Memories of Dave Hudgens

[Edgy MD]

Seemed like a good character. Big, broad-shouldered, back-slappy. Took shit from people on Twitter with grace. Managed in Latin America in the winters and scouted Bobby Abreu for us down there. Big honking manly nose. You know he's not much of a drinking man, because a nose like that would betray a fella in a second.

Has, I think, a young adult son and daughter who seem like his best buds, who join him down in Venezuela sometimes in the offseason. That's a hardcore baseball lifer bringing family down to Venezuela in these times, especially family that's of the Age of Terrible Judgment.

Never seemed to want to grow his facial hair in fully, and seemingly perpetually was sporting the scruffy beginnings of a Van Dyke or the scruffy beginnings of a mustache. Hard wiry stuff that would come in thick and coily if he let it, but he didn't, and a few days of beard is one thing, maintaining a saucy stubble, but a long-term early stage mustache looks confusing. Grow it in or shave it off.

Destined to one day be conflated with Dave Jauss by me. But not THIS day. Godspeed, Dave Hudgens. Stop squinting

[seawolf17]

Managed to be a hitting coach for four seasons without his players getting a single hit.

[Zvon]

His 24/7 shaggy facial hair made him look dirty.

[Fman99]

I wouldn't know him if he was shitting a hot coil in my driveway. I'd be all like, "Hey, random squinty guy, stop hanging rats on my blacktop!" and he'd be all like, "I can do what I want, I was a MAJOR LEAGUE HITTING COACH."

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Big forearms. Disciple of org-wide hitting philosophy but apparently not its CEO.

[nymr83]

Who is this guy??? We want Floyd!!

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Big forearms. Disciple of org-wide hitting philosophy but apparently not its CEO.

right, and Alderson has come out and said that philosophy won't be changing.....words to that effect anyway

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

In uniform, he's always looked to me like a hobo-gotten-lucky. Which is weird, because he's looked cleaner, fairly recently. Maybe Venezuela's where he comes alive, sippin' chichas and flirting with matrons, and the Mets were just his "offseason" clock-punch. Or maybe the Mets are just the cool-dad of MLB tonsorial professionalism.

In any case, given how the offense has looked since, y'know, the last presidential term, they gave him at least as much rope with the job performance as they did with the grooming.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Guest

[metirish]

Clarification needed....fired or reassigned?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Looks like Lorne Malvo.

[Frayed Knot]

�I think [Hudgens] understood the circumstances,� Alderson explained. �This is in response to a specific situation, and nothing else should be read into it,�


Sounds like Sandy is trying to NOT classify this as doing something just to do something or as the first step of several more to come.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Hudgens: "True New Yorkers wouldn't boo the home team" (or something close to that)

[metirish]

Oh, it's the fans fault, it us that is forcing Tejada to swing for the fences each at bat.......thanks Dave

[Edgy MD]

Oh, I think there's a lot to be said about the culture of negativity surrounding the team. I think people are being nutty, and if it gives his players a breather to take a shot at the boobirds on the way out the door, drawing some of the wrath on himself and briefly away from the players... well, there are certainly less noble exits.

I mean, we've all got to imagine morale sucks, right?

[metirish]

Yes and I am sure the front office would like that theory to go around......the fans suck, not us

[Edgy MD]

It's not like it's an either-or thing.

[metirish]

True, since I guess 2006 there is an element of Mets fandom that absolutely suck , it is as if we felt entitled or something......

[batmagadanleadoff]

I feel entitled, if nothing else, to one of baseball's highest payrolls. For the money they charge, for the money SNY generates, for the estimated value of the franchise, for the right to play in NY, yada yada yada. But the latest Katz rumors tells me that we'll endure Mets poverty for at least the next couple of years. So here's to hoping that Brandon Nimmo develops into the next Willie Mays. And for another round of expanded playoffs, because Nimmo as Mays won't be enough, anyways.

Oh my. It's Hudgens' fault that this roster of mostly scrubs, declining players and scrubs in decline can't hit enough.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Oh, I think there's a lot to be said about the culture of negativity surrounding the team. I think people are being nutty, and if it gives his players a breather to take a shot at the boobirds on the way out the door, drawing some of the wrath on himself and briefly away from the players... well, there are certainly less noble exits. I mean, we've all got to imagine morale sucks, right?

It's gotten to the point where I barely enjoy watching a Mets game with other fans now. Baseball is great. These guys, while maybe not the cream of the crop, are still talented professional athletes competing in a wonderful sport. I should be able to watch a game, particularly at the park, without endless shouts of "Duda's A Dud!" and "Fire the Wilpons!" and "Zack Pelfrey!" and other assorted idiocies.

It feels like 90% of the people watching any given Mets game have the persona of a druggie who's dealer just raised the price on their favorite narcotic.

You can sense it in the clubhouse too. Mostly with Mike Puma who I guess it stepping over the line more. I get the sense the Mets don't feel like they're being taken seriously. (And sure, the retort is 'win games' but it's not like they're giving subpar efforts. They're trying..)

As for Hudgens.. I kinda liked him. In his interviews he always sounded intelligent and like he knew what he was doing. But maybe thought and execution are different. But what do I know from here? Nuttin'. good luck to the new guy.

[ashie62]

Hudgens? "Trailers for sale or rent."