THE METS HAVE PSYCHO CYBORGS IN THE OUTFIELD
Do any of you remember a psycho defender of Mets years gone by named Juan Lagares?
Gold Glover, eye-popping plays…and plenty of lengthy fielding-related injuries.
Plenty of IL time, too.
The funny thing is, during the several long periods of time when he was on the IL, his and my WAR accumulation was IDENTICAL.
ZERO.
Anthony DiComo recently wrote an article about the two sensational rookie Mets psychos in the outfield:
Carson Benge and AJ Ewing.
In it he noted the following, which I excerpted:
The Mets’ psychopathic brotherhood officially formed last Saturday at Citi Field, when Carson Benge robbed Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers of an extra-base hit, ran into the right-center-field fence, and splayed out on the warning track.
…Ewing turned to Juan Soto and said, “Yo, that was psycho.”
…Soto (noted) that Ewing and Benge “call each other ‘psychopath’” for their defensive exploits. “Yeah, you are,’” Soto quipped.
In the eyes of both rookies, it’s the most flattering of epithets. A psychopathic outfielder is one who plays with a sort of controlled recklessness, sprinting, diving and, yes, crashing into fences from time to time.
“I feel like it’s just trying to make every play, whether that be running through a wall or standing easily,” Benge said. “Either way, I just want to make every play and not really care too much what happens to my body.”
“I take a lot of pride in being able to play that way, just because I know there’s value in everything you do on the baseball field,” Ewing said. “Whether that’s in the box, on defense, running the bases, you’ve got to bring it all 100% of the time.”
So who’s more psycho?
“Depends on the day,” Benge said.
In baseball scenarios, both players agreed, Ewing may be the crazier one due to his propensity for running into fences … not just during games, but before them, too. Prior to Monday’s series opener in Seattle, Ewing was shagging flies in the outfield when Bo Bichette hit one deep over his head.
Rather than let the meaningless ball go, as most players would, Ewing sprinted backward, caught it and crashed into the fence. His cap and sunglasses went flying. “Bo hit the ball, I was like, ‘I need this one,’” Ewing said. “I don’t know why.”
Maybe it is just me. “Psycho” makes me nervous.
I was around when Mike Baxter ended his career, essentially, crashing into the outfield wall to save Johan Santana’s successful no-hit bid.
I was around when Jason Bay got a few fence-crashing concussions that permanently and negatively altered his career.
I was around to see Juan Lagares hurt himself trying to make a reckless play in a lopsided game and miss months, more than a few times.
Mike Trout has had his share of injuries attacking walls.
Bo Jackson was other-worldly, until his hip bone died from brutal contact.
Brandon Nimmo crashing into a wall that caused a bulging disc and extended months of IL time.
I’m sure you readers can think of your own examples.
That being said:
Man, I love the enthusiasm of Benge and Ewing. Who wouldn’t?
But I want to see them be long-term great. 3,000 hits apiece, and Ewing being the next HOF Pete Rose, who wasn’t extremely grass I’ve, but not psycho, and Carson Benge becoming the next HOF Carlos Beltran, who wasn’t an outfield psycho.
, just a repeat Gold Glover.
So, I would recommend:
Guys, maybe you don’t don’t be kamikaze psychopath outfielders.
Be real aggressive, for sure, but psychopathic actions in the outfield over time can damage the bodies that brung ya here. And damage your careers long-term.
It would be your loss…and ours.
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