Was Wednesday afternoon’s matinee a perfect baseball game?
Probably not — if you have to ask you have your own answer — but it was sure an enjoyable one, with a spectacular performance from Jacob deGrom, signs of professional life from Jose Reyes, a terrific day from Wilmer Flores, and a heckuva dragon to slay in a suddenly scarily revitalized Giancarlo Stanton.
Flores wound up starting at third, with Reyes shifted to short, because Asdrubal Cabrera was a late scratch with a family illness he’d had to attend to. And Flores came out on a mission to show he shouldn’t be on the bench.
I’m a fan of Terry Collins‘s — I think he’s a great teacher of young players, a terrific motivator in the clubhouse, and I admire that he’s changed at an age far past when most of us are capable of change. Remember how Terry was going to be a disaster because he was so high-strung and had alienated the Angels and Astros? If anything, the complaints about him in New York have been that he’s been too laid back dealing with players. He knew he couldn’t manage players the way he had, consciously set out to do things differently, and stuck to it.
A preamble like that is a good sign that a “but” is coming, of course, and here it is: I think Terry overvalues veterans in the lineup and that’s hurt the development of young players who need playing time above all else.
I think Michael Conforto would have been just fine if he’d kept playing every day, but Terry insisted on sitting him against lefties, based on a) a need to get Juan Lagares at-bats and b) the idea that Conforto, solely because he’s a young left-handed hitter, couldn’t hit lefties. The first point is certainly defensible and part of the tough job of a manager; a look at Conforto’s .274 line against lefties in the minors over 180 plate appearances should establish that the second point is fiction. In May Conforto got repeatedly yanked out of the lineup against lefties; denied regular playing time he got understandably anxious and started lunging at balls, was unlucky enough to roll into some lousy BABIP, and suddenly we had a Just So Story about confidence, a nebulous wrist injury and a trip to Vegas.
(By the way, I’m indebted for the above to Joe Sheehan, whose newletter I highly recommend for thoughts about baseball that will challenge you to reassess what you think and what you think you know.)
Wilmer Flores was the protagonist of a wonderful story last year, putting together a pretty good season despite treatment that came uncomfortably close to professional abuse from his ballclub. This year he found himself on the bench, and was on the disabled list with a .255 average when David Wright‘s neck betrayed him and his season ended.
With Wright down, Flores started on May 29 and went 1 for 10; since then, he’s hitting .313 with six homers and 19 RBI. Collins likes to talk about guys doing better when they hear footsteps, but I think that’s another Just So Story. The much simpler answer, and the one that strikes me as the likelier answer, is Flores has played well because he’s been allowed to play every day.
Which he now won’t be able to do, never mind his two-homer heroics and nifty plays in the field.
It’s far from clear to me that Reyes has any business starting over Flores — his only incontestable advantage in that matchup is speed. Yet that seems to be Terry Collins’s working assumption, and I think it’s a bad one.
The Mets owe Reyes nothing — it’s the other way around, given that they’ve tossed him a professional and personal lifeline. The competition here shouldn’t be between Wilmer Flores and the memory of what Jose Reyes was during Obama’s first term; it should be between Wilmer Flores and a 33-year-old with reduced speed who’s playing out of position and making the league minimum. But I fear we won’t get that, because Wilmer Flores is Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes is a Proven Veteran™.
But back to the game. It really was fun!
Can we agree that Stanton is terrifying? Change him out of horrid Marlins motley and into classical garb and he’d make an excellent Ares or a clean-shaven Hercules — heck, he already looks like a statue, with his stone face and his dark eyes like cold glass. The man does terrible things to baseballs — his two homers off deGrom were both line drives that he essentially hit only with his arms, whipping them into distant regions with such velocity that the outfielders barely budged. The scouting report on Stanton ought to be the same as a previous generation’s for Hank Aaron: hope nobody’s on base when he hits one.
With the more-than-forgiveable exception of Stanton, though, deGrom was on point, outfoxing the Marlins with strategic use of his change-up (like the beauty that got Christian Yelich in the third) and coaxing double plays when he needed them. We got Flores’s heroics, and a couple of balls over third from Reyes that once might have been triples when he had another gear but were perfectly welcome doubles without that gear, and a nice game from Curtis Granderson, playing in obvious discomfort as evidenced by the aftermath of his sliding grab to rob Marcell Ozuna in the sixth.
Stanton wasn’t the last out of the game — that distinction went to Ichiro Suzuki, who came up as the tying run but hit into a double play. But the game’s climax, for me, was the ninth-inning confrontation between Stanton and Jeurys Familia.
