That was awesome. I went to last night’s game with some friends. We braved the rain delay, moved down to some baller-ass seats, and watched the Mets put up 14 runs.
People talk about the beauty of a 1-0 shutout, and I get that. But to me, there’s a whole lot of beauty in a 14-6 barnburner too. Back when I was a kid, the ballplayers were massive and smashed enormous homers with ridiculous frequency, line drives richoteted around ballparks as pitchers cowered in fear. Last night was baseball as it oughta be. A real throwback.
I kid, sort of. It was fun is all. For cryin’ out loud, Rod Barajas reached base three times by the third inning. That’s a special, special ballgame.
And right at the center of everything last night was a guy who has been at the center of everything for the Mets all season. Angel Pagan had four hits including a double and a triple. He scored three runs and drove in four.
Pagan has been the Mets’ best regular outfielder this year, and it’s not even close. He has the highest OPS of the three, plays the best defense, and gains the most runs on the basepaths. He is second on the team in WAR and tied for sixth in the National League, according to baseball-reference.com. Pagan might not make the All-Star Team, but he absolutely deserves to.
Look: Maybe it won’t matter, since at this point it’s hard to assume Carlos Beltran will really return by the end of his 20-day rehab window. But if he does, there’s no way Pagan should be the man who loses the most playing time.
Pagan’s been performing like this for over a full year now. For some silly reason, a couple of mental lapses in the field and on the basepaths overshadowed an excellent season in 2009.
And still, people cling to outdated labels. Angel Pagan is a fourth outfielder, a great role player, a perfect sub. Jeff Francoeur is an everyday player.
Francoeur hasn’t been terrible this year, but he should be the odd man out if and when Beltran returns. Certainly against right-handed pitching. He torches lefties and Pagan does not, though Pagan’s exceptional range in the outfield makes up for at least some of the difference.
Beltran has been more or less equally awesome against lefties and righties in his career, but I strongly doubt he will come anywhere close to matching Pagan’s ability in center field at this point. Beltran is reportedly still running with a limp.
Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya insist Beltran will play center field. He probably shouldn’t.
Seems like Beltran should play right, both to save his legs and to get the most value out of Pagan’s range. Francoeur can spell Beltran when he needs days off — which he inevitably will — but should never start against right-handed pitching.
Pagan should be in the lineup and on the field as often as — or more than — anyone else in the outfield mix.
Tedquarters 
Unfortunately this is the kind of obvious move that the Mets will screw up. My own personal prediction is a Bay Beltran Frenchy outifeld on Aug 1 followed by a month of struggles. By September when the team realizes that Pagan > Frenchy it will be too late. Much like giving at bats to jaKobs, GMJR and Smithtown’s Own was a mistake I have a feeling that the team will again waste valuable time and games before they realize what the rest of the world already knows.
And then people will blame Beltran for destroying team chemistry while Frenchy’s OPSing .600.
By “people”, I presume you mean Joe Beningo and all met fans dumb enough to value his opinion.
Well if Beltran plays well I dont see why a Beltran/Pagan swich will cause a month of struggles. If the team can play well now with Frenchy in RF, there is no reason why it cant play well with a good Carlos Beltran in CF, and Frenchy in RF.
I agree that maybe the best lineup would be Pagan in RF over Frenchy, but I dont buy into the idea that a staight switch of BEltran for Pagan would cause the team to tumble, just because FRancouer is still in RF. I think you are just being a bit extreme here.
Yeah, 33-yr old people with debilitating knee problems that come back after nearly a year off rarely ever have problems producing on the field. Lets sit our best OFer.
Who said we should sit our best Outfielder?
Mostly agree. Pagan should never sit against a RHP, but I’d play Francoeur most games against LHPs, and assuming Beltran is back and able to hit and play CF, I’d want him in against any type of pitcher too. When Pagan and Beltran both play, Pagan should probably be in CF.
