Tony B...Champion of the People

As the Mets Turn: Chapter 12
Who gives a crap and move on.

"There's nothing to that, honestly," Manuel told The Post. "I've always gotten along real well with guys like [Mets assistant GM] John Ricco, guys like Tony Bernazard, Omar [Minaya]. The conversations are always about baseball: What are we doing, where are we going, are we trying different things. I never had any of these meetings secretly. Everyone could always see us talking."

The paranoia has a firm grip on Willie and sensationalism is running rampant in the media. It was clear this was a mistake from the start and the Wilpons had a wiff of that.

Fred Wilpon was enamored of the idea of the Mets becoming racial groundbreakers by being the first New York team to hire a black manager - Randolph, like Wilpon, is also a Brooklyn native - and was mollified by Minaya's contention that he'd picked a manager who would be an asset in working with minority communities in the offseason.

Ooooooh that was problem #1. You hire coaches and baseball people as well as players for baseball reasons and not PR reasons. Perhaps the biggest flaw with the Mets is that they do things for the wrong reasons and for all this negative press on Bernazard, he seemed to be right.

Minaya's assistant, Tony Bernazard, was never a Randolph fan and had pushed for Montreal Expos third base/infield coach Manny Acta for the job. Acta was instead hired as one of Randolph's coaches.

Also, let us say he did lobby for Randolph's firing, a firing I thought should have happened a long time ago. Doesn't that make people feel better that he is fighting for what is right? Why should he champion a guy he believes is the wrong guy. Who cares how it happened, it had to happen and people have lost sight of that. Willie was lucky to even be the manager for any portion of 2008 and that is glazed over as the man was on borrowed time.

Tony is being painted as a bad guy and maybe he is. However, it would not be for lobbying for Randolph's dismissal. That was a solid baseball decision and something that is good for the team. They surely have other holes, but that was an easy one to plug up and a manager may not create a ton of value, but he certainly should not be adding negative value and I truly felt Randolph did that.

* * *

This is a tasty link.

“When a guy talks about coming to our place where he has a chance to win and compete against the Yankees and the Red Sox, and then he goes to a place like Kansas City, that’s an eye-opener,“ he was quoted saying in USA Today. ”We may have dodged a bullet with that one.”

Yep, whew, they dodged that bullet. Almost got stuck with Gil Meche and his 128 ERA+ last year. Of course, Ricciardi knew what few others could have understood — Meche would not have HAD that 128 ERA+ in Toronto because he did not have the heart and guts and competitive fire necessary to take on the Red Sox and the Yankees and all that. Yes, J.P. knows more than stats and tools. He can see into the hearts of men.

Moises might be done. I assume he will attempt to come back and the Mets will let him being they owe him a lot of money, but really, nothing is to be expected of him anymore. It is a shame though as he was a borderline Hall of Fame talent when healthy. He has career 128 OPS+ and was remarkably consistent. Here are his breakdowns of his career monthly stats:
March/April .331/.394/.587
May .295/.364/.449
June .291/.349/.497
July .300/.370/.531
August .296/.365/.523
Sept/Oct .316/.382/.529

He could have been a remarkable run producer if he had been able to stay on the field and it is too bad he will remembered as a fragile player who could not stay healthy and often pissed on his hands.

The SNY team has done a great job of being unbiased.

Me likely. It seems stupid and small, but I think it is a nice little gesture.

Oh....please. Enough with this backstabbing crap. And is everyone collectively tired of hearing Gossage speak about anything?

Luis should be a full time platoon guy. Hopefully Manuel puts that into practive soon.

Jerry calls Mets fans a pile of crap.

Mike Pelfrey is turning into a Major League pitcher. He has been looking good and controling games with his fastball that he seems to be getting more swing and missess on.

The Mets are only 3.5 games out, but I am tempering any excitement until they prove they can be consistent. The issue is not getting hot while someone else is cold. That is too be expected, but staying consistent for a month will be the thing that lets me sleep at night.

Randolph Redux

So um....I don't know if you have heard, but he Mets fired their manager. Is that still even being talked about?

I did not have time yesterday to fully dive into the depths of my brain to say everything I wanted to say about the issue. Luckily, I do not have to today as Rob Neyer had a chat and many of the things I wanted to say were illustrated perfectly by others which saves me oodles of time.

