David Wright 2009

[Guest Kong76]

I say it's his fault, thus far.

[metirish]

Dump Molly is the first thing I would have him do , he was a much better hitter when a virgin.

[Guest Kong76]

I'm kinda serious, he's cost the Mets 3-4 games in the standings in April.
And that's a generously conservative estimate.

[metirish]

David is striking out at an alarming rate.....out looking two times today IIRC.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Definitely should get a day off. Or two.

Or more.

[metirish]

I do wonder about sitting guys , when is the best time to do it. Manuel said before the season started that one thing he wanted to do this season was give Wright , Reyes and Beltran more days off . You don't sit a guy that's hot with the bat but when he's struggling is that a good time to sit him , some say that it's not good because they can't work it out on the bench . The player of course would want to play. Last season we had this with Delgado.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm not sure Molly is in the picture these days.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He had a similarly shitty start in 2007, you may recall.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

It's a long season. I think he'll be fine.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He will be fine.

And the team will play better too. I'm not convinced that they're good enough to win anything this year, but it's too early to write them off. Let's see what the next few months brings.

[Ceetar]

="metirish":vbesoyll] You don't sit a guy that's hot with the bat but when he's struggling is that a good time to sit him [/quote:vbesoyll] Unless it's Church or Castillo for course. Gotta get that .150 average of Sheffield in there.

Nymr83 Apr 30 2009 06:36 AM

Wright is hitting .270 or so, if he needs a day off then by all means give it to him, but he is hardly hitting poorly enough to be forced to the bench for a few days

Frayed Knot Apr 30 2009 07:08 AM

He had last night off and is getting today too.

metirish Apr 30 2009 07:15 AM

="Nymr83"]Wright is hitting .270 or so, if he needs a day off then by all means give it to him, but he is hardly hitting poorly enough to be forced to the bench for a few days A soft .270 wouldn't you say? , no extra base power at all so far.

Rotblatt Apr 30 2009 07:41 AM

My biggest problem is the lack of power in combo with the strikeouts. If he were striking out more but hitting more dingers, that would make sense: he's trying (successfully) to hit more home runs. Instead, he's on pace for over 200 Ks and only 45 extra base hits (he had 118 Ks and 77 XBH last year). The good news is, he's had bad months before, and he's always rebounded. August 2006: 102 AB, .282 AVG/.313 OBP/.392 SLG/.705 OPS, 19 K April 2007: 90 AB, .244 AVG/.370 OBP/.311 SLG/.681 OPS, 23 K June 2008: 104 AB, .279 AVG/.350 OBP/.413 SLG/.763 OPS, 18 K April 2009: 82 AB, .280 AVG/.372 OBP/.390 SLG/.763 OPS, 27 K I think he'll be fine; his strikeout rate is elevated even in the context of the worst months of his career, but he's still getting on base at a good clip, so it's not like he's seeing the ball THAT poorly. If the team were playing better around him, we'd probably hardly notice his problems. Yes, he needs to turn it around, but he's always done so in the past, and I expect he will again.

Nymr83 Apr 30 2009 08:09 AM

even in his bad months he's still getting on base at a nice clip. maybe he should be batting 2nd protected by beltran instead of 5th? if he's getting on base but not being the RBI-man then thats where he belongs anyway.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 30 2009 08:13 AM

Neither Wright nor Reyes are hitting with the kind of authority you'd like to see. But, I'm CAHNfident they will both improve. Not to drive this thread out on further tangent, but another fear of mine is that Delgado is entering one of those patented Met Injury Mystery periods. They say with complete confidence he should be available for Philly yet he was so bad he couldn;t be asked to PH yesterday. Yeah sure.

Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 08:22 AM

Agreed. The pitcher is wilder than a Wyoming cougar and the bases are loaded. Tying run on third, winning run on second. He has to throw fastballs. What righthanded pitcher in his right mind wants to throw fastballs to Carlos Delgado when Delgado knows they're coming? I'd send him up there if he had to take a crutch with him. Regarding Wright, I was thinking the stadium eating up his flies to right center may be forcing him to adjust his swing, looking to drive the ball more and loft it less, but I don't know how much that would explain, looking like he is at belt-high fastballs over the outside half of the plate.

Nymr83 Apr 30 2009 08:34 AM

Yeah, I don't see how Delgado is anywhere in the vicinity of ready to play if he couldn't be called upon in the 9th yesterday.

