Don Mattingly played for the Yankees. When a player dons the pinstripes, there is traditional form of professionalism that goes along with the uniform. There is a dress code. There is winning attitude. There are stressed fundamentals. The aura of being a Yankee is in isolator against the harshness of the NY media. It also works, since the Yankees are consistently competitive in the AL East.
Mattingly is now the LA Dodgers manager. Things are more laid back on the West Coast. Pacific rim teams rarely get national coverage with the East Coast bias of network television. So most people failed to realize how bad the Dodgers were in the first half of this year. Injuries and underperforming star players contributed to a near historic collapse. But then things dramatically turned around when the Dodgers called up a 22 year old Cuban defector named Yasiel Puig.
He immediately sparked the team by hitting massive home runs and making diving catches in the outfield. His rookie enthusiasm helped awaken the dormant skills of the rest of the team. The Dodgers have clawed out of the cellar and now are one of the best teams in the majors.
It is quite a turnaround. And the starting point was Puig.
In his first 76 games, he has had 346 PA. He has hit 13 HR, 30 RBI, .406 OBP, .963 OPS and 4.0 WAR. He is an overnight sensation; a Hollywood script star.
And it may have gone to his head. For at least the second time this year, Mattingly has had to pull Puig from the line-up during a game. The last incident was Puig's failure to break up a double play at second by not sliding toward the bag. He also mopes to right field after striking out. He also shows a brass attitude of "me first" over team play. There are times that he just stops concentrating on the game. Mattingly, an old school Yankee professional, cannot stand a showboating non-team player.
LA gave Puig a $42 million contract, tying him up through 2018. It is life changing money for a 22 year old defector who is now living for the first time in a capitalist country with money to spend.
Defenders state that Puig has been thrown a cultural curve ball. That there are language barrier issues with teammates and his manager. That the spotlight of stardom is difficult to control at first. That the team cannot try to change the way Puig plays if it still wants his great production.
A young superstar player does not need to be pampered; he needs to be coached up to a professional level. He needs to correct the flaws in his game, whether mental or physical. The sport's history is littered with fresh hot rookies who crash and burn within a few years. It all depends on how a young foreign player handles the situation and criticism.
Some Latin players are like overgrown children. From the poor streets of third world countries, playing baseball and soccer are their only means of escape. For very good players, the games are second hand without much effort. They don't have to work at it because they are so much better than their local peers. They get stubborn in their ways and their macho heritage comes to the surface when someone tells them to change. Puig has not risen to a Carlos Zambrano phase, yet.
But it does show the beginning of a bad trend. Fellow star defector, Cub prospect Jorge Soler, has had his professional issues in Class A ball this year. The lack of hustle and a on-field altercation with an opponent led to a short suspension. The Cubs tried to write it off quickly as Soler having some emotional issues. Well, Soler is one of the front office's "core" prospects for the future. Why have a ticking time bomb of emotions at the core of your rebuild?
Time will tell if these are isolated incidents or whether there is deep cultural problem with Latin players when they begin playing baseball in America. Many teams have placed great time and resources in signing Latin players in recent years. Some teams have done so in an attempt to cultivate a new Hispanic fan base to raise their yearly attendance. Other teams believe there is a competitive advantage in signing foreign players for less cost than U.S. high school or college players. But there are new concerns assimilating foreign players into U.S. baseball organizations.
