Our new fast guy

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Filling the speedy outfielder role this year is Tim Locastro, formerly of some team on the other side of town. With the rule changes, this might be helpful. But with a .188 stick, he's not going to get on base much by himself.



https://nypost.com/2023/01/09/mets-sign-speedy-outfielder-tim-locastro-away-from-yankees/https://nypost.com/2023/01/09/mets-sign-speedy-outfielder-tim-locastro-away-from-yankees/

[Edgy MD]

The Mets have minor-league signed journeyman speed demon outfielder Tim Locastro away from the Yankees.



Locastro, a Syracuse native and an Auburn High School grad, is, like, Mr. Central New York, and will likely spend more time defending his home turf than playing for the Mets. He's 30, so it's hard to say how much he has left in his wheels, but he has stolen 39 of 44 bases in the majors (88.6%) and 178 of 218 in the minors (81.6%). Back in 2019 and 2020, he was frequently tagged with the Fastest Player in Baseball label, and that isn't that long ago.



While he's rarely hit enough to stick at the big league level, he's had his moments, and also is a notorious pin-cushion, getting hit by 37 pitches in 247 big league games, with a plunk total of 247 at all professional levels.



[media=youtube]VXbYIKQOots[/media]



https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/TDP-L-ROCKIES-DBACKS_JAC3870x.jpg?w=620>

[metirish]

Always need a fast guy, what happened to Gore ?

[Edgy MD]

Still on the free agent market, best as I can tell.



So is Jankowski for that matter, best as I can tell.

[metirish]

Fast guys are always smilers , why is that ? Or an I just thinking that?

[Edgy MD]

I'd smile if I could steal your breakfast before you knew it had been served.



It's not just the smile, though. It's the jaunty scarf they all wear. So flamboyant!



https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/speedy-gonzales.jpg?w=600>

[stevejrogers]

=metirish post_id=116423 time=1673357630 user_id=72]
Fast guys are always smilers , why is that ? Or an I just thinking that?

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, I think the difference is speedy regulars vs speed specialists.



The former have a better life but an unhappy job of trying to convince the world they deserve it. They have to keep afloat the illusion that they are more than their speed, even if they sometimes doubt, as their speed ebbs in tiny increments every day.



The latter never have the job security of the former. They have one single ticket to the show, they know it, and every day on a major league roster is stolen, and so they enjoy their wins that much more. Every day with them is Douglas Fairbanks with a fencing foil trying to fight an army to escape the gallows. Their ultimate doom is so assured that they breathe that much more sweetly every brief illusory breath of freedom.



Vince Coleman is Prince Humperdink or Count Rugen and Tim Locastro is Westley or Inigo. All are great swordsmen, but to what end?

[metirish]

That's perfect, Edgy

[bmfc1]

Locastro hit two HRs last year so I went to "Baseball Savant" to see if they were BS YS HRs and they didn't appear to be (as I listened to Michael Kay's nauseating HR calls) but I wasn't positive so I checked "Would it dong?" which measures if a HR would be a HR elsewhere and Locastro's two "dongs" in 2022 were HRs in all 30 parks.



https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/tim-locastro-641796?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlbhttps://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/tim-locastro-641796?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

https://danmorse.shinyapps.io/the-dinger-machine/##hitlisthttps://danmorse.shinyapps.io/the-dinger-machine/##hitlist

[roger_that]

Can he play a hella CF? If so, that would help justify a roster spot--I don't think we have much depth if Nimmo goes down for a week or two.

[Edgy MD]

I think his outfielding at all three spots is pretty nicely demonstrated in the reel above. His backhand snags in left are especially impressive. Like Juan Lagares, his pro career began in the infield. I don't know that I'd say that he's great, but the athleticism is certainly impressive.



Speed specialists who smile:



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[FIMG=500]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/t_2x1/t_w1536/mlb/nxmeg2pozqgw9ppqjwiw.jpg[/FIMG][FIMG=500]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/XZoAAOSwLSNjKpUr/s-l500.jpg[/FIMG]