Enjoying a Metsless Postseason

Now that the post-season has taken my focus off the Mets I find life as a baseball fan so much more peaceful. Truth be told, I actually quite enjoy the playoffs when my team isn't in them.

Perhaps this is a matter of being conditioned that more often than not, the Mets are not playoff bound, but part of it also involves relishing the supreme lack of stress when your team is not in it. Instead of fretting over every pitch, you are a merely a bystander enjoying the game itself. Sure, you pick a surrogate team to root for but it’s all very casual. If they win, that’s nice. If they don’t, they’re not the Mets so it really doesn’t matter. Another perk is that you are not chained to the television for bizarre start times. You also can flip the channel if a game is boring without any guilt.

Yes, there is definitely something to be said for the detachment factor of a Metsless postseason. After a miserable effort in 2009, I can now watch the Yankees and see what kind of team can be built with a large payroll if the people spending the money do so judiciously. I can also proudly claim that Carlos Gomez, the Twins player who had the most impact on Yankees sweeping the A.L.D.S., is a product of the Mets’ farm system; a system where clearly base-running fundamentals are not on the current curriculum.

Or how about taking secret pleasure in the fact that there are other teams out there that can’t find a way to score with the bases loaded and no outs? Similarly, what about teams that head into the 9th inning with a lead only to blow games in the same ridiculous ways that I watched the Mets blow them this whole season?

Yes, fellow Mets fans, thus far the 2009 postseason has been a delight, even if only to make us feel better that at least our team wasn’t committing their heinous baseball crimes on the playoff stage. And with that I salute those players responsible for putting a small wry smile on my face this October. Matt Holliday, Jonathan Papelbon, Huston Street, Carlos Gomez, Joe Nathan and all the rest, a round of applause is in order! Keep up the good work and maybe, just maybe, at some point you’ll come to the Mets where bad fundamentals at exorbitant salaries are part of the culture. Read more!

Even Costumes Can't Hide the Ugliness of a 90 Loss Season

Last night, the Mets lost their 90th game of the season to the Nationals’ Ross Detwiller, who earned his first Major League victory. Despite a good performance from journeyman pitcher Nelson Figueroa, the Mets anemic offense could not break through against the Nats. Playing another round of listless baseball, this team is clearly done for the year and is now just mailing it in until the season comes to a merciful close.

In April, no one would have expected the Mets to have the sixth worst record in baseball. After missing the playoffs by a hair in 2007 and 2008, Sports Illustrated even predicted this team to go to the World Series. Unfortunately, a ridiculous rash of injuries threw a wrench in that plan, but even so, there really is no excuse for the mediocrity this team has displayed on the field over the past three months. Lack of hustle and a complete ineptness when it comes to baseball fundamentals is what has put this team at 90 losses and counting. You can expect some degree of mental and physical mistakes when most of your regular 25 man roster is replaced by subs and young minor leaguers, but we have also seen a ton of mistakes this year from the veterans and it is inexcusable.

While I don’t necessarily advocate Jerry Manuel and the coaches being fired, some blame has to be shifted on to this staff because clearly, the team is not responding. The same thing happened under Bobby Valentine and Willie Randolph towards the end of their respective runs as manager as well. I can’t say that about Art Howe because the leadership wasn’t there with him from the very beginning, but that’s another story. But once the season ends, Omar and Jeff Wilpon really need to evaluate everything. This includes the major and minor league players and the coaching, medical and scouting staff throughout the organization. They need to find out what isn’t working and make changes. They also need to set a direction for the club so they have a specific plan in place to fill the areas of deficiencies both on and off the field. There is no cohesion within the Mets and that needs to change because next year could be another bust if they head into spring training and everyone isn’t on the same page.

You may ask yourself, how bad is the lack of direction the Mets have displayed this year? Well, it is so bad that the players can’t even get their rookie hazing ritual right. This rag tag collection of randomness just perfectly illustrates the lack of direction, cohesion and teamwork. Check out: Mets 2009 Rookie Hazing.

And on the flip side, you have the Yankees 2009 rookie hazing, which was well planned with a consistent theme – much like their team. And, their costumes don’t look like the $19.99 specials from the nearest Halloween Adventure stores.
Yankees 2009 Rookie Hazing.

Pretty obvious just in comparing these two photos which of the New York Teams are playoff bound and the other is preparing for a long offseason.


Read more!