Ceetar Apr 30 2009 08:52 AM

="Nymr83":3g5owfso]Yeah, I don't see how Delgado is anywhere in the vicinity of ready to play if he couldn't be called upon in the 9th yesterday.[/quote:3g5owfso] Actually, didn't I read that Manuel said "I didn't have to ask him, he wasn't available."? Maybe that means Delgado was so bad it wasn't likely to be okay, or maybe it means Manuel had decided already that Delgado wasn't going to be pinch hitting. Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 08:59 AM I'm guessing he wasn't in the house. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 30 2009 09:31 AM ="Ceetar":27vrf8v4] ="Nymr83":27vrf8v4]Yeah, I don't see how Delgado is anywhere in the vicinity of ready to play if he couldn't be called upon in the 9th yesterday.[/quote:27vrf8v4] Actually, didn't I read that Manuel said "I didn't have to ask him, he wasn't available."? Maybe that means Delgado was so bad it wasn't likely to be okay, or maybe it means Manuel had decided already that Delgado wasn't going to be pinch hitting.[/quote:27vrf8v4] Did we see him on camera in the dugout yesterday? Maybe CarlosDos needed a mental health day down the shore or catching "Obsessed" at the multiplex? (Like the season-ticket holder I sat next to Tuesday night who punched the air and let out random coyote-like screams every time Mr. Wright did his waving-and-missing routine.) batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 09:44 AM I wouldn't give Wright a day off against the Phillies. The New Coors Field at Philadelphia might just be the right tonic to fix whatever's ailing our third baseman. On a somewhat related note, Mets batters are next to last in HR's (Wright: one HR in 21 games) in the NL. This, more than anything else, is likely what's wrong with the offense because, as everyone here knows, HR's have a neat way of putting runs on the scoreboard whle simultaneously maintaining that RISP Avg. at respectable levels. Of course, with almost no Citi Field history as a reference to make some sense of the Mets lack of HR output this season, it's difficult to determine what sort of HR numbers should be expected. TBD. Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 09:45 AM Am I the only one who was calling for Wright to bunt in the ninth? G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 09:50 AM If we were to get over the notion that "you can't ask your RBI guy to bunt," then Wright bunting was worth a shot. Sadly, he's not your RBI guy at the moment. Winning the game takes precedence over labels. metirish Apr 30 2009 09:51 AM ="Edgy DC":1tu91gc1]I'm guessing he wasn't in the house.[/quote:1tu91gc1] Maybe he was hanging out in the bullpen.... batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 09:57 AM ="Edgy DC"]Regarding Wright, I was thinking the stadium eating up his flies to right center may be forcing him to adjust his swing, looking to drive the ball more and loft it less, but I don't know how much that would explain, looking like he is at belt-high fastballs over the outside half of the plate. I was also wondering whether it's the larger Citi Field dimensions that have Wright psyched out. I'm feeling marvelous right now. <-------------------------- If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. metirish Apr 30 2009 09:59 AM Is Wright even hitting a lot of fly balls? , seriously I don't even remember watching him and thinking that at least he tearing the cover of the ball but it's just not going out right now. G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:11 AM ="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid. Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 10:18 AM He was hitting flies in the first homestand. G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:20 AM Do pop flies count? batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 10:23 AM ="G-Fafif"] ="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. Yep. There goes Marv, doing what he does best. Or worst. If that image did adorn Citi Field and Marv was still with us, he might remark that "he still doesn't know why his banner hangs outside of the new stadium". ="G-Fafif"] That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid. I read about your preference for Karl Ehrhardt and Collapse Guy as the cover to your book, and agreed with your thinking immediately. I suppose that your publisher thought that action shots of ballplayers would sell more books. But aesthetically, your idea was the smarter one. Frayed Knot Apr 30 2009 10:50 AM As mentioned above, the main difference so far is in strikeouts and power. The stadium could partially explain the power outage. I have no idea what to say about the Ks. Except that in his four full seasons in the majors to date Wright's hitting has been absurdly consistent in almost all aspects, including strike-outs where he's gone: 113, 113, 115, 118 See also doubles: 42, 42, 40, 42; HRs: 27, 26, 30, 33; OBA: .386, .381, .416, .390 Point being that, especially at age 26, I don't think he's a likely candidate to suddenly morph into a 200+ K/yr, slap-hitting drag on the lineup. We've got other things to worry about. OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 12:56 PM I think he could offset some of that power-drag in Citi if he utilizes that handy knack for driving the ball the other way with power. But what do I know? Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 01:31 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Apr 30 2009 01:55 PM That's the thing, though. He flies the other way with power more than anything. And those lofty flies used to land 5-12 feet behind the 371 sign and during the first homestand, they were hitting gloves on the warning track. OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 01:46 PM Oh, alright then. I should preface most of my posts with "I haven't actually seen more than 4 of these games televised because of location, but..." Swan Swan H Apr 30 2009 07:00 PM Somebody find John Stearns, because the monster is coming out of the cage this weekend.