Stanton deserves every superlative you can dream up, but Familia’s pretty damn good too. He went after Stanton with his usual weapon in the usual spot, that sinker on the knee that drops down towards the ankle. You knew he was going to do it and I knew he was going to do it and Stanton knew he was going to do it, but much like Mariano Rivera and his cutter it didn’t matter — that pitch was only going to fail if the execution faltered.
Still, it’s Stanton. That pitch alone wasn’t going to get him out, the way it carved up the Cubs. So Familia paired it with a slider on the other side of the plate, dropping into the dirt. Stanton knew he was going to do that, too — the key was when. Familia got Stanton to foul off a sinker on 1-2 and then went to the slider, which Stanton let go for ball two. Then back to that sinker, which Stanton fouled off once and then again, his mind and body getting more fixated on neutralizing it even as he knew another slider was lurking out there.
It came on the eighth pitch, skipping into the dirt in front of home plate, and Stanton lunged for it — lunged for it and missed. Wonderful.
I’m wondering if it’s Terry Collins’ idea at all to start Reyes over Flores. I sniff Sandy Alderson calling the shots on that one, if not explicitly then heavily implied by his signing Reyes in the first place.
BTW: I was in the car when Reyes had his 1st new Met AB. Josh and Howie sounded stupefied that he got such a rousing reception. I watched it later on mlb.tv and it didn’t really seem THAT rousing on TV. What I was trying to check by reviewing the clip was whether any women were part of that standing ovation. The cameras didn’t pan into the crowd for very long, but it seemed like only guys were up and clapping.
I was at Jose’s first game back and I did not think it was an incredible standing ovation. If I had to guess 1/3 had decided to stand, 1/3 had decided not to, and 1/3 didn’t know what to do. I also got the impression (not surprisingly) that half the fans didn’t even know the Jose song.
Agree again about Jose. He’s an upgrade at utility infielder, not at starting third baseman. And I agree with Ken K. This whole thing strikes me as an upper management maneuver, perhaps all the way to Jeff Wilpon. Jose Reyes should not be playing every day, especially over a resurgent Wilmer Flores.
I am hoping (despite decades of the contrary) that the Mets will be smart. Wilmer should be playing 5 or 6 days out of 7. 3 or 4 at 3B, one at 2B to spell Walker, one at 1B. Reyes should play 3B when Wilmer doesn’t, and maybe give Cabrera a blow once a week. And be a weapon off the bench otherwise.
Agreed with Ken K and sturock. The Reyes move looked so orchestrated. I fully expected to see Dilson Herrera be called up with a predicted shuffling of infield positions.
I thought about it and attempted to see it from both sides, and I have concluded that I simply can’t root for Jose Reyes. The usual pro-Mets emotions don’t come when his name is associated. When he ripped one down the line, he was just a nameless Met in my brain. There was a shot of him congratulating Flores after a home run and I inwardly cringed. Not a good thing.
I also felt disappointed when the Mets brought back Guillermo Mota (and Marlon Byrd) after his PED suspension, but I have all but forgotten Colon and Bastardo were also suspended a few years ago. So I guess I now understand that there are varying degrees of dislike, disappointment, and apathy. Despite not being “convicted”, I just can’t root for Reyes.
I didn’t write about this because a) I was weary and knew I’d half-ass it and b) there’ll be another chance, but for me watching Jose’s doubles was just … weird. I felt the delight I’d had for the 2010 Reyes trying to fire but not ever getting there, and bounced from happy to appalled to confused at the crowd chanting and cheering, or trying to.
It’s weird. I know that’s lame but that’s where I am, pending further processing.
I do believe in giving people second chances, but the thing that’s made me feel skeevy isn’t just the domestic violence incident. It’s the fact that everything that followed that incident sort of came up roses for him. He got the money, he got to go back to the team that he wanted to play for, he got his old number back, got a starters job, and got a (maybe not full-throated) hero’s welcome from a fanbase nostalgic for the electric, infectiously happy player we watched for almost a decade. It’s a whole lot more than a “second chance.”
I just hope: 1) Those checks were drawn from Jose’s own personal karma account, and deGrom and Cespedes aren’t hospitalized following a freak golfing accident as cosmic payback. 2) He fits in with the current club and doesn’t have a negative impact. And 3) TC doesn’t force him into the lineup every night just because.
I guess I’m in the minority here, not that I necessarily think Jose should clearly start over Flores, but in that I’m not overly concerned. Depth is a good problem, and both guys should be flexible enough to move around and get a good amount of ABs. And with a full half season to go, production will ultimately be the determining factor in who gets more PT. In the meantime, while nobody is a bigger Wilmer fan than me, we shouldn’t let his recent hot streak obscure the fact that he has been a middling hitter most of the year with a handful of great games. Gary pointed out yesterday that he has back to back 3 hit games, back to back 2 hit games and a 6 hit game. Add in yesterday’s two hits and that’s 18/42 hits on the season (nearly half) coming in 6 games. He doesn’t walk and he has no speed. I say all this NOT as a detractor, but just as a realist. I hope he stays hot and eventually plays consistently well enough to earn that every day job. In the meantime, anything that strengthens our bench is a good thing even if it complicates filling out the lineup card.
