Hudson and Heyward

[Edgy MD]

Not for nothing, but that makes two Braves in recent weeks whose seasons have been gruesomely ended --- and remaining careers put at risk --- by the Mets. Running away with the division, but going into the post-season without Hudson and with Heyward a question mark has got to stick in their craws a little.

[smg58]

As long as they understand that both were accidents and that Young and Niese (along with all of us as fans) were sorry to see those things happen.

[Edgy MD]

And that's not always an easy thing to understand. If the Mets were cruising toward a division title and the same team violently took out a key pitcher and key hitter, I'm sure a large chunk of the Mets fanbase --- and perhaps a meaningful amount of Mets --- would have trouble being understanding.

I mean, Hudson and his wife took a huge step with offering absolution to Young, but then this on top of it reopens that wound. I'm just wondering out loud if anything might foster.

And besides, you don't have to believe there was deliberate intent to grow bitter and retaliate. There's a moral gray area between intent and absolute innocence that one might call reckless indifference. Folks have gotten retaliated on for that as well.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I just really hope nothing unseemly happens to Kimbrel the last time we hit Turner Field.

[Cracks knuckles]

No, seriously. I really hope nothing happens to him. That would be a little horrifying, probably.

[Edgy MD]

Justin Turner ?@redturn2 2m Hey @JasonHeyward hope you have a speedy recovery! Hated seeing that man, glad walked off on your own tho!

[G-Fafif]

Justin Turner is such a goodwill ambassador that he should be allowed to park in front of the yellow stripe on the curb.

[Edgy MD]

I don't know. Tweets are tweets, and all --- all nuance lost and whatnot. But I wonder if a Braves pitcher might see those exclamation points as a bit too cheery.

[G-Fafif]

If a Braves pitcher is harboring an internal copy editor, then count me as a fan of that Braves pitcher.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Justin Turner is such a goodwill ambassador that he should make that his day job, probably. (With an entrepreneurial celebratory-cream-pie venture on the side?)

[bmfc1]

As a further gesture of goodwill, I urge the Mets to give Justin Turner to the Braves. That should even things out.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Justin Turner: Met Pocahontas?

[Frayed Knot]

A bit tough here on Turner, no, especially seeing as how his role is that of a utility guy where he's currently hitting at above league averages for both BA & OBA and has covered five different positions this season including being the only backup SS?.
I mean, sure, a home run every now and then would be great (although 9 doubles & a triple among his 39 hits isn't nothing) but backup infielders who hit for both average and power are so rare they have a special name; they're called 'Starters'.

[nymr83]

Frayed Knot wrote: A bit tough here on Turner, no, especially seeing as how his role is that of a utility guy where he's currently hitting at above league averages for both BA & OBA and has covered five different positions this season including being the only backup SS?. I mean, sure, a home run every now and then would be great (although 9 doubles & a triple among his 39 hits isn't nothing) but backup infielders who hit for both average and power are so rare they have a special name; they're called 'Starters'.

indeed. this isnt the late 90's steroid era anymore. half the league doesnt even have a starting SS who hits well (us included)

[Edgy MD]

Not beating up on the guy, but my concern with him is that he doesn't bring much on defense.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Not beating up on the guy, but my concern with him is that he doesn't bring much on defense.

With rising strikeout rates, defense becomes less and less important.

I do propose a more typical MI for next year though, allowing the Mets to carry Satin as the backup #Bman and get some of (presumably anyway) Ike's starts against lefties.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ceetar wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Not beating up on the guy, but my concern with him is that he doesn't bring much on defense. With rising strikeout rates, defense becomes less and less important.

Yes, and the murder rate is less severe now what with all the population growth.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Ceetar wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Not beating up on the guy, but my concern with him is that he doesn't bring much on defense. With rising strikeout rates, defense becomes less and less important. Yes, and the murder rate is less severe now what with all the population growth.

bad corollary. I suggest "The # of policemen on duty is less important with the decrease in crime."

Although that's not perfect because you can argue that one's causing the other. Poor defense is not causing there to be more strikeouts.

My point stands though. If there are 1% fewer defensive chances in the game, the amount each chance contributes to winning a ballgame goes down by roughly 1%. Also the difference between a good player and a sub-par one goes down as well.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Not beating up on the guy, but my concern with him is that he doesn't bring much on defense.

His defense may well be sub-par at SS (all 70 innings of it) but, again, that's why he's not the starter there. And considering the duo who have been our starters, it's kind of nit-picky to complain about how the back-up is somewhat limited.
Anywhere else I don't have a problem with his glove, especially for a guy who starts about 1 game out of 6.

[Edgy MD]

I don't think he's somewhat limited. I think he's really poor --- at first, second, third, and short.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The reason he plays all those positions is not that he's good at all those positions-- it's that he's been played at all those positions. I mean, hell, he provides roughly what Murphy does at his primary position, defensively (offensively, I'd bet on Murph-in-a-slump before I'd bet on him).

He's a nice guy, it seems, and he's willing to help out wherever, whenever. But all he does is provide a heavily-BABIP-dependent, empty batting average, and not much of that, mostly. I'd rather stock my bench with flawed players who do at least one thing VERY well (see: Den Dekker, Satin, Duda).

[Frayed Knot]

Fine, but you also need a person on your bench who can play SS if/when needed, something Satin, den Dekker, etc. don't and, given the choice between having BOTH Tejada & Q on the roster vs either one of them (your choice, I don't care) plus Turner, I'm opting to keep the red head around. After all, do keep in mind that when Turner does play SS it's in place of the mighty .225/.292/.310 that Quinty is putting up and the equally impressive .209/.267/.262 from Tejada and Turner's .273/.320/.352 suddenly doesn't look so "empty". Hell, given our options right now, my choice would be to play him MORE.

I'm also not seeing this horrible fielding that others apparently are; while I know that errors aren't the final word on these things, he has two since the beginning of 2012. So when you find that available backup player who can man SS AND hit to your liking I'm all ears, but I have a funny feeling I'll be seeing Jimmy Hoffa first.



I'm having Desi Relaford flashbacks here.

[Guest themetfairy]

Frayed Knot wrote: I'm having Desi Relaford flashbacks here.

There are meds you can take for that. Well worth the possible side effects....

[Edgy MD]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: The reason he plays all those positions is not that he's good at all those positions-- it's that he's been played at all those positions. I mean, hell, he provides roughly what Murphy does at his primary position, defensively (offensively, I'd bet on Murph-in-a-slump before I'd bet on him).

I say he's a big downgrade from Murphy at second.

I don't want to beat up on the guy, but I just want a backup shorstop who's capable. A reserve infielder won't have the range of skills a starer does, obviously, but some can hit well, some can field well, and he's not really the first the last two years and has never been the second.