[nymr83]

Wright is hitting .270 or so, if he needs a day off then by all means give it to him, but he is hardly hitting poorly enough to be forced to the bench for a few days

[Frayed Knot]

He had last night off and is getting today too.

[metirish]

="Nymr83"]Wright is hitting .270 or so, if he needs a day off then by all means give it to him, but he is hardly hitting poorly enough to be forced to the bench for a few days

A soft .270 wouldn't you say? , no extra base power at all so far.

[Guest Rotblatt]

My biggest problem is the lack of power in combo with the strikeouts. If he were striking out more but hitting more dingers, that would make sense: he's trying (successfully) to hit more home runs. Instead, he's on pace for over 200 Ks and only 45 extra base hits (he had 118 Ks and 77 XBH last year).

The good news is, he's had bad months before, and he's always rebounded.

August 2006: 102 AB, .282 AVG/.313 OBP/.392 SLG/.705 OPS, 19 K
April 2007: 90 AB, .244 AVG/.370 OBP/.311 SLG/.681 OPS, 23 K
June 2008: 104 AB, .279 AVG/.350 OBP/.413 SLG/.763 OPS, 18 K
April 2009: 82 AB, .280 AVG/.372 OBP/.390 SLG/.763 OPS, 27 K

I think he'll be fine; his strikeout rate is elevated even in the context of the worst months of his career, but he's still getting on base at a good clip, so it's not like he's seeing the ball THAT poorly.

If the team were playing better around him, we'd probably hardly notice his problems. Yes, he needs to turn it around, but he's always done so in the past, and I expect he will again.

[nymr83]

even in his bad months he's still getting on base at a nice clip. maybe he should be batting 2nd protected by beltran instead of 5th? if he's getting on base but not being the RBI-man then thats where he belongs anyway.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Neither Wright nor Reyes are hitting with the kind of authority you'd like to see. But, I'm CAHNfident they will both improve.

Not to drive this thread out on further tangent, but another fear of mine is that Delgado is entering one of those patented Met Injury Mystery periods. They say with complete confidence he should be available for Philly yet he was so bad he couldn;t be asked to PH yesterday.

Yeah sure.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Agreed. The pitcher is wilder than a Wyoming cougar and the bases are loaded. Tying run on third, winning run on second. He has to throw fastballs. What righthanded pitcher in his right mind wants to throw fastballs to Carlos Delgado when Delgado knows they're coming? I'd send him up there if he had to take a crutch with him.

Regarding Wright, I was thinking the stadium eating up his flies to right center may be forcing him to adjust his swing, looking to drive the ball more and loft it less, but I don't know how much that would explain, looking like he is at belt-high fastballs over the outside half of the plate.

[nymr83]

Yeah, I don't see how Delgado is anywhere in the vicinity of ready to play if he couldn't be called upon in the 9th yesterday.

[Ceetar]

="Nymr83":3g5owfso]Yeah, I don't see how Delgado is anywhere in the vicinity of ready to play if he couldn't be called upon in the 9th yesterday.[/quote:3g5owfso] Actually, didn't I read that Manuel said "I didn't have to ask him, he wasn't available."? Maybe that means Delgado was so bad it wasn't likely to be okay, or maybe it means Manuel had decided already that Delgado wasn't going to be pinch hitting.

Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 08:59 AM

I'm guessing he wasn't in the house.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 30 2009 09:31 AM

