Squirrel and Rojas

[Edgy MD]

Is something heating up between Jeff McNeil and his manager? Jeff has seemingly had the red ass for two weeks, and his sudden explosion of power didn't seem to lift it, or stop him from making some boneheaded moves.



The team has some lovely redundancy in the infield, but it'll be a shame if they can't come to an understanding and he wins his batting average title for someone else. I've already seen that movie and it was called The Jeff Kent Story.

[kcmets]

Days of Squirrel and Rojas

Starring Jack Lemon and Lee Remick with music by Henry Mancini!

[A Boy Named Seo]

=kcmets post_id=46660 time=1600273440 user_id=53]
Days of Squirrel and Rojas

Starring Jack Lemon and Lee Remick with music by Henry Mancini!

[MFS62]

=kcmets post_id=46660 time=1600273440 user_id=53]
Days of Squirrel and Rojas

Starring Jack Lemon and Lee Remick with music by Henry Mancini!

[Chad ochoseis]

McNeil has always struck me as a red ass on general principles. I've never actually seen his ass, but when the camera follows him into the dugout after a strikeout, he usually looks like he's getting ready to smack a water cooler. I don't know that there's a particular issue with Rojas here.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

McNeil as we've noted before has had his head up his ass all year, basically. As mentioned the other day in the game thread he looked upset at Rojas for not making a show of lending support during the fake-HBP incident. I did not hear what the booth thought of that, I had the sound down.



Rojas seems to say all the right things and keeps his cool which are positives, but I'm not impressed yet with his passion or ability to consistently rally these guys. I thought the combo of a rookie manager, a never-managed-before second-in-command, a rookie pitching coach and an absentee hitting coach was a potentially disadvantageous arrangement from the start and the play of the team (not crisp, not creative, pissed off, some guys seemingly unable to arrest the struggles, and making the same mistakes over and over) suggests that is the case, too. Green overconfident GM and stupid owners too.

[Edgy MD]

It's funny but it's hard to get a solid read on Rojas' in-game calls when his face is covered.

[Frayed Knot]

McNeil thinks he should be making solid contact with every pitch he sees and gets pissed off whenever he doesn't.

So it's kind of tough to tell if and when that anger is also directed outward.

[MFS62]

Rojas' lineups bother me.

I'm still trying to figure out why he plays Davis at third and Squirrel in left. McNeil is a much better defensive third baseman than Davis, and his lineup weakens two positions defensively. And Squirrel seems made for the #2 spot in the lineup (lefty-right is overrated when the second lefty can stroke). Why put him down in the order? Maybe he's miffed that he's hitting down there, playing left, or both.



Later

[Edgy MD]

McNeil is a much better defensive third baseman than Davis, and his lineup weakens two positions defensively.

I don't think this season's defensive metrics would support that.



It's limited data, but it's current.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: McNeil is a much better defensive third baseman than Davis, and his lineup weakens two positions defensively. I don't think this season's defensive metrics would support that. It's limited data, but it's current.

McNeil dWAR = 0.0

Davis dWAR = -0.8



Slight difference. I was using the eyeball test.

Later

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Not about lineups at least directly. We all have experienced demonstrative aggressive behavior in sports, I do think there area questions as to the degree to which McNeil is interfering. Locking the Beaters out of the clubhouse this year is adding to the mysteriousness of it all too I think.

[Edgy MD]

Besides the mask, one thing that makes it hard to judge Rojas is that he's the first guy we've ever had managing under American League rules.

[vtmet7]

Edgy MD wrote: Besides the mask, one thing that makes it hard to judge Rojas is that he's the first guy we've ever had managing under American League rules.

plus, he's used to managing kids that probably can run and field at their level in the minors...and now he's trying to fit a bunch of square pegs in round holes...defensively, he's got a bunch of Left Fielders, 2nd basemen, 1st basemen and DH's with no real catchers, center fielders, third basemen (his best defensive player is a guy that likely wouldn't have even been on a Mets roster in a normal season, and only got a chance to start because all the infielders were hurt)...offensively, he's got an over-abundance of left handed hitters with very limited speed...and a bunch of pitchers "that pitch to contact" on a team that has limited defensive abilities/range/arms...



realistically, Squirrel is a 2nd baseman or a utility player...he really doesn't have the arm to play 3rd base or the outfield...but, he's blocked by Cano, who doesn't really like to DH

[Edgy MD]

Only two teams have struck out more batters (and batters/9) then the Mets.