Is it just me, or does Lucas look almost dainty in this picture? I mean... it's like he's a Southern Belle drifting out of the batters box in a giant hoop skirt for his cotillion. Really? Just me? Well that figures. I've decided to take a moment to address the positive side of the Met's recent abysmal play and the likely swan song to the 2011 season.
Before the season I read reports telling me that scouts were making an about-face on Lucas Duda. He wasn't an all power/no patience pinch hitter... at least if he could learn to push the ball the other way and hit the breaking ball. Lucas failed to shine in his early auditions with the club and was relegated to AAA where together with Lutz, Nieuwenhuis and Evans he proceeded to clobber the baseball.
With the departure of Carlos Beltran and injury to Captain Kirk, Lucas gets another opportunity in the bigs. The results have not been EARTH SHATTERING but he does look like a major-league corner outfielder. His average has been okay, his power is definitely visible, and he's even managed a respectable 1:2 BB:K ratio.
If the Mets were to have kept Betran and played for a playoff birth... well... Duda might still be in AAA. Sure, Murphy could have still gotten hurt and Beltran is brittle too, but Duda got his chance because Alderson realized that 2011 is a BUILDING year. To that effect the Mets should see plenty of Duda, Evans, Tejada, Turner, Thole and... down the road Satin, Valdespin, Thayer and Schwinden.
Stop focusing on the negative. It will be there without your help. Focus on the positive and the fact that we might be getting a glimpse at some diamonds in the rough who could pave the way to a bright new future.
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