2K24: New York Mets

[Judge Jude]

Laura Albanese

@AlbaneseLaura

DeGrom left the game with right flexor tendonitis.

9:44 PM · Jun 11, 2021

[Judge Jude]

just caught up with deGrom's post-game interview on their SNY network, and - well, anyone who likes to try to get inside the brain of a brilliant artist, in this case a baseball player, it's well worth searching for.

summary: this is 'elbow' and not 'finger' but deGrom said he knows that people panic over that.

he said just after he was drafted, he tried to pitch with a bad elbow, and he knows how that came out. says he felt a little something right after his last start, but was glad it didn't get any worse so he was good to go.

was mostly "only" hitting 99 mph on his fastball tonight, but he said throwing fewer of those was more from how he expected the Padres to change their approach. he said Pham had only swing at 2 first pitches of a game in his entire career, so that was the tipoff right there.

trainers did some basic tests on the ligaments just after the game, and he said things checked out fine. he hopes to make his next start, in fact.

[cavebird]

The funny thing is that the rest of the NL East is so messed up, they probably win the division if he is out for the year.

[Sharky]

The funny thing is that the rest of the NL East is so messed up, they probably win the division if he is out for the year.

Let’s hope so! What happened to your Braves this year?

[GwynnInTheHall]

Let’s hope so! What happened to your Braves this year?

Degrom is good enough to NOT be getting calls outside the Zone.

Period.

[Judge Jude]

Lindor continues to annoy the fan base, last night by goofing around with Tatis and Machado on the field after making his outs.

hitting .213 with an 80 OPS+.

it's ok, he got paid.

it's true, though - winning is the ultimate deodorant.

so far, anyway.

[Sour Masher]

Lindor continues to annoy the fan base, last night by goofing around with Tatis and Machado on the field after making his outs.

hitting .213 with an 80 OPS+.

it's ok, he got paid.

it's true, though - winning is the ultimate deodorant.

so far, anyway.

Do you really think that Lindor is not playing well right now because he got paid and decided he isn't going to try at being good at baseball anymore? That is what you seem to imply here and I don't buy that for a second. He struggled last year and is struggling worse this year, but it isn't about him not giving a damn.

And the goofing off with opponents is consistent with who is he and his fun-loving approach to the game of baseball. And you know as well as I do that there would not be a single boo from the stands if he were putting up All-Star numbers right now. But he isn't, so he is. I don't begrudge them booing him for sucking on the field, but the idea that anyone suddenly has a problem with him joking with friends is illogical, given he has always done that and it was totally fine when he was in MVP races. The idea that he should change behavior he has always engaged in because he is struggling does not make sense. He isn't going to suddenly get better by changing who he has always been, which worked for him most of his career. If anything, he needs to figure out what, if anything, he is doing different than he always has, and get back to what has always worked for him. He was one of the best players in the game for years. The fact that he has been putrid as a Met is the problem. And that is not because he suddenly does not care about being good at baseball because he got paid, and it is not about him laughing with his friends on the other team. That has always been his personality, and no one had a problem with it when he was crushing his opponents on the field while laughing with them.

[Judge Jude]

Do you really think that Lindor is not playing well right now because he got paid and decided he isn't going to try at being good at baseball anymore?

not at all.
but he IS pissing off the fan base, and that's going to be a problem for him because it just is.
Mets fans haven't seen him be great and laugh with opponents after he makes out after out.
they have only seen him do it when he sucks.
and yes, "no one will have a problem with it when he is crushing his opponents on the field while laughing with them."

as far as "illogical," recall that fan is short for "fanatic" - not "robot."

I'll reiterate - Lindor continues to annoy the fan base.
I don't know how loud the booing has to get before you concede the obvious point. whether it's "fair" is an entirely different issue.
I'm noting it for those who don't live in the region, after I got a text from a friend who was at the game last night. he and many others around him were pissed off... "fanatics" over Lindor's not appearing, at least, to give a shit how many outs he makes.

[Sour Masher]

Perhaps because I am in the region, but the obvious reality that fans are not happy with Lindor seems apparent to even casual out of market observers. I did not deny this point. I am pushing back on 1. Your comment that it is ok that he sucks, because he got paid, and 2. That anyone fundamentally cares he is having fun on the field. They do not. If and when he turns his performance around, which I really hope he does, his fun loving ways will be cheered. The boos are really all about the fact that he has totally and utterly sucked monkey balls all year. They will find any excuse to boo as long as he continues to wildly underperform his massive contract. But I challenge anyone saying that he or anyone else thinks that is okay, cuz he got paid. I see no evidence of that being his attitude. And his underlying problem is he is sucking. That is it. Nothing else is a real problem, because all will be forgiven when he stops sucking.