When a team wins, the manager generally gets a great deal of credit. More to the point, while the Mets' losing record may not be -- almost certainly is not -- strictly Randolph's fault, it's fairly obvious that something had to change. Willie Randolph may be a fine manager, but he does not seem to be the right manager for this team, right now. Maybe this team isn't good enough to win, no matter who's calling the shots in the dugout. But there's only one way to find out.

To continue down the road of mediocrity and not do anything is criminal. Changing Minaya mid-season would have ZERO outcome on the Mets in '08 and '09, however, the managerial change might have an effect. Something had to be done and this was the only option.

Those of you calling for Minaya's head may be justified, but it would be fruitless. It might serve the point to satiate your need for blood being spilled, but Willie's blood at least may lead to something good. Again, it may not, but as Rob said, there is only one way to find out.

Nick (NJ): How was this team supposed to win 90 games? They have Wright/Beltran/Reyes on paper with Alou (he's more fragile than paper)/Castillo (couldn't hit a ball through paper) and Delgado (umm...can't think of a paper analogy) who was done last year. This roster is horribly constructed - and don't even start on the bench. This is all on Omar.

Rob Neyer: (12:21 PM ET ) Here's what I can tell you, Nick ... Before the season, I looked at five "computer" projections -- that is, projections based on data rather than blue sky -- and all five showed the Mets with somewhere between 92 and 98 wins. One thing I've learned over the years is that if you try to outsmart the data you're usually going to be wrong.

Blame Minaya if you want, but the same roster everyone is ripping him for putting together was also the same roster that many other people thought was good as well. Simulations are not real life, which is obvious, but all you can do is put together the best team you can on paper and hope for the best. The Mets won 88 games in '07 and added Ryan Church and Johan Santana which is a significant upgrade that theoretically should have pushed them in the mid 90's for wins.

Enter reality, that is not happening and the manager is the easy target.

Mario (Queens, NYC): Willie's been on more championship teams than everyone in the Mets organization combined. Aside from the horrendous handling of his dismissal, it was simply the wrong move. There are no legit managerial alternatives, so it was clear that it was just a shot across the bow to shake things up and deflect responsibility. While I've been an Omar fan to this point, I'm now glad to see that he's now directly next in line for a canning if the team continues to falter. By the way, what are the stats on a team making the playoffs after a mid-season managerial change?

Rob Neyer: How is Jerry Manuel not legit? He's got experience, and a career winning record as a major league manager. Seems to me there are few *more* legitimate options than Manuel.

This is my most favorite-est argument in the universe. Willie is just a BORN winner with so much class, dignity, and grace. That mustache is so elegant and demands soooo much respect. I mean, really. Are there actually people out there that think anything Willie has done as a player or third base coach means he should be managing a big league ball club?

Since he has been the manager, he has proven to be inept (lack of strategic ability), stubborn (especially with young guys), childish (playing favorites and making many snide remarks), delusional (blaming SNY for being racist and calling Met fans out for being fair-weather fans), and too hands off at times ("There’s no certain point you get to where you’ve got to make any speeches. We know where we are").

Yes, Willie may have been a good big league ballplayer. Yes, he has a few championship rings. Yes, he is probably a good father and husband. Yes, he probably has a good soul and does not look at child porn. Yes, he is a local guy. However, none of that has anything to do with being a good manager and especially not for this Met team.

As for Jerry Manual, everyone knows he has more managerial experience than Willie does, right?

Terrence (NYC): The Mets should go against every inkling of their beliefs, tendencies, and beliefs- and hire Wally Backman. Pull a George Costanza, and just do the opposite. He's exactly what this team needs.

Rob Neyer: Perhaps. If the Mets don't make a strong second-half push, Manuel's probably gone. And maybe Backman is just what the millionaires need.

I really need Terrence to be the special assistant to the Grand Puba of the Mets.

Justin (Massena, NY): Well, if the Keith Hernandez for Manager '09 campaign is starting here, I'm throwing Ron Darling in for Pitching Coach. Those two, as broadcasters, have at least made watching the blunderous Mets games really entertaining this year.

Rob Neyer: Yes, but as a TV watcher I must vociferously protest. Don't free Mex and Ronnie!

Please...keep them in the booth.

