The Mets’ injury list grew by one Tuesday night when Andres Torres strained his left calf. While Torres thinks the injury will cost him only a few days in camp, Terry Collins was already making sure he had center-field contingencies in place.
Mike Baxter is slated to play center Wednesday against the Cardinals and, after Torres was hurt, Jason Bay went to the manager and volunteered to play center as well. Collins said he would look at infielder Jordany Valdespin in center, too.
“I’ve got to figure out options,” Collins said. “I asked Jordany if he could play center and he said yes. This kid is athletic as heck.”
Collins needs choices because backup Scott Hairston is also idle with an oblique injury. Hairston jogged and threw Tuesday, and Collins was hoping Hairston could take batting practice by the weekend. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, perhaps the Mets’ best outfield prospect, also has an oblique injury and was sent to the minor-league camp earlier this spring…
Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy, the new keystone combination that had played just six innings together this spring, turned two double plays in Tejada’s return from a groin injury. Collins called Murphy’s footwork “the best I’ve seen him have this spring.”
Collins believes David Wright’s abdominal tear will be healed enough that the third baseman could return to the lineup by this weekend or early next week.
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1. depletion Posted: March 21, 2012 at 04:18 PM (#4086218)Regards,
Tim
I think Damon/Boras overplayed his hand. Damon didn't know where he was and Boras such as hell didn't tell him.
Of course, as you would expect, there were those who played centerfield for the Mets who were just truly awful MLB players. I mean, truly awful. For example, there was Don Bosch, who was obtained from the Pirates prior to the 1967 season. Bosch was expected to replace Jim Hickman as the Mets regular CF after Hickman was traded to the Dodgers. Bosch started twenty-five games for the Mets in 1967. In 101 Plate Appearances in 1967, Bosch posted an OPS+ of 1. That's 1 as in one. In a career that would see him play 146 games in the majors, Bosch posted an OPS+ of 29.
Billy Beane is also listed among those who at one time played centerfield for the New York Mets. While not nearly as terrible an MLB player as Bosch, Beene was fortunate in that, once his playing days were over, he was able to fall back on his second career, as author of that infamous book.
And then there were the experiments. This is the category that Jason Bay would fall into, should the Mets choose to play him in centerfield. Here I'm thinking about those who were bona-fide MLB players, but at a position other than centerfield; yet the Mets just had to see what they could do out there. Howard Johnson is probably the first that comes to mind in this category, an All-Star thirdbaseman who had no business trying to play centerfield. Kevin Mitchell fits here as well, as do the trio of players (Mike Jorgensen, Tim Foli and Ken Singleton) who the Mets would trade to the Montreal Expos for Rusty Staub.
But for my money, the ultimate in out-of-position centerfielders for the Mets came in this game. On May 6, 1964, in the first night game ever played at Shea Stadium, the starting centerfielder for the New York Mets was Eddie Kranepool. In his entire eighteen year MLB career, those would be the only nine innings that Kranepool would ever play in centerfield.
DB
Brett Butler, Mookie, Lenny, Vince Coleman, Lance Johnson, Mike Cameron.
Glad you mentioned HoJo. Just an awful idea.
Jason Pridie, Danny Heep, Bruce Boisclair, Al Luplow, Don Hahn, Jeremy Reed, Rod Kanehl, Tommy Reynolds, T.I.M.O...
WAR Player
31.7 Beltran
19.4 Mookie
16.4 Lenny
12.9 Mazzilli
12.4 Agee
9.1 Pagan
8.9 Lance Johnson
Nobody else more than 3.9.
If Den Dekker gets injured, Brandon Nimmo is going to have to come up with the team.
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