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nykballa2k4 wrote:

HarthorneWingo wrote:Looks like Jay Bruce is our starting right fielder. I guess Forto starts back at AAA. Bruce is in a contract year, so who knows. Sometimes the best trades at the ones you don't make.

I think we need to keep Forto away from our hitting coach. Helps guys like Murphy and Granderson, but not good with the kids.

I thought Long was trying to get Forto to go back to hitting gap to gap instead of trying to jack it down the right field line.

HarthorneWingo wrote:

nykballa2k4 wrote:

HarthorneWingo wrote:Looks like Jay Bruce is our starting right fielder. I guess Forto starts back at AAA. Bruce is in a contract year, so who knows. Sometimes the best trades at the ones you don't make.

I think we need to keep Forto away from our hitting coach. Helps guys like Murphy and Granderson, but not good with the kids.

I thought Long was trying to get Forto to go back to hitting gap to gap instead of trying to jack it down the right field line.

Is Long capable? Dude broke him last year...

nykballa2k4 wrote:

HarthorneWingo wrote:

nykballa2k4 wrote:
I think we need to keep Forto away from our hitting coach. Helps guys like Murphy and Granderson, but not good with the kids.

I thought Long was trying to get Forto to go back to hitting gap to gap instead of trying to jack it down the right field line.

Is Long capable? Dude broke him last year...

He did a great job with Murphy in bringing him to the next level. Cespedes has been a better hitter since coming here. Walks are up; strikeouts are down. He's more selective at the plate. Neil Walker hit much better right handed only after getting to NY. Cabrera was great last year. I'm cherry picking of course, but those are some of his successes. D'Arnaud has regressed, but injuries have played a part. But his swing is mess. I also don't know if he's taking Long's advise to heart or disregarding it. Ultimately, I think batting coaches are crap shoots.

HarthorneWingo wrote:

nykballa2k4 wrote:

HarthorneWingo wrote:
I thought Long was trying to get Forto to go back to hitting gap to gap instead of trying to jack it down the right field line.

Is Long capable? Dude broke him last year...

He did a great job with Murphy in bringing him to the next level. Cespedes has been a better hitter since coming here. Walks are up; strikeouts are down. He's more selective at the plate. Neil Walker hit much better right handed only after getting to NY. Cabrera was great last year. I'm cherry picking of course, but those are some of his successes. D'Arnaud has regressed, but injuries have played a part. But his swing is mess. I also don't know if he's taking Long's advise to heart or disregarding it. Ultimately, I think batting coaches are crap shoots.

I don't mind the cherry picking, I just don't know what Long is actually teaching. Walker, for example, was impacted by the fact he was EMPOWERED to take on a bigger role. Cespedes has been playing for contracts since coming to NY, this season will be his first real test. Granderson and Murphy surely had a benefit from working with him (but it took Murphy like 3/4 a season to make a change). On the other hand, we have 0 pitchers who can lay down a bunt in the NL... that's an issue. We play like the clunky yankees of the early 2000's where offense is feast or famine. To me, that is no good. We need to be able to play small ball.

nykballa2k4 wrote:

HarthorneWingo wrote:

nykballa2k4 wrote:
Is Long capable? Dude broke him last year...

He did a great job with Murphy in bringing him to the next level. Cespedes has been a better hitter since coming here. Walks are up; strikeouts are down. He's more selective at the plate. Neil Walker hit much better right handed only after getting to NY. Cabrera was great last year. I'm cherry picking of course, but those are some of his successes. D'Arnaud has regressed, but injuries have played a part. But his swing is mess. I also don't know if he's taking Long's advise to heart or disregarding it. Ultimately, I think batting coaches are crap shoots.

I don't mind the cherry picking, I just don't know what Long is actually teaching. Walker, for example, was impacted by the fact he was EMPOWERED to take on a bigger role. Cespedes has been playing for contracts since coming to NY, this season will be his first real test. Granderson and Murphy surely had a benefit from working with him (but it took Murphy like 3/4 a season to make a change). On the other hand, we have 0 pitchers who can lay down a bunt in the NL... that's an issue. We play like the clunky yankees of the early 2000's where offense is feast or famine. To me, that is no good. We need to be able to play small ball.

