DODGERS The ♥PUIG♥ Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by irish, Feb 27, 2013.

  1. CapnTreee

    CapnTreee Guest


    umm wrong thread mod...
     
  2. LASports96

    LASports96 DSP Legend

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    Great Song, Great Artist
     
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  3. CapnTreee

    CapnTreee Guest

    Great song... great artist... still the wrong thread...
     
  4. sportschump

    sportschump Well-Known Member SportsChump.net

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    If you build it, Puig will come.
     
    irish and back2back x 2 + 1 like this.
  5. blazer5

    blazer5 DSP Legend

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    Ummm looks more like Kersh..you know cuz there both Gingers and all...
     
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  6. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    stop it, stop it now :nono:
     
  7. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    heisenberg as stan kasten...

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    yasielpuig@YasielPuig 1h
    buenos días a todos los fan de los dodgers y mío solo les quería decir q estoy muy bien de lo q sucedió ayer en el estadio graváis y espero jugar pronto
    7:42 AM - 5 May 2014 · Details

    loose translation...
    Good morning to all the Dodgers fans and mine. I wanted to say i am doing very well from what happened yesterday and hope to play very soon...

    __
     
  9. KOUFAX0000

    KOUFAX0000 DSP Legend Damned

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    English bkitch!

    Learn it or be a groundskeeper.

    J/K
     
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  10. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    props to tim hudson
    and this writer as well...

    Tim Hudson OK with Yasiel Puig's bat flip
    By David Brown | Big League Stew -- 47 minutes ago

    The funniest detail in Major League Baseball might be pitchers who get visibly angry at opposing hitters who take them over the fence for a home run. If a batter reacts in a certain way — he flips his bat, or trots around the bases slowly, or expresses satisfaction in any way — a pitcher might return any such gestures with stares and, sometimes, shouts. It happened Friday with Madison Bumgarner of the Giants after Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers hit a home run to center.​

    [​IMG]

    It did not happen, however, after Puig obliterated a pitch from Tim Hudson for another homer Sunday. Granted, Puig's reaction wasn't as exaggerated, but in an age where some pitchers seem to seek out insulting behavior for whatever reason, Hudson did not play that game:
    Tim Hudson has a different opinion of Yasiel Puig's bat flip: "He hit the piss out of it, so I probably would've flipped it too."
    6:25 PM - 11 May 2014 · Details


    That's the reaction a pitcher should have after giving up a home run, not, "You there! Stop enjoying your success in a way that I find inappropriate!" Worry more about getting the next out, and getting Puig out the next time, than the style points the batter was going for after he beat your behind. You're getting angry at the wrong guy, you sensitive left-hander.

    Of course in Hudson's case, it helps having about 65 years of major league experience; there's nothing Hudson hasn't seen since he was a rookie with the A's in 1999.

    Another piece of advice — for Puig and Carlos Gomez of the Brewers (this kind of stuff often happens with them): When a pitcher screams at you for no good reason, try not to react at all. It will make them even madder.

    David Brown is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rdbrown@yahoo-inc.com and follow him on Twitter!

    __
     
  11. BlueMouse

    BlueMouse 2020 World Champions

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    ^ LOL ... 65 years of major league experience :laff:
     
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  12. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    i liked that as well :giggle:
     
  13. LASports96

    LASports96 DSP Legend

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    Tim Hudson is cool in my book, except for the whole Giants thing
     
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  14. IBleedBlue15

    IBleedBlue15 DSP Stud

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    Puig is the greatest in all ze land.
     
  15. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    :mattingly:

    ESPN.com news services​
    3 hours ago​

    Yasiel Puig has quickly emerged as the best right fielder in baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Monday.​

    [​IMG]
    Puig's defense in right field is unrivaled, says Mattingly.

