Though it might be wildly optimistic to predict Jose Reyes will again scale the heights of the 2006-2008 seasons — campaigns in which the shortstop’s unique combination of speed, power and fielding prowess had an huge impact on the rest of the roster —- he’s off to a more than solid start over 2011’s first 32 games, so much so that his trade value would seem fairly robust. Good thing, too, in the view of Forbes’ Tom Van Ripper, who considers an April 27 brutally blown call by third base umpire Marvin Hudson sufficient evidence that Jose oughta be exiled at the earliest available opportunity.
Replays indicated that Hudson indeed blew the call, which the Mets’ T.V. announcers pointed out. What they didn’t point out: that Reyes chiefly had himself to blame. That while the call was wrong, all the movement and readjustments on Reyes’ part after the poor slide proved deceptive to the umpire, making the call tougher than it should have been. That a proper, fundamental feet first slide would have left no doubt about the play.
Pundits and fans that follow the Mets love to point to expensive busts Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo – each was recently jettisoned – as the poster boys for the club’s problems of recent years. After all, that’s what the Mets have been for most of the past two decades – expensive busts. But such pundits and fans would be wrong. Jose Reyes – a premium talent undermined by poor fundamentals – is the poster boy. The triple/ non-triple against the Nationals had all the elements of Reyes’ eight-year career: strong bat smoking a ball up the gap, explosive speed getting him to third, only to wind up back in the dugout thanks to a lack of brains. The sad part was how predictable the play was. Scintillating as he is to watch when he’s going well, Reyes has never really learned how to play the game. Aggressiveness and passion are great, when you know how to channel them. Smart players don’t dive recklessly into bases when they don’t have to. They don’t take the risks of stretching doubles into triples with no outs. And they don’t run through stop signs from the third base coach. Top leadoff men eventually learn the major league strike zone and walk 100 times a a year, yielding higher on-base percentages than Reyes’ .336 career mark. And smart shortstops don’t undermine their great range and athleticism with bad throws that come from trying to force plays that aren’t there.
“Nothing will better signal the end of the club’s unsuccessful approach than ridding themselves of the guy who embodies it,” argues Van RIpper, who presumably has nothing but the highest regard for the strikeout machine that is David Wright. While Wright’s lack of plate discipline, inability to make adjustments and what may or not be signs of diminished skills at the ripe old age of 28 are dismissed by some as “trying too hard”, Reyes successfully stretching a double into a triple (as proven by fuckin’ videotape) is cited by Van Ripjob as evidence of the latter’s brainlessness.
Yeah, there’s nothing suspicious or insidious about that.
Why, oh why, does Forbes even try to do anything but guesstimate a club’s worth?
Here`s the thing. Intangbles win championships. Mistakes (bone head or otherwise) happen. Emotion, passion are a necessary components to win championships (you know that).
Would you take a Bud Harrelson over Reyes? (I wouldn`t and I love Bud). The real questions is where is the break even point? Yeah… your right, he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I would take his passion, talent (and mistakes) over some one with less talent and and a bigger brain any day…no question – Plus Jose is fun to watch play, let us not forget this is a form of entertainment.
Let’s then discuss the mets inability to teach a man as talented as reyes to not stretch doubles into triples with no outs. Or even worse with 2 outs as I’ve seen him do. As long as the organization is a joke, a guy like reyes isn’t going to listen to coaches trying to teach him how to play. He was a kid when he got here and he. Still playes like a kid. Im sick of discussing beltran playing too deep in center or reyes breaking his fingers sliding head first. Demand he slide feet first for once. If an outfielder is playing to deep demand him to move closer. The organization needs to accept the blame here. Period.
attempting to stretch a double into a triple with no outs is not in and of itself, a bad thing for Reyes to attempt. There’s a risk/reward equation and much comes down to where the ball was hit and who is attempting to gun Jose down. Given the cleanup hitter’s propensity for striking out in key situations, what’s wrong with scoring from 3rd on a sac fly or a passed ball?
“He was a kid when he got here and he. Still playes like a kid”
Compare Reyes’ OBP percentage in his first full season (2005) to right now. Notice how he struck out THREE TIMES AS OFTEN as he walked in those days and compare said ratio today. He’s currently on pace to commit far fewer errors at SS than he did in 2005 (or 2008 for that matter).
The claims that Reyes hasn’t improved, isn’t coachable, cannot be made by any reasonable person when there’s ample evidence to the contrary. Keep in mind the catalyst for Van Rip Job’s entire assault on Reyes was a televised, oft-replayed incident in which only the most twisted Jose hater can’t admit he beat the throw and never left the bag.
“I’m sick of discussing beltran playing too deep in center”
Who are you having these discussions with, your imaginary friends? Beltran’s not played a game in center this season.
as of this writing, Reyes trails only Lance Berkman for the most total bases in 2011. The next closest shortstop is Troy Tulowitzki — he’s ranked 32nd out of all position players in MLB.
A handful of baserunning gaffes do nothing to erase the fact that if Murphy or Wright were having even average seasons at the plate, we’d be talking about Jose as an MVP candidate
…and playing the part of Dick Young this year will be Tom Van Ripper
one of the more sickening things about Reyes’ detractors is how quick they are to mitigate their critiques by calling Jose “talented” or “exciting” Yes, he is both of those things. But unless you believe stats accumulated over a number of years are less relevant than a handful of TV highlights, how can you possibly say he’s not shown improvement in multiple areas since he came into the league? Whether that indicates he’s got a greater capacity for learning or it’s a testament to his work ethic I can’t say for sure, but it would be nice see Reyes occasionally credited for something besides raw ability. Y’know, like intellect, desire, effort, etc.