A baseball icon is gone with the passing of Willie Mays.
In my 75 plus years of following baseball, he was the best player I ever saw. No one else comes close. This was a player that could do it all.
He hit for both power and average, his defense was second to none and his base running skills were exceptional. Not only was he a great player but he was durable.
It’s
fair to wonder how many Hall of Fame players would have excelled in today’s
environment. Willie would have been the best player today outshining the Sotos,
Judges and Ohtanis, etc. He was the last surviving player from the 1951 playoff
game between the Giants and Dodgers. I
was at that game as a ten-year-old playing hooky from school. Wonder how many of us are still around.
Here we are two games under 500 with a tough week ahead and no Diaz to save the day. Hard to believe but the Yankees with Judge and Soto have outscored the Mets only by a third of a run per game – Judge with his incredible numbers accounts for the difference.
On the other hand, the Yankees pitching outclasses the Mets by a run per game. As we move toward the halfway point of the
season and in the hunt for a playoff spot, it’s fair to wonder if we should be
buyers or sellers.
With the return of Senga and the expected promotion of Scott, it appears that we have a surplus of starting pitchers. Tylor Megill has shown an inability to go deep in games and probably is best suited for the bullpen. Goodness knows the pen can use a power arm.
It seems likely that at least one of
Severino, Quintana and Manaea will be on the move. The hope is that the return will provide
immediate results to improve the bench and pen.
I find it hard to justify giving Tyrone Taylor and DJ Stewart regular playing time at the expense of others. Jeff McNeil is another many want to move on from. However, it’s unlikely trading Jeff will bring much in return. I’d be inclined to retain Jeff as a super-sub.
Pete Alonso
has been the speculation of numerous trade rumors. Pete is not going anywhere this season, although
his future with the team is uncertain.
I would not be unhappy if JD Martinez finds a
new home. His value is high and could
bring a nice prospect in return. I was never a fan of signing him although, I
admit, his recent production has been solid. I still contend that had we
started the year with Baty and Vientos as regulars, our record would have been better.
Who knows?
Whatever
moves are made should be done with long-term goals in mind. Getting under the salary cap would be a
definite plus. After this week, the
schedule gets noticeably easier. I can
see the team winning around 87-88 games which would qualify us for post-season
play.
Ray
June 25, 2024
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