="Ceetar":27vrf8v4] ="Nymr83":27vrf8v4]Yeah, I don't see how Delgado is anywhere in the vicinity of ready to play if he couldn't be called upon in the 9th yesterday.[/quote:27vrf8v4] Actually, didn't I read that Manuel said "I didn't have to ask him, he wasn't available."? Maybe that means Delgado was so bad it wasn't likely to be okay, or maybe it means Manuel had decided already that Delgado wasn't going to be pinch hitting.[/quote:27vrf8v4] Did we see him on camera in the dugout yesterday? Maybe CarlosDos needed a mental health day down the shore or catching "Obsessed" at the multiplex? (Like the season-ticket holder I sat next to Tuesday night who punched the air and let out random coyote-like screams every time Mr. Wright did his waving-and-missing routine.) batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 09:44 AM I wouldn't give Wright a day off against the Phillies. The New Coors Field at Philadelphia might just be the right tonic to fix whatever's ailing our third baseman. On a somewhat related note, Mets batters are next to last in HR's (Wright: one HR in 21 games) in the NL. This, more than anything else, is likely what's wrong with the offense because, as everyone here knows, HR's have a neat way of putting runs on the scoreboard whle simultaneously maintaining that RISP Avg. at respectable levels. Of course, with almost no Citi Field history as a reference to make some sense of the Mets lack of HR output this season, it's difficult to determine what sort of HR numbers should be expected. TBD. Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 09:45 AM Am I the only one who was calling for Wright to bunt in the ninth? G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 09:50 AM If we were to get over the notion that "you can't ask your RBI guy to bunt," then Wright bunting was worth a shot. Sadly, he's not your RBI guy at the moment. Winning the game takes precedence over labels. metirish Apr 30 2009 09:51 AM ="Edgy DC":1tu91gc1]I'm guessing he wasn't in the house.[/quote:1tu91gc1] Maybe he was hanging out in the bullpen.... batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 09:57 AM ="Edgy DC"]Regarding Wright, I was thinking the stadium eating up his flies to right center may be forcing him to adjust his swing, looking to drive the ball more and loft it less, but I don't know how much that would explain, looking like he is at belt-high fastballs over the outside half of the plate. I was also wondering whether it's the larger Citi Field dimensions that have Wright psyched out. I'm feeling marvelous right now. <-------------------------- If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. metirish Apr 30 2009 09:59 AM Is Wright even hitting a lot of fly balls? , seriously I don't even remember watching him and thinking that at least he tearing the cover of the ball but it's just not going out right now. G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:11 AM ="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid. Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 10:18 AM He was hitting flies in the first homestand. G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:20 AM Do pop flies count? batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 10:23 AM ="G-Fafif"] ="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. Yep. There goes Marv, doing what he does best. Or worst. If that image did adorn Citi Field and Marv was still with us, he might remark that "he still doesn't know why his banner hangs outside of the new stadium". ="G-Fafif"] That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid. I read about your preference for Karl Ehrhardt and Collapse Guy as the cover to your book, and agreed with your thinking immediately. I suppose that your publisher thought that action shots of ballplayers would sell more books. But aesthetically, your idea was the smarter one. Frayed Knot Apr 30 2009 10:50 AM As mentioned above, the main difference so far is in strikeouts and power. The stadium could partially explain the power outage. I have no idea what to say about the Ks. Except that in his four full seasons in the majors to date Wright's hitting has been absurdly consistent in almost all aspects, including strike-outs where he's gone: 113, 113, 115, 118 See also doubles: 42, 42, 40, 42; HRs: 27, 26, 30, 33; OBA: .386, .381, .416, .390 Point being that, especially at age 26, I don't think he's a likely candidate to suddenly morph into a 200+ K/yr, slap-hitting drag on the lineup. We've got other things to worry about. OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 12:56 PM I think he could offset some of that power-drag in Citi if he utilizes that handy knack for driving the ball the other way with power. But what do I know? Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 01:31 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Apr 30 2009 01:55 PM That's the thing, though. He flies the other way with power more than anything. And those lofty flies used to land 5-12 feet behind the 371 sign and during the first homestand, they were hitting gloves on the warning track. OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 01:46 PM Oh, alright then. I should preface most of my posts with "I haven't actually seen more than 4 of these games televised because of location, but..." Swan Swan H Apr 30 2009 07:00 PM Somebody find John Stearns, because the monster is coming out of the cage this weekend.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm guessing he wasn't in the house.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

