Data Handcuffed Mets, That Can't Happen Again

Information is good, but the application of that data is paramount

On Friday, we heard quite a bit from former Mets hitting coach Chili Davis (via Mike Puma, New York Post) on what he perceived as dysfunction in the clubhouse and front office before being fired in early May.

Go ahead, take a minute and click that link. It’s a great read and there’s a whole lot to digest.

Davis waited until his contract expired and spoke his mind. Better yet, he attached his name to it. Good for him. What he shared was his choice to share. Again, cap tip.

It might not follow the “clubhouse code” to keep what happens behind those doors as such, but he felt the need to speak up and we respect that.

Whether you read into his account of the situation as sour grapes from a jilted employee or as a baseball lifer desperate to interject before the game he knows is gone forever is your prerogative.

The part about deteriorated clubhouse chemistry appears to be a direct shot at Francisco Lindor but that level of speculation is beyond our scope and not what we’re here to discuss today.

What we’re gonna talk about is Davis’ criticism of how the Mets employed their analytical data in game situations. A fair shot, if we’re being honest.

Former interim general manager Zack Scott, fired this week following his DUI arrest in late August, and his alleged blind application of advanced stats into pre-scripted game plans while ignoring human dynamics of the game is what drew the lion’s share of Davis’ ire.

“Scott was an analytical guy. That’s where he belonged, in analytics,” Davis told the Post. “I was in some meetings and the lineups were already built for the day […] I think that’s something even if the analytical people are involved, the manager and staff should have some input.”

“I look at analytics as information. It could be good information, but am I going to coach solely with analytics? No,” he said. “[Analytics] have a place, but when you are dealing with human begins […], you have to deal with personalities, you have to deal with emotions sometimes. You have to deal with some guys’ psyche. I am saying that as a former player.”

Whether you agree with him or not, Davis’ opinion on the matter is mostly iron-clad. He’s been in the game for decades and was in that room. I mean, we watched scripted game plans unfold with questionable lineups being trotted out throughout the year.

This all kinda makes sense. Information is good. Great, even. But the implementation of it will always take priority.

In this age of baseball, where the convergence of innately detailed data and its application at the on-field level are finally close enough to touch, this should theoretically be the peak of the game with an upward trajectory ahead.

Look at what Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner has been able to accomplish since moving from the mound to the coaches’ room.

Hailed as an open conduit of statistical data, Hefner’s been able to convey information — stuff that reads as hieroglyphics to most — in an absorbable way to his players, allowing them to adapt efficiently with statistical guidance and prosper.

This is the blueprint, friends. Finding the perfect balance of baseball IQ and the willingness to embrace/use what could be helpful information should be the goal — in the Mets’ eventual managerial search and across the game itself.

The basic tenets of the game can never be lost. That’s key. No matter what year it is, moving the runner to third with a one-out groundball to the right side of the infield will always benefit.

When we hear about “feel for the game” — from players or managers, not fans and media — that’s real. This game’s been around for a century and a half for a reason.

But there’s no reason to decry advanced statistical data in the name of Base Ball. That information can only make this game better. Just gotta find that perfect blend.

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