There are those who doubted Jose Reyes would ever be patient enough to succeed as a leadoff hitter in 2005. But after Reyes worked with Rickey Henderson, he improved his plate discipline so much that he led off for the 2007 National League All Stars.
There are those who doubted Jose Reyes would ever be patient enough to succeed as a leadoff hitter in 2005. But after Reyes worked with Rickey Henderson, he improved his plate discipline so much that he led off for the 2007 National League All Stars.
Similar doubts persist about Mets backup catcher Ramon Castro’s ability to become a stolen base threat. And Ramon thinks he knows why. “Well, I can’t run,” Castro said.
Castro remembered a time when he was more than just a station-to-station baserunner. “My rookie year, I stole five,” Castro reminisced, and the stat sheet backs up his claim. Castro swiped five bags (though unfortunately, he was also caught five times) for the Gulf Coast League Astros. He did so in just 37 games—putting him on pace for nearly 22 thefts over a 162-game season.
Perhaps dismayed by Castro’s relatively low success rate, his managers have shied away from giving him the green light since then. He’s attempted just one major league steal, in 2005 with the Mets, against John Smoltz and the Braves. The Mets, and Castro, then quit while ahead.
But with Rickey Henderson, baseball’s all-time steals leader on board, all bets are off. “Maybe I’ll get some tips from him,” Castro said, seconding the notion that technique matters far more than speed when it comes to swiping bases. “He certainly knows how to do it.”
Orlando Hernandez certainly proved that point with his second-inning steal of second base Thursday night. Castro thoughtfully imagined that in a vital October matchup, his larceny might be just the thing to propel the Mets to the pennant. “You never know in this game,” Castro said. “Maybe there’s a spot with the game on the line, and the pitcher won’t be looking for it, I’ll catch him by surprise and I’ll go.” Just file that one away for October—perhaps Castro’s “The Steal” will be 2007’s version of Endy’s catch.
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Embattled sports figures usually face a mixed reception from crowds. Negative stories have a tendency to create some residual bad feeling from those who follow the team, which makes sense—after all, writers are the gatekeepers for things like clubhouse access and one-on-one interviews. But when Milledge made his final appearance before being sent down earlier this year on April 12, crowd reception was positive. There were no boos.
After the feeding frenzy from the album Milledge produced during his time at New Orleans, surely some of the fans would turn on him, right?
Nope.
When he ran onto the field, he was cheered, and an unscientific measure of loudest starting lineup cheers has Milledge second, just behind Jose Reyes and nosing out David Wright. And the anticipation when Milledge danced off first base following his first hit of the season was palpable.
“You don’t try to be a hero,” Milledge said after the game. “You just try to get the job done.”
Off with the pitch, Milledge came around to score from first on a single by Ruben Gotay, using a hook slide to elude the tag. The fans roared. Milledge pumped his fist and high-fived the next hitter, Carlos Beltran. Perhaps the crowd is disproportionately made up of those who got to high-five him after he hit his first major league home run last season.
Maybe the cheer would be equally loud for anyone who isn’t Ricky Ledee. Or maybe only a select group is interested in demonizing Lastings Milledge, his rap album, and his enthusiasm—and are missing the real story in the progress.
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The unflappable Oliver Perez pronounced himself “100 percent” after a bullpen session Thursday. He’s set to come off of the disabled list and start Sunday.
“I had no pain,” Perez said following Thursday’s game. “I’m ready to get back and help the team.” Perez wasn’t worried about the long layoff, either.
Should he start Sunday, he’ll have gone 19 days between starts. But the lefty looks at the rest as a positive. “I feel good, I feel fresh,” he said. Mets fans should feel good as well. The last time he received more than 6 days off this season (due to rainouts), he pitched 6 2/3 innings against the Braves, allowing just two runs, walking none and striking out nine.
