Newest Met: Willie Harris

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

So says Rubin in a tweet. Is the guy who was always killing us with incredible catches?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Really?

They discussed last night on Mets Hot Stove that Harris wouldn't be returning to the Nationals. The fat guy (forget his name; sorry!) said that that's good news for the Mets, because he always came up big against them.

And I thought, it might be even better news for the Mets if he ended up in New York. They're looking for a backup outfielder, and he might fit the bill.

[metirish]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: So says Rubin in a tweet. Is the guy who was always killing us with incredible catches?

Yes , and taking great joy in it too...as he should....I like this...play some CF....infield....LF....defensive replacement?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Holy shnikes, huh?!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

You are shitting me.

Ha.

He also plays all over the infield, too... yet ANOTHER body to throw at the second-base hole.

[metirish]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: You are shitting me. Ha. He also plays all over the infield, too... yet ANOTHER body to throw at the second-base hole.

Everywhere except catcher and first base...


http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/harriwi02.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=harriwi02&year=Career&t=b

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Good versatility and skills but not much of a stick and I wouldn't have guessed he'd be 33 years old this year.

As I was saying in the Duda thread...

[Ceetar]

Only really plays SS in an emergency. 3 games in 2008, 5 in 2005.

Super utility type guy I guess. defensive Endy Chavez type. is batting 2.000 in the postseason.

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Good versatility and skills but not much of a stick and I wouldn't have guessed he'd be 33 years old this year. .

He's not called the black Joe McEwing for nothing

I was just thinking looking through the roster thread a few minutes ago how un-African American the roster is shaping up to be .

[Benjamin Grimm]

Source: Mets to ink Willie Harris By Adam Rubin ESPNNewYork.com Longtime Mets nemesis Willie Harris is likely bringing his glove to New York. Harris, 32, intends to sign a one-year, minor league contract with an invitation to Mets spring training, a baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com. If he makes the team, he would serve as a fourth outfielder. Harris' career batting average against the Mets is only .159, but he has been every bit the tormentor as other notable Met-killers of recent years such as Pat Burrell and Chipper Jones. Among his memorable ninth-inning grabs against the Mets in Queens: April 10, 2010: With the bases loaded, two out and the Mets trailing by a run, Rod Barajas sends a line drive to left field. Harris makes a sprawling, game-ending catch to preserve the Washington Nationals' 4-3 win at Citi Field. May 15, 2008: Harris makes a diving catch at the left-field line on Ryan Church to preserve a 1-0 win for the Nationals at Shea Stadium, after Carlos Beltran had led off the ninth with a single. Aug. 9, 2007: Harris takes away a homer from Carlos Delgado with a leap to preserve a 7-6 win for the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. Harris was even at it last Grapefruit League season against the Mets, taking a spring-training homer away from Henry Blanco. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told ESPNNewYork.com on Monday that three areas of need remained for the team this offseason: a starting pitcher, left-handed reliever and backup outfielder. Since then, left-handed reliever Taylor Tankersley has been signed on a minor league contract, and now Harris is on board to provide outfield depth. Jason Bay, Beltran and Angel Pagan, if healthy, are expected to serve as the Mets' starting outfield, but the organization had little depth behind them. With the team committed to placing rookie Lucas Duda at Triple-A Buffalo to ensure playing time if he is not going to be a starter at the major league level, and with prospect Fernando Martinez's inability to stay healthy, ex-Twin Jason Pridie might have been the top option as a fourth outfielder before Harris came on board. And the organization was not enthused by that prospect. Harris also has started 167 career games at second base, and could be used on a limited basis there as well. The Mets may be relying on an unproven player at the position -- Daniel Murphy, Rule 5 pick Brad Emaus or Justin Turner -- if Luis Castillo is released during spring training, which is a distinct possibility. Harris hit only .183 last season with the Nationals, but he did produce 10 homers in 224 at-bats. He also walked 33 times, making his on-base percentage .291. Harris hit only .199 on balls put in play in 2010, which signals bad luck. The major league average was .297 on balls put in play. Harris cheerfully has played the role of villain against the Mets. The day after Harris' game-saving catch against Barajas last April, Francisco Rodriguez hit him with a cut fastball on the left forearm in the ninth inning, leading both teams to storm the field. Rodriguez later indicated he thought Harris was cursing at him, but Harris insisted any expletive merely was a reaction to the discomfort of getting hit. "It's really nothing with us -- nothing with me or with those guys," Harris explained earlier that series about the heartache he has caused the Mets with his glove. "When you have 5,000, 10,000 people out there calling you all kinds of names and saying all types of things which aren't nice, you've got to find some way to make them hush. In my mind, I'm saying: 'You better not hit that ball to me.' That's what I'm thinking. That's what gets me going. That's my own little thing that gets me going when I'm on defense."

