Puig-Mania Thread

[Kyyle23]

i remember it Caulfield, im just giving you a hard time because you feel the need to point out every nickname and player you remember.

[caulfield12]

when I see a Panthers at a zoo, I always hope to see them show off their arm. Last time i was at Brookfield, the gun showed 95

 

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-leag...-070225587.html

 

 

Edited June 28, 2013 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Yasiel Puig seems able to put on a show, whatever he does

BILL PLASCHKE

Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig provides drama at the plate — knocking in crucial runs against the Phillies — and during a collision in right field. Soak him in, L.A.

June 27, 2013|Bill Plaschke

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It was two hours before the first pitch Thursday, and the Dodger Stadium tour guide was ushering a dozen fans from the seats behind home plate when one of them stopped.

 

"Wait a minute," he said. "Puig is hitting."

 

"But…," said the tour guide.

 

"No, no, no," said another fan. "Puig is hitting."

 

Thwack! Home run. Boom! Home run. Bang! Ball off the wall.

 

After Puig had turned the first three pitches into something that sounded like a cartoon brawl, the tour guide sighed.

 

"OK," he said. "We'll stick around and watch Puig."

 

We will, indeed. As the Southern California summer moves from soft to sticky, we'll crowd into Chavez Ravine to stand under the 22-year-old Dodgers sensation as if he were a wildly refreshing sprinkler.

 

He sprayed amazement again Thursday night in a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that left one Matt Kemp as breathless as the rest of us.

 

"Puig, man, he's an amazing kid," Kemp said afterward.

 

Soak him in, L.A.

 

In a span of 20 minutes, Puig crumpled against an outfield wall, then climbed up to crush the Phillies.

 

In the seventh inning, he ran hard into the right field wall, futilely chasing a home run by Chase Utley. It was the same wall that injured the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper, and when Puig collapsed on the ground, Dodger Stadium became one giant gasp.

 

But soon thereafter, his uniform dirty and his gait stiff, Puig staggered to home plate with bases loaded like some sort of action hero. Movie magic ensued. Facing Justin De Fratus, he swung wildly at an outside slider, swung wildly at another outside slider, then lunged and hit a third outside slider into left field to bring in two runs and give the Dodgers the lead and eventual win.

 

The stadium shook. Puig raised his hands in excited triumph even as he was leaving the batters' box. After the fans calmed, they eventually settled into the beginnings of a chant that may eventually define a season.

 

''M-V-Puig … M-V-Puig …"

 

At Dodger Stadium, where this 22-year-old with less than one year of minor league experience has required all of 23 games to own the place, those people should know.

 

You don't just watch Puig, you experience him.

 

"You feel this energy … shhhhh … everything is fast ... this kid is just all fresh, nobody knows what he's going to do next," said Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly earlier this week.

 

The Chavez Ravine craziness starts at the start, when Puig runs to the outfield before the beginning of the first inning. He sprints and sways like a giant fullback running pregame pass patterns. He's the closest thing this town has had to a professional football player in nearly 20 years.

 

Once he takes his position, well, he never really takes his position. He's caught balls while lunging toward the edge of the infield and while running down near the Dodgers' dugout. He's thrown to all bases whether there was anybody running in that direction or not.

 

And twice, he's nearly decapitated teammates while doing it. He nearly collided with Andre Ethier while taking a fly ball away from him in San Diego, and nearly steamrollered Hanley Ramirez while chasing a pop fly earlier this week.

 

When Ethier was asked about it later, he shook his head, kissed his hand and pointed to the sky in thanks. Ramirez reacted immediately, making the sign of the cross while running into the dugout.

 

When asked if he was worried about a potential wreck, Mattingly did not smile.

 

"A little bit," he said. "I want somebody to catch it, and I don't want anybody to get hurt."

 

The madness continues when Puig comes to the plate. Check that. He's entertaining just standing on deck,

 

On Thursday, while twirling a bat in his left hand, he casually caught a foul ball that bounced off the backstop with his right hand, then tossed it into the stands in one motion amid laughter and cheers.

