Ike Davis struck out four times again in last night’s game, and continues to look utterly confused at the plate. Many are calling for a demotion to the minors, but anyone who has discussed this topic with me over the past couple of weeks will attest that I disagree about that being the move.
I am in the slim minority that agree with Mets’ hitting coach Dave Hudgens, who also thinks the Mets need to stick with Ike Davis and not send him to Triple-A Las Vegas according to a report in the New York Post.
I don’t even want to think about it, to be honest with you. I really like the idea of him being here, because I know what he can do. I know what he’s capable of and I have full confidence in him. I really do. I just think every time he goes up he’s going to do something and it’s just that one little breakthrough that he needs.
Here are the reasons why a demotion for Ike Davis would be a bad idea at this point:
- Davis is 26 years old. When you send 26 year-old ballplayers down to the minors, they usually never return. He has to figure this out against major league pitching. But Mitch, Keith Hernandez said he was sent down and it worked wonders for him…yeah, and he was 21 years old too…big difference.
- Are any of the other options at first base going to perform better than Davis? If you call up anyone from Triple-A, do you really think they are going to light the major leagues on fire? Probably not. It wouldn’t be much of an improvement. Andrew Brown already tried it, and moving Lucas Duda to first base isn’t an option either considering he is a defensive liability and he isn’t exactly in the running for a batting title this season.
Frustration is leading us to think crazy things. The Mets understand that demoting Davis is not the right move, which is why it hasn’t been done yet. Demoting Davis would be sealing his fate as being a guy that will continue to knock around the minor leagues until his early 30s and then retire. There is nothing wrong with his swing, this is entirely mental and Davis has to work through it and find his confidence. Demoting him just adds more pressure on him and lowers his confidence. Keep in mind that hitting well at Triple-A doesn’t necessarily translate to success at the major league level either, so Ike will still have to adjust to major league pitching again after his demotion.
At this point, you have to stick with Davis. Platoon him, or even bench him to motivate him, but demoting him could potentially crush his confidence. At some point the Mets have to slide him to the bottom of the order where there is much less pressure and he can focus on putting the bat on the ball. Keeping him in the middle of the lineup is making him press, thus making things worse, and that is on the coaching staff, not Ike Davis.
Slide Davis to the seven or eight hole until he figures this out, but don’t demote him.
Well said, Mitch. It truly is all mental; you could see it plain as day last night with how he was going after curve balls in the dirt.
“Davis is 26 years old. When you send 26 year-old ballplayers down to the minors, they usually never return.”
Tell that to another Davis: Chris Davis. Didn’t quite figure it out until he was…26 years old! DUN DUN DUN! Look at him now: HR leader in the AL. Sure, he always had the power beforehand, but now, he’s gotten a lot better in his all-around game.
“When you deal with what he’s going through right now, it’s pretty hard to take it, because you’ve never been there before,” Collins said.
“That said, hitting coach Dave Hudgens is among those in the clubhouse who feel Davis should not be demoted, instead allowing himself to turn things around while on the big-league roster.”
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The above two quotes are clear illustrations that the manager and hitting coach need to be dismissed, as they have lost all objectivity in an obvious situation that calls for a struggling ball player’s demotion.
Collins remark is especially puzzling because he suggests, “you’ve never been there before”… Where were you last year at this time, Terry?
Hudgens comment is simply obstinate, as he doesn’t want to see one of his prized pupils demoted because it would affect the public’s perception of his ability as a hitting coach. Jason Bay failed under his watch, Lucas Duda is struggling and Ike Davis is, well…well…
Say what you want about Steve Phillips, but Terry & Hudgens would be gone by now and Ike would be working on his skills at the AAA level.
The ignorance displayed by the decision-makers in the dugout is appalling. Must be the trickle-down effect…
Clearly, we – as Met fans – are being held hostage and have now voted with our feet. Attendance is down, TV viewership is down, and now Met brass has resorted to dumping tickets on Stubhub to stimulate sales, much to the chagrin of those loyal fans that paid up front to view this train-wreck in slow motion.
I think the majority of people who want Davis sent down are largely part of the minority of fans who think this team is going to compete. You hear a lot of talk about how it’s hurting the ball club and such. Thing is- anyone looking at this roster from a logical standpoint knows this year isn’t about competing. Therefore we need to see if Ike can bounce back in order to decide if he’s part of the future.
“Are any of the other options at first base going to perform better than Davis? If you call up anyone from Triple-A, do you really think they are going to light the major leagues on fire? Probably not. It wouldn’t be much of an improvement. Andrew Brown already tried it, and moving Lucas Duda to first base isn’t an option either considering he is a defensive liability and he isn’t exactly in the running for a batting title this season.”
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Andrew Brown had a grand total of fifteen official plate appearance and demonstrated that he can blast a home run 450+ feet and lay down a sac bunt to put the winning run in scoring position, not to mention his superior defensive skills.
Duda deserves a shot at first base, while Ike attempts to figure out why he can’t play baseball right now.
Umm when did they try Andrew Brown? He was brought up to play the outfield and sent down to get more comfortable at first. Brown played first for the majority of his career and has only played outfield since he was stuck behind Pujols with the cards a few years ago. Promote Brown he will perform.