I didn't realize he was such a weak hitter.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Heck, even if we keep him out of games against us, we're better off!

[TransMonk]

Thumbs up, man!

[metsmarathon]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I didn't realize he was such a weak hitter.

well, he faces other teams, too.

[Ceetar]

metsmarathon wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: I didn't realize he was such a weak hitter. well, he faces other teams, too.

His numbers are much better against other teams, his numbers against the Mets are worse than Tejada.

And apparently he's not very good defensively either.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

To be fair-- at a lifetime .308 wOBA to a lifetime .287 wOBA--he hits like a rich man's Joe McEwing. (Which is a little like saying, "This disposable plastic mop sweeps like the kind of Swiffer a millionaire's housekeeper might buy.")

But he does walk a bunch (10.7% for his career, but into the 12-15% range over the last three seasons), is a year removed from a decent offensive season, and got very unlucky on balls-in-play last year (as Rubin points out). An Endy-ish bump in offensive production may not be out of the question (especially useful since Harris has weirdly high ISO #s for a "no-thump" player... so any uptick on BIP might mean more than just seeing-eye-hits).

And he's not terrible defensively, but... let's just say that UZR's fickle on him.

[metirish]

Ceetar wrote: And apparently he's not very good defensively either.

Those brilliant catches against the Mets notwithstanding , a case of making the spectacular catch because of bad positioning or instincts?

A bit like the soccer coach who remarked about one of this players " he covers a lot of the field that fella......only because his first touch is so bad"

actual quote

�He covers every blade of grass out there,But that�s only because his first touch is so crap.�

Southampton manager Dave Jones on Carlton Palmer

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: Ceetar wrote: And apparently he's not very good defensively either. Those brilliant catches against the Mets notwithstanding , a case of making the spectacular catch because of bad positioning or instincts? A bit like the soccer coach who remarked about one of this players " he covers a lot of the field that fella......only because his first touch is so bad" actual quote �He covers every blade of grass out there,But that�s only because his first touch is so crap.� Southampton manager Dave Jones on Carlton Palmer

Well, I don't think he's bad, but a handful of brilliant looking catches don't mean you're a wizard. (Same goes for Francoeur actually) The only one I remember clearly is the Barajas one last year, He hit it hard but it was clearly going to be a case of whether or not he hit it at anyone or not. And it just so happens that he did. But I think it was fairly shallow and you don't usually play Rod shallow, so it was probably a good play. Ofcourse, it looks like LF may be his best position and thats where that one was hit.

[ashie62]

Welcome wee Willie!

[G-Fafif]

None among Mays, Montanez, Randolph, Blair and Collazo has given Mets fans the Willies as consistently as Harris. Time for him to make good.

[G-Fafif]

metsmarathon wrote: well, he faces other teams, too.

I always have to remind myself of that when it comes to Met-killers who mysteriously don't make All-Star teams.

[smg58]

I've always liked him. I hope last year was aberration. Before that, he was good for an OPS at or just below .750, which for a left-handed hitter capable of playing the infield at least decently and the outfield as well as anybody made him quite a useful reserve. The wheels came off a bit last year, though, and at his age there's no guarantee he gets his ship righted.

[ashie62]

Wee Willie has a Red Sox world series ring...

[G-Fafif]

Ashie62 wrote: Wee Willie has a Red Sox world series ring...

Ring, yes, but in a different pair of Hose -- the Pale kind, from 2005.

[Vic Sage]

so i guess he gets Pridie's slot as the 5th OFer /25th man?

[Theoldmole]

You can't really see anybody's hose any more.

[Vic Sage]

Didn't Jim Morrison get arrested for that once?

[Benjamin Grimm]

This signing is now officially official.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Harris is starting to give off sort of a Chris Coste air.

Sometimes girlfriends don't work out because they can't get over thwir old boyfriends.

[seawolf17]

We're going to need him on the big league roster so we can win those crucial fourth-place battles in September. He's going to be able to provide crucial Nationals insight.