    The high praise for the 23-year-old Cuban comes with the one-year anniversary of his major league debut just a week away.​

    "We feel like, right now, Yasiel is the best right fielder in baseball," Mattingly told reporters. "This guy dominates right field."​

    Puig's speed and athleticism in the outfield were on display again last week, when he made a spectacular catch in right-center to deny Wilmer Flores of the New York Mets of a hit. The play even drew an ovation from many of the 23,416 pro-Mets fans in attendance at Citi Field.​

    Throw in Puig's cannon of an arm and you have a right fielder who no one in the majors wants to test, his manager says.​

    "The way he plays right field, he really stops the running game from first to third," Mattingly said.​

    Puig has four outfield assists this season, fourth among all major league outfielders. He has yet to commit an error.​

    Mattingly, though, doesn't plan on moving Puig to center field, where Matt Kemp has struggled and Andre Ethier recently has taken over.​

    "The whole goal of our team is to put our best club out there and play our best defense," Mattingly said. "If we move Yasiel to center, then we've weakened ourselves in right and he has to make an adjustment to center, and we don't know if he's going to be the best center fielder. We feel like we have the best right fielder in baseball right now."​

    __
     
  16. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    multiple articles...
     
  17. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    COMMENTARY
    Yasiel Puig feels free on diamond
    Cuban defector thinks baseball should be entertaining for athletes and fans
    By Johnette Howard | ESPN.com -- 1 hour ago

    Dodgers sensation Yasiel Puig splashed down in the big leagues on June 3 one year ago. And for most of that time -- starting with the debate about whether he should've been invited to the All-Star Game just a few weeks into his thunderclap debut -- Puig has easily been the most polarizing and talked-about figure in the game. But now he's really gone and done it.

    Anyone still inclined to charitably write off the 23-year-old Cuban defector's flamboyant play to just youthful exuberance, or the idea "he must think that he's still playing somewhere else" -- the backhanded slap veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran leveled at Puig during last season's National League Championship Series -- now has Puig's own words to contend with.

    Or, more precisely, Puig's own admission that most of what he does on the field isn't colored by naïveté or chance.

    "It's my style. It's the way I've played baseball for a long time. I don't really worry about the other team or what other players think about me, other than our team," Puig told MLB.com the other day, when asked how he would answer his critics. "As far as what other people think, I try to play the game hard and I try to play the game happy. I want to have a good time when I'm playing.

    "This is a game of entertainment. I don't play it to offend people. But I do have a good time playing the game of baseball."

    Entertainment ... style ... have a good time?

    It's a good thing that Puig is up to confronting the debate he has triggered. Because the questions he makes major league baseball confront about itself are fascinating.

    What if more baseball players didn't scorn the 'E' word -- entertainment -- and treated the game as a vehicle for personal expression, same as Puig, same as NBA and NFL players do in their sports? How different would baseball look or feel? How much more fun or lively would it be? And why would there be anything "wrong" or heretical about that?

    What if it made baseball better? Freer? More f-f-f-f ... fun?

    There. Someone said it.

    It's worth thinking about when it's a philosophy coming from Puig, one of the more arresting all-around players the game has seen in years. Puig is so powerfully built and astonishingly talented, he makes you think this must have been what watching Mickey Mantle was like during his ascent. The blistering speed. The tape-measure home runs. The defensive gems and cannon arm. The hit-for-average stroke and crazy OPS. (One difference? At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Puig has four inches and 40 pounds on Mantle, who was listed at 5-11, 195 pounds.)

    Puig also has this going for him: He's figured out how to counter his opponents' strategy by learning to lay off bad pitches.

    "They pitched him like he's going to chase and he's quit chasing," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about halfway into Puig's streak of reaching base by either a walk, hit, or hit by pitch, which stood at an MLB-best 33 games entering Monday.

    "He's made the adjustment. You see it with guys with that kind of talent. It's just a matter of putting the mind to it. Yasiel's smart. He just has to stay under control."

    Puig is less than two years removed from Cuba, one of the last closed-border countries on Earth.

    Even Puig will admit the brain cramps he occasionally has on the basepaths or out in the field make him fair game for criticism. He has quarreled at times with coaches, other players and the media. He's been benched for things like a lack of hustle, or for tardiness.

    But Puig just keeps on flipping his bat and raising his arms to celebrate a hit. He keeps diving for balls and running into walls -- then saying his flair is something he refuses to apologize for.

    It's about time baseball had someone like this. Someone you can't take your eyes off because -- good or bad -- you never know what he'll do next.