The Few Bright Notes of 2009

As painful as the Mets' 2009 season has been, as September draws to a close, it’s time to examine the few bright spots that give us hope that 2010 will be a better year. Amidst the misery that comprised much of this season, a few players stand out for either having exceptional seasons, overcoming adversity or for just plain gutting it out as team players when so many others clearly played for individual stats. So with this in mind, some kudos to those who rose above the cumulative mediocrity and gave us fans something to cheer about.

Luis Castillo

After a horrendous 2008 season where he batted a mere .245, Castillo came into spring training in better shape and determined to prove that last year was an aberration. While Castillo isn’t the best defensive second baseman, he has hit well in 2009, with an average hovering around .311. He has been in the middle of countless scoring rallies and also gets bonus points for the way he handled the dropped pop-up which cost the Mets a game against the Yankees in June. He has played in over 140 games this season and since that infamous dropped pop-up game, has batted .337.

David Wright

While David’s sudden lack of power and increased strikeouts this season has drawn the ire of many critics, the fact is, he is still hitting over .300 and has gutted it out to play pretty much every game aside from the few he spent on the disabled list. At various points this season, he was the lone Met regular in the line-up and deserves credit for not only playing without any rest whatsoever but also for coming back after being dangerously beaned in the head.

Daniel Murphy

After Murphy’s failed experiment in left field, most young players would not have had the confidence or ability to learn a new position midseason and show promise in the field. Murphy has done just that and has even shown some flashes of brilliance at first base. Though he struggled with the bat the first half of 2009, he has been hitting much better since July, raising his average to .266. Murphy is hitting .304 this September and is tied with Albert Pujols for the most extra base hits this month. He also leads the team in doubles (36) and home runs (11 – yes, pathetic…). Sadly, Daniel probably will become a star for another team next year as unless the Mets find some power in left field or behind the plate, his 11 home runs just won’t be enough from a first baseman.

Pedro Feliciano

Pedro Feliciano seems to have been in every game this season, challenging his own record for the most appearances in a single season set last year. The lefty specialist reliever is pitching to a 3.02 ERA and lefties are hitting just .227 against him. If only the rest of our bullpen was half as reliable…

Jeff Francouer

When the Ryan Church for Jeff Francouer trade first happened, I must admit to not being thrilled. In hindsight, though, this was a very good move by Omar Minaya. It seems a change of scenery injected new life into Francouer, who in 64 games with the Mets is batting .314 with a .342 OBP, seven HR and 34 RBI. You also have to love the grittiness and the desire to win that Francouer exudes. He is a true team player and a clubhouse difference-maker for 2010.

Honorary Mentions – Carlos Beltran and John Maine

Carlos Beltran and John Maine deserve kudos this year not for on-field accomplishments but for gutting it out through their injuries. The fact that both came back for the final weeks of September in a losing, meaningless season speaks volumes about their character as players. Most players these days would have just mailed it in and collected their paychecks until spring training. Here’s hoping both Beltran and Maine remain healthy and can play significant roles in the Mets’ 2010 comeback.
Read more!

Mets vs. Phils - Rambling Comments and Observations

This past weekend’s series against the Phillies was the cherry on the sundae for this horrific Mets season. Not only were they mathematically eliminated with Sunday night’s double-header loss, but the fatal blow was struck by none other than their former comrade, Pedro Martinez. Yes, that would be the same Pedro who was hurt the majority of the 2007 and 2008 seasons yet would not consider accepting less money from the Mets to return in 2009. The same Pedro who then took less money to go pitch midseason for our arch rivals, The Phils. How’s that for irony?


Oddly, I bear no ill-will towards Mr. Martinez. Baseball is a business and frankly, even if he had been willing to accept less money from the Mets earlier in the season, I don’t think the Mets were that interested. The truth of the matter is, with all of the injuries, even if Pedro had signed with us earlier on, I doubt his presence would have changed anything in this wretched season. And the way karma works; he probably would have gotten injured already somehow!

Pedro aside, however, the thing I find most interesting about this weekend’s Mets / Phils series was that going into it, most Mets fans expected our shell of a team to get drubbed soundly. But the truth is, they were in every game and made things pretty competitive. Ok, we all knew the Mets would ultimately end up on the losing end of the majority of the games. But unlike the Marlins series, the team actually showed up for the games - especially with all of the late inning scoring. If you are a Philly fan, you have to be a little concerned that a team without many of their regulars managed to put up this much of a fight. You also have to be concerned about your bullpen, which right now looks horrendous.

