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Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 20 2010 02:49 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 20 2010 02:57 PM

A happy preseason and monstrous minor-league numbers lead to a groundswell of public support for his getting roster space/playing time. Pinch-hit go-ahead double in his first AB with the big club jumpstarts wider public support. Productive days spelling a slumpy Jeff Francoeur. And then there's things like the Marine haircut and insane, nickname-inspiring ST work ethic. And the chugging of energy drink, with accompanying side effects: Think Carter sounds intense now? Hale was his manager with Triple-A Tuscon in 2006 and said Carter has actually mellowed quite a bit since then. “He was so concerned about everything,” Hale said. “He would stay in the clubhouse for hours, just walking up and down the halls worrying about everything. And it was like, ‘Hey, relax. Go home. We’re done.’ ” And stuff like this tidbit in a beat-reporter color piece nominally focusing on Ike Davis: Andy 'Swingin' Dirty' Martino wrote: Chris Carter is not at all shruggy. He is rabidly committed to self-improvement. Carter did not know the Mets lineup this afternoon, a few minutes after the clubhouse opened. He asked me for it, and I handed him my Blackberry. "Oh man," Carter said, upon seeing that he was not starting. He quickly brightened. "I'll get better today," he said, before walking away. "I'll be better tomorrow. Get better every day." Is it just me, or-- assuming at least moderate P/T success going forward-- might we have the makings of a Turk Wendell-sized folk hero/possible future ward of the state here?

Benjamin Grimm May 20 2010 02:56 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

The ingredients do seem to be there, don't they?

Ceetar May 20 2010 02:58 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Just a wee bit intense eh?

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 20 2010 02:59 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I sensed there was some concern that The Animal might be, you know, an asshole. I forget where I read it but there was an intimation that he was thought "too intense" to be an effective bench player.

smg58 May 20 2010 02:59 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Swan Swan H May 20 2010 03:00 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: All About Chris Carter

I dunno...seems too tightly wound for New Yorkers to really warm up to. I think he can hit and I'd like to see him get more ABs, especially in RF against righthanders, but I'm already getting a little tired of the psycho act. I could visualize a scene in the Sox clubhouse last year where he's doing his thing and Varitek or Lowell or somebody sidles over and says "Lighten up, Francis." Not sure who the big toe on the Mets would be, however.

Benjamin Grimm May 20 2010 03:04 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 20 2010 03:13 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: All About Chris Carter

Swan Swan H wrote: I dunno...seems too tightly wound for New Yorkers to really warm up to. I think he can hit and I'd like to see him get more ABs, especially in RF against righthanders, but I'm already getting a little tired of the psycho act. 'Cause Lord knows, if there's one thing New York can't abide, it's a tightly-wound neurotic. Also, isn't it possible that he's actually kinda mentally crazy in the head?

Swan Swan H May 20 2010 03:24 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: I dunno...seems too tightly wound for New Yorkers to really warm up to. I think he can hit and I'd like to see him get more ABs, especially in RF against righthanders, but I'm already getting a little tired of the psycho act. 'Cause Lord knows, if there's one thing New York can't abide, it's a tightly-wound neurotic. Also, isn't it possible that he's actually kinda mentally crazy in the head? There's Woody Allen tightly wound neurotic, and there's Travis Bickle tightly wound neurotic. The best part of his story is that he almost decided to become a doctor. Could you imagine? He is, by all reports, wicked smart and probably would have made the grade easily, but I'd think he would have had about twelve hours sleep TOTAL in his first year as an intern, and would have practiced inserting a catheter in himself eight or ten times a day.

metsguyinmichigan May 20 2010 03:40 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Guess I'd rather have an asshole on the team who smacks the heck out of the ball than a nice guy hitting .170or where GMJ is at these days.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 20 2010 03:44 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Swan Swan H wrote: The best part of his story is that he almost decided to become a doctor. Could you imagine? He is, by all reports, wicked smart and probably would have made the grade easily, but I'd think he would have had about twelve hours sleep TOTAL in his first year as an intern, and would have practiced inserting a catheter in himself eight or ten times a day. "These sutures in my outer leg are from practicing before going to bed; these sutures on my thigh are from this morning. And these sutures over here are punishment for messing up the other two sets."

