As an old Long Island Nets fan, I only had to observe Julius Erving to realize what a drastically positive impact he had on that team.
It was most notable in the final ABA championship series. The Denver Nuggets were a far superior team, other than the presence of Julius Erving, who was several levels beyond brilliant during that entire series and Nets championship win.
The opposing Nuggets were so good that they went into the NBA the next year and won an amazing 2/3 of their games. The despised Roy Boe trades Julius Erving for cash in the off-season before the transition to the NBA. The nets were truly horrendous team in that first NBA year without the good Doctor.
He was indispensable.
A Lineup with Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, and Brandon Nimmo, among others, ought to have many Mets fans smiling with glee in 2025.
In spring training, we’ve seen lots of good signs, especially with pitching that is performed well above expectations, etc. But as we roll into the era of Juan Soto, I am really hoping that he can come close to having the monumental impact on the Mets that the Doctor had for that otherwise substandard Nets team.
So, play ball, Metsies, and let’s win 100 games.
4:10 PM Thursday, in Houston. Cassius Clay vs. Framber. (Clay by TKO.)
BATY VIDI VICI
OK all you Latin lovers out there, can you remember “Veni Vidi Vici?”
Translated, “I came I saw I conquered.”
Well, that’s exactly what Bret Baty did this spring, at least through Sunday as I write this article.
“Hey, did you see that Juan Soto hit .353/.441/.745 this spring?”
Oh, I’m sorry, my bad…those are Bashing Bret Baty’s numbers.
57 plate appearances with that tremendous slash line.
But wait, there’s more.
Nowadays, a strikeout every five plate appearances is very solid.
Baty, in 60 plate appearances, fanned only six times, roughly a microscopic one in 10 rate. Outstanding.
"But he can’t play second base and third base, right?"
Well, in 18 games in the field, he had made one lonely little error.
And we all know: One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever know…..EXCEPT when it comes to making errors. When it comes to errors, one is exceptional.
Shades of Brooks Robinson at 3rd, Doug Flynn at 2nd? Seems so, as he flashes the leather with aplomb.
Through a combination of very hard work, more hitting aggressiveness, and realizing that it was getting close to his make or break time, the young man has put up an A+ plus performance in spring training.
I am very confident, and look forward to, what he will do in the regular season of 2025.
BATY VIDI VICI - "I batted, I saw balls that I ripped everywhere, and I conquered the fan’s doubts".
Mirabile dictu.
OTHER ROSTER RESULTS:
Well…Baty obviously made the roster.
Elsewhere, it was supposed to be either Kranick OR Brazaban, but Blackburn’s hit the IL with knee soreness, so K & B both made it. Two happy campers.
Then the final spot was to be either Canario or Acuna.
Acuna ultimately nabbed it, and likely Canario will be put on waivers. Bummer. Sorry to see both couldn’t make it.
10 comments:
Appears that poor Jake Mangum did NOT make the Rays roster despite hitting .317 in AAA in 2024 and .429 this spring.
Jake
Go buy a magnum before the tariffs kick in and drown yourself in sorrow
Special kudos to Brett
As we say in SC, you did good, son
Looks like Nido did not make the cut. Fellow ex-Met Crow-Armstrong hit .500 this spring with the Cubbies, with a 1.368 OPS. Yes, he made the team.
I am happy for Senger but I really was hoping for a reunion with Tomas
Mack, besides being cheaper than Tomas, Stearns had this to say about Senger: “He’s getting the job because we think he can help us win games. He’s an elite defensive catcher. Our pitchers love throwing to him; that really matters for us. And we’re excited to have him on the team and looking forward to watching him play.”
This is the time of year I hearken back to the olden days of 15 hitters vs. today’s 13. Mets would have also kept Canario, and when Alvarez returns, Senger would be the 3rd catcher, and Nido would be theCubs’ 3rd catcher. I still like my idea of adding 2 more hitters to a 28 man roster, and capping their 2 salaries at a total of $2 million,and push the team’s caps up $2 million.
It's good to see Senger rewarded for his hard work. It's a good luck to the younger players in the organization. Plus, it's only going to be 4 or 5 weeks. Maybe the kid won't have to work in Whole Foods this winter.
Very excited to see if Baty can truly turn the corner. If he's doing well, what do you do with McNeil when he returns? I think you have to prioritize his development over McNeil and Winkler.
Tom, I'm with you on the expanded roster. As I've said before, if not directly to 28, how about a 3 man taxi squad. 2 hitters, one pitcher.
It's opening day....where's Gus? Dude, it's not the same without you.
LET'S GO METS!!!
700k+ 2025 salary?
Fuk Whole Foods
Problem is, unless there are more catcher injuries, Senger will only be with the Mets for a month. About $140,000.
Eric Orze was awesome this spring, but did not make Rays’ OD roster. It is tough cracking a MLB roster.
You can't make thst.kind of ching at WF
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