Now, I’m definitely not suggesting that the Phillies’ bullpen woes will lead to them losing the division a la the Mets of 2007 and 2008. It takes a special bunch to do what the Mets did the previous two years when they blew respective 7 and 3.5 game leads in the NL East with 17 games left on the season. But the circumstances right now for the Phils are eerily similar to those of the Mets of 2007 and 2008.

As of today, September 15th, the Phils are 7 games up on the Marlins with 19 games left to play. Three upcoming games are against Atlanta, who still has a long-shot chance at the Wild Card berth. Even scarier is that five are against the similarly Wild Card gunning Marlins, including the three that end the season. In 2007 and 2008 the Marlins were the final nails in the coffin for the Mets during their fateful season-ending matchups. Adding to the similarities are the bullpen woes of the 2007-2008 Mets and the 2009 Phils.

The fat lady has sung and has been escorted offstage for the Mets in 2009. But could she be headed to Philly for an encore performance? As a Mets fan, I don’t know. To me, bullpen woes aside, the Phillies have insane offense, play good defense, have good starting pitching and play with heart. These are factors that the Mets definitely did not get at all in 2009 or at the end of the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Truly good teams stop bad streaks from picking up too much momentum and spiraling out of control. The Mets weren’t good enough to stop the snowball effect. The Phils have 19 games left to prove they are by figuring out a solution with that bullpen. Otherwise, these last 19 games are going to be the most painful Philly fans will ever experience. Trust me on this. Been there, done this twice and it isn’t remotely fun. Read more!

The Qualities of Leadership

Much has been made this week about how David Wright handled the near miss beaning by Cardinals reliever Brad Thompson and now this past weekend’s direct hit by the Giants’ starter Matt Cain. It has been said that in keeping his cool – especially in the seemingly intentional Thompson brush back, Wright exuded all the qualities of leadership that this Mets team needs going forward. But does a team floundering in 4th place after suffering 2 consecutive September collapses really need a leader that is robotically passive when being challenged? Or do they need a leader that will stand up and show some fight and spirit? Based on the on-field lethargy we have all witnessed the past three years, perhaps David should start hanging around Keith Hernandez so some grit rubs off of him.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is no question in my mind that David Wright is the face of the Mets. He is the Derek Jeter-like untouchable messiah that will likely lead this team into the promised land at some point during his career. The kid pretty much has done everything right since they day he was promoted to the major leagues. With David, you never fear the foot-in-mouth syndrome PR nightmare that seems to be so prevalent among Mets players and management. Now granted, this season the home runs are down, the strikeouts are up and he does seem more mortal with runners in scoring position but on a team decimated by injuries, Wright feels more pressure than anyone to carry the club and it has affected his game. As the “face of the franchise”, and a pretty young one at that, a little tailing off this year can be forgiven due not only to the fact that he is surrounded by replacement players in the lineup, but also that he is playing in a cavernous new ballpark. I give Wright the utmost credit for facing the media during the worst times of this lost season and the previous two collapses and taking responsibility for the mediocrity on the field.

However, there does come a point where doing and saying everything the “Wright” way may not be what’s best for the team. For example, if Piazza had charged the mound when Clemens went rootin’ tootin’ roid rage ballistic on him during the 2000 World Series maybe the Mets would have put up a better fight instead of losing in 5 games. Certainly, the 1986 Mets would not have stood for such shenanigans and their swagger and grit lead them to a championship.

It is all well and good for David to feel bad about the Mets’ failures the past few years and for the disappointing 2009 season but there comes a time when you are faced by adversity that you have to stand up and fight back or you will get stepped on. I challenge any team out there to be able to overcome the injuries that have plagued the 2009 Mets and go on to have a championship caliber season. Their entire starting lineup and pitching rotation has been completely decimated for months. Expecting the team currently taking the field to have a winning season is like picking the Nationals or the Pirates to win the World Series – there just isn’t enough talent. But at some point, when an opposing pitcher throws at your head intentionally, perhaps it is time to show some spine and fight back a bit. Get the adrenaline charged and do something, anything, to stand up for yourself so other teams take you seriously.