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 26 2010 09:26 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Nice. It helps having characters like Carter around, too. Before the game I ran into "the Animal" in the dugout and asked how he was doing. "Doing good," he responded, "but I'll be doing a lot better after we beat these Phillies." (With hat tip to JCL.)

MFS62 May 26 2010 09:39 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Guess I'd rather have an asshole on the team who smacks the heck out of the ball than a nice guy hitting .170or where GMJ is at these days. What he said. To carry the doctor thing along a bit, I wouldn't want him to be my Proctologist, constantly striving for the perfect , er, insertion.. Later

Ceetar May 26 2010 10:13 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

The guy swings so hard and violently in the on-deck circle I'm afraid he's going to affect the wind patterns.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 09 2010 06:16 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

AA's Eric Simon points out something annoying: the Animal's apparent "adult-onset Francoeur-itis." (Tiny sample size, to be sure.)

Edgy DC Jun 09 2010 08:30 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Well, I attribute that to (1) being jumpy after rotting on the bench day after day, and (2) Rusty Staub's belief in aggressiveness being a better attribute in a pinch-hitter than perhaps in an everyday player. Everything about his minor-league record suggests he knows what a walk looks like, so hopefully Jerry gives him a chance --- and he gives himself a chance --- to exercise that skill.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 09 2010 09:37 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Agreed. I'm thinking he gets more relaxed-- or at least, like a properly-counseled hyperactive child, better at channeling said aggression-- once DH week arrives.

attgig Jun 09 2010 10:20 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Wondering how Jesus will look in his first few AB's. and if either of them will really get any regular playing time.

MFS62 Jun 09 2010 10:22 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I may have missed it, but Feliciano was, after all the speculation, officially purchased from Buffalo. Good for him..... finally. Later

seawolf17 Jun 09 2010 10:50 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I want, and I need, and I lust.

Centerfield Jun 09 2010 11:40 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I want, and I need, and I lust. Awesome. Now I got that song stuck in my head. Random thoughts about Def Leppard: 1. They had two songs on that album for which they released basically the same video(Armageddon It and Pour Some Sugar On Me). They were remarkably similar, both had footage of the setup and featured clips from the concert. In fact, they used some of the exact same clips. I don't remember anyone calling them out for this. Really, can anyone mail it in any worse than that? 2. Those videos had glimpses of a concert-goer in one of the front rows. She was blonde, wearing some sort of striped shirt, and for a long time I needed to marry her.

Edgy DC Jun 09 2010 01:32 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Forty-four seconds in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6652YIBzByk

soupcan Jun 09 2010 02:11 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Dime a dozen.

Centerfield Jun 09 2010 02:14 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

That's her! She hasn't aged a day!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 09 2010 02:50 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Meh. Looking like a tramp. Like a "video vamp." Now, that teenager getting her shirt pulled up in the "Home Sweet Home" video? That's a natural beauty. And don't get me started on the things I'd do to that chick who played drums for Poison. Man, would I make that mascara run.

Centerfield Jun 09 2010 03:46 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

You guys are crazy. You need to see her in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI6Ms0b4q-4 Fast forward to the 4:06 mark where she sings along. Oh yes, sweet one. I will come get it from you.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 09 2010 04:34 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

You have to look closely, but the difference between those 2 videos is that the drummer is missing his left arm in one, and his right arm in the other. The songs, ripped pants, cutiepie extras, megaoverproduced sounds, etc, is otherwise identical.

Edgy DC Jun 09 2010 05:19 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Fast-forward through a Def Leppard non-song? What a concept!

