I know for a fact that I have talked about this numerous times on the blog, but Curtis Granderson is one of my favorite players. Not just because his peak years were as a member of the Yankees, but because he seems like a great baseball personality, and he's been a great presence on every team he's played for. Hell, I saw him play in Toronto last year, and he had a 6-RBI day, with 2 doubles, a single, and a home run. He was a triple away from a cycle, and this was him as a 37-year-old.
This year, however, has been less impressive for the Grandy Man. Despite playing 136 games for the Miami Marlins, he only has 34 RBIs, 56 hits, 12 home runs, and a .186 batting average. Which, compared to Lewis Brinson, is great, but compared to the rest of the league, and even Granderson's last season, is very, very poor. I realize that Grandy must be in the lineup to inspire a ton of the younger players, but he's not having a great year, and he's being paid to start games.
The good news is that Neil Walker is in a similar position. He's a veteran who can play the infield, hit relatively well, and be a solid presence in the lineup. Walker has said audibly that he wants to return to the Marlins next season, solely because it's a generally nice environment for him, even if he's not exactly playing to compete. This influence has led Grandy to start a similar campaign. Like Walker, he's good enough in the dugout, he's cheap enough to keep around, and he can be the fun veteran presence that counts as a draw for fans.
The difference is Walker had a better season, and Walker is 33. I do think the Marlins might re-sign Walker, but I don't know about Granderson. As much as I love him, I don't know how much he has left in the tank.
Still, the Marlins aren't at the point where they lack roster space for somebody like Grandy, and they still need a lot of help, so...I'd love to see it happen. Plus, another year of Curtis Granderson playing in the MLB is always a good thing.
Coming Tomorrow- A rookie for the single worst team in baseball.
As a Mets fan, Grandy means a lot to us, too. (I remember I had one student who would wear a Yankees Grandy shirsey to class, and I would tease him about my mixed feelings about it.) I hope he does get to play next year...but also wonder whether he’d make a good manager. Hoping when he does wrap up the career he gets offered a coaching position or minor league managing job and gets that chance.
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