In 2007 and 2008 the Mets just rolled over and died. They practically handed the Phillies and Marlins shovels and bags of dirt to bury them. If David is going to be the leader of this team he has to prove on the field and to his teammates that this submissive attitude just doesn’t fly. He is the only person on the roster that has the passion for the team and for winning that can handle this, but he needs to work on that “take no crap” attitude. That’s not to say he should be charging the mound punching out any pitcher that brushes him back, but in some way, whether by a gesture or an aggressive play, show the opponent that you and your team are not pushovers. You play in New York where win or lose, there is a certain grittiness that comes with the territory of being a New York franchise. Otherwise, not only will other teams eat you alive but the fans will too.
Read more!

The NY Mets' 2010 Agenda - To Patch or Tear Down? That is the Question!

For the Mets, the sole goal for the rest of 2009 should be focusing on what they need to do to turn this mess around next year. The team needs to evaluate every player on the roster as well as those in their minor league system. They also need to evaluate the personnel in the front office, the coaching, medical and managerial staff and figure out once and for all what changes need to made. Clearly, the winds need to shift in Flushing to remove the awful stench emanating from Citi Field.

First and foremost a decision needs to be made as to the fate of both Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel. While I don’t always agree with Manuel’s tactics, the truth is, he has done a pretty good job of steering this sinking ship of injuries through the muck. Unfortunately for Jerry, if Omar is fired or moved to a different position within the Mets organization, he is probably a goner. And if Manuel is ultimately let go then the only person I would want to see the Mets hire as manager is Bobby Valentine. If Valentine could lead the 1999 and 2000 teams to the post-season with an outfield of Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton, Timo Perez and Derek Bell then clearly he can make this motley crew into winners. And you can bet that any “bad seed” players that have trouble following orders won’t be long for the team if Valentine is manning the helm.

If the Wilpons decide Omar needs to go or be moved elsewhere within the organization, whomever they hire for the GM position needs autonomy to build the team as he sees fit. The Wilpon meddling needs to stop. Sign the checks and shut the F$% up. Whether they promote John Ricco to GM and hire a strategist like Gerry Hunsicker or Buck Showalter to work alongside him remains to be seen, but personally, I don’t know enough about Ricco to have confidence solely in him. If he had some reputable advisors working with him, that’s another story. Another name that has surfaced recently as far as GM goes would be Oakland’s Billy Beane. Could Billy be lured away from the left coast by the Mets giving him double the player payroll to work with? It remains to be seen.

With regard to the medical staff, this is a short one. Fire everyone. Whomever you replace them with, make sure they have medical licenses to practice on humans in the United States of America. Some references would be good as well. Stay away from candidates names Kevorkian and Spacemen.

As far as the players go, now is the time to see what we’ve got from these replacements and some of the minor leaguers once the rosters expand. Clearly, the core of the team is Wright, Reyes, Santana, Beltran and K-Rod. Everyone else is pretty much expendable at this point and Reyes could be included in this group if there was a mind-blowing offer made. I’m liking what I have seen from Francouer thus far in right field so barring any tailspin you have only left field open next year. Can Fernando Martinez handle it? Unfortunately, his earliest try-out will probably be spring training. I hate to give up on a prospect so young but I have to say, from what I have seen of him, F-mart is not that impressive…maybe he just isn’t ready for the majors. It also doesn’t help that he is always hurt. The other in-house option for left field is Angel Pagan. Pagan looks good but is he an everyday player and will he hustle like one? Now is the time to find out…Otherwise, the Mets need to find someone to play left field who can hit for power. Not having a bat who can tie a game with one swing is a huge detriment that needs to be fixed.

For the infield, third and short are fine with Wright and Reyes, providing Reyes is healthy for 2010. Castillo must be commended this year for bouncing back to form so if he is at second and can be productive that is fine. First base, though, is a giant question mark. Delgado is not coming back, and as mentioned, we seriously need someone in the line-up besides Beltran with some sort of power. Can we afford to go with Daniel Murphy at first? He’s shown promise and you have to give the kid credit for sticking it out through the horrendous batting slump and learning a new position. With that being said, though, we need a bat…we really need a bat. And unfortunately, Murphy has proven his outfield skills are non-existent. He’s too young to be a bench player so I’m not really sure what to do here…I had high hopes for him but the truth is, if they can get some power at first base and can trade Murphy to an AL team where he can play first and DH then maybe that’s the best scenario for everyone involved.

