Category Archives: Ike Davis

Those Snakebitten Mets

For the unfamiliar, the name of this blog comes from the infamous New Yorker interview Fred Wilpon gave in May of last year (Bob Gelen alluded to this when he addressed the class last week). As just another Mets fan with no stake in the team, I can be a cynical jackass and maybe, just maybe, come across as passionate. Fred Wilpon can’t, because Fred Wilpon isn’t just another Mets fan.

He’s the Mets owner. The guy who OK’d Steve Phillips’ destruction of the farm system, and he OK’d the horrible contracts dished out by Omar Minaya. He let all of this happen under his watch, and he still chocked it up to bad luck and brushed it aside claiming the Mets were a lousy club.

The New Yorker piece is a fascinating read, but the point this post focuses on is on page seven. Jeffrey Toobin, the author of the article, gives us Wilpon’s analysis of the New York Mets from an April 20 game against the Houston Astros. Wilpon had some choice quotes that rubbed fans and players the wrong way, so, without further ado, the quote regarding their player, and what they’ve done since.

Jose Reyes

Then:

“He’s a racehorse,” Wilpon said. … He thinks he’s going to get Carl Crawford money. … He won’t get it.”

Now:

Reyes had an All-Star season with the Mets in 2011, even garnering some MVP votes. In the off-season he signed as a free agent with the Miami Marlins for six years, and 106 million dollars. Wilpon was right, as he didn’t get Carl Crawford money (seven years/$142 million), but Jose Reyes money isn’t bad. Not bad at all. He’s currently having an average year for the Marlins.

David Wright

Then:

“He’s pressing. … A really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar.”

Now:

Wright is in the midst of a resurgent season. With a slash line of .336/.425/.559 entering Friday’s contest against the Diamondbacks, Wright is having more than a very good season. He’s having a superstar season during a contract season, so expect to see him playing somewhere else next year.

Carlos Beltran

Then:

“We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series. … He’s sixty-five to seventy per cent of what he was.”

Now:

Wilpon was referencing Carlos Beltran’s amazing 2004 postseason with the Houston Astros where he put up these ridiculous numbers:

Year Tm Series Opp Rslt G PA AB R H 2B HR RBI SB BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
2004 HOU NLDS ATL W 5 24 22 9 10 2 4 9 2 1 4 .455 .500 1.091 1.591
2004 HOU NLCS STL L 7 32 24 12 10 1 4 5 4 8 4 .417 .563 .958 1.521

So the Mets rewarded him with a lucrative seven year/$119 million contract. Beltran produced when he was healthy, but he couldn’t stay on the field for half of the contract. The Mets’ ended up flipping him to San Francisco at the trade deadline last year and stole the Giants’ #1 pitching prospect Zach Wheeler. Currently, he’s producing MVP-like numbers for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ike Davis

Then:

“Good hitter. … Shitty team—good hitter.”

Now:

Davis is the starting first baseman for the Mets but has struggled mightily this year. He’s only recently brought his batting average over the Mendoza line (.200). He currently holds a streak of 42 consecutive games at Citi Field without more than one hit.

Posted in "We're snakebitten, baby!", Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Fred Wilpon, Ike Davis, Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins, Omar Minaya, Random, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Steve Phillips, Zach Wheeler | Comments Off on Those Snakebitten Mets

The Dude Subsides

So for some reason or another, management feels compelled to keep the exercise-in-futility known as the 2012 Mets season alive. How else could you explain the recent demotion of Lucas Duda? This is killing me; I won’t be able to reference The Big Lebowski until the Mets’ actually realize they’re doomed for failure.

And knowing the Mets, that moment is midway through August, after trading Matt Harvey to the Mariners for Kevin Millwood and Oliver Perez, and shipping Zach Wheeler back to San Francisco for Barry Zito and Aubrey Huff.

OK, that’s not fair. I overreacted. Sandy Alderson and his crew have steered the Mets into the right direction. There haven’t been any major screwups, but sending down Duda is fairly eggregious.

I was under the impression that the Mets wanted their young players to play through their struggles. How else could you explain the Mets not demoting Ike Davis after it took him until June 26th to finally break a .200 batting average for the first time this season? Yes, Duda is hitting .140 in the month of July, but he was above .250 in April, May, and June. Ike hit .185 in April, and .154 in May!

What does demoting Duda accomplish anyways? More playing time for Jason Bay? A roster spot for Manny Acosta? Even if you don’t think Duda is a long term answer in RF, why demote him when the going gets bad. Let him come out of his slump, and bring up his value a bit.

Showcase him to potential suitors: “Here’s a MLB-ready RF who has a career .833 OPS (On Base % + Slugging %) against righties. He’s also under team control until  the end of 2017.” Don’t just exile him to Buffalo.

But no, to Buffalo he goes, to get everyday playing time against minor league luminaries like Chad Reineke and Sean Gallagher. You know, not All-Star starters like Gio Gonzalez or Stephen Strasburg.

Because lord knows if you have the opportunity to send a young hitter to AAA to hit 87mph fastballs from Chad Reineke instead of 97mph fastballs from Stephen Strasburg, you seize that opportunity by the throat. Especially if that opportunity allows you to bring up a pitcher with an 11.86 ERA whose best trait is his afro. You have to do it.1

1Yes, I’m channeling my inner Bill Simmons. Footnote and all.

 

Posted in Afros!, Aubrey Huff, Barry "Worldbeater" Zito, Big Lebowski Puns, Gio Gonzalez, Human Garbage Oliver Perez, Ike Davis, Jason Bay, Jason Bay's Contract Is So Big It Requires It's Own Tag, Kevin Millwood, Lucas Duda, Manny Acosta, Matt Harvey, Minor League Luminaries Chad Reineke and Sean Gallagher, New York Mets, Rants, Rants and Raves, San Francisco Giants, Sandy Alderson, Seattle Marines, Stephen Strasburg, Trade Deadline, Zach Wheeler | Comments Off on The Dude Subsides