All fair points.
i’m so with you on this Matt…i think your last line says it perfectly
All great points by everyone. I do have conflicting emotions on this. I was not in favor of bringing in Reyes, as it’s hard to cheer him on while he’s here and what he has done. But ultimately he’s wearing the Mets uniform, so I’m going to want him to do well, although I’m not crazy at the expense of Flores maybe turning the corner into a solid player. While I do love what I’ve been seeing out of Wilmer lately, as Matt has pointed out, depth is a good problem to have. In the end……LGM!!
Jason, I think you’re right on the money on the Flores vs. Reyes point. The Mets owe Jose absolutely nothing. They didn’t owe him his number back (in fact they owed it to TdA to not make him switch for a diminished player making the major league minumum, as you said), they didn’t owe him the leadoff spot, they didn’t owe him a single celebratory graphic on social media, or a darn thing. He owes his entire career to this organization now, and the Mets are forgetting that entirely.
Not to contradict your Conforto point, but I think it is worth noting that Conforto’s struggles began on the day he happened to face a lefty named Madison Bumgarner. I would say it’s not an issue that he didn’t face lefties but rather that Terry decided to start him against one of the best lefties in the world rather than ease him in against more hittable lefties (which, if we’re being fair to Terry and Sandy, is exactly what they have been doing so right with Lucas Duda for years).
Jason,
Thank you for your comments per the Mets not owing Reyes anything, and how it’s questionable that he should start over Wilmer.
To supplement that point: what was the rush to bring him up this week with the Mets on one of their best streaks of the year? It might have been one thing had the Mets lost, say, 4-of-5 to start the homestand AND if Reyes had been producing in the minors.
Will I root for him to produce? Yet, but not because he is Jose Reyes, in light of the domestic violence issue. He’s just another movable part to me that happens to be wearing a Mets uniform.
Geez, based on all the Flores-Reyes angst the past few days here, I can hardly wait for the discourse when Duda is ready to come back.
Loney has been nothing besides what the back of his baseball card says he is – a professional (and good) hitter who takes professional at bats. Not to mention an upgrade with the glove, though Duda is no slouch with the leather (one throw excepted, of course).
Just sayin…
Giancarlo Stanton makes me very happy that I’m not a baseball. That’s gotta hurt.
Flores should be playing almost every day until game #162 and (hopefully) beyond. Reyes should be starting 2, maybe 3 times a week to give mostly Cabrera and Walker a day off now and then, maybe let him DH in AL parks. Having him on the team makes me uncomfortable enough as it is, let’s not make it worse by overusing him and expecting him to be the 2006 version. How about in this series against the Nats he’s just coming off the bench.
What are the chances someone from the 69 or 86 team engaged in some not so pleasant domestic behavior? I’m glad that society’s views are FINALLY changing on this subject, and anyone who lays a hand on someone in violence should suffer the appropriate consequences. But some of the voices I’m hearing are starting to sound just a hair too strident. If you want to take a zero tolerance position on this issue, I suppose that is your right, but it’s pretty impractical. And do you feel that zero tolerance position should only apply to professional athletes? If so, that’s pretty hypocritical.
Personally (as I mentioned upthread) one of the things that’s been bothering me about this is that, other than the unpaid suspension, every consequence stemming from this particular domestic violence incident has been positive for Reyes. Because he hit his wife, he got released by a club that he openly said he didn’t want to play for, they’re still paying him a small fortune for the next year and a half anyway, and he has by all accounts, gotten a warm welcome back from a team that he did want to play for. All of these events were set in motion that night last October, and his redemption story thus far has had about the same arc as Stanton’s four recent homers.
IMO, the public holds athletes to a different standard because they’re entertainers. We watch them because we don’t want to think about bad stuff for a couple of hours. And Jose, in particular, used to make all Mets fans happy. At least for now, he’s just making 1/3 to 2/3 of the fans feel negative or uncertain.
Also, I agree that anonymous righteous indignation flows too freely online. I don’t really see anyone being that way about it here, though. I think everyone just wishes there wasn’t this ugly cloud hanging over a former fan favorite who was once known for his exuberance. But there it is, and I agree with everyone who is feeling conflicted about it.
my 2 cents is that the Mad Bum of San Francisco did horrible things to Conforto’s swing, mind, and confidence. I’m not sure he was the same after that game. I’m sure a lot else went into it, but he did not look like a man possessed of his own powers after that game, and his timing looked, well, abysmal.