Kong76 Jun 09 2010 06:01 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Tell us what you really think of DL, Ronnie ... [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOwZBo8FQvo

Vince Coleman Firecracker Jun 09 2010 08:35 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I think Def Leppard has the highest cowbell ratio of any band that sold more than a hundred records. When I get a fever, I don't put on Blue Oyster Cult.

seawolf17 Jun 10 2010 07:41 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I love Def Leppard; probably one of my ten favorite bands of all time. Actually, there was a blond girl in Poison's "Ride The Wind" video who I remember fondly as well.

Edgy DC Jun 17 2010 07:47 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Watching for number 23.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 17 2010 07:51 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Wow, between RA Dickey's parent of the year and this story, them media sure lurves the Mets.

metirish Jun 17 2010 07:53 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I missed the Dickey story , what's that about?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 17 2010 08:02 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

He reads to his kids! In the game thread.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 17 2010 08:38 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Chris Carter is one of several Met feel-good stories that have developed over the last month or so. But I've got a hunch that if the Mets make any significant trade during this season, especially with an AL team, Carter's gone.

Edgy DC Jun 17 2010 08:51 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

With Martinez and Beltran over the horizon, he could certainly become ever more redundant, but I'm hoping this is the squad they go forward with.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 17 2010 12:27 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

And if he is made redundant, well... he's got himself a backup plan. (JCL, you weren't kidding about the press love.) CLEVELAND—Chris Carter looked at it this way: If professional baseball didn't work out for him, if his proficiency for putting bat to ball wasn't proficient enough to earn him a major-league career, he always had other options. There was the dedifferentiation of blood cells. There was stem-cell research. There was cloning. "I had a plan," he said. It involved the marriage of two worlds that could hardly be more different. Since the Mets recalled him from Triple-A on May 11, Mr. Carter has hit .250 and driven in 11 runs over 36 at-bats, becoming a valuable lefthanded bat off the bench who can serve as a designated hitter when the team plays its interleague schedule. In fact, in a recent series in Baltimore, he hit two three-run home runs, each of which drove in the winning run in a Mets victory. It is his scholastic background and an earnestness and work ethic that border on the obsessive, though, that have set Mr. Carter apart not merely from the other 24 players in the Mets' clubhouse, but from most in Major League Baseball. He played for three years at Stanford University, batting .277 with 23 home runs during his career there, and the reason he played three years, not four, is that it took him just that long to graduate with a degree in human biology. "He was one of those remarkable students who balanced excelling in sports and academics," said Dr. Ellen Porzig, a professor in the Stanford School of Medicine, who taught and mentored Mr. Carter. "I remember him as a very bright, balanced, straightforward guy who, I thought, would be a great doctor someday." As of June 2009, fewer than 30 major-league players had earned four-year college degrees, according to a Wall Street Journal report, so Mr. Carter's academic accomplishments make him something of an oddity by contemporary baseball standards. He had been an honorable-mention All-America selection at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., and anticipated embarking on a pro baseball career after college. But he performed so well in his high school science classes that he came to regard medicine as his fallback. "It's the only thing I really felt comfortable with in school," said Mr. Carter, 27, whom the Mets acquired last year in a trade with Boston. "It was the only thing I was good at." Initially, Mr. Carter had considered neurology as his concentration of study, but he soon changed his focus to developmental biology, to examining how cells and, in turn, organisms grow and evolve. During his time at Stanford, he studied under Dr. William Hurlbut, who has served on the President's Council of Bioethics since 2002 and is renowned for his work in embryonic stem-cell research. "Dr. Hurlbut is on the cutting edge," Mr. Carter said. "I was like, 'OK, this is what I want to do. If it becomes a big thing, there have been maybe 10 people who have been studying this for 10 years.'" At De La Salle, he had scored highly enough on his Advanced Placement tests to accumulate college credit before enrolling at Stanford in the fall of 2001. That head start and a 3.2 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale allowed him to complete his degree in the spring of 2004. But when the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 17th round of that year's amateur draft, Mr. Carter elected to pursue his primary passion. He spent three years in the minors before Arizona traded him to the Boston Red Sox in 2007. Since his outfield skills were lacking, he was a hitter without a position. "I needed," he said, "to get better." The intensity of his personality has since become fodder for anecdotes shared by wide-eyed teammates and coaches. During spring training in 2008, for instance, he would get to the Red Sox's complex in Fort Myers, Fla., before 6 a.m., dress in his full uniform, and spend hours alone on the field, putting himself through outfield drills, practicing how to take a direct route on a fly ball and how to dive to catch a line drive. By the time the other players would arrive, Mr. Carter, his uniform stained green, would be slick with sweat and dew from his workout in the pre-dawn darkness. These days, he works himself into a lather before or after a game, muttering exhortations to himself, slapping the backs of perfect strangers in the clubhouse. Mets manager Jerry Manuel calls him "The Animal." "When you first see it, it's almost like an act," Mets leftfielder Jason Bay said. "But the more you're around it, it's just who he is, which makes it cool." Mr. Carter was in the starting lineup again Wednesday night against the Indians, the fourth time that he has started as a DH in this road trip's first five games. Meanwhile, Stanford's Program in Human Biology held its commencement ceremonies on Sunday. Four Fulbright Scholarship recipients graduated, and Ellen Porzig herself received two awards, one for excellence in teaching and one for her efforts in advising students. And on the same day 3,000 miles away in Baltimore, one of her former students, a committed kid she always thought would make a great doctor, hit a home run to win a baseball game for the New York Mets.