One thing I disagree on a bit is the defensive aspect of Beltran in the OF. While Pagan has done a solid job in CF, its clear by watching him that he still has no where near the defensive ability or instincts of CArlos Belran, Even with a limp, I could still see Beltran being the better option for CF defensivley. Of course it would have to only be a minor limp.
Reason I say this is because if you watch beltran play CF, he always knows exactly where the ball is going. HE get a great first step, and takes great routes to the ball. Pagan, as solid as hes been, just still does not do this consistently, but is able to make up for it with his sheer athletic ability.
For this reason, I dont think its a given that Beltran, even with a slight limp, wont be able to play the position as well as Pagan. On top of that, Pagan has experience in the corner OF positions, where as Beltran has zero in the last 12 years. In the end, I think even if Beltran is only running 85-90%, hed still be the better option for CF, while sliding Pagan over.
Omar said the limp is just because of the brace. I don’t know how valid that is, but apparently the limp is either caused or exacerbated by wearing the brace. I expect he’ll be wearing it all year, as a precaution if nothing else, so it’s possible the change it causes in his motion is not much of an indicator of where his knee is at.
I have never played an outfield, but I can see their argument that they don’t want him switching to a new position when he’s just back from injury. And, he plays center so easily. I think he’s probably the best judge, and I don’t think he’d be wedded to center if he thought playing one of the corners might keep him on the field. And maybe there’s more running full-tilt and then abrupt pulling up in the corners, which could be a problem for his knee.
One would think that Beltran would want to play an easier position first to work himself back into shape before pushing it by playing centerfield.
My terrifying thought is that Pagan and Mejia are going to be packaged for a desperation move at the deadline, while Francoeur gets a completely unnecessary three-year extension. I am a complete pessimist.
I’d go with “realist.”
How the hell did a team that has made so many moves like this that its unsurprising to its fans manage to gather such a loyal fanbase? Its inexplicable. I think it has a lot to do with their broadcast team. They make watching the game so enjoyable that you can’t help but tune in and support the team.
Cats,
While I share some of the same fears you do, when was that last time the Mets actually made this type of desparation move you are speaking of? Every for some reason seems to think a move like this is par for the course with the Mets but I dont understand why. Omar has been the GM for what now, 5-6 years? Where are the examples of these horrible desparate deadline deals that have everyone so worried? Omar has actually never really made a splash at the deadline.
It amazes me that the Kazmir deal still sticks in peoples heads the way it does. Its the only expalnation for posts like yours. One horrible deal, 6 years ago, but a GM and front office who have been gone for years, still sticks in peoples heads like ‘typical mets’?
Frenchy is absolutely destroying lefties this year, he even has an above average walk rate against them!, and like a obp over .400. Pagan struggles against lefties. Any competent team with access to google and yahoo sports would see a strict platoon is the most obvious decision and occasionally Carter/Tatis in rf if Beltran or Pagan needs a day off and we’re facing a righty.
Of course it makes too much sense and is too simple to ever happen.
I don’t disagree that a strict platoon makes the most sense in light of their lefty/righty splits, but how the hell can you take Pagan out of the lineup right now? Our offense has been fantastic with Reyes and Pagan at the top of the order, and I really don’t want to go back to the days of Castillo batting second. I was saying at the game last night that this is the first time in Reyes’ carer that he has had a true running mate at the top of the lineup, and man it has been fun to watch.
And for all fans who have yet to brave the lines at the shakeshack, I want to let you know that it is well worth it. I decided it would be fun to stand in line during the monsoon last night and I ended up ordering a double cheeseburger. It was the best burger i have ever eaten in my life.
Do you mean take him out for Beltran or for Frenchy? Because Pagan can’t hit lefties and Frenchy can? I mean I don’t think it makes any more sense to say you can’t take a guy who can’t hit lefties out because our offense is performing right now than it does to say we can’t take Frenchy out because of his gritty leadership.