As Joey Meneses unleashed a joyous bat flip, a Chase Field crowd dominated by Mexican fans exploded. The slugger's sudden rise has stunned the baseball world. ZHBuchanan tracked down the coach who knew what Meneses was capable of accomplishing.
As the ball landed in the stands, Meneses unleashed a joyous bat flip, sending the instrument 20 feet in the air. A Chase Field crowd dominated by Mexican fans exploded. So did the Mexico dugout.Perhaps because he’s long known, Gil can’t help but see Meneses shine with a tinge of bitterness. Now on thecoaching staff, he wasn’t in affiliated ball in 2018, when Meneses hit .311 with 27 home runs for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A club of the Phillies.
“I’ve thought about this many times, that he didn’t get to come to the major leagues,” Gil said. “Because he will finish with 70, 80, 90, 100 fewer home runs than he would have had. He will end up with less money than he would have gotten in his career because he should have been in the major leagues since 2018.”Meneses doesn’t look at it that way. “I think God’s plans are perfect,” he said in Spanish. “My turn was to debut last year, not in 2018.
With two homers Sunday and five hits through two WBC games, it’d be hard to deny him the job now anyway. The world is catching on. “He’s special,” said Gil, this time speaking English. “I don’t think he’s a power hitter. I think he’s just a great hitter with power.” Two WBC games is an even smaller sample than 240 plate appearances — as one article in the Ringer noted, Meneses rhymes with “regresses” — but damn if the sample hasn’t been special.
After the game, USA manager Mark DeRosa was asked if he felt happy for Meneses. Given the stakes — the loss put USA in a dire position, needing to win its final two games of pool play to advance — the questioner might have mistaken Mark DeRosa the manager for his year-round alter ego, Mark DeRosa the MLB Network personality. Gamely, he did his best to wear both hats.Get all-access to exclusive stories.
Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.is a staff writer for The Athletic covering baseball, with a focus on prospects and the minor leagues. From 2018 to 2022, he was The Athletic's beat writer for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has covered baseball since 2013, previously for The Arizona Republic and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Follow Zach on Twitter @ZHBuchanan.
Danmark Seneste Nyt, Danmark Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også læse nyheder, der ligner denne, som vi har indsamlet fra andre nyhedskilder.
Dancing on Ice’s Vanessa Bauer breaks silence on Joey Essex romance for 1st timeDancing on Ice star Vanessa Bauer had addressed her rumoured romance with skating partner Joey Essex for the first time as she labelled their bond as “special”
Læs mere »
Joey Essex reveals his huge advantage going into Dancing On Ice series finalDANCING On Ice star Joey Essex has revealed that being in the skate-off last week was a “blessing” in disguise as it has prepared him for the final. The 32 year old TV personality was p…
Læs mere »