What to do with Morgan

[Lintyfresh85]

He hates to get his uni dirty, a la Eddie Murray.  Still, Dunn dove for a ball this season and made a nice catch, surprised the hell out of me.

So maybe he would have slid, but I'm still thinking he just lumbers through the guy.

Difference is, Hayes doesn't hold onto the ball if Dunn trucks him.

[wpa2629]

Difference is, Hayes doesn't hold onto the ball if Dunn trucks him.

LOL,

I get a picture of that bird that Randy Johnson blew up when I think about Dunn trucking a guy at home plate

[PANatsFan]

LOL,

I get a picture of that bird that Randy Johnson blew up when I think about Dunn trucking a guy at home plate

If the game was in Canada,  would they have jailed Nyjer for cruelty to catchers?

[Ray D]

If the game was in Canada,  would they have jailed Nyjer for cruelty to catchers?

No, a catcher is a human. They only jail you if you are mean to animals.

[NatsAddict]

Difference is, Hayes doesn't hold onto the ball if Dunn trucks him.

He'd be lucky to hold onto life.

[Nathan]

He'd have a separated head instead of a separated shoulder.

[raleighnat]

Do you think Dunn would have slid? 



The only reason we're saying Morgan should have slid, was because he was out and failed to score the run.  If the catcher drops the ball, we're talking about his great play. 

Look, I know its "baseball" for a catcher to take a lick if he's on the plate and maybe Nyjer's hit is technically "clean" b/c the guy turned and faced him, but he just plowed a defenseless guy for no good reason.  Looks to me like he was looking to punish someone gangsta style and his lightweight rear end found an opportunity to blow up someone who could probably kick his ass man to man.  I think its a punk play and cheap shot.  And I'd probably say the same about Rose's hit too, but I haven't seen it that I can remember ... so I can't comment.

[spidernat]

Look, I know its "baseball" for a catcher to take a lick if he's on the plate and maybe Nyjer's hit is technically "clean" b/c the guy turned and faced him, but he just plowed a defenseless guy for no good reason.  Looks to me like he was looking to punish someone gangsta style and his lightweight rear end found an opportunity to blow up someone who could probably kick his ass man to man.  I think its a punk play and cheap shot.  And I'd probably say the same about Rose's hit too, but I haven't seen it that I can remember ... so I can't comment.

 

[OldNatsFan]

I am so sick of people misusing the word beaning. If you didn't hit them in the head, you didn't bean them. 

I know. I see this written all the time. Bean means head.

[Nathan]

I know. I see this written all the time. Bean means head.

Bean Bay Beans.  They're the beaniest!

[Lintyfresh85]

Well judging from Rizzo's comments on Nyjer, I'm guessing he'll be right back here next year.

While Rizzo allowed that some of Morgan's "mistakes" were "disconcerting," and called him a "young and aggressive player who should have known better," he said he had little to no problem with most of what Morgan did. That list includes running into Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson last Saturday, railroading Marlins catcher Brett Hayes on Tuesday night and then jawing with fans about it, and charging the mound and punching Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad on Wednesday.

Rizzo said Morgan has been frustrated with his slow start to the year, but praised the outfielder's improvement in the second half of the season. That improvement has been modest, statistically - Morgan is hitting .270 after the All-Star break, compared to .252 before it - but Rizzo said it's too early to give up on the 30-year-old, stressing that he's young in his career because of his late start in baseball after his hockey career.

http://www.masnsports.com/the_goessling_game/2010/09/riggleman-rizzo-defend-morgan.html

I sure wish I had bosses that would back me up every time I do something stupid.

Actually disappointed in Rizzo for excusing Nyjer's play on Anderson.

[Obed_Marsh]

We'll see what happens. They may be two faced instead of supportive to the point of having a blind spot. Granted I might be getting cynical after the media love fest between the team and Dunn which seemingly lead nowhere.

[welch]

They should declare Morgan "a danger to self or others (DTSOS)". That's the legal basis, in New York, for committing somebody to a mental hospital without their consent.

