Master Index of Archived Threads


Cora

Frayed Knot May 02 2009 06:01 AM

No, not Phil Rizzutto's wife - but that guy who seemingly caused so much teeth-grinding in the IGT. Can we not lose sight of the fact that he's the [u:2nlzfnu9]back-up middle infielder[/u:2nlzfnu9] around here?!? With Castillo missing as much time as he did last season (and now again this week) plus needing someone who has the ability to be [u:2nlzfnu9]a legit fill-in at SS[/u:2nlzfnu9] he, or at least someone like him, is a necessity on the roster not some spare part who should be replaced with a 3rd catcher or 19th reliever. Now, if someone can come up with that stud-hitting 23 y/o w/a legit glove to man that spot I'm sure Omar would be happy to hear about him. Until then I think that maybe I'll wait until he actually sucks before complaining that sooner or later he's going to so I'll beat the summer rush and start whining about it now. Is he the ideal #2 hitter? His long-term track record suggests no, but he's also unlikely to be there long-term and at the moment he IS getting on base for the middle of the order guys (12 times in his last 23 PAs) so I'm not sure it's worth the amount of hot air spent bitching about it.

metirish May 02 2009 06:29 AM

He's a great pro.......seriously I don't know why he upsets people(nymr) so much.

Benjamin Grimm May 02 2009 06:29 AM

I don't get it either. A lot of angst because the reserve infielder isn't a superstar.

Kong76 May 02 2009 06:50 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 02 2009 08:41 AM

I don't have him on any of my five roto teams, he must suck as I have only players who don't. I am the king of talent evaluation, those who doubt me gobble by choice. (I don't get it either, he's a pro's pro ... a foxhole guy ... that's gonna cost us in more royalties to Seaver, LLP)

batmagadanleadoff May 02 2009 07:39 AM

Alex Cora sucks. You could look it up. He sucks so bad that his crappy 2009 line of .240/.355/.320 (and did you catch Cora's SLG. % at 30 pct. pts < his OBA?) is better than his historical norm. Only one other Met in yesterday's lineup (Reyes) has a 2009 RC27 that's lower than Cora's and anyone that doubts that Reyes will pass Cora in that department by season's end can make a bet with me. There didn't seem to be a problem when the first four posters recognized Cora's suckiness. But when I piled on with an off the cuff joke, I was seemingly required to prove my post with the same rigidness and exactitude that one would demand from a physicist substantiating a scientific theory. Alex Cora sucks and I don't see the big deal in recognizing it. This is a Mets forum and that's what we seem to do. And having said that, I hope Cora plays over his head for the rest of the season because a team needs for some of its lesser and fringe players to have career years if its going to win 95 or 100 games. The Wrights and Santanas, on their own, won't get you 95 wins even if they play like MVP's.

Kong76 May 02 2009 08:43 AM

Alex Cora sucked, right now he isn't sucking. Is that better?

