From Sparkplug To Hot Dog?

By Stefi Kaplan
Posted Monday, July 16, 2007

Jose Reyes is everything you want in a lead-off hitter. He is speedy, fiery, electric, happy and what’s more, an excellent ballplayer. His youth gives him a high ceiling for potential growth. As Mets fans, we embrace Reyes as the face of our franchise and we love that he is locked up long term. But how is our all-star shortstop perceived around the league? What does his unique style of play do for his reputation?

While certain national broadcasters can't use the name "Reyes" without the signature tagline “the most exciting player in baseball,” others were up in arms about the fact that Reyes was voted in as the starter for the all-star game. This divide seems only natural for a young player on a New York team. Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot from opposing teams' fan bases about how Reyes is too showy, haughty and flashy. Coming from fans, this is understandable and expected (jealous much? Let’s face it, if Reyes was a Brave, I would detest the guy, mostly because he is always finding new ways to beat the opposition). But is there any truth to these words? And what do the opposing players think about our little sparkplug?

The thing is, for those who watched Reyes grow during his time with the Mets organization, it seems ridiculous to call him conceited. The guy has matured so much in his short time in the majors and he has done so because of his work ethic. It is so rewarding to watch Reyes excel because we all know how hard it was for him to grow into himself. Reyes worked through injuries and concentrated on eliminating the flaws in his game to become the all-star he is today.

Reyes has tremendous raw talent and has only recently learned how to control it. Part of that is about knowing when and how to use his speed, which he has improved upon recently by drawing balks and errant throws. A lot of his woes stemmed from pitch selection and recognition, because you can’t wreak havoc on the basepaths unless you get on base. Many scouts believed that Reyes could not improve his eye at the plate, because typically players do not show marked improvement in that area of the game. Well, you can’t tell Reyes that there is something he can’t do...it will only make him work harder to prove you wrong.

So to say Reyes is conceited is a complete joke. A conceited ballplayer doesn’t go to the all-star game to get other player’s autographs, yet Reyes had most of the team sign his all-star jersey last year. That doesn’t sound like a player with an ego to me. Jose seems like the kind of player who looks up to the veterans and is always eager to learn. Further evidence is his relationship with Rickey Henderson, who has taken on Reyes as his star pupil. And the best example? Even Andruw Jones and Albert Pujols enjoy Professor Reyes’s energy – yes, the same Pujols that couldn’t keep his mouth shut about ragging on the Mets during the NLCS last year. And now I finally know why Andruw can't wipe that silly little grin off his face all the time.

But you could argue that the way Reyes acts on the field is open to multiple interpretations. Reyes on the basepaths is maddening to the opposing team – that goes without question. How could Reyes not aggravate you if you are trying to hold him on base in a key moment of a game? If Reyes doesn’t watch out, he could create a bit of a rift between himself and other ballplayers. You have to be careful if you are Jose Reyes, because it wouldn’t be a stretch for a pitcher to think you are trying to show him up. That is the nature of wreaking havoc on the basepaths, but dancing on third base trying to draw a balk won’t earn him too many friends. Because I don’t care what the opposing fans think – we all know fans are not the greatest evaluators of players’ personalities. But I do care what opposing teams think and so should Reyes. If only because he is young and impressionable and getting a reputation as a “hot dog” once the novelty wears off could stunt his growth as a player and disrupt the team’s chemistry.

And what should we make of his lack of hustle in the Astros series? That was about as bad of a play as I’ve seen from the Mets and after watching him in the dugout the next inning, I didn’t know what to think. To me he looked angry with himself. He looked frustrated, because he knew he should have run the ball out. But to play devil’s advocate, if I’m the opposing team, does he look a little like he’s pouting because Willie took him out of the game? I could see how that argument could be made. And even worse was his own teammate Billy Wagner calling him a prima donna. That can’t be good for Jose’s reputation.

I actually don’t find Jose to be flashy at all and I don’t think he would ever try to show anyone up. I sincerely believe that Jose is actually as happy as he looks when he plays baseball – I think the kid loves to play so much that he can’t stop smiling no matter what is going on in the game. And his interviews have only confirmed that. But now that he is learning how to use his speed in unconventional ways, he is redefining the effects of speed on defense and pitching. By the rulebook, there is nothing wrong with forcing errors by distracting players, but at what point do we distinguish between Jose forcing a pitcher to trip over his feet and an unnamed player yelling words at a fielder trying to catch a pop-up? That player sure took a lot of heat for that play, but no one really gets on Reyes’ case for his base-running plays. At least not yet.

Jose shouldn’t change a thing about his baseball style. He should continue to put pressure on the opposition and enjoy the game like he always does. He knows of no other way to be. But the reality is that his actions on the field may lead to unfair conclusions about his personality. I’m not saying this will happen, but it’s not impossible to envision that it could. Reputations are hard to change, and while it’s one thing for fans to rag on him, it would be unfortunate if players began to sour on their opinions of him. Reyes shouldn’t take it personally, but should realize that the very things about him that make him such an asset and a pleasure to watch also could hurt his reputation. Ideally, we have enough faith in the players and coaches in the MLB to identify and appreciate his wealth of talent. But there is a slippery slope between exciting and electric and flashy and conceited and sometimes the only difference is whether you’re on the team that is winning or losing. Stay humble, kid, and the baseball world is yours.