Nyjer Morgan and his "Hot Temper" Couldn't Beat Out a Platooned Rick Ankiel.
by Justin Bopp on Mar 28, 2011 9:00 AM EDT
in Trades & Transactions
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PrintNyjer Morgan's Implosion Now Complete, Now For the Comeback...
That 48.7 RAR translates to a 4.9 WAR. What happened afterward?
Beware, this AP news wire over at ESPN's first sentence says everything you don't need to know:
VIERA, Fla. -- The Washington Nationals traded hot-tempered outfielder Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday for minor league infielder Cutter Dykstra and cash.
Can anybody seriously answer why Morgan is "hot-tempered" after one incident where he had considerable reason to be upset?
This is the man that, even in a platoon, beat out Nyjer Morgan.
Whatever. I won't pretend to know all the details about Morgan, but I really do hate reading descriptives like "hot-tempered" about a player that's been in exactly one fight. I don't mean to imply the author, whomever the anonymous person over at the AP that wrote it is, meant to do anything other than remind people of last year's incident (where he charged the mound after a ball was thrown behind him). But after so many instances of labels like that being used for one type of person and not for another...I dunno. I could be out of line as well. I'd just like a better explanation for:
1. His trade. How could he not beat out Ankiel?
2. "Hot Tempered." Am I reading into that a bit much?
Hey, who knows? Maybe he does have a temper. And maybe it's warmer than warm. But do we have enough evidence to conclude that and slap that on him for probably the rest of his career?
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Because the world is judgmental. Same reason everyone thinks Jay Cutler is a quitter for not re-entering the NFC championship game, because they saw his face and thought he wasn’t in pain. Nonsense.
Twitter: @Ben_Duronio Stop calling Tommy Hanson "Big Red"
one fight and
the glove throwing incident that caused him to let up an inside the park home run, the incident in Philly where he earned a suspension for throwing a ball at a fan’s head… and that’s just the stuff we see. How many blow-ups do you need?
right
and the bryan anderson hit too… he had a pattern of antagonistic behavior. They’re crazy if they think Rick Ankiel is going to be any better, but sometimes you just get sick of a guy.
There wasn't just one incident
FJB:
First the cheap shot on Bryan Anderson, then he throws a ball at a fan, then he takes out another catcher, tells another fan to “shut up fat b****,” then steals second and third down 11 runs (barreling into the second and third basemen, even when there was no throw at third), then charges the mound and jaws with the fans again on the way off the field.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
Oh my.
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by Justin Bopp on Mar 28, 2011 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
If I'm Mike Rizzo
I’m not letting this guy play on the same team as Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa and Jordan Zimmermann and Wilson Ramos, especially considering the team has little chance of contending.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
Kindofa positive-attitudes-only approach?
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by Justin Bopp on Mar 28, 2011 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, sure
When the games don’t matter and you have players on the team that you want to be around when they do, getting guys who could potentially be bad influences out of the way makes sense. I don’t fault the Brewers for taking a chance on Morgan because they’re trying to win. But I think the 1-4 win downgrade the Natspos are going to experience by going from Morgan to Ankiel is going to be outweighed by the benefit of not having Morgan around. It’s not OK to do what he did last year. Actions speak louder than words, and getting rid of the guy rather than just telling the players not to behave like he did is worth something.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
So, would they be better off with a field full of Ecksteins?
Scrappy, gritty, dirt-dauber-y, inspirational Students Of The Game who don’t cause problems?
If they’re going to lose anyway?
Don't you think so?
It doesn’t matter if the Nationals lose 90 or 92 games next year. It will very much matter if one of their young players gets it in his head that it’s OK to behave like an antisocial jackass on or off the field and it meaningfully effects his ability to play the game once they’re ready to contend.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
I'll also add
that just because you’re sarcastically using the classic scrappy mcgritterson shtick we’ve seen on Fire Joe Morgan thousands of times doesn’t mean you’re right or not trolling.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
Seriously?
It seems a little early for the powers that be in Washington to run up the white flag on the season. Even though you and I believe that they won’t contend, it’s a stretch to imagine that management feels like they’re choosing between (just say) 90 and 92 losses. This is a team that spent $126 million on an outfielder, and then unsuccessfully went after several big name pitchers in the offseason. They didn’t get what they were looking for, but they were working toward making their team better, right now. To replace Morgan with Ankiel is to take a definite step backwards, in my opinion.
He insulted a fan. Bad from a PR standpoint, no doubt, and it shows that he’s not a pleasant guy, but that’s not much.
He charged the mound when a pitch was thrown behind him? Not uncommon.
He laid a cheap shot on an opposing catcher? Uncalled for, but not unheard of.
He (gasp) stole a couple of bases when he wasn’t supposed to? Did someone’s feelings get hurt? Does someone need another juice box?
Two of the things he did are more serious. He lost his temper (at himself) and threw his glove down, leading to an inside the park HR. He assaulted a fan. The latter is a big deal and should be treated like one. He acted like a jackass. Maybe they’re better off without him for the sake of the kids. But I doubt that team management made a move like replacing him with (essentially replacement-level) Rick Ankiel because they might as well, since they’re going to lose anyway.
The day of "the incident"
He went out there looking for a fight. Plain and simple.
Stealing two bases down 11 runs is bushleague, but like you said it’s not that big of a deal. However, barreling into the 3rd baseman when there wasn’t even a throw is over the line. Nyjer Morgan knew what he was doing was inappropriate and he did it anyway. This isn’t the case of a guy making a mistake, it’s a case of malicious behavior that should not be tolerated.
I think from Rizzo’s comments this offseason it’s pretty clear that he expects 2011 to be a year in which they work towards building something more substantial rather than seeing immediate results. Neither Ankiel nor Morgan would’ve been a part of the next great Nationals team, I think Mike Rizzo knows this and the fact that the difference between giving Nyjer Morgan 600 PA’s and giving Rick Ankiel 600 PA’s is not the difference between making the playoffs and staying home in October.
BTW, Ankiel’s career wRC+ is 96, Morgan’s is 92. Ankiel’s wRC+ last year was 96, Morgan’s was 73. In Morgan’s best offensive season his wRC+ was 108, Ankiel’s was 120. You could make a fairly decent argument that Ankiel is a batter player. It’s not like one of them is really young with upside pouring out of his ears, either. Ankiel was born 348 days before Morgan.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
*better player
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
Yeah, dude went batshit insane for about 10 days last year.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk
Did you think it was a cheap shot
when Pujols went out of the baseline to injure a catcher and defended it by saying that LaRussa instructed him to play that way? Jawing with fans, stealing bases – yeah, ok.
I’d like to see more players charge the mound myself so they can get rid of the absurd ritual of having cowardly pitchers throw balls at players. The unbelievable cheap shot was the first baseman who clotheslined him.
These are good questions, ol Pete.
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uhhh....
He told a fan to “shut up fat b——”. That is completely unacceptable.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
When did Pujols do that?
And do you have a link to any comment of his?
I don’t recall this incident at all, although as an older person that’s not unusual.
As a Nats fan who's just plain fed up with him
I’m glad to see him go. Although, sending down Bernadina was dumb (I know it was an options move). It should be he in CF, not Ankiel. I’m sure it will be before long.
Blogger and Editor, Rational Pastime Blog. Twitter: @RationalPastime.
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