Puig

I don't have much to say, other than I hope he matures, and starts to make better decisions.  I wish him well, but I am glad he isn't a Brave.

Actually, that is valid point. Puig is 23. What makes you guys think the rest of the 23 year old MLB players aren't doing 110 in a 70? You know they are! They are just not getting caught. Besides, I doubt anyone was on the road when he wanted to take the Benz for a spin.

He worked hard all his life to enjoy what in Cuba they only hear about through songs and stories. Driving fast in America down the streets of gold.

I understand the implications this has about his character, however I am not familiar with too many young adults who haven't "tested the limits" of their cars.

To me, Puig's story (as long as the problems don't get deeper than this) is an ultimate success story. He came to America to live the dream. LA to Florida, he is doing everything we envy. Whether we can admit it or not- girls, cars, food... baseball! He seems like a fun loving kid with a passion for living life. It's not like he was drunk or hit anything.

My dad brought up an interesting point as well. He has so many people wanting "a peice" of him. I suppose he maybe just wanted to get away from it all. Hop in the car and cruise.

There was an interesting spot on MLB Network the other night about understanding different players and their customs. We understand now that there are players who are more "old fashioned" as they were raised around the game with MLB fathers, etc. Then there are those from poor countries where the MLB gives them so much compared to previously having nothing, and the results are volatile. There are Austrailians now with a new passion for the game. Asians bring an almost taboo approach. We see a case like Dice-K where they would not adjust to him. He wanted to throw hundreds of pitching like was accustomed to, and his change in style lead to his failure. Other pitchers have thrived such as Yu Darvish. The Rangers staff lets him practice his own routines such as throwing lefty!

I think the Puig thing is being blown out of proportion due to how great he is on the field. The media seems to want to make this out to be a battle between traditionalists and baseball progressives. I think that is a problem with sports now, everything has to be so "black and white." Every issue we are forced to pick a side. This reminds me of the Johnny Manziel scenario.

I think we often expect more out of our sports heroes than we do out of anybody else. I doubt any of us would be be gotten rid of by our employers just because we got a ticket or three for speeding or reckless driving in our own vehicle as long as no drugs or alcohol were involved. Even truck drivers probably would have to get the tickets in the company truck before they would be in trouble as opposed to what they do in their off time.

Fenway:

Last summer I shared a story about a high school player who was very Puig-like -- meaning he had a total lack of discipline.  I titled the thread "Divas."

Not trying to provoke you here, but I'm curious: In that situation, you said: "It needs to be handled internally by the team leadership."

I agreed with you then, and while this is different on some levels, it seems the same to me at its core: Immaturity among ball players.

So I'm wondering ... what's so different here that makes you look at this the way you do?

Link to thread:

http://community.hsbaseballweb...330#8050924067928330

I'm not hearing anything about drugs, alchohol, or school zones connected to Puig's  incidents.   If he was arrested doing 110 and none of those were brought up, then he was probably stone-cold sober, yes?  If that's accurate, then I'd say his Stupid Meter registers a little better than about 50% of the guys around the league, including the a lot of seasoned vets. 

I agree it makes good business sense to correct a well-paid asset who takes unnecessary risks with himself, but maybe I'd tap the brakes on the "Low Character"  label until I saw a little more out of him.  (Besides being one hell of a thing to say about a person.)

Owning a a fast car and not knowing what to do with it...now that would border on immoral...

I care, BOF.   My dad had a '66 Pontiac GTO when I was a kid.  That was the first car that I ever drove as a 14 year old in the parking lot of Mattel Toys in LA on a Sunday afternoon.  I remember barely putting my foot on the gas pedal & spinning the tires, which scared the heck out of me.  Needless to say, I guarantee my old man pushed the limit on that car a few times.

The article mentioned in the post says "Puig was arrested Saturday in Naples, Fla., after the Florida Highway Patrol clocked him going 110 mph in a 70-mph zone."

I know when I bought my 2010 Camaro I had it at 115 mph in a 60 mph zone a few times.  And I was 45.  