metirish Jun 17 2010 12:50 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I like Carter and all but his two three run bombs aside he doesn't seem to have much of a plan at the plate.

Edgy DC Jun 17 2010 12:53 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

His career minor league line of .307 / .380 / .514 // .894 sure suggests he does. And it's not like the Mets haven't had a shortage of three-run homers.

metirish Jun 17 2010 12:54 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

I know right, it hardly makes sense for me to be critical of a guy who has hit two three run homes but still.

Frankenstein Jun 17 2010 12:59 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

HOME RUNS... GOOOOD!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 17 2010 01:32 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Frankenstein wrote: HOME RUNS... GOOOOD! I agree with Frankie.

Fman99 Jun 17 2010 01:35 PM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Seriously... I'd much rather see the Mets trade Fartinez, who looks very toolsy/non-power-y in the Milledge/Carlos Gomez/guy-we-gave-up-to-get-Alomar-whose-name-escapes-me kind of way, for an outfielder who can, you know, hit a ball out of the park like Carter shows.

MFS62 Jun 18 2010 06:46 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Its refreshing to see that a WSJ reporter talked about a player nicknamed "Animal" because of his aggressive nature, who majored in Human Biology, hits long home runs and the writer never alluded to steroids. (Of course they have no place in this article about how bright Carter is.) But I'm guessing that at least one of the local writers would have made an awful joke about it if they had written the same piece. Later

bmfc1 Jun 18 2010 06:55 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Fman99 wrote: Seriously... I'd much rather see the Mets trade Fartinez, who looks very toolsy/non-power-y in the Milledge/Carlos Gomez/guy-we-gave-up-to-get-Alomar-whose-name-escapes-me kind of way, for an outfielder who can, you know, hit a ball out of the park like Carter shows. Alex Escobar. And I agree. F. Martinez gets hurt too much--he hit a walk-off slam the other night and I was surprised that he didn't get hurt running around the bases.

