Cespedes, the potential tying run, strayed too far off first base on the play and was doubled off to complete the demoralizing defeat.
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As noted by our friends at The Big Lead, among other outlets, Conforto became the first player in MLB history to drive in a run in the Little League World Series, College World Series and World Series. I think give him time, all of these guys have that ability to get it done.
“He’s self-taught, which is the most incredible thing”, Niese says.
True, but Murphy’s postseason heroics notwithstanding, Cespedes is the one guy most capable of making the team’s offense lethal again.
Daniel Murphy gets credit for going ham in the NLCS against the Cubs, but the Mets need to make sure they have the run support to aide their pitching staff or they could have a year where they shut teams down but can’t overpower them with runs they aren’t getting run sluggers they need.
In hindsight, the Mets would have had a better chance calling on Juan Uribe to pinch hit.
“When we got Yoenis, he was so hot, somebody had to sit”, Collins said.
“I’m going to go out with the same mentality as always”, Cespedes said through a translator, looking ahead to Game 5.
Cespedes immediately went for X-rays, which revealed no breaks.
With one of the best center fielders in the game sitting on the bench.
The song is called “The Power” (the English translation of Cespedes’ nickname “La Potencia”) and made its debut during Game 3 of the NLDS. In hockey, it’s the slapshot motion that translates well. “Johnny, tough on everybody, but the numbers right-handed hitters have against him are a lot better than lefties”.
Cespedes is more than a casual golfer. But it does nothing for the kinds of finesse shots a golfer needs to shoot in the 70s. Niese and Clippard are both pitchers, so they do not have to worry about swinging a baseball bat as often as Cespedes.
On Friday, former player and Major League Baseball Network analyst Kevin Millar tweeted this photo of him playing golf at Liberty National with fellow former players John Smoltz and Mark DeRosa.
“He’s someone you root for”, Beliel said.
By all accounts, Cespedes is a social golfer.
Two of Cespedes’ common playing partners are Jon Niese and Tyler Clippard.
“He talks to himself in the third person”, Niese said. Though he has struggled through the playoffs and the World Series, Cespedes still represented the biggest offensive threat for the Mets.
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Beliel marvels at the time a year ago Conforto came back to help honor the current Redmond All-Stars, and how warmly and eagerly he performed those duties. In the meantime, expect him to continue the winter routine he described to Warthen: wake up, work out and then hit the links.