Lets get after the Nats! LETS GO HERE METS!
PS – where’s Wilmer tonight???????
Jose Reyes back with Mets–just leaves a bad taste.
Met fan since Polo Grounds-1963
Let’s Go Mets!
I do feel there is a slight bias against the eager rookies. We were all buzzing about the infectious hustle, joy and zeal with Brandon Nimo. So let’s bench him. And wipe that smile off your face rook. How is Comforto doing in Vegas. I hope he is batting against all lefties and righties. Meanwhile, some MLB page says neither the Royals or Mets will make the playoffs. There was an old theory in Red Sox nation that ownership did not want a world championship. They wanted them to be just good enough to draw attention and narrowly miss winning it all. In this way we keep coming to the show and owners don’t have to shell out more $’s. Please LGM! Please!
Pete,
Just curious. Per the Red Sox, are you saying the Red Sox preferred NOT winning the WS because it would reduce interest and hurt attendance? Not sure I buy that. I don’t recall Mets interest suffered in ’70 and ’87…
I lived in Boston from 1986 to 2006, but I was a 6th grader in 1969 when the AVA Dept. wheeled in a television set into our homeroom and I was Metsmerized. I lived in KC in 1980 and when I told folks I was from ny, they asked how I liked the Yankees getting their butt kicked. They were stunned when I said I despised them and rooted for the Mets. This was also the case in the late 80’s in Boston. (They won’t accept that Mookie was safe no matter what Buckner did) but I had to listen to a litany of stories of how owners want to draw crowds but not win it all. Winning it all means huge salaries the next year. Better to draw crowds with an almost good enough team, come close, but not win it all. I’m not even saying that the Wilpons plan this. I don’t think they plan much. More like react than plan. BTW, I now live in Charleston, SC, the home of college baseball. The College of Charleston, USC (the real USC), and NCAA champs the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, and so called Braves Country. There’s plenty of Mets fans here.
Wait…what? Jose Reyes plays shortstop?
I completely agree with you on Conforto. He has the best chance to be a superstar on the same level as Cespedes. They should have played him everyday and kept that lefty bs out of his head.I hope that it hasn’t ruined his confidence .I really like Loney on first base…I would trade his average and defense against Dudas homeruns anyday…Confession ;I haven’t gotten over the fact that dudas bad throw in the world series seemed to bother me more than it did him
yea for all of his nice glove work before and since, i never really got over that throw! ditto for the two balls that eluded murphy’s glove. those are the karmic events that can alter a team’s future. as such i was sad to see murph go but felt he *had* to go.
likewise i’m very happy with loney at first. he’s made some beautiful plays on thd field and has been consistent and clutch.
for all of my skepticism about reyes – and his messing with the team’s finally-great chemistry – what we seem to have is a harmonious collision of two universes. i had gotten so used to wright being the last remaining piece of a previous mets era that it feels weird to have that role now manned by jose.
that everyone got into the fun (save bartolo) made last night one of the best games of the season.
scripted as though maybe, in spite of the 2015 first half deja vu, ours may be the team of destiny.
yes, now we need conforto back on the big club, batting against lefties and raking as he did – and will again.
from numb to so much fun!
let’s keep it rolling!
LGM!
Pretty Good, there, Jason, putting your name in the title —– especially regarding a game played on Prince Spaghetti Day.
We’ve got a beloved 86er of our own, Wally Backman, whose been involved in DV, and lost his managerial job in Colorado because of it. It may have actually been because he was not forthcoming about it, though, but in that case, apparently he was the one who was hit with a bat, I believe. So in addition to being perhaps railroaded, I think he is also being blackballed. His minor league record is terrific, and he appears to have the spunk and knowledge of a junior TC, actually.
The Aroldis Chapman furor has died down, and probably the Reyes thing will, too, if he keeps producing on the field and comes across as a good guy. Would be interesting to see Reyes’ his wife give an interview, though, on what happened and how she is feeling now about everything.
I was in favor of bringing back Reyes and obviously still am. I have no info of the conditions by which the Mets signed him, but I am pretty sure he was told that he cannot have a similar incident. He seems contrite. His wife forgave him. In the future, MLB should require a certain portion of salary go to domestic abuse groups…I know Joe Torre runs one…and also have the player talk to prevention groups and contribute time in other ways. You can have something good come out of a horrible offense.
Yes! That’s a great idea to mandate a portion of his salary go to domestic abuse groups. And to work against DV in the ways you mentioned. Let it be written into his contract.
Yes, Steve D and Stephen, I think that sort of gesture wouldgo a long way. Good idea.