 

"It's fun to watch," said Mattingly. "Everything is a first time."

 

He walks to the plate amid the catchy tune "Papa Dios Me Dijo." Once he's there, the noise gives way to the ceremony. He carefully makes the sign of the cross in the dirt before reaching the plate, then makes the same sign with his hands before batting.

 

Well, it's not exactly batting. It's more like hacking.

 

On Thursday he swung at the first pitch he saw, swung wildly to strand a runner in his second at-bat, fouled off five pitches in his third at-bat, and then swung three times in his eventual game-winning appearance.

 

"Anything can happen, we've already seen it," said Mattingly. "He just hits. He just plays."

 

He's played with more excitement and surprise than anyone in baseball since he showed up here, and talk about his not playing in the All-Star game is absurd. Puig qualifies under both definitions of the event. He belongs in an exhibition of baseball's brightest stars, and he certainly belongs in a competitive match for World Series home-field advantage.

 

Who knows what he'll do next? All but one member of Thursday's afternoon Dodger Stadium tour thought little about the question as they departed the field-

 

level seats after Puig's first batting-practice session.

 

But one woman stayed behind, and guess what? Puig saw her, smiled, and impulsively tossed her a ball.

 

Of course, she caught it. We've all caught it. The wonderfully contagious summer of Puig rolls on.

 

[email protected]

[caulfield12]

This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's July 8, Kids In Sports issue. Subscribe today!

 

YOU'VE HEARD THE HYPE: Since his June 3 call-up, Yasiel Puig has been compared to everyone from Roberto Clemente to Bryce Harper. You've marveled at the numbers: The 22-year-old outfielder is the first player in the modern era, which began in 1900, to record at least 27 hits and five home runs in his first 15 games in the Show. But how, exactly, has he done it? We asked John Brenkus and the ESPN Sport Science team to break down the swing of the 6'3", 245-pound Puig and compare it with those of the game's best power hitters. The findings: His talent isn't just special, it's downright legendary.

 

85.9

Max speed, in mph, of Puig's swing -- above average but not elite. It's his bat control that has allowed him to go yard on four pitch types, ranging from 72 to 94 mph.

MLB comparable: Albert Pujols

 

45

Degrees angle Puig turns his back to the pitch as the ball nears, 10 degrees more than the MLB norm. The result is an upper body spring-loaded for max torque and acceleration.

MLB comparable: Carlos Gonzalez

 

.03

Seconds Puig's bat spends in the hittable area over the plate, despite a rather slow 0.16 of a second from the start of his swing to contact. Thank you, acceleration!

MLB comparable: Miguel Cabrera

 

140

Degrees Puig bends his back leg, giving him a straighter stance than most sluggers, who bend at 120 degrees on average and rely more on the lower body for power.

MLB comparable: Chris Davis

 

675

Peak angular velocity, in degrees per second, of torso rotation during Puig's home run swing -- simply wicked. No surprise that his dingers have averaged nearly 400 feet.

MLB comparable: Giancarlo Stanton

[Chicago White Sox]

Caulfield has accounted for 52% of the posts in this thread. I think it's safe to say he loves his Puig.

[caulfield12]

Puig can go 0 for his next 106 and still be hitting .200.

 

Crazy.

 

Had a line drive single up the middle off Cliff Lee, who Vin Scully claims is the toughest pitcher he's faced so far.

 

Soft liner on his 2nd AB for an out.

Edited June 30, 2013 by caulfield12

[Noonskadoodle]

Soft liner on his 2nd AB for an out.

 

Soft liner???

 

That was a weak grounder.

[Noonskadoodle]

This Puig-Mania defense has been terrible tonight.

 

First I saw him kick a ball into the stands for a ground rule double.

 

Now to lead off the 9th he lets the ball get by him near the line which allows Michael Young to scoot into 2nd down by 1.

[LittleHurt05]

Caulfield has accounted for 52% of the posts in this thread. I think it's safe to say he loves his Puig.

 

He's slowly becoming Robert De Niro in "The Fan".

