Tom Brennan - TEBOW & ST LUCIE HITTERS; GRANDY

Tom Brennan - TEBOW & ST LUCIE HITTERS; GRANDY

Up until July 29, Titanic Tim Tebow was writing a fairy tale story, having been in St Lucie for slightly over a month and impressing folks far and wide.  

He started to get cautiously optimistic commentary from a wide array of folks, this writer included.

Then July 30th arrived, and Tim went hitless...and there's been a lot of hitless games since then, too.

In fact, over that span of nearly 3 weeks, he has gone a pretty powerless 6 for 66 through August 18, so like a needle scratching across a music album, the sweet music has stopped.  His lone highlight, it seems, of late, was getting beaned, standing stunned for a second, shrugging it off, and walking down to first.

Has baseball finally caught up with Tebow, or is this just a prolonged slump? Time always tells the tale, and his 2017 tale has about 3 more weeks to be written.  

He does still, however, remain a big hit at the turnstiles.

Meanwhile, St Lucie has other excellent hitters worth watching, too.

Pounding Pete Alonso is an extra base hit beast, leading the league in homers despite missing nearly 45 games. 

Johan Urena (N.B., sing his name to the lyric in My Sedona, it works) leads the league in doubles. And 2 recent homers boost his long ball total to 11.

Anthony Dimino is hitting .330 this year in 53 games, and .323 lifetime, with a .412 career on base % in over 500 plate appearances...sort of a TJ Rivera with less power and more speed so far in his career.  He plays everywhere (even catches, throwing out 9 of 25 this year) and threw a scoreless inning this year, too.  

He's caught, pitched, and played 1B, 2B, 3B, and the OF.  

C'mon, get him in at SS too, what are ya waiting for?

Jeff McNeil, my long time favorite, has shaken off the rust of 2 mostly injured years (just 3 games in 2016 and 30 this year so far) to go 8 for 13 in his last 3 games, climbing to .324 this year.  If injuries (sports hernia, hip surgery) have not sapped his speed, here is a 25 year old  prospect to watch....a versatile, high-on-base, .306 lifetime hitter, who hits with more pop than he used to. 

(Right on cue, with the Mets needing to suddenly call up Cecchini and Reynolds, McNeil on Thursday got promoted straight to Las Vegas and had 2 hits and a steal.  Keep an alert eye on this guy!)

22 year old Wuilmer Becerra has clearly disappointed this year, with 122 Ks in 11 games, and a .254 average with just a .318 slugging %.  Lots of folks thought he'd be a future Mets OF.  Not at this rate, mateys.  .318 hitters, yes, .318 sluggers, no.

A recent St Lucie grad, catcher/1B Pat Mazeika, loves the cooler air of AA.  First 3 AA games? 5 doubles, a single and 2 walks.  May his next 3 games be just as sweet. Patty Maz is now .314/.416/.449 in his career.  How long until Queens?

Circling back to Tebow, his fellow mid-season graduate from Columbia (Fireflies, that is) is Michael Paez.   MP Hammer has likewise found the high A ball Florida State League (where other teams' collective season ERAs average a low 3.50) to be really tough.  In 48 games, MP 3 is hitting just .193/.308/.265. Ouch, baby, very ouch.

So there you have it.  From my office suite on the 6:08 A.M. LIRR choo choo to Hunters Point, this is not Walter Cronkite signing off.  Just little old me.  

Have a great day, people.  But before I go....

GRANDY:  
After his usual horrid April, he actual hit comparably to Jay Bruce and got on base at a terrific rate.  Good move by the Dodgers.  When he arrives in LA, his first act will be to stop at a jeweler to get sized for a World Series ring.  Best of everything to a guy who epitomizes CLASS.

PHIL EVANS:  
Last season's AA batting champ was hitting .233 on June 29, but like last year, he has gotten hot, hitting .320 in his last 42 games with Vegas.  So he should not be forgotten.