Davey would have played Murphy at second

[Theoldmole]

IMHO

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think DJ would have played Murphy everywhere, but not rooted him at second until he showed some skillz.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I do think that Davey would have played Murphy over Castillo at second last year, and let Tatis play every day in left.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Dude... Davey just might have stuck him at catcher instead of going the Cancel route.

[MFS62]

IIRC, Davet had a MAsters in Mathematics. So he would have remember the formula for winning expoused by his managing mentor Earl Weaver. It was "Pitching and three run homers". (He may have forgotten that defense was part of that formula, if I remember it correctly.)
But, looking at the other options available, so would I.

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Davey digged the offense. Do you remember Hojo at shortstop?

[Guest Edgy DC]

We all remember it. But we also remember that HoJo never stuck there, even when he started the season as the number one.

[Frayed Knot]

]Davey would have played Murphy at second

Occasionally, yes.
Everyday, probably not.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Sure about that? You're talking about a man who played Kevin Mitchell at shortstop 24 times in 1986, monsieur.

[Frayed Knot]

24 times is occasionally - and not all of those were full games IIRC.

The larger point is that Met fans are so interested in wanting Castillo gone that many have already decided that Murphy is/will be a decent enough 2Bman. Problem is, almost no one who has seen him play there agrees and there's probably not a lot of track record for those considered only mediocre in corner spots making a transfer to the middle of the diamond all while doing so at the major league level with very little practice.

I hope he gets enough reps over there to play in a pinch and, yes, Davey would be more willing to do that than most.
But I still don't think he would have made it a permanent move.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fair enough (if memory serves, I believe he did make it into double-digit starts at SS, about the same amount as HoJo). I do agree-- ironically-stickless Raffy (thanks for the anecdote, Jeff Pearlman!) DID start 139 gms there.

Color me as a believer-- to an extent, at least-- in regression-to-the-mean for Castillo. Hell, prior to this year, consistency itself was one of his hallmark characteristics, and players with his skill sets don't tend to have as precipitous a final decline as power hitters, no? Anything approaching said mean (getting on-base at a .360-.370 clip, stealing bases semi-efficiently and playing more-than-serviceable D) would be highly usable. (Not sure it's top-of-order-usable, sucking away at-bats from our big 3, but still.)

That said, I have to admit that I'm curious to see what Murphy could do with decent stretches of time at 2B; if his batwork last year was no fluke, and Castillo's struggles at the plate persist (a bad first month turns him into this year's Heilman at CitiField, obviously), then defensive growing pains at 2B-- splitting time with Cora or Castillo-- may not be so tough to swallow.

(Of course, had there been a legit starting addition in the OF, he could be working through that in Buffalo, but hell, that's a moot point.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think it'll take something less than a bad first month for folks to open their guns on Castillo.

[Gwreck]

="Edgy DC":mn44nn0k]I think it'll take something less than a bad first month for folks to open their guns on Castillo.[/quote:mn44nn0k] You assume they were put away in the first place. Given what transpired last year, I expect him to get booed during player introductions on opening day.

Edgy DC Feb 15 2009 09:55 PM

Yeah, I was kind of playing it understated there. I expect him to get ripped in St. Lucie well before opening day even arrives.

G-Fafif Feb 16 2009 09:42 AM

Daniel Murphy was a bit over five years old when Davey was fired, so I think he would have stuck with Jefferies or even Teufel at second.

MFS62 Feb 16 2009 10:05 AM

="G-Fafif":67xavfsp]Daniel Murphy was a bit over five years old when Davey was fired, so I think he would have stuck with Jefferies or even Teufel at second.[/quote:67xavfsp] I think you just proved (or at least supported) Mole's original statement. Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, I was kind of playing it understated there. I expect him to get ripped in St. Lucie well before opening day even arrives.

[G-Fafif]

Daniel Murphy was a bit over five years old when Davey was fired, so I think he would have stuck with Jefferies or even Teufel at second.

[MFS62]

="G-Fafif":67xavfsp]Daniel Murphy was a bit over five years old when Davey was fired, so I think he would have stuck with Jefferies or even Teufel at second.[/quote:67xavfsp] I think you just proved (or at least supported) Mole's original statement. Later