[Kyyle23]

This Puig-Mania defense has been terrible tonight.

 

First I saw him kick a ball into the stands for a ground rule double.

 

Now to lead off the 9th he lets the ball get by him near the line which allows Michael Young to scoot into 2nd down by 1.

 

But Puig is the best left fielder in the league

[Jerksticks]

He's slowly becoming Robert De Niro in "The Fan".

 

Lol "ehhhh Bobbay". Man I'd love to watch that again. Oh yea, you can't rent movies anymore.

[caulfield12]

BIG FAN with Patton Oswalt (about the NY football Giants) is much better, but, hey, that's just me.

 

 

1.168 Hanley Ramirez

1.148 Miggy Cabrera

1.133 Chris Davis

1.128 Puig

0.973 Harper

0.938 Trout

0.821 M. Machado

Edited June 30, 2013 by caulfield12

[Balta1701]

BIG FAN with Patton Oswalt (about the NY football Giants) is much better, but, hey, that's just me.

 

 

1.168 Hanley Ramirez

1.148 Miggy Cabrera

1.133 Chris Davis

1.128 Puig

0.973 Harper

0.938 Trout

0.821 M. Machado

Those definitely are numbers.

[caulfield12]

Those definitely are numbers.

 

 

Shouldn't you be getting J4L out of bed and posting in the GameThread?

[Balta1701]

Shouldn't you be getting J4L out of bed and posting in the GameThread?

WTF does this even mean?

[caulfield12]

WTF does this even mean?

 

It means that he said the game threads should be better, where is he?

 

So at least I can't be blamed for the lack of participation there...thought the mods would want to pick up the slack.

 

 

 

PUIG 2/2, 2 more stolen bases in his first two at-bats, up to .429.

Now 3/3, a triple (FIRST CAREER) that fell in front of our old friend, Delmon Young, a noted defensive stalwart.

 

Dodgers only 4 GB of the Padres now.

 

.434

 

He could go 0 for 116 and still be hitting exactly .200.

Edited June 30, 2013 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/...b&year=1936

 

Today, 2 singles, double, triple, 2 stolen bases (4), 2 runs scored

 

Joe DiMaggio in his first month in the majors, May, 1936.

26 GP, 48/126, .381, 400 OBP, 659 SLG, 1.059 OPS

 

Yasiel Puig

26 GP, 44 hits/101 at-bats, .436 batting average, need to update his other numbers at the end of the game, but he'll be close to a 1.200 OPS

 

14 multi-hit games.

 

Struck out in his fifth at-bat, chased a high fastball up and in going for the cycle.

Edited June 30, 2013 by caulfield12

[Noonskadoodle]

But Puig is the best left fielder in the league

 

 

:lol: :lol:

[caulfield12]

:lol: :lol:

 

 

He just beat the hell out of Joe DiMaggio's record/s.

 

So who is a better LFer that you would take over Puig, then?

 

CarGo? Dominic Brown? Marte? Justin Upton?

 

 

 

1 Carlos Gonzalez COL 318 63 94 20 6 22 60 15 1 35 92 .296 .363 .604 .967 3.8

2 Domonic Brown PHI 303 43 83 13 3 21 57 8 1 21 63 .274 .321 .545 .866 2.3

3 Starling Marte PIT 312 52 89 15 8 8 26 22 8 13 76 .285 .341 .462 .803 3.5

4 Justin Upton ATL 282 50 69 10 1 15 37 6 1 47 89 .245 .355 .447 .802 1.3

5 Lucas Duda NYM 226 29 53 13 0 11 23 0 3 38 68 .235 .353 .438 .791 -0.3

6 Matt Holliday STL 288 59 77 12 1 11 41 2 1 34 48 .267 .349 .431 .779 0.2

7 Seth Smith OAK 248 34 69 19 0 6 32 0 0 26 64 .278 .351 .427 .779 0.6

8 Nate McLouth BAL 269 48 76 15 1 5 14 24 4 31 34 .283 .360 .401 .761 1.6

9 Alex Gordon KC 312 43 89 14 2 7 42 4 1 28 69 .285 .345 .410 .755 2.3

10 Josh Willingham MIN 246 32 55 13 0 10 37 1 0 39 77 .224 .356 .398 .754 0.4

RK PLAYER TEAM AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS WAR

11 Kelly Johnson TB 226 28 53 7 2 11 39 6 3 24 63 .235 .313 .429 .742 1.3

12 Yoenis Cespedes

Edited June 30, 2013 by caulfield12

[Kyyle23]

He just beat the hell out of Joe DiMaggio's record/s.

