Enjoying Beast Mode

[ashie62]

I hope he is not a guy who gets the big contract and then kinda shuts it down.

[Edgy MD]

The truth is virtually everybody is that kind of guy.

I mean, it's not that folks "shut it down," or necessary any moral failing along those lines, but that the sort of production and health a guy needs to trigger a superstar deal is unsustainable beyond a few years. I mean, apart from Babe-Rod Williams Bonds the Man, anyhow. And we know that two of those guys were cheating with substances not as readily available now.

The best analog is a Met actually: Carlos Beltran. He was acquired at the deadline and had a monster run carrying his team through the post-season, and even though the contract it triggered had a few outstanding seasons, nobody was happy with the utterly predictable lesser seasons or health breakdowns, and there's a disproportionately bitter flavor associated with the deal.

What makes Cespedes worth looking at anyhow to the Mets is his willingness to play centerfield, lowering the bar of excellence, and lowering the likelihood of a worst-case scenario.

[ashie62]

That's pretty much what I meant.

I love Cespedes.

I find him productive, fun and the neon green armwear is the bomb.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Lol, didn't you just say yesterday you weren't interested
In baseball fashion? I'm surprised they let him wear the
loud arm sleeve, kinda distracting.

[Guest themetfairy]

On Jason Fry and Shannon Shark's podcast, Paul Lukas discusses David Wright's orange undershirt and Cespedes' sleeve

The discussion begins about a half hour into the show. Cespedes comes into the discussion around 35:00 in. Lukas says that the technicality is that the sleeve is a different, freestanding item and thus doesn't have to comply with the rules about uniform colors.

[Guest d'Kong76]

And there ya go!!

[Edgy MD]

d'Kong76 wrote: Lol, didn't you just say yesterday you weren't interested In baseball fashion?

[Benjamin Grimm]

themetfairy wrote: Lukas says that the technicality is that the sleeve is a different, freestanding item and thus doesn't have to comply with the rules about uniform colors.

I think the rules have changed, though. I remember Tsuyoshi Shinjo wanted to wear a bright red armband (which was his trademark in Japan) but had to go with orange instead.

[Guest themetfairy]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: themetfairy wrote: Lukas says that the technicality is that the sleeve is a different, freestanding item and thus doesn't have to comply with the rules about uniform colors. I think the rules have changed, though. I remember Tsuyoshi Shinjo wanted to wear a bright red armband (which was his trademark in Japan) but had to go with orange instead.

That was also discussed in the podcast.

[G-Fafif]

Gary Cohen has compared Cespedes's hitting style to that of Mays. I can see it.

[G-Fafif]

Tim Rohan on how the beast became a Met. My only objection is the inclusion of the COO as the tough-talking, signer-offer on the big deal. Would love to pretend a giddy dowager still owns the team.

[Frayed Knot]

Somehow I get the feeling that Jeff's "Go for it" in this case won't become the stuff of legend in the same way that Doubleday's supposed pep talk (do we actually know what was said and to whom?) to go out and get Piazza has to some fans.

[Edgy MD]

Since the deal, Cespedes has produced at a level that has no parallel in the team�s 53-year history. In 41 games for the Mets, he has 17 home runs and 42 runs batted in, along with a .309 batting average.

Just for the sake of discussion, is it really true that this has no parallel? Is it really true that his quarter-season of .309 / .356 / .691 // 1.048 is unprecedented?

I mean, it's probably unprecedented as far as dovetailing perfectly and magically and out-of-the-blue with a Mets stretch run, but surely Piazza or Beltran or Duda or Strawberry or McReynolds or Segui or somebody has had a similar month and a half somewhere, right?

[Lefty Specialist]

You know, the fact that he doesn't walk much is killing his OPS.





(I kid, I kid.)

[MFS62]

When they hired him, I knew Sandy could do it.
Remember?
Later

____________________________________________________________________________
Who can change a roster, along with his new crew
Get some good new players, maybe get rid of one or two
The Sandy Man, oh the Sandy Man can
The Sandy Man can 'cause he�ll make the needed deals to make the team play good

Who can take a roster, make some dealings sly
Make the Mets so good it makes Yankee rooters cry
The Sandy Man, the Sandy Man can
The Sandy Man can 'cause he�ll make the needed deals to make the team play good

The Sandy Man makes every step he takes planned out and judicious
Now you talk about your Mets-based wishes, high OPS and fewer swishes

Oh, who can start tomorrow, fulfill our every dream
Put behind the sorrows and improve our fav�rite team
The Sandy Man, oh the Sandy Man can
The Sandy Man can 'cause he�ll make the needed deals to make the team play good

The Sandy Man makes every step he takes planned out and judicious
Now you talk about your Mets-based wishes, high OPS and fewer swishes


Yeah, yeah, yeah
Who can start tomorrow, his new front office team
Put behind the sorrows and improve our fav�rite team
The Sandy Man, oh the Sandy Man can
The Sandy Man can 'cause he�ll make the needed deals to make the team play good
The Sandy Man can 'cause he�ll make the needed deals to make the team play good



1.

