10/1/11

Cutnpaste: - Jose Reyes, Mike Baxter, Angel Pagan, Chris Schwinden, J.J. Putz


Here's why I have no problem with what (Jose) Reyes did: SNY, for a little over a month, gave us Jose Reyes Batting Race Updates before and after every single game. Met fans wanted this. It was the only thing to look forward to at the end of another disaster of a season. Everybody who has a personal/professional stake in the Mets wanted this to happen. So when Reyes does something to ensure this happens, he gets killed for it? Met fans turn on him and root for Ryan Braun? Is this serious? I get that people were upset that they couldn't say good-bye to Jose Reyes one final time, but we knew his departure was possible for months now and had plenty of time to cheer for him. And if this was such a big deal, then were was the giant walk-up crowd for tickets? Tell me. - http://www.metstradamusblog.com/2011-articles/september/the-jose-reyes-manifesto.html

Mike Baxter — Baxter slammed his first major league home run in the team's final game of 2011, but that's not what makes his story special. He's a local kid, who grew up in Whitestone and attended Archbishop Molly High School in Queens. He even helped the Stanners win the Catholic High School Athletic Association city title in 2002 at Shea Stadium. Baxter is living proof that dreams do come true. -  http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9174449



Alderson did not offer a ringing endorsement of outfielder Angel Pagan, who is a candidate to be non-tendered. After two strong campaigns, Pagan floundered in 2011. His .694 on-base plus slugging percentage was nearly 100 points below his average from 2009-2010. His defense regressed, according to advanced metrics such as Ultimate Zone Rating.  Plus, Pagan’s injury woes resurfaced. After completing his first full big-league season in 2010, he played in just in 123 games this year. In all, he left the front office unimpressed. - http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/mets_constant_rash_of_injuries.html

9-30-11: - With the season over for the Mets, (Chris) Schwinden's offseason began Thursday as he flew back home to Visalia. He's been instructed by the New York Mets organization to not play winter ball and was told to rest during the offseason. He said he'll be in contact with the Mets' brass throughout the offseason and will follow the workout plan that he was given by the team's strength coach. "I reached and went over my innings pitched, so they're just going to have me relax and have me prepare for the offseason," he said. "The big thing, though, during the offseason is fine tuning my mechanics and getting my body in shape.  - http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110930/SPORTS/109300333

J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks -- The D'backs meteoric rise to the MLB Posteason resulted in a thorn in Mets' fans sides finally being dislodged. With Arizona KOing any chance for the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants to repeat, it means this 2011 postseason will be the first since the Collapse of 2007 in which Guillermo Mota will have nothing to do over the next few weeks. Putz didn't exactly win the hearts and minds of the Shea Faithful with an injury-plagued and sub-par tenure, but it was the comments following his departure about his handling by the team's medical staff that finally made the media focus in on what Mets fans knew what a glaring problem under Minaya. That's more than current teammates and Mets expats Xavier Nady and Henry Blanco as well as current D'Backs hitting coach and former Mets bench coach Don Baylor ever contributed, and for that, we thank him. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/30/2459916/a-mets-fans-guide-to-recognizing-your-saints-in-the-2011-mlb-playoffs

1 comment:

Michael S. said...

I've just about had it with people coming down on Reyes for preserving the batting title. I laugh when I hear players talk about what they would have done had they been good enough to be fighting for the batting title.

I understand fans who might be a little frustrated at Reyes not playing out the game, but there was nothing on the line at that point. If the Mets had been in a pennant race and needed the game, he should have been in there. Since they weren't they get a pass.

I'd really love to see what Reyes' detractors would have had to say about Bernie Williams when he did the same thing in 1998.

Hey Jimmy, when your batting average is actually high enough to be in contention for a title we might listen to what you "woulda done". Until then pipe down.