Frayed Knot Jun 18 2010 07:13 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

If this is turning into a discussion of whether to bet on Carter for the future or Martinez I'm casting my lot with Martinez. Don't be too eager to give up on 21 year olds. Just because we Met fans started hearing of him when he was 16 doesn't mean his 21 is the equivalent of someone else's 26. The injuries are frustrating although a good sign is that it's not one recurring problem that portends a chronic condition. Some guys tend to get hurt a lot right up until that point where they don't.

soupcan Jun 18 2010 07:19 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

bmfc1 wrote: Fman99 wrote: Seriously... I'd much rather see the Mets trade Fartinez, who looks very toolsy/non-power-y in the Milledge/Carlos Gomez/guy-we-gave-up-to-get-Alomar-whose-name-escapes-me kind of way, for an outfielder who can, you know, hit a ball out of the park like Carter shows. Alex Escobar. Wait...then who did they get for Ochoa...was that Bonilla?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 18 2010 07:37 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Frayed Knot wrote: If this is turning into a discussion of whether to bet on Carter for the future or Martinez I'm casting my lot with Martinez. Don't be too eager to give up on 21 year olds. Just because we Met fans started hearing of him when he was 16 doesn't mean his 21 is the equivalent of someone else's 26. The injuries are frustrating although a good sign is that it's not one recurring problem that portends a chronic condition. Some guys tend to get hurt a lot right up until that point where they don't. what he said. You guys is crazy.

Edgy DC Jun 18 2010 07:49 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Martinez for me also, thanks. What's overlooked in the story above is that the guy was mentored in college by Dr. William Hurlbut, who, besides having a great name, is giant in his field and has been ahead of the curve pursuing middle ground on the stem cell dilemma. Oddly enough --- considering his field and this thread --- William Hurlbut is also the name of the guy who wrote Bride of Frankenstein.

Ceetar Jun 18 2010 07:49 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: If this is turning into a discussion of whether to bet on Carter for the future or Martinez I'm casting my lot with Martinez. Don't be too eager to give up on 21 year olds. Just because we Met fans started hearing of him when he was 16 doesn't mean his 21 is the equivalent of someone else's 26. The injuries are frustrating although a good sign is that it's not one recurring problem that portends a chronic condition. Some guys tend to get hurt a lot right up until that point where they don't. what he said. You guys is crazy. The rushed too early and didn't look ready up here soured a lot of people on him. (I know he was a 30 year old career minor leaguer, but wasn't it worth giving Feliciano a look last year rather than rush a prospect that it was very likely wasn't ready?) Growing pains probably play a part, getting used to the wear and tear on baseball on his changing body, building muscle, etc. all those things. I'm not yet worried that Martinez will be an injury prone guy. Hopefully he got the injury out of the way for the year and can play the rest of the season so we can really evaluate his major league readiness. Of course, way too many factors involved there to worry about now. Carter's cool and all, and definitely helping out our AL lineup version, but I imagine he's a guy the Mets would look t o "sell high" on to an AL team after he helps us win a title. Although by then he'll be such a fan favorite (and media favorite)

metirish Jun 18 2010 07:50 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: If this is turning into a discussion of whether to bet on Carter for the future or Martinez I'm casting my lot with Martinez. Don't be too eager to give up on 21 year olds. Just because we Met fans started hearing of him when he was 16 doesn't mean his 21 is the equivalent of someone else's 26. The injuries are frustrating although a good sign is that it's not one recurring problem that portends a chronic condition. Some guys tend to get hurt a lot right up until that point where they don't. what he said. You guys is crazy. Yeah really......

batmagadanleadoff Jun 18 2010 08:02 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Edgy DC wrote: Oddly enough ... William Hurlbut is also the name of the guy who wrote Bride of Frankenstein. Bride of Frankenstein. GOOOOOD!

MFS62 Jun 18 2010 08:44 AM Re: Let's Get Animal: On Chris Carter

Oddly enough ... William Hurlbut is also the name of the guy who wrote Bride of Frankenstein. Bride of Frankenstein. GOOOOOD! The remake could star Suzyn Waldmann - without any special makeup. Seriously, from David Waldstein's column about Carter's grandpa attending last night's game: Bill Carter was going to sit in the family section on Tuesday night, which is not all that close to home plate. But when the Indians heard that Carter is legally blind, they provided him and Baker with seats behind home plate normally used by scouts. Classy move by the Indians. Later