I know I make trips out to Ohio from NJ on a regular basis. 80 on 80 is considered cruising range for most people even in the more urban areas in NJ. Cars go hauling past me occasional that have to be doing 100+. Not for me and not the smartest thing to be doing, but not as uncommon as this article makes it sound.

Learning from his mistakes is what Puig needs to be doing (the 2nd time getting caught at 100+ is bothersome). Give him time, the talent and upside are just too great not to...

rynoattack, don't tell me you wouldn't take Puig straight up for the nearly useless BJ Upton straight up right now especially when you consider the age and salaries!

John Schuerholz and Frank Wren would have to give up both Upton's (and probably some farm staff) to get Puig, IF (tremendously big 'if') the Dodgers were inclined... Not! LOL!

JP24 - Good question.  I recall the thread.  I would love to see someone like your son get in Puigs face.  Puig needs someone like that IMHO to help him mature, and see this is bigger than him and involves more than him.  My second thought on the original thread post is to trade for a proven clubhouse veteran to turn Puig around which is a nice way of saying he needs a baby sitter.  Actually this may be a less expensive solution than other options which may make greater business sense.  From what I've read and seen, the Dodgers don't have that veteran clubhouse presence (leadership) today.  They have big salaries but very little in the way of veteran leadership.

Your son's real world situation was similar but didn't involve $42M/7yrs for arguably the 2nd best 5-tool player in MLB.   Again, you are hypothetically the GM for the Dodgers.  What do you do with this guy, if anything?  He is winning games because of his physical skills and losing games because he doesn't think.  He is a polarizing figure.   The overwhelming majority of HSBBWeb folks are saying they would do nothing at this point in time.  While I accept that as a sound business option, I've come to the conclusion the time-to-maturity aspect to this will be key.  He has 6 years under an advantageous Dodger contract.  We'll see if he can improve his strengths, minimize his weaknesses and mental mistakes to make this the best contract in baseball for the Dodgers. 

Originally Posted by Three Bagger:

rynoattack, don't tell me you wouldn't take Puig straight up for the nearly useless BJ Upton straight up right now especially when you consider the age and salaries!

John Schuerholz and Frank Wren would have to give up both Upton's (and probably some farm staff) to get Puig, IF (tremendously big 'if') the Dodgers were inclined... Not! LOL!

Like I said before, the Dodgers can have him.  This is at least the third time, he has been driving this fast and CAUGHT.  He obviously, and the majority of posters here, don't see the wrecklessness.  We just had a famous actor die as a passenger, and I am sure that isn't going to help his studio's bottom line.  Again, it is a business decision.

The roads are more crowded than ever before, there are more fast cars, more drunk drivers, more young, inexperienced drivers, old drivers, etc. these fools that think it is ok to drive this fast, and/or race on the streets are idiots.  Just writing it off as being young is not the solution IMO.

As far as the call of him not being a character guy, he is making the same mistakes over and over, does what he wants on the field, he is a me first guy, etc.  You can have him.

Ummm... How many times did Maddon have to bench B.J. Upton in TB for not playing 'team' baseball...?

You act like I traded for him, and that he is the basis for my argument.  He is not.  I love the Braves, and my kind of guys are: Dale Murphy, Hank Aaron, Chipper, the Crime Dog, Terry Pendelton, etc.  

Rynoattack - we get it.  You love the Braves.  I'll go out on a limb and say if Puig called Atlanta home you'd be defending him.  

I can hear you defending John Rocker too!  Lets see, he was a homophobic red neck racist.  What about Otis Nixon?  Crack head.  Andruw Jones?  Wife beater.  Chipper Jones?  Adulterer.

But everybody is going to crucify Puig for driving fast?!  Come on man!

Rich

www.PlayInSchool.com 

Nice!

All of you guys are right, and I am wrong.  It really is no big deal.  Here is a little excerpt from the latest police report:

“Mr. Puig showed willful and total disregard for the safety of his mother and the other passengers…and placed the lives of everyone on the roadway in danger. If Mr. Puig had loss of control, his mother and his passengers would not have survived,” Officer G. Morales of the Florida Highway Patrol wrote in the report.

Driving like an idiot by yourself, while endangering other drivers is one thing, but with your mom and others in the car?  He's a dumbass...

