What's the deal with Malo?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Jerry Manuel seems to have fallen in love. The guy was in the lineup again yesterday, and Manuel is bringing him to Jupiter to face the Marlins. The guy has never officially been in big league camp, but appeared in a few game as a loaner during the World Baseball Classic, and Jerry keeps asking him back, even now that he's got all his players in place, has released Jose Valentin, and refuses to give Dan Murphy a lookiesee at second.

His first position had been third base but he has no particular offensive tool that stands out --- running, walking, slugging --- and hasn't put up an OPS over .700 in the minors since 2005. He's one of several Canadians in the Mets system but didn't get an invite to play for the Candian WBC team. He hasn't played above Binghamton and may well be heading back there at the start of the season.

Reports have him as a smart, hardworking guy, with defensive flexibility and a commitment to improve his glovework. But that distinguishes him not at all from dozens of other minor league infielders.

So I ask again, what's the deal with Malo?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I would guess Jerry sees himself in certain guys. He also was a middle infielder whose bat wasn't good enough, but crafted a long career in part because some managers appreciated his basic skills and attitude.

What I know about Malo was, when he was with the Cyclones he made an appeal to fans to pitch in to a fund for his mother who had cancer or something.

[metirish]

That thing about Malo's mother rings a bell , good memory JCL . I'm sure we had a thread about it a few years ago.

Marty Noble writes

And as scant a chance as Green had, it was diminished by the late emergence of Jonathan Malo, a 25-year-old Canadian-born second baseman who has impressed Manuel to such a degree that the manager has told people in the organization that Malo is among his favorites among the possible reserves. But there seems to be no place for Malo on the roster.


Doesn't answer the question though

[Guest Edgy DC]

And the freaking guy comes in tonight and hits a homer off of a big league pitcher.

Maybe Jerry knows a little about this game they call baseball.

[MFS62]

It was an inside-the-park homer. The outfielder let it get by him.
And, according to the radio crew, the guy's name is pronounced MAY- low.

He's Canadian, and maybe he is developing late in his career because those folks don't get to play as many games as Americans and Latin Americans do.
Other than that possibility, who knows?

Later

[Guest GYC]

Is it weird if I friend request him on Facebook?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I found out tonight that half the freaking forum is friends with John Maine, why not?

[Benjamin Grimm]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2g6nxr2o]I found out tonight that half the freaking forum is friends with John Maine, why not?[/quote:2g6nxr2o] Yeah, what's up with that? Every once in a while John Maine comes up as a "person I might know."

soupcan Apr 01 2009 07:55 AM

="MFS62":2d5mzl8r]according to the radio crew, the guy's name is pronounced MAY- low.[/quote:2d5mzl8r] We don't need Valadius for this one... We'll call him 'May-low Yay-low'...quite right. Benjamin Grimm Apr 01 2009 07:57 AM Let's play "Choose a Valadius nickname for Jonathan Malo!" My pick: Hellman's DocTee Apr 01 2009 08:00 AM Sta Puff. You see, malo, as in malomar-- the main ingrediaent of which is marshmallow...like the Ghostbusters character of the same name. So there you have it, Sta Puf. Edgy DC Apr 01 2009 08:01 AM J-Lo. Only possible answer. Nymr83 Apr 01 2009 08:04 AM one disadvantage of working in an office is i dont feel comfortable anymore googling a giant image of the marshmallow man and posting it here, so please use your imagination. John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 01 2009 08:04 AM Jonathan Malo Raul Malo Raul Malo sang for the Mavericks The Mavericks made an album called trampoline Trampolines have springs therefore: "Jonathan Springer" What a name! soupcan Apr 01 2009 08:34 AM Ooh, I can do this... Pronounced 'MAY-low' Mellow Mellow Yellow Donovan My friend Chris Donovan Chris Donovan went to Villanova Villanova is in the Final Four The Final Four is in Detroit 'Detroit' in French means 'strait' When I hear 'strait' I think of 'The Straits of Hormuz' (don't know why, something from high school that just stuck, you know?) Straits of Hormuz is in the middle east. The nickname is....PITA BREAD!

[soupcan]

="MFS62":2d5mzl8r]according to the radio crew, the guy's name is pronounced MAY- low.[/quote:2d5mzl8r] We don't need Valadius for this one... We'll call him 'May-low Yay-low'...quite right.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 01 2009 07:57 AM

Let's play "Choose a Valadius nickname for Jonathan Malo!" My pick: Hellman's

DocTee Apr 01 2009 08:00 AM

Sta Puff. You see, malo, as in malomar-- the main ingrediaent of which is marshmallow...like the Ghostbusters character of the same name. So there you have it, Sta Puf.

Edgy DC Apr 01 2009 08:01 AM

J-Lo. Only possible answer.

Nymr83 Apr 01 2009 08:04 AM

one disadvantage of working in an office is i dont feel comfortable anymore googling a giant image of the marshmallow man and posting it here, so please use your imagination.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 01 2009 08:04 AM

Jonathan Malo Raul Malo Raul Malo sang for the Mavericks The Mavericks made an album called trampoline Trampolines have springs therefore: "Jonathan Springer" What a name!

soupcan Apr 01 2009 08:34 AM

Ooh, I can do this... Pronounced 'MAY-low' Mellow Mellow Yellow Donovan My friend Chris Donovan Chris Donovan went to Villanova Villanova is in the Final Four The Final Four is in Detroit 'Detroit' in French means 'strait' When I hear 'strait' I think of 'The Straits of Hormuz' (don't know why, something from high school that just stuck, you know?) Straits of Hormuz is in the middle east. The nickname is....PITA BREAD!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Let's play "Choose a Valadius nickname for Jonathan Malo!"

My pick: Hellman's

[DocTee]

Sta Puff.

You see, malo, as in malomar-- the main ingrediaent of which is marshmallow...like the Ghostbusters character of the same name.

So there you have it, Sta Puf.

[Guest Edgy DC]

J-Lo. Only possible answer.

[nymr83]

one disadvantage of working in an office is i dont feel comfortable anymore googling a giant image of the marshmallow man and posting it here, so please use your imagination.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jonathan Malo
Raul Malo
Raul Malo sang for the Mavericks
The Mavericks made an album called trampoline
Trampolines have springs
therefore:

"Jonathan Springer"

What a name!

[soupcan]

Ooh, I can do this...

Pronounced 'MAY-low'
Mellow
Mellow Yellow
Donovan
My friend Chris Donovan
Chris Donovan went to Villanova
Villanova is in the Final Four
The Final Four is in Detroit
'Detroit' in French means 'strait'
When I hear 'strait' I think of 'The Straits of Hormuz' (don't know why, something from high school that just stuck, you know?)
Straits of Hormuz is in the middle east.

The nickname is....PITA BREAD!