Memories of Jay Bruce

[Edgy MD]

Becoming the second lefty-hitting firstbasman to jumping from the Mets to the American League this week, Jay Bruce seemingly opens up the job for Dominic Smith. But if Wilmer Flores gets the job in the interim, he'd better watch out.

Jay seemed as alien as anybody when he arrived last year after spending his whole career in Cincinnati. This year, he couldn't have looked more comfortable, despite his presence being somewhat embarrassing considering the Mets spent much of the offseason trying to deal him. My main memory is from last week, after Rosario's first game, with Amed walking out of the dugout with Bruce's arm around him trying to comfort him.

Reminds me just now of John Buck throwing an arm around a stunned Matt Harvey in the Mets dugout, trying to comfort his young teammate shortly after he learned of his torn elbow ligament and impending Tommy John surgery. Like Buck, he offered his comfort to a player even as he had a good idea that he was the one whose tenure was doomed.

Now he goes back to Ohio, but his city is gone!

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[Guest themetfairy]

D-Dad and I have a good friend who is originally from Ohio and who is a huge Reds fan. He had been talking up Jay Bruce for years, so when the Mets obtained him our expectations were high. Needless to say, those expectations were never met. This was a much better season, but Bruce was never the superstar that we were led to expect that he would be.

Nonetheless, Bruce was a solid player and a pro's pro - his contributions will be missed.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I saw him in an interview yesterday and it was so obvious that he couldn't
get out of Dodge fast enough. Happy trails.

OE - just glad he's not going porch-happy in the Bronx this post season.

[Frayed Knot]

Jay Bruce as (or not as) a NY Met has largely been, as Delbert McClinton once sang, a victim of life's circumstances.

- he could have been a Met starting back in 2005 when he was rumored to be the guy the Mets had their eye in the draft, but they opted for Mike Pelfrey with the 9th pick overall leaving Bruce
to be scooped up by the Reds three picks later

- in the summer of 2016 there would have been no reason to trade for him in 2016 had Conforto not crashed and burned so badly between May and July [.157 w/6 HRs]

- then Bruce would never have started the 2017 season w/the Mets had the trade market offered up something for him. Certainly his poor post-trade 2016 campaign had something to do with that.
On the other hand he's probably been the 2nd best offensive player on the team this year, behind only the guy he was first brought in to temporarily replace.

- and now he's the victim of the 2017 pitching woes, getting dealt away not because he's playing poorly (he's not) or for what he can bring back (nothing much) but because the team is too bad to justify his further existence on the roster.




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[Guest d'Kong76]

d'Kong76 wrote: OE - just glad he's not going porch-happy in the Bronx this post season.

I should add: for the Yankees.

[G-Fafif]

Eric Campbell pinch-hit for Jay Bruce in a critical game last September and it was the right move.

Nevertheless, his bat persisted and he was no less than the 2017 Mets' third-most valuable player, which doesn't sound like much, but I have no idea who the fourth-most valuable Met of 2017 is.

When he went deep twice against the Phillies on April 19 at Citi Field, it was an absolute happening. That was the night Jay Bruce became president.

[Benjamin Grimm]

G-Fafif wrote: ...he was no less than the 2017 Mets' third-most valuable player, which doesn't sound like much, but I have no idea who the fourth-most valuable Met of 2017 is.

Schaefer Top Ten, through yesterday's game:

1 Jay Bruce 72.71
2 Michael Conforto 72.25
3 Jacob deGrom 70.49
4 Curtis Granderson 44.89
5 Jose Reyes 42.56
6 Wilmer Flores 39.46
7 Asdrubal Cabrera 39.30
8 Lucas Duda 38.59
9 Neil Walker 35.65
10 Yoenis Cespedes 32.75

[G-Fafif]

1 Jay Bruce 72.71
2 Michael Conforto 72.25
3 Jacob deGrom 70.49

Wow, what a three-way!

(That's what she said.)

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Schaefer Top Ten, through yesterday's game:

[ashie62]

Bruce was the first Met I spotted to wear the Burger King Golden Crown.

[seawolf17]

In 153 games with us, he hit .245/.313/.482, a 107 OPS+, with 37 homers. I'd say he was exactly as advertised and I hope he wins a ring this year.