27.2.09

Jazz Master Jerry

"I love the energy that Jose Reyes brings, but I don't always like the anxiety that comes with it. I want to calm that down. He needs to play at jazz time. And he's playing at a hip-hop level. I want him to the best jazz player he can be."

I just couldn't help it, this quote is one of the best quotes from a baseball manager in a long time.


Is Reyes ready to make his move?

And that's not just because Reyes hit a grand slam, another homer and drove in six runs from his new number three spot whilst the Mets were pounding the Marlins 9-0 yesterday.

I mean if anything, beating the crap out of the Marlins in February just underscores the futility of having them drop the Mets out of the play-offs the last two Septembers running. When the Mets win meaningful games in September and drop the stigma of being choke artists will be the time to get excited. Right now, this is just a painful reminder of all they haven't done the last two years.

And whilst these first two results are nice let's hope this isn't just a bunch of metaphorically speaking, premature ejaculation winning-wise, rather an indication that the Mets respect their manager and are ready to really reel off a big, big season.

Two games. Right. Let's keep that in mind. It ain't even March yet.

*****

From the Throwing Stones at Icons Department, Joel Sherman weighs in a question about Piazza and steroids.

Joel must be joking, of course.

If Piazza had been on steroids he could have thrown to second base in less than three hops. Case closed.

4 comments:

katherine said...

Oh, jaap, I can't help myself - watching those spring training games has sent me over the edge! I am hopelessly emotionally invested in the Mets season again. Sigh. Why do I let this happen?

What do you think of all the articles and discussion about the players who lost weight during the off season (Anderson, Castillo in particular)? I am wondering if this is a euphemism for going off steroids?

Jaap said...

yeah, katherine, I feel the same way about these Spring games - like that Charlie Brown thing where Lucy always pulls the football away at the last minute - he knows (or should anyway) that it's going to happen but believes it won't anyway. That's our Septembers.
Interesting question about weight loss euphemisms - it might be the case but I rather believe it's more meant for the older players and a euphemism for "I've still got a few miles left in the tank and to prove it, I'm going to report svelte and ready to run." - either that or they were just a bunch of fatties who want to prolong a very lucrative career...who knows?

Anonymous said...

I am sure that Piazza lost all that weight because he was doing yoga before the year they tested for steroids. Or maybe he just stopped eating fast food like Jason Giambi? And that time he ripped his groin muscle flinching in the batter's box, separating muscle from bone, well, that was "just one of those things." Not to mention the back acne he always had, according to Joel Sherman of the Post. And I am sure that his inability to throw to second had NOTHING to do with his muscles being too tightly wound due to steroid use. Heck, lots of 66th round draft picks go to the Hall of Fame.


I just cannot stop myself.

Jaap said...

hey jdon- you'll not be surprised to recall Piazza on the subject said: "I think it's unnecessary in baseball. I mean, would you drug-test billiard players or chess players? You can take a .200 hitter and give him all of the drugs you can find, and would that make him a .300 hitter? No."

Well, I guess if he says steroids aren't necessary in baseball, it must be true.