    So pay no attention to that high-pitched sound in the background. Puig doesn't. It's just the traditionalists grinding their teeth.

    Baseball is in the midst of a generational and values shift, whether it likes it or not. Veterans such as White Sox slugger Adam Dunn, Brewers first baseman Mark Reynolds and Orioles manager Buck Showalter all acknowledged as much in Tim Kurkjian's piece last week about the waxing and waning of some of the unwritten rules of the game, including forgoing showmanship. Puig is just the most flagrant practitioner.

    As Reynolds said: "It's the culture now. It's a young man's game. These kids grow up seeing this stuff on TV, and they want to emulate it. Baseball is a slow game; people want more action. The fans like it; the players don't like it. But more of it is going on now than ever."

    And Puig -- more than most guys who get tweaked -- has a chance to be a transformative figure.

    He's the sort of wondrous athlete that baseball often complains it doesn't attract anymore, at least not in America. Watching him streak across the outfield and lay out for a fly ball like he did here on May 22 to rob the Mets' Wilmer Flores of an extra-base hit was jaw-dropping. Even his mistakes are awe-inducing: Seeing him flip his bat and admire a fly ball he mistakenly thought was out of the park -- then, with a look of slight panic, take off on a full sprint, and still leg out a stand-up triple in last year's NLCS against St. Louis -- was downright shocking. How'd he do that?

    But here's the other thing: When you quit refracting how Puig plays through the way baseball has traditionally seen itself here in America, and instead filter it through the prism of Puig's life in Cuba, you have a better chance of truly understanding him. His adamancy about celebrating how he's made it or defending how he plays becomes eminently more reasonable.

    He tried to defect from Castro's Cuba so many times before he finally succeeded, he has said he actually lost count after six or seven attempts. On one try, he was caught in Rotterdam, where the Cuban national team was playing. On another try, he and several others on a raft were intercepted by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Haiti and taken back home. Yet Puig was driven to keep trying, though every attempt invited risk, jail time -- even death. After Cuban officials banned him from playing in 2011-12, he tried to escape the island four times in 2012 alone, once after asking a Santeria priest to forecast what might be a fortuitous time.

    It's also been well-documented that when he finally did get out, it was with the help of a Mexican drug cartel that tried to auction him off to other handlers, demanded huge chunks of his salary and allegedly threatened him.

    And yet the harrowing details didn't surface until after he'd already signed his six-year, $42 million contract with L.A. and been in the big leagues for months, with him excelling on the field and sometimes seeming moody off it.

    So think about it. If you're a 23-year-old who's been through all of that, perhaps it's no wonder you'd push back against folks who say tone it down, treat playing baseball like a high-stakes job -- not a sanctuary or an act of unfettered happiness or freedom.

    Puig has noted that in Cuba, many players show emotion and stadiums rock with the sounds of fans playing drums and dancing by their seats.

    "The way I play is not meant to annoy the opposing pitcher or the opposing players; it's just my style of play, and I'm going to keep playing that way. I hope they don't get bothered by that," Puig told The New York Times during a recent visit to play the Mets. "Ever since I was a little boy I enjoyed playing that way. That's how I get motivated. When I'm energized, good things happen for me. I hate being passive because it doesn't help me at all."

    Mattingly says Puig has cut a lot of his questionable antics while improving his game on numerous levels. And the Dodgers were transformed since his June call-up last year.

    The Dodgers are 100-66 since his arrival -- the second-best record in baseball during that span.

    Mattingly already calls Puig the best right fielder in the game. Some people think he's the best player in baseball, period. Not Mike Trout or Jose Bautista or Miguel Cabrera.

    Puig's stats for May were incredible: He led the National League in batting average (.398), on-base percentage (.492), slugging percentage (.731), OPS (1.223), home runs (eight, tied with Giancarlo Stanton) and runs batted in (25). He's off to the sort of start that could leave him in position to win baseball's Triple Crown.

    So fans can boo him. Traditionalists can cluck about his ambition to remain entertaining. But Mattingly is right. Puig is smart.

    If you're Yasiel Puig, why would you change much of anything?

