Friday afternoon, when Valdespin was the lone no-show for an early batting practice session with selected teammates after his attendance was requested.
via BP no-show ‘Spin contributes when counts – Mets Blog – ESPN New York.
Number 1 on your scorecard, number 25 in our hearts.
Weird man. Don’t get your whole “down on Valdy thing.” Seriously don’t get it at all.
its the “act like ya been there before” mentality that is missing.
Plenty of great players didn’t take the faux veteran tradition police route when they broke in. I remember when David Wright was benched for not running out grounders. He turned out ok.
Too much made of conformity and cultural line-toeing, methinks. The kid loves to play, enjoys the spotlight, is development a special relation with the fans (most of ’em anyway) – let’s just enjoy it. Why spotlight the whole “25th favorite Met” thing – and btw, where does this leave Cowgill? – every time Valdy does something good.
I don’t get it…
When was Wright benched for not running out grounders? In the minors? I have no recollection of that happening with the Mets. I remember it happening to Reyes at least once, and him pouting about it, but not Wright. I’m not saying you’re wrong or anything, I’m just asking when it happened, because I don’t remember it at all.
MIAMI — David Wright never needed a day off more than the one Jerry Manuel gave him here yesterday.
The Mets’ All-Star third baseman was conspicuously absent from the 4-0 win over the Marlins, less than 24 hours after Wright’s shockingly uncharacteristic lack of hustle prompted a personal apology to his teammates and a postgame Manuel tongue-lashing.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/item_zhS3HcQJqRM6tHnss2msSP
Never recall Reyes pouting about anything. He’s by far the happiest player in Mets history, and one of the hardest playing too.
But, you wrote:
“Plenty of great players didn’t take the faux veteran tradition police route **when they broke in.** I remember when David Wright was benched for not running out grounders. **He turned out ok.**” (emphasis added)
The incident you cited was in 2009. Wright was in his 6th season. So, that was not breaking “faux veteran tradition” when he “broke in.”
Also, that was 6 weeks after he got the concussion from the fastball to the helmet (and at the end of September of a miserable 2009 season, for what it’s worth).
Finally, that was–immediately afterwards–clarified to not be a disciplinary benching (see: http://www.metstoday.com/3866/shea-what/david-wright-was-not-disciplined/ )
So, I respectfully disagree with your opinion. Wright appears to me to be 100% traditionalist (i.e., follows “faux veteran tradition” as you call it) and has earned his stripes. He and Valdespin could not be more different.
Maybe you didn’t consider it “pouting” but recall Reyes threw a tantrum when Jerry Manuel pulled him from his first game as manager when Reyes pulled up lame running out his first at-bat.
I remember both that and the times Wright pouted when he was rested or pulled for a slight injury. Both guys always wanted to play. Neither one was – in any way – a real disciplinary problem.
Friday night, when walked, stole a base, and scored the go-ahead run, nobody gave two whits about early batting practice.
Amazing that the same folks who are up in JV1’s grille are the ones who adored Jose Reyes and his juvenile antics. Do the hand spotlight thing after you steal a base when your team is down 3 runs? No problem. Choreograph new dugout celebrations in the middle of a losing streak? Go for it. Take pictures of newspaper articles on your phone the day after a big win? How dare you, punk!
I don’t get the Valdy-bashing. He brings an excitement to the team it’s been missing since Reyes. And as for the BP thing, he apparently was told by a coach he didn’t have to participate, so he didn’t participate. Shouldn’t the team’s beef be with the coach who told him he didn’t need to be there, and not with the player who took the coach at his word?
If he had to be there, they should have made it mandatory.
Shut Up!….Play the kid early and often and lets see what he’s got….He’s the only this we going in our outfield!
Play him or trade him!