="Ceetar":27vrf8v4] ="Nymr83":27vrf8v4]Yeah, I don't see how Delgado is anywhere in the vicinity of ready to play if he couldn't be called upon in the 9th yesterday.[/quote:27vrf8v4] Actually, didn't I read that Manuel said "I didn't have to ask him, he wasn't available."? Maybe that means Delgado was so bad it wasn't likely to be okay, or maybe it means Manuel had decided already that Delgado wasn't going to be pinch hitting.[/quote:27vrf8v4] Did we see him on camera in the dugout yesterday? Maybe CarlosDos needed a mental health day down the shore or catching "Obsessed" at the multiplex? (Like the season-ticket holder I sat next to Tuesday night who punched the air and let out random coyote-like screams every time Mr. Wright did his waving-and-missing routine.) batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 09:44 AM I wouldn't give Wright a day off against the Phillies. The New Coors Field at Philadelphia might just be the right tonic to fix whatever's ailing our third baseman. On a somewhat related note, Mets batters are next to last in HR's (Wright: one HR in 21 games) in the NL. This, more than anything else, is likely what's wrong with the offense because, as everyone here knows, HR's have a neat way of putting runs on the scoreboard whle simultaneously maintaining that RISP Avg. at respectable levels. Of course, with almost no Citi Field history as a reference to make some sense of the Mets lack of HR output this season, it's difficult to determine what sort of HR numbers should be expected. TBD. Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 09:45 AM Am I the only one who was calling for Wright to bunt in the ninth? G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 09:50 AM If we were to get over the notion that "you can't ask your RBI guy to bunt," then Wright bunting was worth a shot. Sadly, he's not your RBI guy at the moment. Winning the game takes precedence over labels. metirish Apr 30 2009 09:51 AM ="Edgy DC":1tu91gc1]I'm guessing he wasn't in the house.[/quote:1tu91gc1] Maybe he was hanging out in the bullpen.... batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 09:57 AM ="Edgy DC"]Regarding Wright, I was thinking the stadium eating up his flies to right center may be forcing him to adjust his swing, looking to drive the ball more and loft it less, but I don't know how much that would explain, looking like he is at belt-high fastballs over the outside half of the plate. I was also wondering whether it's the larger Citi Field dimensions that have Wright psyched out. I'm feeling marvelous right now. <-------------------------- If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. metirish Apr 30 2009 09:59 AM Is Wright even hitting a lot of fly balls? , seriously I don't even remember watching him and thinking that at least he tearing the cover of the ball but it's just not going out right now. G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:11 AM ="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid. Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 10:18 AM He was hitting flies in the first homestand. G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:20 AM Do pop flies count? batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 10:23 AM ="G-Fafif"] ="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. Yep. There goes Marv, doing what he does best. Or worst. If that image did adorn Citi Field and Marv was still with us, he might remark that "he still doesn't know why his banner hangs outside of the new stadium". ="G-Fafif"] That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid. I read about your preference for Karl Ehrhardt and Collapse Guy as the cover to your book, and agreed with your thinking immediately. I suppose that your publisher thought that action shots of ballplayers would sell more books. But aesthetically, your idea was the smarter one. Frayed Knot Apr 30 2009 10:50 AM As mentioned above, the main difference so far is in strikeouts and power. The stadium could partially explain the power outage. I have no idea what to say about the Ks. Except that in his four full seasons in the majors to date Wright's hitting has been absurdly consistent in almost all aspects, including strike-outs where he's gone: 113, 113, 115, 118 See also doubles: 42, 42, 40, 42; HRs: 27, 26, 30, 33; OBA: .386, .381, .416, .390 Point being that, especially at age 26, I don't think he's a likely candidate to suddenly morph into a 200+ K/yr, slap-hitting drag on the lineup. We've got other things to worry about. OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 12:56 PM I think he could offset some of that power-drag in Citi if he utilizes that handy knack for driving the ball the other way with power. But what do I know? Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 01:31 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Apr 30 2009 01:55 PM That's the thing, though. He flies the other way with power more than anything. And those lofty flies used to land 5-12 feet behind the 371 sign and during the first homestand, they were hitting gloves on the warning track. OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 01:46 PM Oh, alright then. I should preface most of my posts with "I haven't actually seen more than 4 of these games televised because of location, but..." Swan Swan H Apr 30 2009 07:00 PM Somebody find John Stearns, because the monster is coming out of the cage this weekend.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I wouldn't give Wright a day off against the Phillies. The New Coors Field at Philadelphia might just be the right tonic to fix whatever's ailing our third baseman.

On a somewhat related note, Mets batters are next to last in HR's (Wright: one HR in 21 games) in the NL. This, more than anything else, is likely what's wrong with the offense because, as everyone here knows, HR's have a neat way of putting runs on the scoreboard whle simultaneously maintaining that RISP Avg. at respectable levels.

Of course, with almost no Citi Field history as a reference to make some sense of the Mets lack of HR output this season, it's difficult to determine what sort of HR numbers should be expected.

