Memories of Ruben Tejada

[G-Fafif]

Ya mean besides Utley?

I really liked him as a second baseman when he was just a pup. Davis-Tejada-Reyes-Wright is supposed to be beginning its seventh record-breaking season as we speak.

Often managed a hit when you'd absolutely given up on him. I'm thinking Mother's Day vs. the Philths in 2014, which he won versus a drawn-in infield and Mrs. Fafif and I could get going for Indian food in Jackson Heights.

Could go back on pop-ups like Buddy Harrelson.

Out-averaged Jose in his first full year as his replacement, but didn't make anybody forget who he was succeeding.

Was the Mets' hottest hitter for about a week and a half last year. Played third base all of a sudden, too.

Adios, amigo. Don't come back to haunt us.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Guest

[G-Fafif]

[youtube:3pv5q2bu]qzJFQ5PY9oQ[/youtube:3pv5q2bu]

[Edgy MD]

OBP'd at .360 at 21 years old, a feat only a handful of middle infielders could ever claim. It put him on a list of like four or five guys, including Rogers Hornsby. ROGERS HORNSBY!

The commonalities between the two, unfortunately, didn't pile up.

[G-Fafif]

They both stared out the window and waited for spring.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Second only to Wayne Garrett in games played by a guy who wore No. 11 -- and that's interesting inasmuch as there have been more Mets games that included a No. 11 playing than any other number in team history.

I'm hard-pressed to recall memorable moments for him other than those that wound up breaking his bones. Instead, he was as Greg said, a player who in many ways got worse, or at least didn;t improve significantly, as he got older, and obviously rubbed Terry & Sandy the wrong way at times. Nice eyebrows. We cheered the fuck out of him when he came out on crutches.

And not to say what Buttley did was OK, but he never should have turned his back on that play, as bad as Muffy's throw was. That was dumb and costly.

[Edgy MD]

Very comparable to Garrett in that he was an interim solution that was intended to just be there until the team sorted things out until a more permanent solution could be found, and yet lasted longer than many or even most intended long-term solutions.

Also like Garrett in that his main offensive attribute was the ability to draw walks, but neither was trusted very often with the leadoff position.

[Frayed Knot]

I was never his biggest fan in that if you're going to have a light-ish hitting SS I prefer it to be a 'Plus' type of fielder which I never thought Ruben was. But then he'd confound you with that odd ability to re-emerge just when you were ready to write him off matched only by his ability to disappoint when handed a steady job.

The timing of it all, as mentioned elsewhere, seems odd given Cabrera & Wright's health questions, as does the team's failure to find a deal for him. But I suppose it's getting to be cut-down time and potential trading partners have the luxury of simply waiting around to see who/how many players become available who won't require the sacrifice of a warm body in return.

[Guest themetfairy]

For several years there had been Mets who were young enough to be my son, but Ruben was the first Met to come up who was younger than my actual daughter. We always rooted hard for him and were happy to see his progress over the years.

Also, it was classy of him to give his teammates specially inscribed bottles of Johnny Walker Blue after they clinched the pennant.

Goodbye Son, and good luck (except when the Dodgers face the Mets).

Edited March 16, 2016 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

Wait... he's a Dodger?

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Also like Garrett in that his main offensive attribute was the ability to draw walks, but neither was trusted very often with the leadoff position.

I remembered Garrett as leading off a decent amount of time (despite not 'looking like' the leadoff hitter of that or earlier eras) so, looking it up, it turns out that he did ~23.5% of the time (205 times in 862 game starts).
Tejada did so exactly 20% of the time (105 of 525 GS) which is somewhat higher than I would have guessed.

[Edgy MD]

While I won't outright withdraw the comment, I sheepishly admit that I would've guessed both players would've been more like 10%.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[youtube:2e7df9p5]RWdPOrodue4[/youtube:2e7df9p5]

This was apparently a Ruben highlight, ruined by ugly unis.

[TransMonk]

So are Duda and Wright the only guys left that played for the pre-Terry Collins Mets?

With Gee, Murph, Parnell, Niese, Mejia and Tejada all gone now, I think so, IIRC.

[Edgy MD]

Is Mejia technically gone? I don't even know.

There's probably a good chance that Pedro Feliciano returns at some point.

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: So are Duda and Wright the only guys left that played for the pre-Terry Collins Mets? With Gee, Murph, Parnell, Niese, Mejia and Tejada all gone now, I think so, IIRC.

yup.

And now Wright's the only to have played at Shea. Well, as a Met anyway.

[TransMonk]

Edgy MD wrote: Is Mejia technically gone? I don't even know...

I guess as technical as the verbiage of the lifetime ban goes. I think I read that he will appeal, but I'm not sure why the Mets would give him another chance...though I said that after the first and second suspensions.

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Is Mejia technically gone? I don't even know... I guess as technical as the verbiage of the lifetime ban goes. I think I read that he will appeal, but I'm not sure why the Mets would give him another chance...though I said that after the first and second suspensions.

Who knows if/when it happens they'd even technically have rights.

[Frayed Knot]

If Mejia does manage to come back prior to hitting his 6 year FA-gency rights (he had ~3-3/4 years now and a suspended player DOES accumulate service time during his suspension) then, yes, I believe the Mets would still retain his rights. So if he returns in one or two years from now the Mets would have the option of cutting him or offering him a contract under the arbitration process. If he makes a return beyond some point in mid-2018 he would do so as a FA.
But of course all of that is predicated on him busting up the conspiracy that set him up. Plus he has to find the grassy knoll shooter, the real killer in the O.J. case, and the body of Jimmy Hoffa.

[Guest themetfairy]

Edgy MD wrote: Wait... he's a Dodger?

My bad. I'm traveling and misread G-Fafif's post above.

[Guest themetfairy]

Ruben's former walk-up sin, Na De Na, is on my running mix. It always makes me smile when it comes on.

[MFS62]

G-Fafif wrote: Could go back on pop-ups like Buddy Harrelson.

I don't think I've ever seen a shortstop who could go back on pop-ups like Buddy, especially those down the third base line that could have fallen for doubles.
Anyhow, back to Ruben.
I was impressed by his high OBP as a youngster, never realizing the elite company he was in. Sad that was his best and he couldn't maintain or improve on it.
I liked him and wish him well.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

There was that pennant race inside-the-park job last year, against the Phillies.

He still seems more this-year-useful to me than, say, Soup or Reynolds.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Schaefer Mets Player of the Month, September 2011.

That led to the creation of this card:



There was another month, later on, when it looked like Ruben might win another Schaefer award,
but he fell short. I had prepared this card, never before made public until today:

[G-Fafif]

Benjamin Grimm wrote:

The beauty of this card is I feel as if I got it 12 or 18 times in 1975.

[Edgy MD]

Sources say he's got a minor league contract offer from the Yankees on the table.

Hope he tells them to stick it. Go to Japan and show everybody what's what, Ruben.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Sources say he turned down Yankoffer.
They also say he has something else on the table.
Other sources say despite what happens he's fantasy irrelevant.

[TransMonk]

It is as we thought it would be.

Cardinals sign SS Ruben Tejada

One year deal.

[stevejrogers]