Michael Cuddyer Is Deaf
PORT ST. LUCIE — Michael Cuddyer has barely played left field in his career, but is willing to give it a shot if it helps the Mets. Manager Terry Collins revealed Sunday he is considering the idea of keeping Curtis Granderson as the right fielder and asking Cuddyer to play left — a position at which he has started only three games in his 13-year major-league career. Cuddyer is deaf in his left ear as the result of a childhood virus, but said hearing the center fielder call for a ball won’t be an issue if he’s asked to play left. “Not even in the slightest,” Cuddyer said. Cuddyer says left field shouldn’t be an issue for him. “I don’t have much experience, but there’s no saying I can’t go over there and learn,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in being an athlete, not just a right fielder or a first baseman, just being a baseball player.”
Hilarious. Put this one on the resume, folks. Another classic Mets moment. Your big free agent acquisition of the off season is deaf. Just cracks me up. Yesterday Mets twitter was like genuinely upset over this because people fear that he wont be able to hear the centerfielder call him off for a fly ball. People discussing whether he can hear the crack of the bat and shit. I think this will affect him approximately 0% on the baseball field. Whether or not he can just seamlessly make the switch to left field in general is a different matter, but being deaf in one ear isnt gonna be a problem.
But its just another hilarious Mets move. I mean look at that picture. Cuddyer looks like he was a special guest veteran invited to spring training to come talk to the team or something. Looks like he’s a manager of some sort. I know the guy can swing the bat, and he was definitely an upgrade over anyone else we were gonna trot out there in left. But when you take a step back and look at it, the Mets big free agent signing is a gray haired deaf dude with man boobs. I hope he makes me eat my words and plays like 130 games and rakes, but its hard to get excited about the team’s big addition when you find out he doesnt even have all 5 senses.