Obviously, every 23 year old who's ever done anything stupid should be immediately fired by his employer.  And don't even get me started on the teenagers. I mean really, anyone who's ever done anything evenly vaguely morally objectionable is clearly an unredeemable POS who doesn't deserve to associate with rest of society anymore.

maybe if it was a first offense. But you have to admit this is ridiculous. Second time in what a year? Not advocating for him to be released but this is just symptomatic of his behavior. When you do something like that with others around who you could possibly put in jeopardy, more then once then that shows his thinking or lack thereof. That is what most posters who are being critical of him are trying to say. And if alcohol is involved most normal people are in danger of being terminated. Especially if there is a stipulation in a contract. Listen, Cespedes, Trout, Harper are not much older and when do you hear of things like this involving them? This is him. If you want him you will live with the antics until someone gets hurt or worse. No one on that team has done much it seems to tone him down. who will mentor him? Hanley? Not hardly. Gonzalez? Not likely. Mattingly is not that type. He needs someone like David Ortiz who will take him by his collar and shake.

http://weirdnews.about.com/od/...Series-Mug-Shots.htm

Some people in this thread seem to think Puig is the only athlete to ever do anything stupid/criminal.  If Puig weren't already famous, this would be a non-story to anyone not directly involved with it.  Which is not meant to excuse the behavior, but unless you're checking the police blotter for every stupid college-age speeder and posting about them online as well, maybe folks should just worry about things that are actually their own business.

He's a public figure.  It goes with the territory...

Really!?! Thank God I wasn't a public figure when i was 23.

Unfortunately, it didn't make me any less of a dumbass. That's what so many 23 year old young men are. 

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06...rrested__accus.shtml

Todd Helton, anyone?

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports....bation-and-400-fine/

Or how about this?

http://www.nydailynews.com/spo...-law-gallery-1.56536

Trade him to the Rangers please!!!  I bet Wash, Beltre and Fielder could straighten him out and he'd be a beast!!!  And if not, have a good 4th outfielder who is ready to contribute when he kills himself.  If I'm not mistaken, the contract doesn't get paid if he dies, right?  So, get what you can from him while you can.  It's business!

For all of you making light of excessive speed, had he hit another vehicle and people died he would be facing vehicular manslaughter charges and prison. Aside from there would be innocent victims, I believe the Dodgers would be concerned about their player in prison rather than on the field. Or dead rather than on the field. Does anyone remember Drazen Petrovic? He was just driving fast ... until a trailer truck cut him off. Or Danny Heatley? He was just driving fast. He was convicted of vehicular manslaughter when his passenger died. Neither of these involved drinking. Just driving fast.

And Bobby Phills.  By the way, I am surprised there isn't a provision in his contract for this type of behavior.  Most contracts prohibit dangerous activities, e.g. Ryan Klesko wasn't permitted to surf while with the  braves, and Ron Gant's contract was terminated because of a motorcycle wreck.

And the Dodgers would be interested in terminating the contract of someone they're underpaying relative to his performance why, exactly?  So far Puig hasn't come close to doing anything that's going to cost the Dodgers enough for them to want to get rid of him.  As any business would with any valuable asset, I'm sure they'll take steps to safeguard their investment, but voiding his contract over this would likely be legally actionable and, given the market for Puig's skills, abjectly stupid. I mean, if the Dodgers could get away with voiding his contract and were dubm enough to do so, do you really think Puig couldn't sign a better deal with someone else tomorrow?  So now you want to reward him for his behavior?

Hmmm, the Braves could use an OF who can hit...

I don't say they had to terminate his contract to do so.  I would assume that a termination of a contract is the last resort.  I am sure they have steps prior to that drastic of a measure, I.e. Fines, suspensions, etc.

If Peyton Manning got a ticket for going 110 would you say the Broncos should trade him?  What about Tom Brady?   Lebron?  No, no, no to all of them. Just because Puig is a 23 year old kid who has made a few dumb mistakes is no reason for the Dodgers to give up on the guy who could be the most exciting player in the league for a long time to come. 

