The Changing of Baseball – by Mack Ade

I was on the telephone the past few days with a number of people including David Rubin, Gary Seagen, Art Smith, and Gary Guilbert. The subject kept getting around to:

1.     Is this team for real?

2.     Will the Mets sign a relief pitcher to relieve the pressure in both the pen and the clubhouse?

3.     Will Sandy screw this up and break up the nucleus of a great future by trying to pull off another Scott Kazmir-type deal?

4.     And, will the Mets ever develop an outfielder that can play every day while, at the same time, turn in the right direction when a ball is hit over his head?

I’m reminded once again of a discussion I had with a scout named Carlos Gomez. We were hanging out in the Savannah Sand Gnats’ stands four hours before a game and I asked him where all the great power hitting outfielders and first basemen have gone in baseball. Carlos smiled and reminded me that there never was that many. It was always the same ten names we read when we checked the top ten lists found below the standings in our local newspaper.

We didn’t solve anything in all those telephone calls (yes, we actually talked to each other instead of texting), but I did walk away from them with the realization that the 2012 Mets may just represent the future direction baseball is taking in the 21^st century.

It’s no big secret that the best athletes are what we call ‘middle fielders’. You draft and sign catchers, pitchers, shortstops, second basemen and centerfielders if you want to have a great team someday (I played third).

We also now know that every sophomore in high school over 6-1 is now given a baseball and told directions on how to get to the bump. The game is being redefined with pitching and you can’t have enough of it.

We also know that the placement of the most talented players to a ‘middle field’ position doesn’t mean he’s going to stay in that position. Bryce Harper was never going to be a catcher and the word is still out on Mike Zunino. Reese Havens was drafted as a second baseman. And countless centerfielders have become either field the corners or play first base.

Your true shortstop’s incubation nest is Latin America, while Cuba seems to be turning out the larger, more power hitter/pitcher Latin players.

We spent hours debating why Kirk Nieuwenhuis needs to play every day and what to do with Scott Hairston. The fact is there are currently eight outfielders on the Mets 40-man squad, including two on the DL (Jason Bay, Mike Baxter). If you throw in Jordany Valdespin (listed as an infielder), that’s nine.

Only Bay (LF) and Lucas Duda (RF) play an exclusive position, and frankly, they’re not in the game for their defensive skills.

Is this wrong? Should it be different? Well, the Mets are 43-37, are a half game out of a playoff spot.

It’s the Mets, baby!