Is Yasiel Puig going to be a big league star or a big league bust?
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Puig, entering his second Major League season, is already at the crossroads as to whether he will be a Major League star. He has great potential, having finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting despite only playing 104 games last season. Puig hit .319, with 19 home runs and 42 RBI. His outfield arm is one of the most incredible in recent memory. Some have even compared Puig's arm to the great Roberto Clemente.
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But, as with anyone who holds great potential, success isn't determined by a few good moments. In Puig's case, one season does not make him the next great thing in baseball. A lifetime of dedication to the game and hard work is also required. He has to be disciplined, willing to listen and ready for the challenges ahead.
Despite great statistical success in 2013, Puig struggled with listening to coaches and veteran players. He was portrayed as arrogant by the media due to his inability to listen to his superiors, in this case, Don Mattingly and other coaches.
Recall an incident from July of last season. Puig was approached in Arizona by Diamondbacks' legend, Luis Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who was a five-time All-Star in 19-Major League seasons, was best known for his walk-off single against Mariano Rivera to clinch the Diamondbacks' 2001 World Series title. He, at the very least, had a very respectable career. Players such as Puig should be honored to talk to players who have made it big like Gonzalez.
Gonzalez began talking to Puig in Spanish about hitting and their Spanish heritage. Puig wouldn't even look at Gonzalez, the ultimate sign of disrespect in Major League Baseball. Dodgers' hitting coach Mark McGwire noticed the incident and confronted Puig. He told Puig the legacy of Gonzalez and how wrong and rude it was to disrespect a man (not just a baseball man) like that.
Puig has also had trouble to start the 2014 season. His complaints of back pain and other “various injuries” led to Mattingly's interesting comments after the Dodgers' two-game sweep of the Diamondbacks on opening weekend in Australia.
“Shoulder yesterday, back today, so I'm not sure if they're going to get him tests or get him to the MRI Monday or a bone scan on Tuesday, maybe,” Mattingly said. “I'm not quite sure what we'll do. We may not do anything. I'm not sure.”
Puig is a frustrating player that can give more headaches than home runs. He is out of the Reggie Jackson mold. Jackson, before (and even after) becoming Mr. October with the Yankees, made more headlines with his mouth than he did his bat. His controversial “straw that stirs the drink” comments about then teammate Thurman Munson became the biggest headline in New York.
His bat always took second fiddle, a shame because Jackson was one of the greatest sluggers in Major League history. Ultimately his lifetime 563 home runs did the talking and Jackson is remembered in a positive light. Puig can be remembered as a positive player, not a detriment to the game. Well, he has the potential to at least.
I guess the saying should be “have mouth, with bat will travel.” If Puig performs at a high level, he will remain in the Major Leagues as a star. If his mouth becomes more influential than his play on the field, then Puig will join the pantheon of the “almost.” He had the potential, but never the discipline to back up the potential. 2014 will go along way in deciding how Puig will be remembered in the eyes of Baseball fans for all eternity.
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