As far as pitching goes, aside from Santana, the starting rotation is a mess. Pelfrey has clearly demonstrated he is not a #2 starter. He needs to use the rest of this season to prove to management and fans once and for all what he is capable of. Stop with the hand-licking, the balking and the yips and just get it done. Either that, or the Mets need to Isringhausen him so he can become a star for another team. Hey, we all know that’s what usually happens when the Mets trade home grown talent (Melvin Mora, Marco Scutaro…dare I continue?).

Oliver Perez is another giant question mark. His last outing was very good but you never know what you are going to get from him. If the Mets can possibly move him with that outrageous contract, they probably should. Doubtful but…

As far as the rest of the rotation goes, Jon Niese may or may not be a factor depending on how he heals from the hamstring injury. I would like to see him back to take Livan Hernandez’s spot in the rotation but that remains to be seen. If not Niese, perhaps Parnell will be in the rotation but I tend to think Parnell is of more value in the bullpen.

There is also some question for John Maine as well. Maine is always hurt but worth taking a chance on for a one year incentive-laden deal. Worst case scenario> With a cheap deal, if he can’t hack it you release him or try to trade him. Honestly, I trust Maine more than Pelfrey and Perez at this point. Despite the injuries you get the feeling that he gets it as far as pitching goes and he seems to not be afflicted by attention deficit order like Perez or anxiety like Pelfrey.

As far as the bullpen goes, obviously, K-Rod is the closer, though with 2 blown saves in his last 3 opportunities that can be debated. Feliciano has proven to be reliable as has Stokes. Sean Green, not so much. He is somewhat expendable though I don’t know what kind of trade value he has.

Putz’ fate somewhat depends on whether he returns this season. If he does and proves he can get people out, I would pick up his option. If the Mets don’t opt to keep him they can always trade him. Plenty of teams need closers so they might actually get something worthwhile back. The same can be said for Wagner. If he can come back before the waiver deadline and prove he can pitch someone might claim him for the stretch run.

As mentioned earlier, though, once the 2009 season is over the first thing that needs to be done is for the Mets to figure out their front office and managerial situation. This needs to be done relatively quickly. The indecisiveness and dragging stuff out can’t happen. If you are firing people, do it and move on. Hire their replacements, set a goal for 2010 as far as the direction this team is going, make a plan and stick to it. Either patch the glaring holes and try to win in 2010 or cut your losses, clean house and rebuild. There is no real middle ground. The Art Howe years proved that you can’t fence sit in New York or you will quickly continue on the path to irrelevance that 2009 kicked off.
Read more!

NY Mets 2009 - DNR Now and Save 2010

After losing three of four to the putrid Arizona Diamondbacks this past weekend, it is pretty safe to say that any hopes of a Mets wildcard berth have pretty much petered out the same way this entire season has. With only 57 regular season games left, the Mets find themselves five games under .500, ten games out of first place and eight games out of the Wildcard with seven teams ahead of them. Though mathematically still alive, let’s face it, folks, our Metsies are currently on life support along with their beleaguered GM and possibly their manager. It’s time to pull the plug and look towards 2010.

As everyone knows, injuries to so many starting players and even key back-up players played a huge role in this disappointing season. At this point, I see no real reason to even try to rush Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran back so they can play at 80% and possibly cause more damage to their fragile selves. Why not shut them down now, let both rest for 2010 and err on the side of caution? Or if Beltran does indeed need that micro fracture surgery, do it now and get it over with so that the ten months it takes to heal does not kill all of next season for him. In fact, if surgery is what he definitely needs, this should have already been done weeks ago after it was deemed the bone bruise was not improving.

As for Delgado, Wagner and Putz, if these players can come back for 2009, by all means they should. As everyone knows, both Delgado and Wagner will be free agents after this year, and Putz is playing for his option year. All three want to come back and prove they are healthy so that the cash bells start ringing in the off-season. This is a can’t lose situation for the Mets. If they can help out, that’s fantastic. If they don’t, well, it was great knowing you, good luck in the future.

The one question mark for an injured players return this year is John Maine. Ah, my adorable Johnny Maine…so young and fragile yet with so much upside...Should the Mets try to rush him back this season just to test that fatigued shoulder and see if they should offer another contract for next year, or do you let him rest, offer a super cheap but incentive-laden deal for 2010 and take your chances? Or do you just walk away for 2010?

