No, but thanks for asking. The subject has come up on sports talk radio this morning and SU just doesn’t see it. True, he was a gold glove first baseman his entire career, made the All-Star team a few times at a high profile position and won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009. He had 400 homeruns as a switch-hitter which is impressive. But to me, he falls short. Care to weigh in from your perspective?
SU’s biggest memory of Tex will be his unwillingness to adjust batting left-handed as the shifts against him became more and more severe. Absolutely refused to do it or consider it. His numbers tailed off badly the last few years – some of that due to injury but much of it due to stubbornness. He could do it right-handed but felt he was paid to hit homeruns and that was that. SU will miss his glove and consistency. I will not miss his .130 batting average every April. And for you cynical Met fans, the Yankees will not retire #25.
Speaking of the Mets, SU enjoyed its time at Citifield the week before last in a suite behind home plate. Great ballpark and great staff. SU sends a shoutout to the Human Resources team of the Mets for its hospitality and being easy to do business with. Well done.
SU has been following some of the averages of the recent trade deadline players. Here is my theory: when you trade a player to a new League at the deadline, they find themselves facing pitchers for the first time. This makes a huge (as in HUUGGGGEEEE) difference in how these players perform (see Eduardo Nunez struggling big time for the SF Giants so far). It should be a factor for GMs as they consider these moves. Similarly, it’s an advantage for pitchers that move to a new League. HUGE advantage.
SU made a visit to the NY Jets training camp this week (see? I get around). Beautiful facility in Florham Park, NJ right in the middle of corporate office parks. Brand new and all-encompassing. Unfortunately, nothing to report on actual players as they were not out there but I did read that Brandon Marshall and Revis got into it yesterday at a level that was more than just “the heat of the action.” Clearly, they do not like each other. We will see how this plays out over the course of the season. The Jets return a lot of key players and if Fitzpatrick can repeat his form from last season, they should be a playoff team. However, that is a big if as he had a career year. The key for them is to avoid Geno Smith.
Finally, it’s time to get in Olympics mode. I must admit that I struggle to do that. I do enjoy women’s soccer and basketball, swimming and some of the track and field. The men’s hoops team is just too good – even without some of the stars on the roster. Funny moment on the Mike Francesa show this week on WFAN. He was trying to name the players on the roster for the men’s team. Rather than just have someone look it up, the FAN always likes to play the guessing game with Big Mike so he can look brilliant when he gets a few right. He is truly the imperious one but for me, a good listen. He knows the Yankees and I do enjoy his pompousness and ability to repeat every statement 3 times in a row. Not everyone can talk in triplicate.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Totally agree. Texeira was terrific but not HOF caliber. If you put him in the Hall, you better start building new buildings in Cooperstown because they aren’t gonna fit in the current space
Once Carlos Beltran calls it a career after next season, he will be another borderline candidate for the HOF. He will be a closer call. He has been very, very good for a long time. He may just have the numbers to make it in.
Sample of one… but Cespedes was on fire from the moment they traded him to the NL.
If getting injured in numerous parts of your body is a Hall of Fame requirement than he makes it on the first ballot.
Evan, good point about Cespedes.
Jeff, I must admit that Texeiria’s willingness to have so many cortisone shots in his neck this year was a bit scary. No way that is good for you. I guess the past solution of taking a little HGH is no longer in play.
I found my way to Citi field on Monday for the Subway Series and during what became a very exciting game I began to recall some of your pay posts on how this was the Mets’ time to get take over the New York headlines.
It seems like that window is shrinking by the day- the Yankees waved the white flag in gearing up for what should be a historical 2019 free agent class (Bryce, Machado, etc.), Yoenis wearing out his welcome quickly in Queens, and the growing uncertainty of the Mets staff due to injuries. I’m curious what your thoughts are, or if you still believe the Mets can find the magic they did last year to overtake the Marlins and Nationals to find themselves in October baseball.
Mark, I was just thinking about this last night when I saw the Mets were losing to Detroit. I think all of the injuries are catching up with them. Losing Harvey and Duda hurt but the bone spurs for Thor and Matz are likely taking their toll on their performance. Combine that with the offense regressing (Conforto has had a brutal sophomore season) and it looks like the Mets are in fade mode. But there is still time to right the ship and I don’t see any other NL team pulling away. I still think they have a run in them but they need to do it soon. And I am talking wild card only – not Division. Too much ground to make up there.
The HOF should be reserved for the greatest players to ever play the game. It is not the hall of very good. Text was a very good player and had he not been so often injured may have been on the cusp of being a HOF player. 500 HR or 3000 hits should still be the gold standard. I did listen to several interviews and if there was a hall for great guys he should be in. All out effort and desire to win a championship all the time. Played the game the right way!
Like Tex but not for the Hall. It’s ok for us to remember players without enshrining them. I never understood giving people points for being a switch hitter. To me that’s just a technique to help them offensively. Other guys could have learned to switch hit but choose to hone other skills. Still, in 5 years were going to hear things like how Tex ranked in HRs among switch hitters between 2005-2010 or some nonsense like that. He doesn’t belong. But neither do a lot of HOFers. If Carter, Blylleven and Biggio are there, I guess you could make the case.
And you’re giving up on Nunez already? Have you been spending time with Girardi?
Seth, Nunez is the man. I want him to get his next big contract this off season. He had 4 hits last night – hopefully that will get him going on the right track.