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Bottom of the first 10//15/86

Edgy DC Mar 07 2007 11:10 PM

I finally pumped in my DVD of Game Six of the Houston/Mets NLCS last night and I only made it through one inning. Mostly I was too tired. But part of me was sickened by the Mets getting battered around by a team batting a 37-year-old Phil Garner third. But what really bugged me was Bob Ojeda getting no support from his shortstop. Bill Doran led off with a bouncer off the mound that seemed easily playable but, as Tim McCarver described it, Rafael Santana never seemed to see as it skipped under his glove. Three batters later, Glenn Davis drove in the second run on another boucer up the middle that --- while far less a given --- also seemed to be playable by most decent shortstops. Was Santana that much less rangey than I remember? Was he having a crap night? Was the Houston astroturf that much faster than I remember?

Johnny Dickshot Mar 07 2007 11:24 PM

I can't find anything that speaks well of Santana. I mean, I recall he was reasonably good at SS but definitely not spectacular. He was a terrible hitter with no secondary skills and carrying him everyday was a huge blow to the offense, redeemed in part, by the fact that the Mets had relatively good-hitting pitchers. He was sorta the price we paid everyday to have gary carter on board. If they could have done better at shortstop, no telling how many WSs we win consecutively.

Edgy DC Mar 07 2007 11:38 PM

I remember him being more or less a little above average defensively, but if he was, it was because of his hands and maybe his arm, because I'm watching these plays and thinking that Howard Johnson, of all people, would have gotten to those balls. Maybe Jose Oquendo and Mark Davis for Angel Salazar and John Young is one of the lesser considered poor Met trades.

Frayed Knot Mar 07 2007 11:54 PM

Raffy was average defensively but in the more smooth-n-steady mode of average-ness -- as opposed to the occasionally spectacular yet mistake-prone average-ness of say Shawon Dunston.

Edgy DC Mar 08 2007 12:02 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 08 2007 01:22 PM

So, he's regularly described. I don't know what to conclude when an Afro-Latin is described as "steady," but he wasn't playing too steadily this inning, other than steadily missing the ball.

A Boy Named Seo Mar 08 2007 12:17 PM

That turf in the dome didn't slow the ball down any, I'm sure. Might make a routine-looking ball skip under a guy's glove. Watch for Darling smoking a cig in the dugout as they cut to or from a commercial in the 15th inning.

G-Fafif Mar 08 2007 12:55 PM

Rafael Santana's BA reached .290 just before the 1987 All-Star break and I was mildly livid that Hubie (whom I still adored) got the reserve nod over him from his own manager. Brooks first half '87: 7-30-.284 Santana first half '87: 4-28-.284 Close enough, I thought, for home cookin'. While he didn't keep it up, Ralphie was a representative eighth-place batter on an offensively stacked club every year except 1986, and then it was in first half (.164) only that he was dreadful. He was that ideal shortstop of his time: got to most balls, didn't mess up too much, hit just enough. Didn't distinguish himself that postseason, however.

Edgy DC Mar 08 2007 01:25 PM

Yeah, I know I can't be fairly encapsulating his skills in one inning, but damn. The Met Davie screwed off the 1987 All Star team was Terry Leach, not Raffers.