Given the amount of money this team has wasted on bad contracts like good old Ollie P’s, I would try my best to keep Maine a Met for 2010. When healthy, he has proven to be pretty reliable for a quality start and has even shown flashes of dominance. I’d trust a healthy Maine with the ball any day over Ollie. Plus, he’s young, seems to have a good team attitude, he’s adorable (worth repeating) and can likely be had for cheap. For a million / million and a half, if it doesn’t work out, you cut your losses and move on. The Mets would probably have an easier time trading a semi-ineffective, reasonably paid John Maine than they would have unloading good old Ollie without having to pay part of his contract.

Now, with all of this being said, I can almost write the script for the rest of the Mets 2009 season…As Murphy’s Law always has it, just as fans completely give up hope and start looking ahead to 2010, this team will give us some small reason to believe that they are not actually dead in the water. Maybe they’ll pull off a string of wins against St. Louis and on their upcoming road trip. Maybe their beards will grow to ZZ Top-like proportions and they’ll make it to .500…It’s okay…Mets fans are like Charlie Brown…we’re used to the football being pulled away at the last second. This year, though, we know that’s how 2009 will end. We’ll be good sports and kick through but we won’t land flat on our backs. It’s up to the Mets front office and how they deal with Reyes and Beltran to make sure 2010 doesn’t begin that way. Read more!

The Judgement Judges

By now I need not rehash the three-ring circus known as the New York Mets front office. Actually, it now seems the Wilpon’s administrative wing could be more accurately referred to as the rear office.

Firing Bernazard? Good move, Omar. Attacking Adam Rubin? Bad move, Omar. I think we’re all in agreement on these things. That is, if you’re not including Omar or the Wilpons in “we.”

Why? Well, in the firing phase of the main circus event, both Omar and Jeff Wilpon made it clear they both had deep respect for Tony Bernazard and considered him a friend. So, one must ask, what could possibly lead one to consider as deeply respected a man who himself exhibited, from all accounts, absolutely no respect for those under his watch? Either poor Tony has been judged harshly during years and years of chronicled questionable behavior, or those who ultimately wielded the axe have to have their own judgment questioned by virtue of their chosen bedfellows. How do you even begin to express your deep respect in the same breath as you terminate that person’s employment based on their behavior? It’s like saying you admire a person who has been convicted of DWI for their ability to hold their liquor.

The next breach of judgment is Omar’s decision to single out Adam Rubin as though he caused Bernazard’s actions. Adam Rubin was not the voice in Tony Bernazard’s head guiding him through what seems to be years of bizarre behavior. Adam Rubin was merely the messenger. Omar might consider that shooting the messenger may not be the best career strategy for someone who’s calling press conferences.

The upshot of this all may actually be coming to light, as it’s now been reported that the Wilpons have expressed that Omar’s days may be numbered. They should be. Even in apologizing to Rubin, Omar defended his actions, and it later became somewhat clear that the apology was given from a child who’d been taken to the woodshed. Magnanimity is obviously as foreign a concept for the stammering GM as maintaining a positive public image seems to be for the club as a whole.

Be all this as it may, I’m certainly capable of believing that everyone can have a particularly bad moment within an truly unfortunate day as part of a really crappy week. For that, I’m more than capable of mustering forgiveness for a man who may, at some point – maybe Thursday during the 3rd press conference in 4 days – appear to be truly repentant. Omar was upset, and chose the wrong place to vent and the wrong person to spew venom toward. I can forgive that moment of irrationality if I’m convinced of the contrition.

But Omar himself needs to have history reviewed and needs to now be judged by his actions and performance in total. He may be due forgiveness for some trades he’s made that didn’t pan out wonderfully for the team. Who of us has a flawless crystal ball? If we are to believe his convoluted reasoning, he may be due forgiveness for flying to the west coast to fire his manager at 3AM in what had been, until this week, the greatest Mets media fiasco since the club’s inception. Maybe Omar should have these sorts of “big bads” tempered by some achievements, such as bringing Johan and K-Rod to Queens. So grading by big plusses versus big minuses, Omar can be judged to be right in the middle. Mr. 50%. The Wilpons may be alright with that sort of grade for their GM, but after weighing all the considerations no one in their right mind can defend Omar as the best man for this job by virtue what should be considered the grandest tipping point on the New York baseball scale of good judgment:

Oliver Perez’s contract.

