Jose Reyes led the NL batting race over Ryan Braun by 13 ten thousandths of a point leading into the final day of the regular season: .3358 to .3345. This afternoon, the Mets are currently hosting the Cincinnati Reds in their final game of 2011. Reyes’ batting title chase is the one fleeting hope for Mets fans to get something out of another disappointing season. Givven Reyes’ pending free agency, today’s game may also be the last chance for Mets fans to see him in their uniform.
In the bottom of the first inning, Reyes led off with a bunt single. Then, inexplicably, the Mets pulled him from the game for a pinch runner. After one at bat. Presumably, this was done to preserve his chance at winning the first batting title in franchise history. The move was questioned by Mets commentators Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez on the telecast. Newsday’s Neil Best captured their reactions on Twitter:
The move of puling Reyes is terrible for a number of reasons…
1) It hurts the integrity of the game. This is a bush league move from almost any perspective. When Ted Williams was chasing .400 on the last day of the 1941 season, he was statistically at the milestone with a .3995 batting average. His manager offered to sit him out for the doubleheader. Williams wanted to play. He went 3-5 in the first game to raise his average to .404. He refused to sit out the second game as well, in which he went 2-3. Ted Williams finished the 1941 season with a .406 batting average. The stunt the Mets pulled today makes a mockery of the way the game is supposed to be played. The fact that Williams played in that doubleheader 70 years ago today only adds to the ignominy of today’s disgrace. Ted Williams’ head is currently spinning in its cryogenic tube.
2) It hurts Jose Reyes. Whatever you think about Jose Reyes as a player, this decision will follow him for the rest of his career. Sure, it may be nothing more than a footnote in the grand scheme of things, but it adds an unnecessary asterisk to his career. When someone brings up his potential 2011 NL batting title, it will always be met with a “yea, but he was too scared to play beyond the first inning in the last game of the season.” This is the kind of event that can follow a player for a long time.
3) It hurts Mets fans. This may have been their last chance to see Reyes in a Mets uniform. Instead of a proper sendoff, Mets fans booed Reyes and the team’s decision as he went to the dugout. Today’s ridiculous act may be the last image Mets fans have of Jose Reyes. For a team that has botched so much over the last several years, perhaps it’s appropriate.
4) It may not even work. If the baseball gods have anything to say about it, Ryan Braun will still pass Reyes in tonight’s game versus the Pirates. Reyes’ season average will end at .3370. If Braun goes 3-4 tonight, his average will finish at .3374. I for one hope it happens. The game of baseball deserves it.