 

So who is a better LFer that you would take over Puig, then?

 

CarGo? Dominic Brown? Marte? Justin Upton?

 

 

 

1 Carlos Gonzalez COL 318 63 94 20 6 22 60 15 1 35 92 .296 .363 .604 .967 3.8

2 Domonic Brown PHI 303 43 83 13 3 21 57 8 1 21 63 .274 .321 .545 .866 2.3

3 Starling Marte PIT 312 52 89 15 8 8 26 22 8 13 76 .285 .341 .462 .803 3.5

4 Justin Upton ATL 282 50 69 10 1 15 37 6 1 47 89 .245 .355 .447 .802 1.3

5 Lucas Duda NYM 226 29 53 13 0 11 23 0 3 38 68 .235 .353 .438 .791 -0.3

6 Matt Holliday STL 288 59 77 12 1 11 41 2 1 34 48 .267 .349 .431 .779 0.2

7 Seth Smith OAK 248 34 69 19 0 6 32 0 0 26 64 .278 .351 .427 .779 0.6

8 Nate McLouth BAL 269 48 76 15 1 5 14 24 4 31 34 .283 .360 .401 .761 1.6

9 Alex Gordon KC 312 43 89 14 2 7 42 4 1 28 69 .285 .345 .410 .755 2.3

10 Josh Willingham MIN 246 32 55 13 0 10 37 1 0 39 77 .224 .356 .398 .754 0.4

RK PLAYER TEAM AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS WAR

11 Kelly Johnson TB 226 28 53 7 2 11 39 6 3 24 63 .235 .313 .429 .742 1.3

12 Yoenis Cespedes

 

Tuffy Rhodes

[southsider2k5]

Tuffy Rhodes

 

Chris Shelton

[LittleHurt05]

Bob Hamelin

[southsider2k5]

Gordon Beckham... oh wait.

[caulfield12]

Gordon Beckham... oh wait.

 

 

Yeah, because Gordon Beckham can actually run/steal bags, hit for 30-40 homers and came anywhere close to putting up that kind of a stretch. At his best, he was an 825-850 OPS type of guy.

 

But good comparison.

 

And, of course, nobody bothers to pick a player that they would trade him for, lol.

 

I guess it was you who said you'd take the "entire field" against him, right?

 

As I said, would be glad to revisit this at the end of the season or next season or whenever.

 

 

 

It was the kind of hot summer day when you could close your eyes and let your mind drift onto a sea of pleasant thoughts. The Dodgers could be in first place at the All-Star break. Yasiel Puig could be the most valuable player of the National League. The Dodgers could tap a kid with a 101-mph fastball for the eighth inning.

 

Yet this was not a hallucinogenic heat wave. This was reality at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, a day anything could happen.

 

 

Dodger Stadium usher worked to the end

 

"It wouldn't leave," Puig said on television. "I tried to hit it. It just didn't happen."

 

The Dodgers, all but left for dead a week ago, are four games out of first place in the National League West after Sunday's 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

 

The Dodgers have won eight of their last nine games, and they have gained 51/2 games in eight days. Their lineup is healthy, and so is their offense.

 

This is why Dodgers management paid no heed to cries to fire Don Mattingly, according to co-owner Todd Boehly, who disdained an air-conditioned luxury suite to sit outside and sweat through the whole game.

 

"This is what we were supposed to be, on paper," Boehly said. "That's why all the chitchat that was going on was so off base. We never had the team that we were supposed to be on the field."