Omar simply doesn’t deserve more chances. These laughing-stock weeks have allowed the window to be opened for him to be judged by the judgments he’s made. The Wilpons are being judged precisely in that same manner by every fan who considers buying an expensive ticket to a home game. Right now, the Wilpons are also failing miserably. Right the ship, cut your losses, clean your slate and get back to performing well both on and off the field. What’s been going on these past few years is shameful, and responsible ownership needs to make responsible judgements to fix that.

Just to be clear, I’ve never asked anyone about getting a job in baseball. And if the Wilpons had any public relations and crisis control skills, Adam Rubin would be starting his job as Director of Corporate Communications on Monday.
Read more!

Perception as reality

Not having watched the show I can’t vouch for the validity of this, but based upon a huge number of Twitter mentions, it would appear that comedian Jimmy Fallon’s monologue Monday night included this quip: Tomorrow is the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Or as the Mets like to call it, "vacation."

By the sheer volume of redistribution of this little pearl of wisdom, one might think this was the greatest comedic utterance since Costello first asked “Who’s on first?” But in truth, the line’s about as funny as it is accurate. Of the 29 MLB teams, 13 rosters didn’t hold a single player voted as an All-Star. And, of the remaining 16, only one - the Phillies - had more players (5) invited to the season’s halftime show than the Mets (4).

I’m not about to indict the misguided Fallon for assault with a foolish tongue. The fact of the matter is, if you’re perceived as a joke, you are a joke, and so far this year the Mets might as well be wearing joker’s hats instead of baseball caps. Player lowlights don’t just end up on local news, they grace the entire world online and live there in perpetuity. Just as HD television takes note of every minor skin flaw your favorite reality star is sporting, the internet makes every major flaw of your favorite sports star a broadband reality and the potential butt of any joke, late night or otherwise.

If the Mets are going to allow themselves to be defined by their troubles - walk off errors, base running blunders, bat anemia, and an inability to portray that you actually do understand all the rules of the game (just to name a few) - then they’ve created the true playing field that the rest of the world judges them on. By not rectifying their problems on the field they’ve allowed perception to become reality. Today’s reality is that the Mets put up a comedic first half. It’s up to the players to change the perception by providing a new, improved reality, no matter who within their system might be playing at any time on any given day.

Management is another perceived joke that has seemed to be laughed at more and more since Omar Minaya’s plane touched down on the west coast and Willie was sent packing back east. However well he may believe he break danced around any criticism about how that particular situation was handled, Minaya’s personal presentation in the year since has invited the perception that he is a bit of a stammering joke. Through all the team troubles, Minaya has appeared to be incapable of displaying himself as forthright and fully educated. Through injuries he’s appeared unaware of status or expected treatment, and through player moves he’s appeared less than honest and, frankly, ignorant. Most importantly, through a period when the need for any type of field and plate relief would appear to be a no-brainer, he’s stuck his neck out just enough to bury his head in the sand while the inadequacy of the farm team he's responsible for is beginning to ring clear. While Jerry Manuel’s mantra could be categorized as “don’t give up,” perception is that, for at least this season, Minaya already has. For a team to which he’s devoted the second highest total salary in the major leagues, that might be considered the very biggest joke of all. That is except for the All-Star game itself, which is arguably in a league of its own.

For all you twitterati who might be interested, feel free to follow my ongoing musings at twitter.com/MikeVooss

Read more!

Jerry’s Lemonade Stand

The trauma center known as the Citi Field claimed its latest victim early this week when Carlos Beltran was sidelined with an ongoing deep bone bruise of the knee. With 9 major components of the team on the DL, Jerry Manuel seems to have gotten a free pass for the season. How can you blame the manager for the play of a team that is a shell of what it should be?

A good manager never takes credit for the success of the team, and all the blame for its failures (well, unless it’s Omar’s fault, but that’s another story). In the process, a good manager should also be able to overcome adversity and create winning opportunities. So while the current pandemic in Queens may breed a safe cocoon, I’m thinking that more than ever this is the prime time to be scrutinizing the skipper’s ability to be functionally creative. Before the cavalry comes back to try and clean up whatever mess may happen in the coming weeks, let’s see how Jerry’s able to make lemonade out of lemons.