TBD.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Am I the only one who was calling for Wright to bunt in the ninth?

[G-Fafif]

If we were to get over the notion that "you can't ask your RBI guy to bunt," then Wright bunting was worth a shot. Sadly, he's not your RBI guy at the moment. Winning the game takes precedence over labels.

[metirish]

="Edgy DC":1tu91gc1]I'm guessing he wasn't in the house.[/quote:1tu91gc1] Maybe he was hanging out in the bullpen....

batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 09:57 AM

="Edgy DC"]Regarding Wright, I was thinking the stadium eating up his flies to right center may be forcing him to adjust his swing, looking to drive the ball more and loft it less, but I don't know how much that would explain, looking like he is at belt-high fastballs over the outside half of the plate. I was also wondering whether it's the larger Citi Field dimensions that have Wright psyched out. I'm feeling marvelous right now. <-------------------------- If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball.

metirish Apr 30 2009 09:59 AM

Is Wright even hitting a lot of fly balls? , seriously I don't even remember watching him and thinking that at least he tearing the cover of the ball but it's just not going out right now.

G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:11 AM

="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid.

Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 10:18 AM

He was hitting flies in the first homestand.

G-Fafif Apr 30 2009 10:20 AM

Do pop flies count?

batmagadanleadoff Apr 30 2009 10:23 AM

="G-Fafif"] ="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball. Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. Yep. There goes Marv, doing what he does best. Or worst. If that image did adorn Citi Field and Marv was still with us, he might remark that "he still doesn't know why his banner hangs outside of the new stadium". ="G-Fafif"] That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid. I read about your preference for Karl Ehrhardt and Collapse Guy as the cover to your book, and agreed with your thinking immediately. I suppose that your publisher thought that action shots of ballplayers would sell more books. But aesthetically, your idea was the smarter one.

Frayed Knot Apr 30 2009 10:50 AM

As mentioned above, the main difference so far is in strikeouts and power. The stadium could partially explain the power outage. I have no idea what to say about the Ks. Except that in his four full seasons in the majors to date Wright's hitting has been absurdly consistent in almost all aspects, including strike-outs where he's gone: 113, 113, 115, 118 See also doubles: 42, 42, 40, 42; HRs: 27, 26, 30, 33; OBA: .386, .381, .416, .390 Point being that, especially at age 26, I don't think he's a likely candidate to suddenly morph into a 200+ K/yr, slap-hitting drag on the lineup. We've got other things to worry about.

OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 12:56 PM

I think he could offset some of that power-drag in Citi if he utilizes that handy knack for driving the ball the other way with power. But what do I know?

Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 01:31 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Apr 30 2009 01:55 PM

That's the thing, though. He flies the other way with power more than anything. And those lofty flies used to land 5-12 feet behind the 371 sign and during the first homestand, they were hitting gloves on the warning track.

OlerudOwned Apr 30 2009 01:46 PM

Oh, alright then. I should preface most of my posts with "I haven't actually seen more than 4 of these games televised because of location, but..."

Swan Swan H Apr 30 2009 07:00 PM

Somebody find John Stearns, because the monster is coming out of the cage this weekend.

[batmagadanleadoff]

="Edgy DC"]Regarding Wright, I was thinking the stadium eating up his flies to right center may be forcing him to adjust his swing, looking to drive the ball more and loft it less, but I don't know how much that would explain, looking like he is at belt-high fastballs over the outside half of the plate.

I was also wondering whether it's the larger Citi Field dimensions that have Wright psyched out.


I'm feeling marvelous right now. <--------------------------




If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball.

[metirish]

Is Wright even hitting a lot of fly balls? , seriously I don't even remember watching him and thinking that at least he tearing the cover of the ball but it's just not going out right now.

[G-Fafif]

="batmagadanleadoff"] If I was in charge of selecting those historical banners that hang in chronological order outside of Citi Field, I'd include that iconic image (above) of Throneberry lunging in vain for a bad infield throw that's destined to elude the first baseman. And those being the '62 Mets, Bob Gibson might've even scored on the play. That spectacular ineptitude is as integral to the franchise history as any Tom Seaver fastball.

Seconded. Honesty in iconography, at least in a context where the wounds aren't fresh and deep, would be appropriate. I'd draw the line, however, at highlighting something recent and hurtful. That would be like trying to sell a book to Mets fans by placing Yadier Molina's home run follow-through on the cover. That would just be stupid.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He was hitting flies in the first homestand.