{"id":56274,"date":"2022-08-18T17:18:01","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T21:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=56274"},"modified":"2022-08-18T17:18:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T21:18:01","slug":"jake-mccarthy-succeeding-david-peralta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2022\/08\/18\/jake-mccarthy-succeeding-david-peralta\/","title":{"rendered":"Jake McCarthy and Succeeding a Fan Favorite"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Jake McCarthy<\/strong> and Succeeding a Franchise Face<\/h2>\n<p>It is never easy to succeed the face of the franchise, or an icon, or an institution. Yet it happens. Whether it be a longtime high school coach, a mainstay player, or a band director in a small town following someone who had been there longer than he\u2019s been alive, it happens. No one can stay in one place forever, although some stay so long that it can feel like they will. Somebody had to follow Lute Olson as the head men\u2019s basketball coach at the University of Arizona. Florida State needed to have a head football coach after Bobby Bowden retired. Somebody had to play shortstop for the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/category\/yankees\/\" target=\"_self\">New York Yankees<\/a> after Derek Jeter retired. Someone also had to play left field for the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2022\/04\/06\/diamondbacks-preview-2022-improvement-looms\/\" target=\"_self\">Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> after David Peralta was traded. That someone, as general manager Mike Hazen said in the post-Peralta trade press conference, is Jake McCarthy.<\/p>\n<p>While Peralta \u2014 known affectionately as \u201cThe Freight Train\u201d \u2014 was not the Hall of Fame-caliber player that Jeter was, he meant just as much to Diamondbacks fans as Jeter meant to Yankees fans. So when McCarthy was anointed by the general manager, that could have put a lot of pressure on him. But McCarthy has handled it well, keeping the same demeanor as he always has. He\u2019s the same Jake McCarthy as before \u2014 calm, cool, laid-back, and enjoying the chance to play the game he loves at the highest level.<\/p>\n<h3>Jake McCarthy Since the Trade<\/h3>\n<p><a id=\"_MZBljzWR3BaUyft-3aoKQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1242213152\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'_MZBljzWR3BaUyft-3aoKQ',sig:'rBo9yHM3kn3ZRh8YsH4kqTDugwpxN_hFTLOBhfy-Spk=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1242213152',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Since the trade, McCarthy is slashing .304\/.371\/.357 (17-for-56) with three doubles, eight RBI, five walks, a hit-by-pitch, 6-for-7 stolen bases, and five runs scored in 18 games. This has made for a .328 wOBA and 0.9 wRAA. Since coming back from Triple-A on July 11, he has slashed .308\/.371\/.357 (28-for-91) with eight doubles, 10 RBI, eight walks, a hit-by-pitch, 13 runs scored, 8-for-9 stolen bases, a .340 wOBA, and 2.4 wRAA in 18 games.<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy\u2019s mindset has helped him focus on his on-field performance. \u201cI don\u2019t really think of it as \u2018I\u2019m replacing (David Peralta),\u2019\u201d McCarthy explained. \u201cI guess, literally, I am, since I\u2019m the left fielder (now). But, I understand. He\u2019s been doing this\u2026a lot of seasons. So I knew of David Peralta in Arizona before I was even in professional baseball. I understand what he means to the franchise, what he&#8217;s done, the impact he&#8217;s made, and, obviously, I have a lot of respect for that. My job is to succeed him in playing left field. I\u2019m simply doing my job to the best of my ability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy also isn\u2019t trying to be something or someone he\u2019s not. He\u2019s simply trying to be himself. \u201cI am not trying to be David Peralta,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m simply trying to be the best version of myself. So I don\u2019t look at it as (replacing him). That\u2019s not the right way to look at it. I\u2019m just trying to do my job, and that\u2019s to help this team win. That\u2019s where the conversation begins and ends. It\u2019s obviously really cool to play the same position as a guy like (David) who\u2019s made that type of impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Meeting David Peralta<\/h4>\n<p>One place Peralta made an impact was with McCarthy himself. This happened in McCarthy\u2019s first spring training back in 2019. McCarthy was in minor league camp, backing up a big-league game against the White Sox at Camelback Ranch. \u201c(David) had batting practice and came out to left. He did his round, and I stood behind him, because he was starting in left that day. I was probably going to come into the game for the eighth and ninth inning. He stayed out with me for the third group and was walking me through the types of routes he\u2019s learned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy was referring to Peralta\u2019s time switching from pitcher to left field. He continued, \u201cHe was telling me some things Mac (first base coach Dave McKay, who works with the outfielders) taught him when he started playing left field. Not that left field is foreign to me, but he was giving me some pointers. Even at that point \u2014 I don\u2019t even think he knew my name, he just saw a younger guy in the outfield. I thought that was pretty cool that he spent five to ten minutes of his day. He could have just gone into the clubhouse, knew he was getting three innings and two at-bats, and called it a day. But he chose to help me out. He was always a good teammate when I was here over the past year, so I wish him the best in Tampa.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A Touching Tribute<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">We are all Jake. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MtpX193WYF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/MtpX193WYF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BALLYSPORTSAZ\/status\/1553544739672059904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 31, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>McCarthy gave Peralta a touching tribute when he hit a double hours after the trade had been announced. Upon reaching second, McCarthy looked at the dugout, pulled Peralta\u2019s trademark imaginary train whistle, and touched his chest over his heart.<\/p>\n<p>McCarthy did that gesture from the heart, not for the cameras. He chuckled while smiling sheepishly as he explained the background. \u201cIn my first start in left here, he was DHing. I was joking around, telling him I gotta do the train, and when he runs out for the first inning. He was laughing. So I hit a double and he was on third base. I pointed to him and gave him one of these, laughing.\u201d McCarthy did the train whistle motion that Peralta was known for. He continued, \u201c(David) thought that was funny. Then on my next double, I did it again, but he wasn\u2019t in the dugout. I thought, \u2018Oh, shoot.\u2019&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n<p>Hazen said in the post-trade conference call, \u201c\u2026there&#8217;s a new generation of fan favorites that, I hope, are starting right now.\u201d Perhaps one of those is McCarthy. He\u2019s not gunning for that, as he said, but simply trying to do his job.<\/p>\n<p>To put it succinctly, somebody\u2019s gotta play left field. And as McCarthy calmly put it, \u201cIt just happens to be me.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Main Photo:<\/h4>\n<p><a id=\"AmClP2GES4l9s0SRDDkPsg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1242187883\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'AmClP2GES4l9s0SRDDkPsg',sig:'X5DBITePQysYnZZ4RGDHxeQD5Lx2MALKuTpdlWHBHyk=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1242187883',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h4>Players mentioned:<\/h4>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=mccarja02,mccart000jak&amp;search=Jake+McCarthy&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=&amp;utm_medium=referral\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jake McCarthy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jeterde01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=&amp;utm_medium=referral\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derek Jeter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/peralda01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=&amp;utm_medium=referral\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Peralta<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mckayda01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=&amp;utm_medium=referral\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dave McKay<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jake McCarthy and Succeeding a Franchise Face It is never easy to succeed the face of the franchise, or an icon, or an institution. Yet it happens. Whether it be a longtime high school coach, a mainstay player, or a band director in a small town following someone who had been there longer than he\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2901,"featured_media":56275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29,2,1071],"tags":[604,5147,94],"class_list":["post-56274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diamondbacks","category-featured","category-mlb","tag-david-peralta","tag-jake-mccarthy","tag-nl-west"],"modified_by":"Evan Thompson","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2901"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}