I honestly don't know what goes on between hitting coach and individual hitters because I'm sure each one is handled differently; each hitter's issues are different.

The pitchers not being able to bunt, I can't put that on Long. Pitcher hardly ever get to really use the batting cage. Hitters won't let them. lol. It's true. I was a pitcher who liked to hit and I was always getting kicked out of the cage. I'd end up going to the batting cages to make up for it.

As for the all or nothing tendencies of our lineup, I'd have to see the stats on where we ranked offensively. But Sandy did bring in a bunch of boppers who do tend to strike out a lot. But that's been a trend across the league. That's what made KC's team so special. They all made contact. We couldn't strike them out. I think that's probably an anomaly though (again, I'd probably need to see the stats). Sandy likes the long ball.

I think we're close to signing Blevins.

ClydeRules wrote:I think we're close to signing Blevins.

Jerry got a little antsy when he saw we signed Tom Gorzalany to a minor league deal. Good work Sandy!

assdribble cabrera looks like he came into camp in great shape hope he can hold the fort until amed takes over NY

NYKnickerbocker wrote:assdribble cabrera looks like he came into camp in great shape hope he can hold the fort until amed takes over NY

Green font? What happened? Did he gain 60 lbs this off season?

Saw a pic in another forum where he looked 20-30 pounds heavier

Hopefully he loses some in camp

NYKnickerbocker wrote:Saw a pic in another forum where he looked 20-30 pounds heavier

Hopefully he loses some in camp

Yep, carrying around an extra 20-30 lbs. is just great for a bad knee over a 162+ season at perhaps the most grueling field position after P and C. What's next? Duda and Walker both go down with broken backs?

Good we have the best shortstop prospect in baseball waiting in the minors

NYKnickerbocker wrote:Good we have the best shortstop prospect in baseball waiting in the minors

Best bet is that we get a glimpse of him in September. If Assdribble goes down, Jose will play SS everyday. Also, I have no faith that Wright has anything left. So I hope, after deservedly winning his arbitration against the team, Wilmer is ready to jump in a 3d, 2d and/or 1b.

Sandy Alderson jokingly offered on SNY last night to be the third team in a Melo trade. Jay Bruce anyone?

ClydeRules wrote:Sandy Alderson jokingly offered on SNY last night to be the third team in a Melo trade. Jay Bruce anyone?

Lol just saw that..

HarthorneWingo wrote:

NYKnickerbocker wrote:Saw a pic in another forum where he looked 20-30 pounds heavier

Hopefully he loses some in camp

Yep, carrying around an extra 20-30 lbs. is just great for a bad knee over a 162+ season at perhaps the most grueling field position after P and C. What's next? Duda and Walker both go down with broken backs?

Mets gonna Jet, Jets gonna Knick, Knicks gonna Met

nykballa2k4 wrote:

HarthorneWingo wrote:

NYKnickerbocker wrote:Saw a pic in another forum where he looked 20-30 pounds heavier

Hopefully he loses some in camp

Yep, carrying around an extra 20-30 lbs. is just great for a bad knee over a 162+ season at perhaps the most grueling field position after P and C. What's next? Duda and Walker both go down with broken backs?

Mets gonna Jet, Jets gonna Knick, Knicks gonna Met

The curse of '69-'70.

We resigned Salas, who is a savvy veteran bullpen guy. Signed Blevins the other day. We may be the deepest team in baseball.

ClydeRules wrote:We resigned Salas, who is a savvy veteran bullpen guy. Signed Blevins the other day. We may be the deepest team in baseball.

Could be. Hopefully everyone stays healthy.

Mets sold Gabby Ynoa to the O's for cash....

I admit I was not a huge fan following him through the minors (even when MLB.com's Jon Mayo called him a sleeper who could become a top 100 prospect a year ago).

And was not impressed with what I saw in the bigs this past season.

And I would have taken a lottery ticket in rookie ball and maybe an international slot bonus for 300k in a trade and said, eh whatever.

But they sold him for cash and nothing else