who I’m really waiting for).
I wasn’t aware of ’stats junkies’ dismissing Cora. I’m one of theose junkies and Cora to me has usually has a better than league avg OBP and a decent glove. That is good. The leadership / chemistry stuff if gravy.
In terms of that chemistry I agree with what other posters have said – you win you get chemistry.
I beleive it was Jim Frey who said when asked what chemsitry is to a ballclub: “give me a three run homer, I’ll show ya chemistry” Truer words were never spoken in my view.
Cora is here because we needed a solid backup SS and 2B…unfortunatley Cora got his shot and then got hurt. He still is valuable to this team.
I disagree with the “winning brings chemistry” stuff though. The yankees had won for years this decade in the regular season and did nothing once in the playoffs. To be fair, that had a lot to do with their roster being HR-heavy with no pitching for many of the past few years. Just saying. Once in the playoffs, I think chemistry comes into play.
Hmm..but Jim Frey never really won anything, did he?
I think there is no doubt chemistry is important, but what makes it fascinating is that it is so hard to define and it takes so many different forms. People always talk about the 70s A’s or Yankees having no chemistry because the fought and such, but clearly they DID have chemistry…chemistry that helped them battle every game. Chemsitry is not only definied as liking each other – it’s whatever gives team a collective and unified will to win.
I also like to remember how many people were incensed over Cora’s $2MM deal last winter – I think we see now how important a pickup he was with Reyes out.
The mets seem to be making good player moves.
With all the injury trouble, lots of players have come up and start to give manuel/omar trouble as to the future.
omir and castro, sheffield, pagan and now martinez, murphy at first and now ramon martinez and valdez in the infield.
The question is, why can`t they keep them in the minors? why did they trade castro instead of keeping him? can’t they keep them active in the minors and just shift them around if they get hurt or get into a slump?
i dont think there is any reason to have valdez once cora comes back…theyd have ramon martinez as the backup for MI…cora is also alot better then valdez….alot better…
Also..is anyone else really interested to see how the team plays once they get healthy? (reyes and church in particular), fmart will go down unless he goes on fire cause while he has had some nice hits…hes looked overmatched 80% of the time and clearly is having trouble in RF at citi.
I do think manuel needs to get a consistent lineup going once the team gets healthy…sheff and church on the corners, murphy at 1B…play them everyday and use tatis to spell sheff in LF for the 2 days a week he will sit…this makeshift lineup where nobody knows whos playing will only last so long…
I’d like to see Tatis play a little more. Let him play LF for Sheff and 1B for Murph roughly 3 times a week to get him ABs. Church when healthy should be our starting RF’er. Now with Pagan down I wonder if they keep F Mart up longer – I think he looks overmatched too. Also – let’s see how the split in playing time is with Schneider and Santos now that Castro has been shipped out.