High Futily, High Utility

[Edgy MD]

Modestly skilled white utility guys whose suddenly daily presence in the lineup at any number of positions and batting order slots indicated just how desperate the offensive times had become for the team.

[list:17kbj41g][*:17kbj41g]Bob Bailor, 1983.[/*:m:17kbj41g]
[*:17kbj41g]Joe McEwing, 2001[/*:m:17kbj41g]
[*:17kbj41g]Justin Turner, 2013[/*:m:17kbj41g][/list:u:17kbj41g]

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Tim Bogar, 1993

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"White?" Psssh. (2009)

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Miguel Cairo, 2005

[G-Fafif]

I'm glad McEwing finished his tour of Met duty before his limited effectiveness became minute-to-minute fodder for those who would notice and slice it to bits because, gosh darn it, he's such a mensch.

Joe McEwing is no stranger to ballgames in Queens, even though the super sub has not played a game as a Met since 2004. He quietly sat in the stands behind home plate for a game late in the 2008 season, just so he could pay his respects to Shea Stadium in its final days. "I needed to," McEwing, now third base coach for the White Sox, said about seeing Shea one last time. "It's such a historic place -- in my heart anyway. I needed to see it before they knocked it down. I brought my son back to let him know that's where daddy played and it's not going to be here any longer." He then came back to Flushing the following September, after managing Class A Winston-Salem in the Chicago White Sox organization, in order to check out Citi Field. He also attended the 10th anniversary ceremony remembering the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which also brought Robin Ventura to Citi Field. "I snuck in the first year in September, and it was really disappointing, because they were on the verge of losing 100 games and I heard no booing," McEwing recalled about his 2009 visit. "I wasn't used to that. ... We'll see how the atmosphere is during the game [tonight]. I kind of miss that Shea feeling. The booing is what motivates you and makes you strive to be the best player you can be every single day. As a player, you should want that." What does McEwing most fondly remember about his Mets career, which spanned 2000 through 2004? "You hate to pinpoint one," McEwing said. "Obviously fulfilling your childhood dreams, and that's competing in the World Series, being able to play against the Yankees. You figure the whole world is focused on one city. For that to happen, it's pretty special. And the biggest thing for me is being part of the relief efforts after 9/11. That holds the biggest impact, because it had nothing to do with this game. It was us as a ballclub contributing to the city of New York and the country. That really sticks out and means a lot to me as an individual. To be able to take the pressures and everything off a lot of individuals for a couple of hours a night, to give peace and happiness and something positive to cheer for." McEwing was David Wright's first mentor in major league camp. In fact, Wright's first spring training he ate dinner at McEwing's apartment every night during camp. Wright surprised McEwing and attended a ceremony today in Manhattan in which McEwing was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. "David was easy," McEwing said. "David is a special kid and special person and a good friend. Every rookie that comes up, you just try to guide them the right way to go about things. It wasn't hard to guide David the right way. He has outstanding core values."

[Edgy MD]

Alternative title: "White Guy, White Flag."

[Edgy MD]

Turning Bailor and his all-around intangible baseballiness playthegamerightiness, along with usefulmiddlereliveriness of Carlos Diaz into Sid Fernandez had to be one of the more underappreciated pieces of alchemy in Frank Cashen history.

[G-Fafif]

I contend Bailor-for-Fernandez trade could never happen today. Too much sophistication in scouting, too much scrutiny within industry. Less quality control in those days, so a Lasorda who could just decide young El Sid was too large or whatever would be overruled.

Loved Bailor and rued his absence for years on end but geez, what a heist.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Stunning heist. It was strange that for that one period you had no fear the Mets were going to make a good or great deal whenever they made one.

I wonder how if at all collusion influenced the moves made during that era

[smg58]

I liked Bailor until I took a look at his actual statline. Getting Sid for him really was criminal.

McEwing had two good weeks in the summer of 2001 and lived off them for far longer than he ought to have.

[Edgy MD]

I had even heard of Fernandez and understood him to be the next Valenzuela in the Dodger talent pike.

