I realize that he was immensely unpopular when he played for the Mets, but why were the fans so eager to see him go? Yes, I understand that it would have been silly for the Mets to have picked up his option for 2008. That would have been too much cash. However, did they even tender him and offer after declining his option? Last year everyone wanted Green gone. Now that Gomez and Milledge have been traded, a rash of injuries to an already depleted outfield has occurred, and Degaldo is having problems, why would they not want to try to reacquire his services? He'll never again be the player he once was in L.A. or Toronto. That is true. Still, let's not forget he was a .291 hitter last season (.407 in the last month), had double figures in steals (91.7% success rate), and despite his unwarranted reputation of being an atrocious fielder (in spite of being only two years removed from a perfect season with the glove) only committed 4 errors in 290+ chances. He is a viable option at each outfield position as well as at first base and feasts off of right handed pitching. The down side to having him on the roster would be...?
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Why not Green?
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"Why not Green?"
In a sentence? Because he said he was retiring.
In another two sentences? When you don't offer salary arbitration to a player and they're still a free agent, you can't sign them until May 1, I believe. That'd not only be unfair to the Mets, but unfair to Green.Last edited by Dalkowski110; 03-09-2008, 10:08 AM."They put me in the Hall of Fame? They must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel!"
-Eppa Rixey, upon learning of his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Motafy (MO-ta-fy) vt. -fied, -fying 1. For a pitcher to melt down in a big game situation; to become like Guillermo Mota. 2. The transformation of a good pitcher into one of Guillermo Mota's caliber.
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Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View Post"Why not Green?"
In a sentence? Because he said he was retiring.
In another two sentences? When you don't offer salary arbitration to a player and they're still a free agent, you can't sign them until May 1, I believe. That'd not only be unfair to the Mets, but unfair to Green.Show me a guy who's afraid to look bad, and I'll show you a guy you can beat every time.
-Lou Brock-
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Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View Post"Why not Green?"
In a sentence? Because he said he was retiring.
However, that's not what I was asking. While I don't doubt that Green will in all likelihood stay retired, did the Mets even make any effort to retain his services? Was Green completely set on playing for a West Coast ballclub or could he have been lured back? (Yes I know this all purely hypothetical considering that Green is most certainly no Ryan Church and the Mets are far better off without him).
Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View PostIn another two sentences? When you don't offer salary arbitration to a player and they're still a free agent, you can't sign them until May 1, I believe. That'd not only be unfair to the Mets, but unfair to Green.
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"Was Green completely set on playing for a West Coast ballclub[...]?"
Yes. He was. He left on relatively poor terms with the Mets and it was pretty much Giants, Dodgers, Angels, or bust (oddly, you'd think the Padres would be a good fit for Green, but he apparently wasn't interested in them).
"Yes, as we all know 'retirement' from professional athletics always tends to be a permanent irreversible affair. It would be unprecedented for someone to change their mind over this."
Okay, great, you throw this sarcastic statement out there and then...
"While I don't doubt that Green will in all likelihood stay retired[...]"
This makes your sarcasm both unwelcome and completely unnecessary since you yourself don't even believe he'll come out of retirement.
"I believe that the May 1st date was eliminated under the October 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement."
Are you sure? A lot of papers referenced it when Glavine was not offered arbitration."They put me in the Hall of Fame? They must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel!"
-Eppa Rixey, upon learning of his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Motafy (MO-ta-fy) vt. -fied, -fying 1. For a pitcher to melt down in a big game situation; to become like Guillermo Mota. 2. The transformation of a good pitcher into one of Guillermo Mota's caliber.
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Green ain't coming back. I thought about it too, briefly, but it just doesn't make any sense at all...
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Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View Post
This makes your sarcasm both unwelcome and completely unnecessary since you yourself don't even believe he'll come out of retirement.
I'll try to explain this better since I am apparently incapable of clarity. Whether I personally believe Green will "un-retire" is a moot point regarding whether he actually does so or not. So far I have not been the world's leading prognosticator on Shawn Green. (Although I might add that I was almost unanimously laughed/attacked/criticized off of these boards when I predicted in August that Green would finish 2007 with a higher batting average than Lastings Milledge. ) It also doesn't explain the fans were so eager to be rid of him as per my original question. I understand that most here feel the team is vastly better off without him on the roster right now, but I am simply asking for a more in depth discussion as to why.
Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View PostAre you sure? A lot of papers referenced it when Glavine was not offered arbitration.
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"It also doesn't explain the fans were so eager to be rid of him as per my original question. I understand that most here feel the team is vastly better off without him on the roster right now, but I am simply asking for a more in depth discussion as to why."
In that case, you'll get it. Even before he came here, Green had somewhat of a reputation, be it real or imagined, as being a selfish jerk and a dog from his LA and Arizona days. What probably reinforced that in the minds of the fans was his horrible fielding in 2006 when he first got to the Mets.
In 2007, Green hit .195/.264/.288 against left-handed pitching (with a pretty bad .236 BABIP, as well). When in right field (though admittedly not first base), the general concensus was that he looked like he was dogging it. Ditto toward running the bases. Long strides toward the ball/on the basepaths or not, that was the concensus. Green was about average as a fielder...though his FP was actually pretty good and his RF was just above average, his RF/9 was below average. At this point in his career had he chosen not to retire, he likely would've primarily played against righties."They put me in the Hall of Fame? They must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel!"
-Eppa Rixey, upon learning of his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Motafy (MO-ta-fy) vt. -fied, -fying 1. For a pitcher to melt down in a big game situation; to become like Guillermo Mota. 2. The transformation of a good pitcher into one of Guillermo Mota's caliber.
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He's a lefthanded batter who doesn't hit lefties. OUr starting RF and 1B are both lefthanded batters who hit righties well. Green has little to no value as a back-up to them. Green has played all of 45 games in LF in his career. He's not a LF and therefore not a better solution to fill in for Alou than our in house guys.
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I'd try to get Mclouth from the Pirates. PIT doesn't seem to think of him as more than a 4th OF type. He has been great this spring so that might drive his price up, that's the only bad thing about it. There's a real chance that Nyjer Morgan could overtake him despite a terrible offensive showing.
We all know that they are the Pirates, so no harm in trying to acquire him, especially if Mclouth loses the competition for CF.
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Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View PostIn that case, you'll get it. Even before he came here, Green had somewhat of a reputation, be it real or imagined, as being a selfish jerk and a dog from his LA and Arizona days.
Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View PostWhat probably reinforced that in the minds of the fans was his horrible fielding in 2006 when he first got to the Mets.
Don't forget he also ground into 8 double plays and batted only .257 over the last part of 2006. I can see how that would have left a sour taste in fans' mouths. However, I would have thought that he would have been redeemed by hitting over .300 in the playoffs that year. Keep in mind that David Wright is pretty much universally beloved by fans and batted only .160 vs. the Cardinals.
Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View PostIn 2007, Green hit .195/.264/.288 against left-handed pitching (with a pretty bad .236 BABIP, as well).
Originally posted by Dalkowski110 View PostWhen in right field (though admittedly not first base), the general concensus was that he looked like he was dogging it. Ditto toward running the bases. Long strides toward the ball/on the basepaths or not, that was the concensus. Green was about average as a fielder...though his FP was actually pretty good and his RF was just above average, his RF/9 was below average. At this point in his career had he chosen not to retire, he likely would've primarily played against righties.
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