    __
     
  18. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    COMMENTARY
    Assessing Yasiel Puig after Year 1
    The supremely talented Dodgers outfielder is showing signs of baseball growth
    By Doug Glanville | ESPN.com -- 1 hour ago

    When you are a playmaker, your "moments" -- those times that make people remember you -- can be epic. Usually, your playmaker moments are epically good. But when they aren't, they can be epically bad.

    So Yasiel Puig can make a catch like he did against the Mets a week and a half ago, going full speed (20-plus mph, according to Sport Science), outrunning another super athlete in Matt Kemp to get to the ball and diving on his backhand side for the grab. He seemingly flew out of nowhere to make that play. And obviously, he can swing the bat, living among the league leaders in average, home runs and RBIs while sporting an astronomical 1.036 OPS to boot. That is the epically good.

    The epically bad centers on Puig's decision-making: how he uses his rocket arm and his speed on the bases. To go with what seems like a daily dose of heroic plays and otherworldly displays of his talent, he often gives extra opportunity to his opponent in the field or runs into outs on his own. In fact, he leads the league with outs made on the bases, with nine.

    But despite the public mistakes he has made at various times, Puig has shown great improvement since he came to the majors a year ago, especially in reducing how often he chases pitches out of the strike zone. He is limiting how much he commits to a pitcher's pitches instead of the pitches he can drive.

    On Sunday night against the Pirates, his calm at the plate was evident in every at-bat. And it is truly the calm before the storm of his powerful swing.

    Sometimes it seems that everything he does is a highlight reel. I had a front-row seat with ESPN's broadcast team for the Dodgers' May 22 game against the Mets, and again Sunday against the Pirates. And I saw that there can be no doubt about his magnetism on the field. For better or for worse.

    More and more often these days, it has been for the better.

    I don't wish it on anyone to have a camera on them for an entire three-hour game, as ESPN did on Puig during at Citi Field. But that exposure, plus my in-person observations, provide an excellent data collection tool to further my understanding of his complete game. Here are my impressions from watching him from "play ball" to the final out.

    No. 1: Puig has legendary talent

    The talent is obvious. His bat speed, his ability to accelerate from a standstill to full speed. His tools are remarkable. The ball jumps off his bat in batting practice and the game, and he uses the entire field with power. He can change a game just on his tools alone.

    No. 2: He has improved at the plate

    His chase percentage has gone down roughly 10 percent since last season, which is the largest reduction in all of baseball. Not to mention that it has gone down every month since his debut a year ago. That was noticeable in the early counts. He is no longer flailing after getting ahead with a 1-0 count. He laid off borderline pitches when he had the count in his favor. He already has walked 26 times this season -- he had only 36 walks after he came up on June 3 last year. His manager, Don Mattingly, worried when Puig went on a hitting streak earlier this season. "I thought because of the streak, he would get caught up in getting a hit and go backwards on the strides he made with his discipline," Mattingly said. "But when it ended, he still was getting on base by walks."

    No. 3: Puig's teammates support him

    Puig challenges his teammates to help him by telling him when he makes mistakes. Juan Uribe, Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez have taken a particular interest in giving him direction. This effort, along with the many times he has put his body on the line to make a big play, makes for a growing level of respect in the clubhouse.

    No. 4: He is still young

    He is 23 years old. When I was 23, I was fighting my way to Double-A and making plenty of mistakes on the bases. In today's game, being hot for a month in the minors gets you promoted, gets you an opportunity at the big league level, ready or not. With the dollars invested in this level of talent now, players have to be ready very early for a long haul that likely can include public struggles and learning curves at the major league level. Most players at Puig's age have an area of their game that is incomplete and far from major league caliber. But if you have the bat, as Puig does, teams will have patience. As Mattingly said before Sunday's game: "Nowadays, you have to coach more at the big league level. Guys advance after a good half in the minor leagues. They arrive with things to learn."