[Judge Jude]

I was reflecting the attitude of many fans who I know, which is that his attitude - to them - comes across as, "it is ok that he sucks, he got paid."

and I'll push back on your claim "That anyone fundamentally cares he is having fun on the field. They do not."

he literally got booed last night louder at the moment that he started yukking it up with two Padres than he did when he had just made the out. Some fans have seen similar behavior so often now that they are looking to see if it continues - and they react accordingly.

the boos 100 percent are NOT "all about the fact that he has totally and utterly sucked donkey balls."
clearly supplementary boos are coming from his "having fun on the field" a moment after he just made another out.

I don't know how you can push back on the utterly obvious. again, questioning whether is it fair, logical, etc is something entirely different. but it is happening.

the one thing you got right is that most of this goes away if he ever starts hitting. but claiming the fan base is absolutely ignoring his actions after he makes outs is - well, mystifying.

[Sour Masher]

I was reflecting the attitude of many fans who I know, which is that his attitude - to them - comes across as, "it is ok that he sucks, he got paid."

and I'll push back on your claim "That anyone fundamentally cares he is having fun on the field. They do not."

he literally got booed last night louder at the moment that he started yukking it up with two Padres than he did when he had just made the out. Some fans have seen similar behavior so often now that they are looking to see if it continues - and they react accordingly.

the boos 100 percent are NOT "all about the fact that he has totally and utterly sucked donkey balls."
clearly supplementary boos are coming from his "having fun on the field" a moment after he just made another out.

I don't know how you can push back on the utterly obvious. again, questioning whether is it fair, logical, etc is something entirely different. but it is happening.

the one thing you got right is that most of this goes away if he ever starts hitting. but claiming the fan base is absolutely ignoring his actions after he makes outs is - well, mystifying.

Once again, you are mischaracterizing my claims. Your explicit claim, which is circular, is that "he IS pissing off the fan base, and that's going to be a problem for him because it just is," and that he is pissing them off not just because he is completely failing to live up to the expectations of his massive contract, but because he is yucking it up with his buddies on other teams and exhibiting other signs of having fun while sucking. My claim is not that they are not booing this behavior. My claim is that they do not really care about that behavior and that is NOT going to be a problem for him with the fans, if/when he ever starts hitting. Those fans booing that behavior now, your friends who are annoyed at it and suggesting it is disrespectful he is not showing the proper contrition and not showing himself to be as miserable as he should be given how much he sucked, the vast majority of that is totally insincere, because when he starts hitting, it will all go away, as will the belief, in my estimation totally wronghead, that Lindor sucks right now because he does not care enough to not suck, or that his "goofing off" is contributing to his sucking in any way. The only way I will be proven right is if he ever stops sucking.

More broadly, my claim is that what really should matter to any fans of a team is performance, and almost all fans, ultimately should, and most do, support whatever behavior works for a player. If it works for Michael Jordan to be filled with anger at his opponent, if that is the fuel to pushes him to greatness, that is what I want to see--I want to see him walking over the fallen bodies of his opponents with disdain. If, on the other hand, it works for Lindor to crush his pals with a smile, that is what I want to see. And most fans will quickly come around to that, if he ever gets back to crushing it. It is NOT a problem for him. The problem for him is he sucks right now.

If you concede all the boos and hard feeling go away if he starts hitting, how are the boos a problem for him? I am unclear on that point, or the underlying suggestion that he needs to be concerned with the idea that fans currently think he is showing a "I don't care" attitude. What he needs to be concerned with is how to get back to hitting the ball, right?

[GwynnInTheHall]

I had no idea judge was Bob Brenly...

[Sour Masher]

I guess this is as good a spot as any to say that I thought the Tatis and Lindor deals would be exceptions to the rule of super-massive long term contracts being a horrible idea. I thought they were both young enough and good enough and valuable enough to make the deals worth it. Maybe I was right on Tatis, but so far I was very wrong on Lindor. He was the face of the Clev franchise, and all the things he is getting booed about now added to his charm when he was at his peak. He brought such a joy to the field, like a kid playing a game. He and Betts, I argued, were two players, maybe the only two players, that you keep around at all cost, because of the joy they brought to the field. How quickly that joy turns to disdain when the performance is not there. I have no idea what is wrong with Lindor, but I hope he get back to being a great hitter, and I believe, if he does, he will be beloved by the fanbase.

[GwynnInTheHall]

I guess this is as good a spot as any to say that I thought the Tatis and Lindor deals would be exceptions to the rule of super-massive long term contracts being a horrible idea. I thought they were both young enough and good enough and valuable enough to make the deals worth it. Maybe I was right on Tatis, but so far I was very wrong on Lindor. He was the face of the Clev franchise, and all the things he is getting booed about now added to his charm when he was at his peak. He brought such a joy to the field, like a kid playing a game. He and Betts, I argued, were two players, maybe the only two players, that you keep around at all cost, because of the joy they brought to the field. How quickly that joy turns to disdain when the performance is not there. I have no idea what is wrong with Lindor, but I hope he get back to being a great hitter, and I believe, if he does, he will be beloved by the fanbase.

Padre fans will always Love El Nino.

[Sour Masher]

Padre fans will always Love El Nino.

Always is a long time.