“The LTJ Editorial”
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Date: 8-6-13
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com
“The rage in Valdespin now makes much more sense”
Earlier this week Major League Baseball officially announced the twelve players who were caught using Performance Enhancing Drugs and their consequential suspensions of their involvement. Of course NY Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez was made the greatest example as he was suspended for the rest of this season and all of the 2014 season due to his involvement and bringing other players to the Biogenesis clinic that distributed the drugs. One name that surprised many in the baseball world, especially fans of the NY Mets, was to see the name of OF Jordany Valdespin on that list. Just like the others, he was hit with a 50-game suspension and brings some clarity to his recent altercations with the team.
A few weeks ago, I thought it was weird that the moment Valdespin heard he got demoted, he lashed out to Manager Terry Collins. He did that in front of other players as it was rumored that teammates had to physically restrain Valdespin due to the outlash. His behavior was uncalled for as he even used a profanity to describe Collins that hit all the newspapers in New York and of course social media, which showed just how embarrassing the entire ordeal was. Once I read about this incident, I knew that his time would soon come to an end with this team even though he was sent down to our minor system. You just don't call your Manager that kind of profanity and expect all to be forgiven, especially when you do that in front of the guys you play alongside with every game. What happened to being humble? He should be grateful to be playing for this organization, not also forgetting, he is playing on the professional level of Major League Baseball. You just don't do those things, especially when you're 25 years old. You are an adult for crying out loud, not a teenager playing baseball in the street.
As if things couldn't get even more embarrassing, Valdespin was the main catalyst in a bench-clearing brawl in AAA-Vegas. Even in our minor league system, he just couldn't stay out of trouble or out of the media. AAA-Vegas is about progressing, perfecting, and adjusting your game. Not to get into fights with future prospects of professional baseball. What are you teaching the young guys down there? When things get bad, just start fighting? What does that truly accomplish? If you are demoted from the majors to the minors, be humble, take your shots like a man, and mentor those around you as you improve. At the end of the day, you are still a member of the NY Mets and should act professional at all times, especially in that situation in the minors. When 1B Ike Davis was sent down the the minors, you didn't hear any of this nonsense. Not a peep. He did his time to improve what he needed to fix and was called up when he was ready. No bench-clearing brawls, no immature antics, just all about baseball and getting back to the majors. I respect guys like Davis who did it the right way, the real way.
I'm pretty sure we have seen the last of Valdespin on the NY Mets. There is no reason to keep him since we have other prospects that are getting ready for the once in a lifetime opportunity to play professional baseball with this team. They just called up 3B Wilmer Flores who will debut tonight and we have a nice core of young guys who will bring more talent to us than Valdespin ever would have brought to us anyway. I'm glad he got caught because cheating should never be used as a way to get an advantage over those who naturally work hard to play at their best level. Plenty of legends did it the right way and are all going to be remembered for their ethics, athletics, and clutch performances not for using PEDs. Valdespin is nowhere near a legend obviously, even before he was caught cheating he wasn't anything special to be honest. Now with this suspension, it's even more clear he is a disgrace to this team, to Major League Baseball, and of course, to himself.
At the end of the day, he will serve his suspension and always be tagged with being associated with being a cheater. Everything now makes sense, the outburst against Collins, the bench-clearing brawl, and how most reports say most of his teammates didn't like him either. They said he was very immature and didn't focus on what matters most – baseball.
Luis:
ReplyDeleteTwo things...
1. I believe the drugs involved in this suspension were used a year ago.
2. Valdespin's natural personality has been constant throughout his 'professional' career. I can't write it off as roid rage. You take away this guy's baseball bat and talent on the field and he's be somewhere within the criminal system in his home country.
This is truly a bad guy.
I get that people don't like JV1. I think its easy to say to DFA him. I think thats not the smart move. He was hitting the hell out of the ball in AAA when demoted. At the least I think the Mets should let him get his reps in next year and try to get some sort of asset for him in a trade. As much as he has lowered his own value with his antics offense is at a premium right now and there will be someone interested in taking a flyer.