I don't think that anyone thinks that what he did was right, in fact we all know that it was wrong, but we all know that we and our kids have done stupid things and lucky that no one got hurt while doing it.

In Jan 2012, Dominican all star Starlin Castro was accused of sexual assault, a young kid being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was being mentored at the time by someone I forgot who it was and just about 23 years of age.

In 2008, Joba Chamberlin was arrested for drunk driving.  He was 23.

this year Yovani Gallardo was arrested for DUI. Age 27.

Not that all of them were found guilty, but reality is they are no different than anyone else.

Would your employer fire you for something that occurred away from the office?

JMO

Actually some employers do just that. Also, I don't really care what the Dodgers do with him. He is their investment, and if he continues to make unwise decisions that put American citizens at risk, he/they deserve what they get.  

Puig isn't Manning or Brady. He's potential, not the franchise. We all know star athletes get preferential treatment. It startsvearly in life. I'm just shocked how many posters are shrugging off multiple dangerous offenses as " boys will be boys."

Nobody's shrugging it off, but if you have an employee who's worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to your bottom line and who can't be trivially replaced, he gets more chances than the the guy who you can replace tomorrow and is only worth thousands.  That's not inherently right or wrong, and it's not different in baseball than it is in any other profession.

Let's be honest, there are a lot of people who have a preconceived dislike for Puig for one reason or another (there's all the "play the game the right way" BS, for instance). Those people are looking for excuses to find fault with him for moral failings they already attribute to him, and this is as good a fault as any. Then there are those who recognize that in the pantheon of stupid/criminal things done by athletes/rich/famous people this particular incident is fairly pedestrian, and that while deserving of appropriate corrective action it's not some inherent flaw in his character that makes him somehow special or different than other people who've done similar things.

What he did was stupid and dangerous.  Jason Kidd was much older and wiser when he signed with the Nets.  He didn't play well for them so they hired him to coach the team.

BTW, after three offenses I thought they took away your drivers license. 

Anyway, the most important business decisions made by MLB clubs deals with winning baseball games.  If Puig is responsible for winning enough games, all 30 teams would want him.  Problem is, you can't help win games of you are behind bars or dead.

I hope he figures it out before it's too late.  I hope he becomes a smarter player.  He is a very exciting young player. Most people do get a bit smarter as they age. 

No matter what happens Puig is newsworthy.

I think Puig is perfectly positioned for a spectacular sophomore swoon.  Based upon his late season downward trend,and the horrific series against the Cardinals, I predict this: a sub .270 BA, sub .470 SLG, and greater than 150 Ks. Lets revisit next September, If I'm wrong, I'll eat crow. Then he'll be 24, coming off a mediocre season. It's a shame that the younger guy, playing 40 miles south, who's put together 2 historic seasons gets no pub comparatively speaking.

If Puig plays a full season and hits 256/336/461 (Brian McCann's line from last year, BTW) while playing the same level of defense he did last season he's going to be worth about 4 times what he'll be getting paid. That'd be a mildly disappointing season, but not something for the Dodgers to get too upset about.

Trout gets plenty of press, BTW, and if the Angels weren't underperforming, he'd get more. Puig got all the press he did because his debut coincided with the Dodgers digging themselves out of the hole that almost got Mattingly canned.

"Escape from Cuba: Yasiel Puig's Untold Journey to the Dodgers"

A bizarre story befitting a very perplexing young ballplayer.

http://www.lamag.com/features/...urney-to-the-dodgers

Wow, I had no idea!

ESPN the Magazine had a good cover story a couple of months back as well if you want to read more.

My parents were lucky enough to come to America prior to Castro and the Communists taking over.  

Their are many families not as lucky.

Everybody thinks these young guys that come over with some talent have it so easy.  

Hopefully this article opens some eyes.

He still needs to learn how to hit a cutoff man though! 

Rich

www.PlayInSchool.com/bus_tour

Puig was called up 1 year ago.

ESPN has been talking about all kinds of stats including defensive miscues & running into outs.

Only stat that matters to me is WINS.  LA Dodgers have won 100 games since he was called up.  Most of any team.

Rich

www.PlayInSchool.com/bus_tour