Juan Soto -- looking like a bust for the Mets

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by bk400

It is sad in a way, but I really admire him for sticking with the Angels when he could've pulled the rip cord. He never badmouths his teammates. He'll be a first ballot, inner circle Hall of Famer who played in one jersey. Respect.

I've seen pictures of Trout hanging out with groups of kids which really should be on display in the Hall of Fame, as they speak to the essence of what baseball can and should be. Total class act.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I've seen pictures of Trout hanging out with groups of kids which really should be on display in the Hall of Fame, as they speak to the essence of what baseball can and should be. Total class act.

I agree. He and Ohtani both represent the sport very well.

On a tangentially related note, you know who runs out every single ground ball at 110 percent? Ohtani's teammate, Hyeseong Kim. Every single ground ball he thinks he's going to beat it out.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by bk400

I agree. He and Ohtani both represent the sport very well.

On a tangentially related note, you know who runs out every single ground ball at 110 percent? Ohtani's teammate, Hyeseong Kim. Every single ground ball he thinks he's going to beat it out.

Not always the most efficient play in baseball, but watching Willie Wilson or Ichiro lay down a normally routine ground ball, and watch them try to leg it out for an infield single was always incredibly exciting.

Neither guy walked a lot, so that was sort of their way of getting on base that wasn’t in most players toolboxes.

[Snapolit1]

Soto is the best player on the team and one of the slowest.
Him busting ass up the line like a madman so he can beat one maybe two throws a year makes no sense.
Rickey was likewise criticized. He didn’t give a shit. He refused to walk through airports. Always took the moving walkways and escalators. Said he would only use his legs when he had to.

(Rickey was moody and lazy too, if you are keeping count. Him, Mays, Aaron, Allen, Winfield, Gibson, Clemente, Reggie, etc.)

[bk400]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Soto is the best player on the team and one of the slowest.
Him busting ass up the line like a madman so he can beat one maybe two throws a year makes no sense.
Rickey was likewise criticized. He didn’t give a shit. He refused to walk through airports. Always took the moving walkways and escalators. Said he would only use his legs when he had to.

(Rickey was moody and lazy too, if you are keeping count. Him, Mays, Aaron, Allen, Winfield, Gibson, Clemente, Reggie, etc.)

That's the great thing about baseball -- each of us can choose which players to support and which narratives resonate most strongly. I personally appreciate players who hustle down the line to first on routine ground balls.

I didn't like Rickey Henderson. I thought he was a showboat who liked to show people up. I preferred watching Tim Raines and Vince Coleman, if I wanted to see speed on the basepaths. You might think that Rickey's accolades made him worth watching even though he didn't give a sh*t. Same with Juan Soto, perhaps. I prefer to watch guys who do give a sh*t, especially when those guys are on a $765mm guaranteed contract.

I'm not sure the racial overtones of your comments are fair. No one said that Juan Soto is slow or lazy because of his race or ethnic background. It shouldn't be the case that if you say that a non-white player looks slow or lazy that you're some sort of bigot.

And finally, Lindor is the best player on the Mets. Maybe he doesn't have Soto's stats, but when Soto was having his billionaire baby mood swings back in May and June, it was Lindor who was out there in public defending him -- and it was his leadership that seemed to be keeping the Mets competitive.

[packs]

There is nothing wrong with showboating if you’re the best at what you do. Ali did a lot of talking too. Rickey could say anything he liked. He was going to steal the base anyway and there was nothing you could do about it.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by packs

There is nothing wrong with showboating if you’re the best at what you do. Ali did a lot of talking too. Rickey could say anything he liked. He was going to steal the base anyway and there was nothing you could do about it.

Yeah, it's fair to say that Rickey "earned" the right to showboat, but there are plenty others who also did, but chose not to, and I prefer watching them. I mean, look at Hank Aaron after he hit 715 and compared that image with Rickey after, well, many plays -- and not just his milestone ones.

Different strokes for different folks. It's like in football. Neon Deion was absolutely awesome, but Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson were really the guys to watch in my opinion.