 

The Dodgers trail the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks by four games, the second-place Colorado Rockies by two, with 10 of the final 13 games before the All-Star break against those two clubs.

 

"We were just trying to get within striking distance at the break," catcher A.J. Ellis said. "Things went a little quicker than we had planned. Now it's up to us to maintain this level."

 

The Dodgers got seven scoreless innings Sunday from rookie Stephen Fife, who wrapped June with a 2.21 earned-run average, the lowest of any Dodgers starter in the month — lower than Clayton Kershaw (2.65), than Hyun-Jin Ryu (2.70), than Chris Capuano (3.07), than Zack Greinke (3.66).

 

If the Dodgers trade for a veteran starter, Fife could lose his spot in the rotation.

 

"If I can prove I deserve to stay, maybe I will," Fife said.

 

Puig will stay, after 44 hits during his first calendar month in the big leagues. The only player with more: Joe DiMaggio, with 48, in May 1936.

 

Puig had four hits Sunday, his first four-hit game in the majors. He has been so extraordinary that Mattingly did not automatically laugh when a reporter goofily asked whether Puig could maintain his .436 batting average all season.

 

"Honestly, I shouldn't doubt him at all," Mattingly said. "But .440 is a pretty tough clip. You kind of expect him to do something every day."

 

On Sunday, Puig singled twice, scored twice, stole two bases, doubled and hit his first major league triple — a pop fly over the head of Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard.

 

"You know things are going good when you get a bloop triple like that," Matt Kemp said jokingly.

 

Seriously, Kemp said, how could you keep Puig out of the All-Star game?

 

"I think he would bring a lot of excitement to the All-Star game," Kemp said. "Everybody needs to see what this kid is doing. It's pretty amazing."

[email protected]

 

Twitter: @BillShaikin

Edited July 1, 2013 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_...r-caliber-month

 

 

http://wapc.mlb.com/lad/play/?content_id=2...468&c_id=la

Clever Steve Garvey vote for Puig All-Star write-in campaign OFFICIAL VIDEO....bet the Dodgers' marketing department is in heaven

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers announced today that Yasiel Puig T-Shirt day presented by Time Warner Cable is set for Sunday, July 14 vs. COL at 1:10 p.m. The giveaway is for the first 40,000 fans in attendance on July 14. The Puig T-shirt will be available in sizes medium and extra-large.

 

After his first week in the Major Leagues, Puig was named National League Player of the Week having led baseball with 27 total bases and was tied for the Major League lead with four home runs. His .964 slugging percentage was second-best in the Majors and was the top mark among National Leaguers. Since then, the 22-year-old native of Cienfuegos, Cuba continues to lead the Majors with a .442 batting average and 34 hits, while ranking among the big league leaders in home runs (7, T-5th), RBI (14, T-19th), on-base percentage (.476, 4th) and slugging percentage (.753, 2nd). Puig is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with runners in scoring position.

 

This year's All-Star game ballots are now available throughout the stadium and fans are encouraged to vote in stadium and online at www.mlb.com/vote. Fans can vote for Puig as a write-in candidate on this year's ballot, hoping to make him the second Dodger (Steve Garvey '74) and third Major Leaguer overall (Rico Carty, ATL, '70) to win a starting All-Star spot via the write-in vote. Dodger fans can cast their vote up to 25 times online and can also cast an extra 10 ballots by connecting to their mlb.com account. The game will be held on July 16 at Citi Field in New York. The Dodgers on the 2013 ballot are Adrian Gonzalez (1B), Mark Ellis (2B), Hanley Ramirez (SS), Luis Cruz (3B), Carl Crawford (LF), Matt Kemp (CF), Andre Ethier (RF) and A.J. Ellis ©.

 

Tickets for Yasiel Puig T-Shirt day presented by Time Warner Cable on July 14 can be purchased by visiting www.dodgers.com/tickets, www.losdodgers.com/boletos or by calling 866-DODGERS.

Edited July 1, 2013 by caulfield12