Dee Gordon, The Dodgers, Yasiel Puig And Underestimating Potential
Earlier this week, Dee Gordon won a Gold Glove. Then, he won a Silver Slugger Thursday. Oh, and both those followed a season in which he led the NL in hits, batting average and stolen bases. Gordon’s season of accolades and achievements has literally never happened before.
So, the Los Angeles Dodgers are left asking themselves what went into that great season.
Hopefully, the lesson learned here is: How it’s almost impossible to numerically understand potential. The lesson extends to one Yasiel Puig.
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We’ve already written about how it’s unfair to grade the Gordon trade just off of his season and the returns only at his position. This is still important to point out. Again, though, multiple aspects of a conversation can be true.
The Dodgers can learn a lesson about growth and how being doubted can help ignite the desire to prove those who doubted you wrong. This doesn’t have anything to do with grading the actual trade. Learning from a deal and losing said deal are two completely separate issues.
So, what does this have to do with Puig? Well, it’s pretty simple.
Over the last year or so, he’s been hearing how he’s immature and there is a pretty large faction of Dodgers fans out there who’d like to see him traded.
I’d just hope those who want him traded are not also the fans who are criticizing the front office for the outcome of the Dee Gordon trade.
Let’s say Puig is moved, and, while under that same incredibly thrifty contract, he revitalizes his career. I’m not saying this would happen for sure. Puig could very easily just implode in self-pity for having the organization quit on him.
I’m simply pointing out how it’s impossible to say how he’d react, but we do have a recent example for how a player might handle the situation.
I’m happy for “Flash”. He made the best of what had to be a pretty crappy feeling as he was shipped out to the other side of the country. I’d just hate to be sitting here again this time next year writing this same article after Puig turns it around somewhere else.
At some point, instead of wanting talented player shipped out, the Dodgers and their fans might want to consider ways to make the situation more conduit to personal success for said talented personnel.
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I mean I guess but I’m pretty content with the return that LA got in that deal
If Puig goes, who will replace the excitement?