|
Apparently, one scout thinks so--from Adam Rubin's blog:
A National League scout who watched the Mets this weekend against the Nationals said the consesus among his brethren is that Daniel Murphy belongs at Triple-A Buffalo. The scout quickly noted that Murphy should head to the minors for a defined period of time, no more than two or three weeks, and that it should be explained that it isn't a punishment. It merely would be a period of time to learn the outfield in a pressure-free environment. The scout suggested Murphy's hitting (one homer) isn't enough to offset his fielding liabilities right now.
The scout applauded all the early work Murphy is doing in the outfield, but he also observed that coach Razor Shines wasn't hitting the balls from home plate. The practice flies were just lofting, and didn't have the same movement that in-game liners have. Murphy's instinct is to turn to the gap on fly balls, and he's been falling trying to spin when the balls cut or slice toward the line, depending on if it's a righty or lefty batting.
Jerry Manuel and Murphy acknowledged that Murphy is chasing balls above the strike zone, but the scout described it in a little deeper detail. He said the word is out that the way to attack Murphy is to throw cutters and other fastballs in on Murphy's hands, since Murphy has a wide, closed stance. The scout noted that Jordan Zimmermann did it with precision Sunday.
"The New York Mets deserve better," the scout said. "They have a big outfield and a big payroll. That's not a knock on Daniel Murphy. I love the kid. It's not like he's a home run threat every time he comes up. He's a doubles guy. It's not like they're getting the offense to overcome it."
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/
| 