    No. 5: Baserunning is not instinctive for him

    Puig is a runaway train; and typical of naturally aggressive performers, the tendency is to let him go so he will not become tentative in other areas of his game. So he is running into outs, seemingly unaware of game situations at times, trusting his unharnessed natural ability to see him through. He has the speed to be an impact player on the bases, but baserunning is learned by repetition more than anything -- reps, along with the people to teach it. With coaches such as Davey Lopes on hand with the Dodgers, Puig will learn. But it likely will take some time for the instincts and the repetitions to come together in a way that makes him an asset on the bases. Like Vladimir Guerrero, he will put pressure on defenses by never stopping, but if his over-hustling efforts keep turning into easy outs, opponents will just thank him for taking himself out of scoring position. He has a lot to improve, and the great baserunning decisions may not ever come with consistency, but his bat can make that deficiency less noticeable.

    No. 6: He trusts his arm ... too much

    On many balls hit to him, he dares runners to take the extra base, often intentionally playing back to let the ball come to him to give the runner a chance to be bold. Smart baserunners will bait him into a mistake, and that may make for many teaching moments. Then it will be up to him to change his approach. Instead of showcasing his rocket arm, he needs to learn that it is more important to get to the ball quickly and get rid of it to stop runners from advancing and third-base coaches from waving for the extra base.

    No. 7: On defense, he is not ready on every pitch

    When I saw him against the Mets, he was not set up in an athletic position on many pitches. With his talent, he can make up for that more often than not; but in the outfield, even when the ball is not hit to you, you have a responsibility. You always have somewhere to be, someone to back up. On a pickoff attempt, for example, a right fielder should be running toward first base just in case. Puig was often standing still, caught flat-footed even when the pitch was on the way, and he was losing a couple of steps from the setup alone. This is easily correctable; and to his credit, less than two weeks later in Sunday night's game against the Pirates, he appeared to be prepared for the play much more frequently.

    No. 8: Puig is under a lot of pressure

    Much has been documented about his journey here to play baseball in the States. He has a lot of handlers, expectations, uncertainty. He is living for the moment, given he has had times when tomorrow seemed unsure. There is a respect for his "live for today" approach that shines through in the energy he brings to the game and the Dodgers.

    Puig will be an impact player for a long time, and he will get better at learning the nuances of the game and managing on-field perceptions if he keeps accepting input from all the experience around him in the Dodgers' organization and throughout the league. He set the bar high by expressing to his manager that he wants to be remembered like Derek Jeter.

    In the meantime, he can choose to see defense as he sees offense and connect the dots that it is just as much about the plan before the ball is pitched as it is about what he does with his lightning-quick hands, super speed and rocket arm. He has made huge strides in a very short period of time, making his talent more than just a mirage. He can commit to developing and adapting his talent. And if nothing else, that talent is worth paying to see.

    __
     
  19. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    Detailing Yasiel Puig's historically great run
    By Jayson Stark | ESPN.com -- 1 hour ago

    Detailing Yasiel Puig's historically great run
    By Jayson Stark | ESPN.com -- 1 hour ago

    I'm still trying to figure out how Yasiel Puig lasted until the fifth pick in our Franchise Player Draft. Unless we're now deducting points for speeding tickets, the lowest he should have gone, in a sane world, was second.

    But that was out of my control. I picked 27th. What is within my control is being able to document that this man's first year in the big leagues was unlike pretty much anything we've witnessed in our lifetimes.

    And I can actually prove that -- with Five Astounding Yasiel Puig Anniversary Facts:

    • 1. This is Puig's stat line over the first calendar year (and 157 games) of his big league career:

    .326/.405/.559/.964/30 HR/71 XBH/191 hits/16 SB

    Wow.

    I've looked at every player who debuted in the past 50 years. Nobody matched or beat every number on that line over his first 157 games. Yep, I said nobody. Not Mike Trout or Albert Pujols or Ryan Braun or Miguel Cabrera. Nobody. So we'll have to break up this comparison into sections.

    • 2. If we drop stolen bases from the criteria, the only hitter in the past half-century to match or better Puig was that Pujols guy. His first 157:

    .333/.408/.621/1.029/37 HR/87 XBH/191 hits

    So it's Puig and Albert. Pretty good group.

