What if Ninja's Had The Sense of a Goat?

[DOUGHBOYS]

When my Dad didn't think much of somebody's common sense, he'd scream, "That guy doesn't have the sense that God gave a goat!"
I don't know how much baseball sense goat's have. When it comes to the Cubs, they seem to have a handle on things.
And I know if Billy Buckner never hears the word 'goat' again, he'd be fine with that.
I can still hear those words to this day, even though my Dad passed long ago.
I hear him when somebody on my bench goes off on a pitcher.
I hear him when a shutout is on my bench.
I hear him when I cannot give a reason for starting Chase Headley, and still do.
In fact, I'm with you, Billy Buckner, SCREW GOATS!

I was watching our local Fox game Saturday, BOS vs. LA.
Pissed off a little bit because I would have rather watched Scherzer and Harvey go at each other.
But in Fox's contract with MLB, baseball time stops for baseball fans and their MLB package is rendered impotent.
And there's nothing worse than an impotent package.
Fox and MLB meet Mr. Goat.

Anyway, I'm watching this game and they have a wonderful stat on screen.
Yasiel Puig hits .554 when swinging at the first two pitches.
THAT'S what I'm talking about!
If you like 'em, hit 'em!
The anti-Joey Votto in going deep in counts. In fact it was noted that Puig hits .233 on all other pitches.
Puig hits like he plays.
And he plays like the world's hottest woman is waiting for him in his hotel room.
He's more animated than Speedy Gonzalez.
He turns off the lights before Buck O'Neill.
When things are done at that speed, mistakes are made.
During the game I watched, he was doubled off base twice.
He's been thrown out on bases 15 times. And there'll be more.
He may be one of Bill James worse base runners in baseball, when his Handbook comes out.

But, let's go back to his propensity for hitting early pitches in an at bat.
I like it, of course. Especially from a fantasy point of view. Hitting the ball has a possible good effect on five categories.
Walks can only affect one category unless happening to a speedy player, so in Puig's case, two.
Now, you might say that I am going to beat the drum for Puig being a first rounder next year.
I'm not.
I can say till I'm blue in the face that Joey Votto should not be a first rounder next year, but Votto has something that Puig will not have by the end of next year.
He'll have more baseball sense than God gave a goat.
Votto will remain true to his game. He'll stay healthy. He'll hit in the middle of a good lineup in a good ball park.
And yes, he'll drive his owners crazy when taking walks with runners on base.

Puig will be out of control. The Dodgers will be in the second inning of their game.
Puig will be in the sixth.
That's how fast he plays the game.
And when it is played that fast, things happen. Bad things.
You're thrown out 15 times.
You miss cutoff men.
You throw to the wrong base.
You don't take time for the game to come to you.
And worse for fantasy owners, you get hurt.

When Matt Kemp came up to the Dodgers, two things were evident.
He oozed talent.
He had the baseball sense of a goat.
Since, Kemp has learned the game well, although he hasn't learned how to stay on a field.

When Puig came to the Dodgers, two things were evident.
He oozed talent.
He had no baseball sense. A goat has more.
In time, Puig will let the game come to him. His talent will let him overcome most obstacles that come his way.
Eventually, he'll learn that smart pitchers won't throw him strikes with those first two pitches.
Eventually, he'll learn that walls are STOP signs, not YIELD signs.
Eventually, he'll learn that baseball can be played at less than 150 MPH.

And I root for Puig.
Every day.
I'd rather see mistakes made at full gear no matter the consequences like Yasiel Puig, than seeing mistakes made, half assed, and not caring about the consequences, like I've seen out of Starlin Castro.
Puig and his talent will be taken in the first round next year.
I have no doubt.
And, I'm guessing that he will, eventually, have a year like Matt Kemp has had.
But I don't think it'll be next year. He just hasn't had time to let his baseball sense catch up with his talent.
I just know that if I called his name out in Las Vegas next year, I'd hear it one more time.
"You don't have the sense that God gave a goat!"