Fired Mets hitting coach Dave Hudgens is unhappy that the team's TV broadcasters, mostly Keith Hernandez, often blast the organization's patient approach at the plate.
"I'm glad I don't have to listen to those guys anymore," Hudgens said Monday on his way out the door.
On Tuesday, Hernandez's booth partner Ron Darling told Newsday that Hernandez has tons of credibility when offering criticism.
"Keith was the poster boy for what they do," Darling was quoted as saying. "He's already done it. These guys aspire to do it. I think that Keith is probably the best person to talk about how you get on base, but at the same time the aggressiveness with which you can do that. So I don't know anyone better to speak about it."
Hernandez had 2,182 career hits and a .296/.384/.436 slash line over 17 seasons. He has not commented on Hudgens' rant.
Hudgens knows Hernandez was a tremendous player, but he still doesn't appreciate the discouraging words.
"I have respect for those guys as players," Hudgens said Tuesday on ESPN Radio's Michael Kay Show (via Newsday). "Keith Hernandez is a great player, a Gold Glove guy and World Series champ and a cusp-of-the-Hall of Fame-type of player. I just didn't like all the negativity all the time."
Hudgens told Kay that the Mets' philosophy isn't to take tons of pitches, but to get a good pitch to hit. New York, though, entered Tuesday's play seventh in the majors in the percentage of pitches taken, at 55.9, per STATS LLC. They were tied for 10th with 3.86 pitches seen per plate appearance.
The Mets entered Tuesday's play 20th in the majors with a .309 on-base percentage.
