maller - It would be easy for the Rockies to re-sign Jay Payton to a minor-league contract for 2011. But at 37, Payton is auditioning for other clubs as much as helping the Rockies hang by a thread in the pennant race. “First and foremost, this is where I’d like to be,” said Payton. “It would be great if I could come back and be the fourth or fifth outfielder to start the season. If that’s not in the cards, I’ll have to see if another team says, ‘We could use a guy like that.’ “Whatever happens, I’m not putting on a minor-league uniform again next year.” —
Sept 2010 from: - nyfs - The guy just hits and hits wherever he goes. He has turned many skeptics into believers that he can eventually play at the mlb level as a possible utility player. He doesn’t look to be defensively equipped to be a starting 2nd basemen as he spent most of his time this year at 1st base. He doesn’t hit for enough power to play 1st but if he can increase his versatility he can be a valuable player off the bench.
BTF - Yet (Ted) Williams tops him in most hitting departments—doubles, particularly home runs. Ted has a home run percentage of one every 18.6 times at bat to Stan’s one homer every 25.2 times at bat. It symbolizes something or other that Williams hit a much publicized homer (essay by John Updike) in his last time at bat; Musial went out with a single. Musial was a better base runner and more dedicated and better fielder—and more of a team guy, less enthralled with his reputation as a hitter than Williams was. Musial never matched Williams, either, in feuding with reporters, or spitting at fans. I always thought Musial was a good clutch hitter, that Williams was not, but there are no statistics to justify that feeling. On the other hand whereas Williams, the man with the great eye, often seemed satisfied to take a base on balls when there was a runner in scoring position, Musial, like Joe DiMaggio would swing at a less-than-perfect strike to knock a run in. I have to be fair. My recollection that Williams didn’t hit well against the Yankees was erroneous. His lifetime batting average against the Red Sox’ biggest rival was .345. That compares well to Musial’s .359 against the Dodgers and .343 against the Giants.
HBT - - I’ve long contended that Mazzilli doesn’t receive enough respect for his intelligence because of his thick New York accent. Well, Maz is much more intelligent than he’s given credit for, knows the rule book better than most managers, and has some familiarity with the organization from his days as an analyst with SNY, the Mets’ flagship station. He also carries name value for Mets fans who are 40 and older; they remember his status as one of the few bright spots during the franchise’s lost years of the late 1970s. On the down side, Maz earned only lukewarm reviews for his first managerial tenure in Baltimore. If the Mets hire him now, he will come into the job as a retread manager, something that the New York media will remind us about again and again. But in retrospect, Mazzilli’s managerial numbers with the Orioles do not appear so unfavorable. He won 48 per cent of his games over two seasons, a better winning percentage than both his predecessor (Mike Hargrove) and his successor (Sam Perlozzo).
9-26-10: - Mack on METSZILLA - First of all, I always considered the “pass point” of a major league second baseman would be .250BA and less than 20 errors. Most of them have been #8 batters and having the ability to walk only brings up the pitcher. Regarding Tejada, this is a kid that has been overly rushed since the get-go, and people have already forgotten that this isn’t the first time he had a slump while changing levels. In the long run, he always came out, batting wise, on top, but that’s the minor leagues. And, his success has been being a .280 hitter, not a .380 hitter. Tejada is a gem defensively, but his natural and best position is shortstop. Yes, he is the 2011 second baseman, but also because he’s the top shortstop prospect as well. It’s impossible to speculate what his success level would be when we have no idea who will be his manager and how he would be handled. If he was to bat second, behind Jose Reyes, then he would have to produce a lot better than a number eight hitter. My guess… Ruben Tejada will be a Met for a long time… but, starting either next year, or 2012, as the starting shortstop.
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