[Frayed Knot]

This just in: Cespedes has been named NL Player of the Week for next week.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Since the deal, Cespedes has produced at a level that has no parallel in the team�s 53-year history. In 41 games for the Mets, he has 17 home runs and 42 runs batted in, along with a .309 batting average. Just for the sake of discussion, is it really true that this has no parallel? Is it really true that his quarter-season of .309 / .356 / .691 // 1.048 is unprecedented? I mean, it's probably unprecedented as far as dovetailing perfectly and magically and out-of-the-blue with a Mets stretch run, but surely Piazza or Beltran or Duda or Strawberry or McReynolds or Segui or somebody has had a similar month and a half somewhere, right?

I can't find a play-index to answer that question. bah! Another time I wish I had my own DB.

[dgwphotography]

Edgy MD wrote: Since the deal, Cespedes has produced at a level that has no parallel in the team�s 53-year history. In 41 games for the Mets, he has 17 home runs and 42 runs batted in, along with a .309 batting average. Just for the sake of discussion, is it really true that this has no parallel? Is it really true that his quarter-season of .309 / .356 / .691 // 1.048 is unprecedented? I mean, it's probably unprecedented as far as dovetailing perfectly and magically and out-of-the-blue with a Mets stretch run, but surely Piazza or Beltran or Duda or Strawberry or McReynolds or Segui or somebody has had a similar month and a half somewhere, right?

I'm thinking, at least power-wise, of Kingman in 1976 before he tore up his thumb. didn't he have 30 homers at the all-star break?

[Edgy MD]

Kingman 76 was certainly one I was thinking of.

[Centerfield]

Tim Rohan on how the beast became a Met. My only objection is the inclusion of the COO as the tough-talking, signer-offer on the big deal. Would love to pretend a giddy dowager still owns the team.

This is a fascinating article. We talk about having a plan and setting up your pieces etc., but it's amazing how arbitrary these things are.

A few things of note:

1. If the Gomez deal happens, no way we get Cespedes. Gomez has an OPS around .660 for Houston. We likely do not make the playoffs.
2. Thank god the Padres were stubborn about Justin Upton.
3. Holy crap we could have ended up with Jay Fucking Bruce. We were that close to disaster.
4. I have to give credit to Jeff Wilpon if that is true. That brings the list of "Things I like about Jeff Wilpon" to 1.
5. It sounds like Sandy was determined to make a move all along. That is encouraging.
6. I didn't know Fulmer was that good of a prospect. I guess we may have some regrets coming to us later. I still say we make the move.

[Guest themetfairy]

Yes, Fulmer is a stud. But this was nonetheless a deal worth making.

[dinosaur jesus]

Edgy MD wrote: Kingman 76 was certainly one I was thinking of.

Not so much. He did have a 41-game stretch in 1976 (April 27-June 10) where he hit 15 home runs. His line was .244 / .275 / .549, with 25 runs scored and 33 rbi. But Strawberry had a stretch in 1990 that beats Cespedes. From June 8 to July 25 (41 games), his line was .336 / .421 / .718 // 1.139, with 17 home runs, 34 runs scored, and 42 rbi. The Mets went 30-11, and went from 9 1/2 games behind the Pirates to 1/2 game back. That doesn't have the neat storyline of what Cespedes has done, but it's pretty stunning.

[G-Fafif]

It's as much a reflection the lineups of their day as it is to what Peerless Yo From (south of) Manzanillo is doing, but Cespedes's 17 HRs to date, all accumulated since early August, would have led a dozen different Met clubs in that category over a full season. A few more are within (for him) easy reach as well.

[TransMonk]

themetfairy wrote: Yes, Fulmer is a stud. But this was nonetheless a deal worth making.

Agreed. Also, I preferred giving up Fulmer to Wheeler.

Fulmer may have a high ceiling, but Wheeler is a known quantity at the major league level (if he can fully recover from TJ, obviously).

[Benjamin Grimm]

He may end up leading the 2015 club in homers.

[ashie62]

I saw a comment by Rubin that Yo Yo will be looking at about 175 million in the off season.

[Edgy MD]

dinosaur jesus wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Kingman 76 was certainly one I was thinking of. Not so much. He did have a 41-game stretch in 1976 (April 27-June 10) where he hit 15 home runs. His line was .244 / .275 / .549, with 25 runs scored and 33 rbi. But Strawberry had a stretch in 1990 that beats Cespedes. From June 8 to July 25 (41 games), his line was .336 / .421 / .718 // 1.139, with 17 home runs, 34 runs scored, and 42 rbi. The Mets went 30-11, and went from 9 1/2 games behind the Pirates to 1/2 game back. That doesn't have the neat storyline of what Cespedes has done, but it's pretty stunning.

This is excellent work by Dino J. Outstanding.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ashie62 wrote: I saw a comment by Rubin that Yo Yo will be looking at about 175 million in the off season.

Over how many years?

[ashie62]

Rubin was replying in comments and did not say. I will look for the link todayum.

[Ceetar]

dinosaur jesus wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Kingman 76 was certainly one I was thinking of. Not so much. He did have a 41-game stretch in 1976 (April 27-June 10) where he hit 15 home runs. His line was .244 / .275 / .549, with 25 runs scored and 33 rbi. But Strawberry had a stretch in 1990 that beats Cespedes. From June 8 to July 25 (41 games), his line was .336 / .421 / .718 // 1.139, with 17 home runs, 34 runs scored, and 42 rbi. The Mets went 30-11, and went from 9 1/2 games behind the Pirates to 1/2 game back. That doesn't have the neat storyline of what Cespedes has done, but it's pretty stunning.

Where'd you pull that from?