“I really don't see how that is going to help!
Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances! “
~C-3PO
From Star Wars~
Sandy Alderson has been flip-flopping on what the Mets are
capable of spending and what they actually will spend. The one thing that has
been clear is what he expects from his players.
Elvis doesn’t want his players to think, react, nor show
instinct; what he is looking for is a bunch of droids that buy into OBP (On
Base Percentage) over all other aspects of the game. Don’t get me wrong, OBP is
important, but if I have a runner on second with one out, I want the batter to
be smart yes, but aggressive also. A walk in that situation does nothing; a
single in that situation will plate a run.
This all goes back to the Money Ball mentality, where it has
been documented that Billy Beane wanted Art Howe to stand on the top step and
do nothing. All decisions were to be made by the front office, not the field
manager.
It has been written that although Alderson liked Marlon Byrd,
he couldn’t wait to get rid of him, and had no intention of trying to sign him
as a free agent this off-season. Byrd said he loved his short stay in NY, and
would have been open to returning, but the Phillies swooped in and gobbled him up
for $8M/year for the next two years.
Byrd fell into disfavor with Alderson because he was
coaching/mentoring the young players. He told them to be aggressive with
runners on. Alderson doesn’t subscribe to this baseball philosophy, but I’ve
never seen a runner score from 2nd on a walk.
OBP is an important stat, but only important if it does not
remove all instinct from a player. Certain situations you look to get on at any
cost, but with runners on base, it is more important to drive them in than to
reach base.
Every good team needs veteran leadership like what Byrd
provided. I don’t think it would have been wise to bring Byrd back, especially
after seeing the cash Philadelphia signed him to, but they do need players who
will take younger ones under their wing.
From recent articles and blogs, Alderson is portrayed as
someone who doesn’t want any instinctual players, just those who buy into his
system with blind faith.
If that is the case, the Mets can field a team of R2-D2’s and
C-3PO’s…after all, playing the way Alderson demands is something that can
easily be filled by a droid, not a ball player.
“I really don't see how that is going to help!
Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances! “
Let’s hope the Mets don’t surrender this season.
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