    • 3. If we forget the whole slash-line concept, the only hitter in the past half-century who even piled up 30 homers, 71 extra-base hits and 16 steals in his first 157 games was Braun (with 47 HR, 94 XBH and 16 SB).

    What about Trout, you ask? He had the homers (32) and the steals (48). But he didn't get to 71 extra-base hits (67). And oh by the way, Trout also didn't match any number on Puig's slash line (.309/.374/.535/.909).

    • 4. OK, let's simplify this even further. You know how many other players in the history of baseball have even reached 191 hits and 30 homers (regardless of any other numbers) in their first calendar year in the big leagues? Only four, according to the Dodgers. Another stellar group:

    Chuck Klein 1928-29 (232 H, 42 HR)

    Hal Trosky 1933-34 (193 H, 33 HR)

    Pujols 2001-02 (196 H, 37 HR)

    Braun 2007-08 (204 H, 47 HR)

    • 5. And, finally, let's just zap the whole concept of First Year in the Big Leagues. Whaddaya say? And let's compare Puig to everybody in baseball over the past calendar year. Here's what you'll find:

    Precisely one other player in the entire sport has put up a .326/.405/.559/.964/30 HR line since Puig arrived in the big leagues. You've heard of him.

    That would be Cabrera:

    .330/.414/.590/1.004/37 HR

    And Trout just misses -- at .324/.437/.559/.996/28 HR.

    So how great has Yasiel Puig been? Oh, only historically great. And MVP great. And can't-take-your-eyes-off-him great.

    In other words … I just wish I'd have had that No. 2 pick!

    __
     
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  20. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    The Year of Yasiel Puig
    ESPN.com -- 1 hour ago

    Editor's note: With his exhilarating and aggressive style of play, Yasiel Puig has become perhaps baseball's most polarizing figure and a lightning rod for criticism. His first year in the majors has been a roller-coaster ride, both on and off the field. Here's a look back at the Year of Yasiel, beginning with the Cuban sensation's magical debut on June 3, 2013.

    June 3, 2013 | THE DEBUT

    Yasiel Puig bats leadoff, goes 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and fires a strike from the warning track to Adrian Gonzalez at first base to complete a game-ending double play in his major league debut, a 2-1 Dodgers win over the Padres.

    "Storybook"
    -- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly

    "I'm going to do little things on the field to help the team even when I'm not hitting."
    -- Yasiel Puig

    "He's an energetic guy, eager to get on the field, loves the game and always has a smile on his face. We all know he's got a great arm."
    -- Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez

    June 4, 2013 | THE ENCORE

    The next night, the 22-year-old Cuban sensation belts a pair of home runs, gets a pair of curtain calls and drives in five runs in the Dodgers' 9-7 victory.
    Don Mattingly

    "Not bad, huh? He's pretty good. Those were two impressive home runs there. We see a little bit of just everything this guy can do. Power both ways. He's fun to watch."
    -- Mattingly to MLB.com

    "Obviously, he's gifted. But there's an aggression to the way he goes about playing baseball. Certainly, the results are attractive, but I like the mind frame. He's up there with an intent to do damage."
    -- Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly

    June 6, 2013 | THE GRAND SLAM

    Another first for Puig: a grand slam, in only his fourth career game, a 5-0 Dodgers win against the visiting Braves.

    "It's just infectious the way he plays. Seems like there's a joy in his game. It's the way you're supposed to play. He just looks so fresh. That's what gives our guys so much energy."
    -- Mattingly

    "He's really going out there and playing like he belongs up here."
    -- Braves starter Tim Hudson

    June 11 & 14, 2013 | THE BRAWL AND SUSPENSIONS

    Puig takes a fastball to the face in the first of two bench-clearing incidents June 11 against the Diamondbacks. Three days later, Arizona's Eric Hinske tries to pin some of the blame on Puig, who draws a fine but avoids suspension.

    "I've been a model citizen in this league for 12 years. And then there's Puig, who's been in the league for 12 days and he gets no games. So you tell me what's right."
    -- Diamondbacks 1B Eric Hinske

    July 3, 2013 | THE AWARDS

    With a major league-best .436 batting average, seven home runs and 19 runs scored in 26 games in June, Puig earns NL Player of the Month and NL Rookie of the Month honors.