ReplyDeleteWhat you say may very well be true, but the team's offense is downright embarrassing and has been since the days of Robin Ventura.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Ike Davis keeps getting ABs in the major leagues is the biggest indictment of the Collins/Alderson era.
Omar Quintanilla is holding down the fort but with the former regular hitting well over .300 in AAA you have to wonder if once again Collins' ego is overruling putting the best field on the team.
Eric Young played over his head for awhile but has settled back down to earth as the 4th outfielder quality he's always displayed.
Juan Lagares is still a work in progress and probably worth playing every day to see if he can continue to improve.
Marlon Byrd wasn't worth a legit prospect from another team? What does that tell you about his future value? If he finds a contract next year for north of $4 million he'd better sign it before the GM comes to his senses.
John Buck has power and not a lot else. He can't hit for average and isn't much for throwing out baserunners, yet the Mets felt compelled to hang onto him.
For the record, the erstwhile Mr. Buck has more RBIs than Captain Wright does...how do you feel about that contract now, Mr. Wilpon?
With Wright on the shelf you have (count 'em) ONE player in the starting lineup who MIGHT start for another team -- Daniel Murphy.
All of that was prelude to a positive comment on Valdespin. The man has talent. He also has issues. If you wanted him off the team as early as last year, then you should have done what you could to let him show that talent so he could be flipped to another team. Instead Collins did his usual rookie bit and glued him to the bench even when he was the hottest hitter on the team for a few months. You saw in AAA what he's capable of doing back when AAA was a real ballpark. You saw the cartoonish numbers posted in Las Vegas. Now they will likely DFA him to free up the roster space.
Don't get me wrong. I gave up on him, too. But culpability for his failures in the majors is not only his immaturity. It's Terry Collins trying to prove who's got the bigger you-know-what. You'd think the 64 year old Collins would be secure enough in his masculinity to actually care about winning games instead of pulling out the measuring tape so we all know who "The Man" is.
I pity to see what he does with Flores.
Dallas, the team doesn't Want him back and it will never stop with this guy.
ReplyDeleteYou really want to cut the cord here.
Mack, I'm not saying he needs to have reps on the MLB club. If they just keep him on the 40 man and let him mash more in AAA next year to flip him I think it would be the right move. They arent paying him the rest of this year because of the suspension and the cash so it wouldnt cost much. Other than taking up a spot on the 40 man next year I dont see much downside to it.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's your opinion and it could happen. We'll have to see.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that he will never wear a New York Mets uniform again, but we'll have to wait and see.
I will tell you this Dallas. He's done everything he could to turn the entire clubhouse against him.
JV1 needs to be a distant memory...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure the Mets want to distance themselves as far as possible from Valdespin. Sending him to the minors before the suspension was lucky if not great timing since he was out of the main spotlight for a while. With the outburst on his demotion, the triple AAA incident, and now this, he is gone. He is not worth the headache in my opinion after all this.
ReplyDeleteDFAing JV1 right now makes nno business sense. He is not consuming a spot on the 40 man roster. The Mets will need to address his future at the time he needs to be re-instated to the 40 man. Barring a trade, the Mets are poised for a major traffic jam on the 40 man. The most likely outcome is that JV1 is included in a multi-player trade where the Mets trade a handful of players for one. Hopefully the Mets can find a match and send JV1 far far away. I don't want to see him on a team like he Marlins hitting .600 against the Mets and pimping around the bases.
ReplyDeleteTJ I think you hit it exactly right. Too many people seem to get over emotional about just jettisoning him for nothing in return vs making the right business decisions. If he hadnt been tearing up AAA after his demotion I would be inclined to agree with just DFA based on his antics.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'll give you this, Dallas.
ReplyDeleteYou may be his biggest fan :)
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