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He's an idiot...
This column in the LA Times seems to indicate that Donnie Ballgame isn't a real big Yasiel fan right now either....
Originally Posted by RJM:
How long will it take before the next follow up meeting is scheduled with the same issue?
A 10 cent head will always drag down million dollar potential.
My take is that Dodgers are totally wrong in this situation. The minor leagues exist for this very reason. He is not a head case, he is just not ready to be an every day major league player. The Dodgers rushed him to the majors last year to save their season--which he did by playing "no bars hold" baseball when they were struggling. However, now that they are stable and healthy--except for Kemp--his lack of maturity is an issue. If he is this big of a problem, send him to triple A and promote another outfielder to the majors until Kemp is ready or Puig starts to show that he can play/act as an every day major league player.
Originally Posted by pgmd:
My take is that Dodgers are totally wrong in this situation. The minor leagues exist for this very reason. He is not a head case, he is just not ready to be an every day major league player. The Dodgers rushed him to the majors last year to save their season--which he did by playing "no bars hold" baseball when they were struggling. However, now that they are stable and healthy--except for Kemp--his lack of maturity is an issue. If he is this big of a problem, send him to triple A and promote another outfielder to the majors until Kemp is ready or Puig starts to show that he can play/act as an every day major league player.
The fact that he performed at MVP levels over the course of 104 games means nothing?
Originally Posted by J H:
Originally Posted by pgmd:
My take is that Dodgers are totally wrong in this situation. The minor leagues exist for this very reason. He is not a head case, he is just not ready to be an every day major league player. The Dodgers rushed him to the majors last year to save their season--which he did by playing "no bars hold" baseball when they were struggling. However, now that they are stable and healthy--except for Kemp--his lack of maturity is an issue. If he is this big of a problem, send him to triple A and promote another outfielder to the majors until Kemp is ready or Puig starts to show that he can play/act as an every day major league player.
The fact that he performed at MVP levels over the course of 104 games means nothing?
So what does last year have to do with this year? According to the way the Dodgers are reacting, nothing. I am a fan of Puig and think he is an outstanding player. However, if we are to go by what is coming out the Dodger's organization, he is not ready to continue as an every day player. My previous statement is not based on what I have seen from him, but what continues to come out of their own organization.
Originally Posted by pgmd:
Originally Posted by J H:
Originally Posted by pgmd:
My take is that Dodgers are totally wrong in this situation. The minor leagues exist for this very reason. He is not a head case, he is just not ready to be an every day major league player. The Dodgers rushed him to the majors last year to save their season--which he did by playing "no bars hold" baseball when they were struggling. However, now that they are stable and healthy--except for Kemp--his lack of maturity is an issue. If he is this big of a problem, send him to triple A and promote another outfielder to the majors until Kemp is ready or Puig starts to show that he can play/act as an every day major league player.
The fact that he performed at MVP levels over the course of 104 games means nothing?
So what does last year have to do with this year? According to the way the Dodgers are reacting, nothing. I am a fan of Puig and think he is an outstanding player. However, if we are to go by what is coming out the Dodger's organization, he is not ready to continue as an every day player. My previous statement is not based on what I have seen from him, but what continues to come out of their own organization.
What's coming out of their organization is that Yasiel Puig is their everyday right fielder. It's really that simple. I don't think any MLB executive would keep a talent like that in the minor leagues, and I certainly have never heard anything close to that from anyone with the Dodgers. I'm sorry, I have absolutely no idea how you could come to the rationale that he doesn't deserve to play in the MLB when he is one of the best players in the league. That doesn't make sense to me at all. If he keeps playing the way he has/is expected to, he's a perennial All-Star and potentially the face of the franchise.
I don't think sending him to AAA is going to make him a better player/person any quicker. You leave him in the Major Leagues until he shows that he can't play at that level. If he plays at a major league level but you still don't like him as a "person", then you trade him to the Yankee's and get some players for him and some money back.
pgmd -
I think your traditional way of thinking would apply to 99.99% of baseball talent, and the club would send him down. As I understand JH's point the Dodgers have a financial investment and want to win games....Puig is a big part of that and they are crossing their fingers he figures it out soon. My point of view is that he will not figure it out soon, because he is that stubborn and immature. This is the crux of the problem....he is Mattinglys problem and there will come a point in time when Mattingly is going to have to do something for the benefit of the team (not for the benefit of the front office if they don't get behind him). If the front office was smart they would back Mattingly 100% and make it an organizational issue that needs to be dealt with by everyone in the organization. As it stands, I'm not seeing that. Puig has leverage over the organization. Special rules & enforcement need to be created across the whole organization to deal with Puigs situation. Mattingly is doing a great job but he needs front office support. JMO.
