Scrappy Jean Segura is my favorite Phillie. It was not a snap choose.
He’s not the power guy, he’s not the team leader, and he’s edging toward old age (for a player) but he gets high marks for addytude and ability to make contact with the ball.
He’s a better-than-average second baseman, he’s been with a few other teams and held the ugly record of being the longest active player without appearing in a playoff game.
That’s now history.
He speaks with a pleasant accent, reflecting his birth place, the Dominican Republic, which I have visited a few times.
There was a piece on the guy some call El Mambo, by my buddy Marcus Hayes, who explains why Segura will now be called “Clutch Jean,” thanks to teammate Kyle Schwarber.
Segura is clutch. He rises to the occasion, and after making a great fielding play, he’s nonchalant. He doesn’t take bows or seek the spotlight. He knows what it expected and does it.
I did like the quote that was highlighted in the Inquirer story.
It reminded me of the moment I was criticized by a Daily News colleague, a native of the Dominican Republic, for referring it to as “the Dominican.”
She told me it was racist.
What? I said incredulously. But how could I argue with her? And this was before “woke” emerged,
So it turns out that “the Dominican” was “racist” to her, but not to fellow Dominican Jean Segura.
So I can call it “the Dominican,” the “DR,” or the “Dominican Republic.”
While I pull for Clutch Jean.
Let’s go, Phillies!
Hey Stu. Hope your recovery is coming along good to you. I totally agree regarding Jean Segura. He’s a very steady and a very good ballplayer who flies under the radar but is a very integral piece to this club. Cannot agree with you on Hayes, however. He was trying to piss on the parade with Hoskins last night with his negative interrogation after the ball game. Hoskins didn’t take the bait, and good for him. Hayes is a miserable human being, and a hack. But where he’s employed, he’s just one of the Mainstream Media, and fits there like a glove. Naturally, IMO. Good piece, and go Phils!
I enjoy reading Marcus half the time. I think he feels the same about me.
He did a column about a week ago admitting he was wrong about the Phillies.
And many reporters try form the provocative quote.
HAPPY SUNDAY !!!
pallie,
I don’t follow any sports team. I do wish them well. The plus is the city gets to shine in the lime light ( we hope ). There’s a lot of money to be made when a team gets to the playoffs. When last employed, some of us calculated the bucks, looking at tourists, rom and food etc. I remember the mayor crying how munch it would cost the city for the show, parade etc. The taxes alone from the tourists paid for the police and sanitation workers .
Those are some of the pluses. Let’s hope ( and pray ) that there are no minuses.
Tony
Aside from the $$$, it unites the spirit of the city/region.
Enjoy him while you can, Stu. Word is they’re not going to pick up Segura’s option and instead sign Trea Turner and move Stott to second.
I know. I’d like to say they wouldn’t let him go NOW, but we know baseball is all about the bucks.
How much you wanna bet they don’t shell out the kind of coin it will take to get Turner, Darrow? I’ll bet you that black Rickenbacker they do NOT sign Turner.
Let’s GOOOOOOOOOOO boys! World Series bound!
As Pete Rose brought the spark to the Phillies years ago, so Bryce Harper has done this year. The team is fun to watch, and I get a laugh as I watch a herd of millionaires jump up and down with joy like little kids on a playground. It is lightening in a bottle — enjoy it while it lasts!