Fernando Tatis has been batting cleanup the past two days, an experiment Jerry has explained as giving the opportunity to see if he can reclaim some of his spectacular rejuvenation during last season. In the process, Tatis has single-handedly redefined the art of sparking double plays for the opposition. Both days his already scary proclivity for doing so would be even greater had David Wright reached base ahead of him a few more times. Placing a slumping player in a lineup position normally relegated to cartoonish behemoths with questionable hormone levels has to raise the eyebrow of anyone paying attention. Let him rejuvenate, just don't do it there. I don’t doubt Tatis’ heart or the possibility of rekindling the fire in his offense, but this is the major league, not a feel-good Disney movie, and cleanup isn’t the place for batting practice. Mix it up and get Reed or Church in there, with a displayed ability to get hits when they’re in a groove. If you’re going to give someone a chance at redemption, don’t you want them to start with the bigger bat?. If Tatis is going to find his groove, he can find it at 6 or 7 just as easily. Would Cora, Church, Santos and Wright be a less effective front 4 than what’s up now? If Jerry’s going to think out of the box, maybe he needs to think farther out.

There was no way the Mets were going to win against Pineiro yesterday, who had a masterful game. But with Livian Hernandez batting, Jerry called for a very rare hit and run. The questionability of this is overwhelming. That’s not creativity, or working with the tools you have. It’s grasping at straws, but the team that won the night before certainly didn’t look like it required desperate moves. The season still has a lot of time, but it’s past the time when you can afford to give up games carelessly. I realize these examples only spotlight two games worth, but these past 3 months have generated plenty of other possible inclusions.

As engaging and insightful as he can be when describing wins post-game, Jerry has a way of sounding awfully like Willie Randolph when the team loses. The standard lines of “tomorrow’s another day” and “we just have to put this one behind us” have gotten old even before halftime. I’m not about to drink the Kool-Aid that says Jerry can’t win with the team he has, he’s not to blame because of it, and we shouldn’t worry as long as the team that’s playing .333 ball is over .500.

I’m waiting for lemonade.
Read more!

Injuries Will Be A Test Of Their Met-tle

Yesterday looked to be another bleak day in Metsville when news broke that Carlos Beltran was headed for the 15 day disabled list with a progressively worsening bone bruise. As if to add an exclamation point to the bewildering number of injuries that have plagued this team this year, word then gets out that Jose Reyes and trainer Ray Ramirez were in a car accident earlier in the day. Even more ironic is the fact that they were headed to the Hospital For Special Surgery when it happened. Thankfully, no one was hurt but the level of ridiculousness here is just a little spooky.

Since the season began almost half of the Mets’ roster has been plagued by injuries. Missing most notably are Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and J.J. Putz, but the absence of all of the players that have succumbed to one malady or another has played a huge role in where this team stands right now. It is by no means the sole reason the Mets are currently floundering, but it definitely plays a significant part in their June swoon.

Losing Delgado and Reyes have been the two most difficult of the injuries to overcome, but Putz, even though he was not pitching well when he went down, was a huge loss in the sense of how the rest of the bullpen has been overused. You can almost directly attribute all of last week’s losses to Putz’s absence.

Now, with Beltran down for 15 days or more, these next few weeks become the real test as to whether the Mets can hang in there until their many walking wounded return. Last night’s game was an encouraging sign that maybe, just maybe, this team can get it together and survive their DL blues. Kudos to Tim Redding for pitching 7 innings and getting his first win as a Met. It was not his best outing run-wise but aside from the home runs by Ryan and Ludwick, he was in control of the game.

On the offensive side, for the first time in a while, pretty much everyone contributed. The highlights were Daniel Murphy’s 2 for 5 night, including a home run, and Luis Castillo’s 3 for 3 night. Also notable was the fact that they made no errors and essentially played solid fundamental baseball against the blazing hot Cardinals, who had just swept the Royals over the weekend. Pretty nifty!

Whether or not the Mets can sustain the momentum from last night’s game remains to be seen but the fact is, even with this hodge-podge roster of subs, if they expect to stay in the race until the regulars return, they are going to have to step it up a notch. That means good starting pitching (preferably six innings or longer), clutch hitting, good fundamentals and team work. Do the little things right. Like actually catching routine pop-ups, stepping on third base, hustling to first and knowing how to lay down a bunt. Some clutch hits with the bases loaded would also be much appreciated, thank you. Play small ball until the big boys return and play as a team and the results might just surprise everyone. And let’s face it, after the last three years, every Mets fan could use a nice surprise. Here’s hoping that after a June of rain, doom and gloom the sun will start peaking out through the clouds over Flushing some time soon. Ok, I rhymed…time to stop now before I jinx everything. Read more!