This didn't take long, how are you late for the home opener?
The team comes first! Send him down and let him know that when you put yourself before all of your teammates,coachs and fans that aaa is where you will be playing. He's a young immature spoiled baby! Get tough with him and let him know you mean business or he is going to continue down the same path.
I can certainly understand why people would think the Dodgers should be tougher on Puig. Amazing talent, but seems to be a loose cannon.
However, lets pretend that we paid all that money to buy the club. Then we invested another $72 million for seven years in a young Cuban player.
Then we start the 2013 season with a 31-42 record. Then the player we paid all that money for shows up and helps lead us to win 46 of the next 56 games and we win the division. His jerseys are selling, the ball park is packed, the club makes the playoffs and the future looks bright.
Then we find out the young player is very immature, makes mistakes. His ceiling is off the charts! Would you want to keep him where you can watch over him or send him to the Minor Leagues on the other side of the country.
Guess my point is that there is a lot to consider. There is a lot invested! Then there's the Dodgers last year without Puig and the Dodgers record with him In the lineup. I bet they are hoping and praying that he figures things out before he does something even worse. That is the risk, but the potential reward is really huge.
Originally Posted by Miniman:
The team comes first! Send him down and let him know that when you put yourself before all of your teammates,coachs and fans that aaa is where you will be playing. He's a young immature spoiled baby! Get tough with him and let him know you mean business or he is going to continue down the same path.
I find it very hard to believe someone who spent 20 of his 22 years in severe poverty could be considered spoiled.
Originally Posted by Matt13:
Originally Posted by Miniman:
The team comes first! Send him down and let him know that when you put yourself before all of your teammates,coachs and fans that aaa is where you will be playing. He's a young immature spoiled baby! Get tough with him and let him know you mean business or he is going to continue down the same path.
I find it very hard to believe someone who spent 20 of his 22 years in severe poverty could be considered spoiled.
While I disagree with the premise of the quoted post (as I've noted above - keeping one of the game's best players in the minor leagues makes zero sense at all), Puig's parents were both engineers in Cuba. I know a few people with close ties to Puig and from all indications, he grew up far from extreme poverty.
lets all pull back from the thought that it was Puig and Puig alone who rescued that team. It was the re emergence of Hanley Ramirez who really re-ignited the moribund Dodgers and who gave Puig some real protection. And while it is true he lit it up early lets all remember he hit around a paltry 240 after the All Star break, not exactly All Star material there. He has not set the world on fire either in Spring Training or the start of the regular season. The only thing keeping him in the Majors right now is the HUGE investment in him. While his ceiling may be high he doesn't, IMHO, have the baseball IQ of a Machado, Trout, Hosmer, Cespedes, or even a Harper. Whereas years ago you learned the game in the lower levels, young players are more and more trying to learn the game at the highest level. Back in the day veterans would have been all over this kid for messing with their post season bonus's. But the money in salaries now has made that a moot point.
Hanley had the same issues as Puig, immature and just didn't care about stuff like showing up on time or sometimes working harder to improve.
I had this discussion with son, he made a very good point, there are guys who don't always show up on time, they just are not as high profile as others.
I know that some people don't like him or his attitude, but he is going to be around for a very long time.
I'll continue to enjoy watching one of the game's most talented players. I hope that you all are able to, as well.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_...ack-young-man-antics
Pro ball is a business not a make you a better person business. If a veteran takes a young player under their wing to help guide them it's because there is more money to be made with the guiding hand than leaving them alone. I have no doubt some veterans do it because it's the right thing but at the end of the day - it's about money.
I agree 100% with JH in that he has the potential to be a great player so keep him up until he proves otherwise. They have $72 million invested in him - I wonder how much money the Dodgers made off him (and the rest of the team) in ticket sales, concession sales, jersey sales, memorabilia sales, etc.... I bet it makes giving him $72 million not so hard to swallow.
If he doesn't pan out then they should be smart enough to trade him away so they can get something of value for him before he bottoms completely out. Wouldn't be the first time this has happened.
