Young and Cool

[Chad ochoseis]

EYjr in August: 48 PA, .182/.234/.250, 1 SB. Actually, I think he's been pretty awful since the Tim Hudson game.

Just a slump? Reversion to the lousy Eric Young of the past? Traumatized by the Hudson incident?

It's been a busy August, so I haven't been watching much. Wondering if he should be considered a part of the Mets' future.

[Ceetar]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: EYjr in August: 48 PA, .182/.234/.250, 1 SB. Actually, I think he's been pretty awful since the Tim Hudson game. Just a slump? Reversion to the lousy Eric Young of the past? Traumatized by the Hudson incident? It's been a busy August, so I haven't been watching much. Wondering if he should be considered a part of the Mets' future.

No, probably not.

I was thinking about outfielders some this morning. It's important not to misread the Mets giving theses guys playing time as a vote of confidence in the future rather than the challenge it is.

As much as I think they should get Duda up here to actually help them win games over Eric Young, they pretty much know what Duda is. A good hitter who's bad defensively. Not much is going to change about him between now and next year, besides perhaps getting a wee bit better through repetition on reading baseballs in flight, something he can do in the minors. Eric Young is, well, young enough with enough flashes that maybe you see if he can adapt and get better, but I'm not convinced and I suspect the Mets aren't either.

Of course, maybe they're just overly typecasting him as "swift lead-off guy" like there are really mythical lead-off skills that we can't measure.

[metirish]

I wouldn't have guessed his numbers were that bad in August, he seems to have been involved in a lot of good things, maybe it's just what I want o see. I like the guy.


I hate to say it but to me he has been better that those numbers suggest.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm not arguing for or against Young, but he'll ultimately be judged on the last three and a half months of the season, not the first week and a half of August.

[Edgy MD]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: EYjr in August: 48 PA, .182/.234/.250, 1 SB. Actually, I think he's been pretty awful since the Tim Hudson game.

In that forest of data stands that one big tree that is his walkoff homer against Kansas City on August 2, giving the team their only win in that series and stopping the Royals nine-game win streak.

[G-Fafif]

Havin' a way better August than Collin McHugh.

[Zvon]

metirish wrote: I wouldn't have guessed his numbers were that bad in August, he seems to have been involved in a lot of good things, maybe it's just what I want o see. I like the guy. I hate to say it but to me he has been better that those numbers suggest.

Ditto.

[Lefty Specialist]

Stabilized the outfield defensively, for which I'm grateful. But not much of a help offensively, especially in the leadoff position. Unfortunately, there's nobody better suited right now.

I wouldn't exactly kill myself trying to re-sign him over the winter.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Zvon wrote: metirish wrote: I wouldn't have guessed his numbers were that bad in August, he seems to have been involved in a lot of good things, maybe it's just what I want o see. I like the guy. I hate to say it but to me he has been better that those numbers suggest. Ditto.

And that's why we have numbers-- our eyes, they lie.

He's had a walkoff home run, and a couple of nice catches. Other than that, what? Has he been leading afterhours bunting tutorials or something?

[smg58]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Stabilized the outfield defensively, for which I'm grateful. But not much of a help offensively, especially in the leadoff position. Unfortunately, there's nobody better suited right now. I wouldn't exactly kill myself trying to re-sign him over the winter.

He's under team control, so that's not an issue. He hasn't hit consistently since the ASB, though. He's still making contact, so I'm hopeful the hits will come. And he still had two major contributions over the past 10 days.

[metirish]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Zvon wrote: metirish wrote: I wouldn't have guessed his numbers were that bad in August, he seems to have been involved in a lot of good things, maybe it's just what I want o see. I like the guy. I hate to say it but to me he has been better that those numbers suggest. Ditto. And that's why we have numbers-- our eyes, they lie. He's had a walkoff home run, and a couple of nice catches. Other than that, what? Has he been leading afterhours bunting tutorials or something?

He's had some great Twitter posts

[Zvon]

metirish wrote: metirish wrote: I wouldn't have guessed his numbers were that bad in August, he seems to have been involved in a lot of good things, maybe it's just what I want o see. I like the guy. I hate to say it but to me he has been better that those numbers suggest. Ditto. And that's why we have numbers-- our eyes, they lie. He's had a walkoff home run, and a couple of nice catches. Other than that, what? Has he been leading afterhours bunting tutorials or something? He's had some great Twitter posts

Ha^
I don't watch the Mets with my eyes. I watch them with my heart. And I'm horrible at math.

You guys could be right. I always hope for more with the Mets. Whats the harm? There's no denying that hes been a spark, the type that we need. If they think he can't do what he's doin then they should go get someone who can do what hes doin.

[Edgy MD]

Michael Bourn, without the commitment.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Or, to be fair, the defense.

But, otherwise, yeah, looking at the numbers, I'm shocked at how apt that comparison is.

[Theoldmole]

I'm with Zvon.

Besides, fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you.

[Edgy MD]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Or, to be fair, the defense. But, otherwise, yeah, looking at the numbers, I'm shocked at how apt that comparison is.

Yeah, but I'm sticking with the notion that his dee is closer to Bourn than to Duda, and I believe, if they want to bring him back, and bring him back as an outfielder, that any deficiencies in his outfielding can be ameliorated at least in part by a commitment to the position and a little overtime with Tom Goodwin or Gary Pettis or Mookie Wilson or whoever.

The guy nearly went splat yesterday going after a ball five or six rows into foul territory. (The walls at Dodger Stadium are a workplace hazard that really needs to be fixed.)