That didn’t take long. Puig intrigue replaced by Puig fatigue, in record time. Apparently he’s yesterday’s news before he’s even arrived.
Dip under .400 and you’re washed up.
This is the world in which we live now, full of comets. Shiny objects and short attention span. Andy Warhol’s 15 minutes cut to the 15 seconds it takes to show a couple of highlights.
Discovered. Overexposed. Next!
Not all baseball fans feel that way about Yasiel Puig. I still find the 22-year-old Cuban defector who plays right field for the Dodgers fascinating. His talent is unrefined. He’s raw and unpredictable.
But any pro baseball player can be hot for a month. How well can he turn his tools into skills for the long term?
And maybe that’s why as of Thursday Puig wasn’t on the National League All-Star team despite a .394 batting average and eight home runs in just 152 plate appearances since joining the Dodgers two months into the season.
The measurably less flamboyant Braves first baseman, Freddie Freeman, unlike Puig, has been in the majors since Opening Day, and was voted into next week’s Midsummer Classic ahead of him. By the fans — and that’s weird, because Puig is supposed to be the guy the fans can’t resist. Well, maybe not so much if you’re a Braves supporter, and there were plenty of those voting early and often.
Perhaps it’s not too late for Puig. He could still make it in as an injury replacement. Or just add him to the home run-hitting contest. Or the swinging-at-wild-pitches contest, or the trying-to-steal-third-in-wrong-situation contest. He’s fun to watch even when failing.
Did I mention he’s raw? As eye-catching as his game is because of his power, speed and arm, some flaws have been exposed, and Puig seems to often play out of control.
The way he’s touted as a savior, you’d think the sport is starved of youthful stars. Uh, not quite — heard of some fellas named Harper, Machado and Trout? Talent-wise, the game is on the verge of a renaissance; Puig may be a big part of it, but he’s not the LeBron of baseball.
Still, how did he NOT get into the All-Star game via the final fan vote?
The Braves had a better campaign, joining forces with the Blue Jays to get pitcher Steve Delabar into the game. Prizes were connected to voting for Freeman and Delabar, including autographed balls, savings on tickets and meet-and-greets.
This type of bizarre collusion has become common practice. Remember in 2009 when the Tigers and Phillies ran a "Bran Torino" promotion to stump for Brandon Inge and Shane Victorino? That one worked, too.
The campaign for Puig included a Dodgers jersey autographed by Britney Spears as a prize. A late alliance with reliever Koji Uehara of the Red Sox wasn’t enough to overtake Freeman-Delabar.
By next year, Puig won’t need a gimmick. He’ll either be established as a legit star or wallowing as just another physically talented player with critical flaws.
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.