I can't think of another player who has behaved like Morgan, and I've seen a lot of baseball. Billy Martin is the only guy who comes to mind, and Martin was an alcoholic. (Somebody mentioned "substance abuse" on one of the threads...it fits.).

Force him to deal with his demons or drop him.

[Lintyfresh85]

Just let Maxwell finish out the year in CF/LF. Give him one more month of daily playing time to see what he can do.

No playing against LHP only... just play him, every single game the rest of the year... and see what he can do.

What can it possibly hurt?

[PC]

I simply don't get what Mike Rizzo sees in Nyjer Morgan.  This is ridiculous, bordering on deranged, this inability to say good riddance to bad rubbish.

And he's not "young in his career", Rizzo.  He's 30, period.  And does he appear to be learning anything, Mike?  Is he a smarter player than he was last year or the year before?  And even if he learned everything he needed to know, that wouldn't make his throwing arm any stronger or more accurate.

[welch]

I simply don't get what Mike Rizzo sees in Nyjer Morgan.  This is ridiculous, bordering on deranged, this inability to say good riddance to bad rubbish.

And he's not "young in his career", Rizzo.  He's 30, period.  And does he appear to be learning anything, Mike?  Is he a smarter player than he was last year or the year before?  And even if he learned everything he needed to know, that wouldn't make his throwing arm any stronger or more accurate.

I suspect Morgan will become next year's Elijah Dukes. "Sorry, Nyjer. We like you, but we had to make a decision..." They just won't say it now.

[Burgess]

Transform him to a bench player/pinch runner?

[EdStroud]

You talking 'bout me

[tomterp]

And he's not "young in his career", Rizzo.  He's 30, period.  And does he appear to be learning anything, Mike?  Is he a smarter player than he was last year or the year before?  And even if he learned everything he needed to know, that wouldn't make his throwing arm any stronger or more accurate.

This is his 2nd full season.

[Nathan]

This is his 2nd full season.

So you could be a rookie then?  Don't worry about tomterp's pitch velocity, it's only his first full season

[PC]

This is his 2nd full season.

That just makes it worse.  Which other athlete starts this late in life?  He's an untouchable for me, just because of this.  What exactly would you expect to get from a 30-year old who barely has the basic knowledge to play the game professionally...other than that he's cheap.  When do they expect he'll "get it", when he's 33 or 34?  If so, how much do you expect to get from him beyond that point, when he's in his mid-thirties?

This is like a 25-year old deciding she wants to become an Olympic gymnast.

Similar to what I posted when we sign Daniel Cabrera.  Manny (and others) thought they could "fix him", make him finally live up to the talent they all thinks he had.  In that case (and this one with Morgan), why do we have to be the ones who "fix him"?  How about letting someone else "fix him" and then sign him after he's fixed...other than that a "fixed" Morgan (and Cabrera from last year) would cost more.  A broken Morgan isn't even right twice a day.   

[tomterp]

That just makes it worse. 

No, it means there's a bit of upside to his knowledge of the game, although he's peaked physically.   He could have 3 or 4 productive years in him if he could return to what was his peak form, 2009.  Big "if", but you see that Rizzo is talking up the potential.

[spidernat]

In that case (and this one with Morgan), why do we have to be the ones who "fix him"?  How about letting someone else "fix him" and then sign him after he's fixed...other than that a "fixed" Morgan (and Cabrera from last year) would cost more.  A broken Morgan isn't even right twice a day.   

 

[Dave B]

No, it means there's a bit of upside to his knowledge of the game, although he's peaked physically.   He could have 3 or 4 productive years in him if he could return to what was his peak form, 2009.  Big "if", but you see that Rizzo is talking up the potential.

plenty of people have full knowledge of the game by the time they are 12. i dont have much hope for him much like i dont expect desmond to figure out how to play defense on major league grass/

that being said, if he is going to blast catchers and charge mounds, i do appreciate that skill set

[welch]

Desmond will improve, but Morgan seems to have a problem with his temper. And he's got to slide feet-first: report said that the team tried to teach him how to slide the spring, but he slipped back to head-firsting it. If he dives head-first into home, on The Play, he breaks his neck.

Maybe it's experience, but maybe he should learn fundamentals in AAA.