Ceetar May 02 2009 10:32 AM

="Kong76":3tr9qw76]Alex Cora sucked, right now he isn't sucking. Is that better?[/quote:3tr9qw76] As far as I'm concerned, He doesn't suck. period. He's never sucked as a Met, and I refuse to expect or want that. Frayed Knot May 02 2009 11:18 AM That the backup middle infielder has the lowest (or among the lowest) RC/27, ... or OPS, or VORP, or M-O-U-S-E as compared to the regulars shouldn't exactly surprise anyone. My point in starting the thread was that there seems to be far too much hand-wringing over the fact that he's even playing (because of short-term injury) or that he's batting 2nd. Look at it this way: he's not sucking NOW, and as long as he continues not to suck I see it as a case of the backup getting rewarded for doing exactly what one would hope he'd do when he was pressed into service: getting on base and playing decent D. No one (as far as I know) is trying to make the case for starting him on a regular basis. Indeed if he winds up playing full time it means that something else has gone wrong that'll make the exact lineup order seem trivial. In the meantime, a few games here and there keeps him fresh so that Jerry won't have reservations about sitting Reyes for a day if/when he shows the need. batmagadanleadoff May 02 2009 12:13 PM ="Frayed Knot":2fu07wvp]That the backup middle infielder has the lowest (or among the lowest) RC/27, ... or OPS, or VORP, or M-O-U-S-E as compared to the regulars shouldn't exactly surprise anyone. My point in starting the thread was that there seems to be far too much hand-wringing over the fact that he's even playing (because of short-term injury) or that he's batting 2nd. Look at it this way: he's not sucking NOW, and as long as he continues not to suck I see it as a case of the backup getting rewarded for doing exactly what one would hope he'd do when he was pressed into service: getting on base and playing decent D. No one (as far as I know) is trying to make the case for starting him on a regular basis. Indeed if he winds up playing full time it means that something else has gone wrong that'll make the exact lineup order seem trivial. In the meantime, a few games here and there keeps him fresh so that Jerry won't have reservations about sitting Reyes for a day if/when he shows the need.[/quote:2fu07wvp] Nice post. I agree. But what did you mean here: ="Frayed Knot":2fu07wvp]No, not Phil Rizzutto's wife - but that guy who seemingly caused so much teeth-grinding in the IGT.[/quote:2fu07wvp] And who is "that guy"? If it's me, I'd like to know what I did that half the thread didn't do before me? And if it's some other guy, I'd also like to know so I can heap my own brand of Cora-related abuse. But seriously, if there was a problem with my Cora joke, someone should explain instead of labeling the post as senseless without ever explaining just what it was that made it senseless, and then throwing in some junk about being circle jerked. Edgy DC May 02 2009 12:53 PM ="batmagadanleadoff":3dkpmnh7]But when I piled on with an off the cuff joke, I was seemingly required to prove my post with the same rigidness and exactitude that one would demand from a physicist substantiating a scientific theory.[/quote:3dkpmnh7] Do you really want to continue to complain about me picking on you? Kong76 May 02 2009 12:57 PM Jeter does seem to have a shit-eating grin for just about every occasion, doesn't he. Frayed Knot May 02 2009 03:41 PM ]And who is "that guy"? Cora Mendoza Line May 02 2009 05:01 PM ]That the backup middle infielder has the lowest (or among the lowest) RC/27, ... or OPS, or VORP, or M-O-U-S-E as compared to the regulars shouldn't exactly surprise anyone. I like to think (maybe I'm wrong) that even the "Cora sucks" crowd recognizes that Cora is not measurably worse than most utility infielders, and that as long as That Guy Who Used to Suck but Suddenly Stopped Sucking is hurt, Cora's the only choice. The original teeth-gnashing was about Manuel going by the book and batting Cora - the classic "productive out" guy - in the #2 spot instead of sticking him in the #8 hole and saving all the early spots in the order for players who get "productive base hits." Rockin' Doc May 02 2009 06:11 PM Personally, I think the play of Alex Cora is far down on the list of problems with the Mets team. G-Fafif May 02 2009 07:49 PM Cora > Cairo MFS62 May 03 2009 04:58 PM Well, according to Manuel, Cora and Sheffield have an "edge".* Later *= from yesterday's early edition Daily News Story. Don't know if the link is still around. Benjamin Grimm May 03 2009 05:08 PM Does that mean they drive a Ford? Centerfield May 04 2009 06:48 AM In case there's any confusion about my point, let me clarify: 1. Alex Cora sucks (career OPS of .662). 2. Guys who suck should hit lower in the batting order, not second. 3. If Manuel batted him second because he knew it was a short-term lineup change, and because he had a hunch about him, so be it. If Manuel batted him second because he's a "guy who knows how to handle the bat making him ideal for the #2 hole", then that's dumb. 4. We've had an idiot manager who subscribed to the latter theory so I'd like not to deal with that again. (BTW, Miguel Cairo's career OPS is .670) Vic Sage May 04 2009 08:41 AM Centerfield (like famed forumite "13" before him) is, as almost always, correct. wow. tortured syntax. i think i sprained something. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 04 2009 09:37 AM ="Frayed Knot":3drom80m]That the backup middle infielder has the lowest (or among the lowest) RC/27, ... or OPS, or VORP, or M-O-U-S-E as compared to the regulars shouldn't exactly surprise anyone.[/quote:3drom80m] Fair point. Although the fact that he brings less speed to the table than, say, Brian Schneider IS a bit of a surprise. (Is it possible that some of the forum complaints might be colored a little by post hoc off-season whinging... namely, about the fact that there were other, seemingly better options for this role on the market? I know my feelings have a little of this to 'em.) Nymr83 May 04 2009 11:09 AM ]He's a great pro.......seriously I don't know why he upsets people(nymr) so much. it upsets me to see him bat 2nd, i dont think i ever said he shouldnt be a backup MI. edit, so i checked to make sure i wasnt remembering wrong and i wasn't. in the 5/1 IGT i said: ]Cora shouldnt be batting 2nd, drop him down between tatis and santos and move everyone else up a spot. a day or two earlier Manuel decided to bunt (what else is new) and i said i didn't like it but that if you're going to do it i guess Cora is the one to do it with (citing his statistics). god knows how you're calling me out here.