If we had the level of publicity now of minor league prospects, and the implied promise that they represented to fans, I imagine that Dodger faithful would have been infuriated by dealing him for two useful if relatively commonplace veterans.

Could it nonetheless happen in latter days? I know a team who twice in recent years dealt a top prospect/top draft choice before the bloom was off of them. Name Kazmir and Milledge.

Really interesting is that Sid went 6-5/2.45 for Tidewater in 1984 and got called up and went 6-6/3.50 with the Mets. You'd figure that he'd established that he belongs, but they farmed him out to start 1985, so apparently they had concerns too.

Fun fact: Fernandez's first manager for the Pioneer League Lethbridge Dodgers was Gary LaRocque, who would eventually follow Sid over to the Mets system and climb as high as director of amateur scouting under Steve Phillips.

His manager his second year at Vero Beach and the following year at San Antonio? Terry Collins.

[G-Fafif]

Kazmir trade practically prehistoric times by now. Not that a hasty prospect trade can't be made now but that one felt like a tipping point not just for Mets but for how top draft picks are valued. Or maybe Mets were just super drunk that day.

Milledge at least got significant MLB exposure.

[Edgy MD]

Interestingly, six months later, the Mets traded a top draft choice of their own --- 1983's #4 overall Eddie Williams --- for Bruce Berenyi, and nary a peep of protest was sounded if I remember right. Jay Tibbs wnet in that deal too.

Not everything Cashen touched turned to gold back then. Sure felt that way for a bit, though.

[G-Fafif]

Edgy MD wrote: Interestingly, six months later, the Mets traded a top draft choice of their own --- 1983's #4 overall Eddie Williams --- for Bruce Berenyi, and nary a peep of protest was sounded if I remember right. Jay Tibbs wnet in that deal too. Not everything Cashen touched turned to gold back then. Sure felt that way for a bit, though.

Heep for Scott was golden until it wasn't.

[MFS62]

Rod Kanehl:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kanehro01.shtml

Later

[Edgy MD]

Rod's a good precedent --- a utiltiy player overused by a team that isn't hitting enough --- except he differs from those guys in that what he brought to the table

1. He was fresh and nu himself, not an established vet.
2. Rather than having the moral veteranny skills of heart, and grit, and knowshowtoplaythegame, and knowswhat'sexpectedofhim, and leadership, but lacking the youthful athletic skils, he was the exact opposite. He was a great athlete utterly lacking in refinement in his baseball skills.

He may have been white, but he was definitely more Valdespin than Turner. And even if he failed, it was a credit to Stengel that he tried to make a big league ballplayer out of him, against the wishes of his GM.

[seawolf17]

I thought "come on, McEwing wasn't that useless offensively" until I looked at his stats. He OPS+ed 107 in 2001, but otherwise? 55 in 2000, 44 in 2002, 61 in 2003, 60 in 2004. Holy hell.

Cora and Miguel Cairo were the first two guys I thought of.

But you know, I'd bet a lot of teams have that guy on the roster every year.

[Vic Sage]

names that come to mind (some played more than others):

Mike Phillips
Bobby Valentine
Bill Almon
Bob Bailor
Keith Miller
Jeff McKnight
Bill Pecota
Tim Bogar
Jason Hardtke
Shawn Gilbert
Joe McEwing
Eric Valent
Chris Woodward
J.Turner

[Edgy MD]

names that come to mind (some played more than others):

Sure, but the key is that, in the midst of an offensive drought, he suddenly becomes an everyday player. In midsummer 2001, he was playing a different position every day, but he was playing, because we were getting fallback years from virtually everybody in the lineup.

He got a lot of PT in 2003 also, but that was more about injuries --- and eventually unloading other veterans --- than ineptitude.

I was trying to distinguish utility guys who fell into an everyday role from utility guys full-stop.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

76 I think Mike Phillips played an awful lot more than penciled in for. Without looking it up, he might have hit better than Harrelson though.

[Vic Sage]

well, from my list, i think Phillips, Miller, and Bogar fit that definition, more or less. And did anybody think Eric Valent was going to get all the playing time he got? But i guess he's not utility-ish enough.