    "He kind of reminds me of myself. Sometimes he plays too hard, and sometimes you have to tell him: 'Man, calm down. You can't make every play.' But he's done an amazing job in his first month in the big leagues. He's gotten big hits and made big plays on defense. He's doing a lot, and I think we're just feeding off the kid."
    -- Dodgers CF Matt Kemp

    July 3, 2013 | THE ALL-STAR 'JOKE'

    All-Star selection talk is heating up, but not everyone is caught up in Puig-mania.

    "The guy's got a month, I don't even think he's got a month in the big leagues. Just comparing him to this and that, and saying he's going to make the All-Star team, that's a joke to me."
    -- Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon to MLB Network Radio

    July 10, 2013 | THE LECTURE ON ETIQUETTE

    After a couple of run-ins with Puig, including once at home plate, Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero offers the rookie some friendly advice.

    "If he's my teammate, I probably try to teach him how to behave in the big leagues. He's creating a bad reputation around the league, and it's unfortunate because the talent that he has is to be one of the greatest players in the big leagues. Right now, I'm not going to say he's the best because he hasn't proved anything yet. Does he have talent? Of course. Does he have the tools? Of course. He's got so much talent, it'd be really bad if he wasted it doing the stupid things that he's doing."
    -- Diamondbacks C Miguel Montero to MLB.com

    July 28, 2013 | THE (BAD) BASERUNNING

    Puig's baserunning, reckless at times, is drawing concern.

    "We're trying to corral it a little bit, but without putting too many restrictions on him. As you get into big games, any game can be the game it costs you, so we just want him to understand situations."
    -- Mattingly

    July 28, 2013 | THE ELECTRIC SLIDE

    The flamboyant right fielder slides into home plate after his first career walk-off homer.

    "Each player does what he can when he gets to the plate. Some people jump, some people slide, some people run. I have a previous teammate in Cuba that jumped and hurt his ankle. So I decided to slide."
    -- Puig

    Aug. 14, 2013 | THE (GOOD) BASERUNNING

    In the 12th inning, score tied at 4, Puig stuns Mets center fielder Juan Lagares by taking second base on a ground ball up the middle. Puig would come around to score the game-winning run on Adrian Gonzalez's double.

    "When he does something like that, that's outstanding. That's something you can't teach. He did that all on his own. Nine out of 10 guys wouldn't try that.

    "I really believe. He thinks he can do anything."
    -- Dodgers first-base coach Davey Lopes

    Aug. 14, 2013 | THE ARM

    Puig launches a throw (and himself) to nail the Mets' Marlon Byrd at third. Baserunners are quickly learning that they should think twice before trying to take that extra base.

    "Any time somebody runs on him, I expect him to throw somebody out."
    -- Dodgers utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr. to the Los Angeles Times

    Aug. 19, 2013 | THE EMOTIONS

    Puig inexplicably erupts at home-plate umpire John Hirschbeck after a three-pitch strikeout.

    "[The umpires are] only going to put up with so much. For me, if he doesn't say anything ... It's just a little delicate. He's emotional and we're not going to get that out of him."
    -- Mattingly

    Aug. 20, 2013 | THE LATE ARRIVAL, FINE AND TIEBREAKING HOMER

    The rookie arrives late to Marlins Park, has a closed-door meeting with Mattingly and gets fined an undisclosed amount.

    "I'm satisfied with the answer, but it doesn't make it better. You've just got to leave earlier. You get caught in traffic or whatever, it's easy to say that, but it's kind of like, 'OK, that's fine, but you're still late.' ... We don't have any problems with Yasiel in the clubhouse. He's a good kid. Really, there are no personal problems. His problems come from mistakes that we want to correct."
    -- Mattingly

    Held out of the starting lineup, Puig belts a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning of the Dodgers' 6-4 victory over the Marlins.

    "We're always expecting something great. He's just got so much ability. He got a pitch and drove it, and what a spot to do it in. He doesn't seem like he feels too much pressure out there."
    -- Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano

    "I'd like to have a guy like that coming off the bench."
    -- Marlins manager Mike Redmond

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