Justin (Queens, NY): I believe your assesment was correct when you said "Randolph may be a fine manager, but he does not seem to be the right manager for this team, right now." The Mets need a disciplinarian, someone who won't be afraid to bench Reyes after he has a mental gaffe (then smiles) or tell Delgado he isn't playing verus lefties. I suggest Keith Hernandez manager for next season.

Rob Neyer: Specifically, I don't think Hernandez has any interest in managing. Generally, I think the Mets should hire someone -- if they don't keep Manuel -- who's actually managed before, even if only in the minors.

And really, this is the basis of every argument I had for not hiring Randolph in the first place. This team was on the precipice of what we all thought would be multiple playoff births and the first World Series win in twenty+ years and leading the charge was a guy who was a third base coach and bench coach for one season. Ummm.....am I missing something?

Anders (Montreal): I don't know who to finger point at - Minaya gave Luis Castillo a 4/25$ contract, but Randolph is the one batting him second. I'm so confused.

Rob Neyer: It's funny, I was completely on board with the anti-Castillo sentiment ... until I noticed this morning that he's got a .368 on-base percentage. I'm far from his biggest fan, but Castillo's not the problem. Not this year, anyway (the contract's still a joke).

That was the best one of the day....

* * *

So Manuel is a coach for thirty seconds and it begins with his shortstop coming up gimpy and Ramirez and Manuel run out to tend to him. Reyes wants to stay in and Manuel pulls him. Reyes throw a hissy fit, tosses his helmet, and goes into the dugout and subsequently right into the locker room. Then Jerry goes and down to give him a stern talking to and give him some 'choice words' (in Darling's words).

Did I lose you? Ok...then let us continue....Easley can't get to ball in the hole that Reyes would have at least had a shot on, can't turn a double play that Reyes probably makes, and then makes a mental gaffe by not covering second on a pick off move. Basically, not having Reyes might have cost the Mets the game as the tone was set early.

Yes...there is no mistaking this is the Mets. Just as dysfunctional as ever. Manuel's first day at the office was a rough one, but let us not go crazy about one game. Everyone relax...please. For all of our santity relax...THERE IS NOTHING TO GO CRAZY ABOUT. Things are fine and rosey...just relax! Anyone buying this?

Pat (Belfast, PA): Buster, obviously I'm biased and upset with Wang's injury, but isn't this once again a good time to examine why pitchers still hit in the NL? The "tradition" factor is silly, as is a need for the leagues being "different" in some way. All of the minors and college use the DH, if I'm not mistaken, so why isn't this addressed?

Buster Olney: Pat: You and Hank Steinbrenner are thinking along the same lines. I wish the rules were uniform; I wish they played without a DH. But that is not happening, it will probably never happen in our lifetimes, so to worry about it is a little like fretting about the weather; it's just not going to change.

Did I miss the point in time where pitchers became comprised of egg shells and pixie dust? Should quarterbacks start wearing flags in their pants so they no longer get tackled?

Main Entry: ath·lete
Pronunciation: \ˈath-ˌlēt, ÷ˈa-thə-ˌlēt\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest
Date: 15th century

: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

I really love sports. However, I really hate the point in time when players stopped becoming athletes and starting becoming investments. Not just investments, but they were deemed extremely fragile investments.

Overall, Buster is a weenie that has nothing good to say about what the Mets did. Nieto went because Randolph went and he was his guy. On top of that, Obie needed to get in the mix and that was a good place to get him in there. Peterson might have worn out his welcome...he might not have. However, to be dismissive of the firing and saying it accomplishes nothing is absurd. If they had no desire to keep him around in '09, why pussy foot in '08?

I get it. The Mets firing Willie when they did seems absurd. I agree they had plenty....and I mean PLENTY...of opportunities to do so. However, to call them back stabbing is just silly. He was under .500 69 games into the season and he just captained the largest collapse in the history of the galaxy and they are paying him MILLIONS of dollars through 2010. I think Willie will be able to remove the knife from his back and find a way to carry on.

Tim Marchman is awesome. I repeat....awesome.

Quotes, quotes, and more quotes.

The players don't seem all that upset, but I do not expect them to trash Manuel or the management. However, it seems they are especially blah about this firing.

I still love Professor Rick.

"I wear this bracelet because I’m … very in tune with Eastern philosophy and universal law. [The bracelet rings signify] faith, compassion, equanimity and love. … The Eastern language writes in symbols, and the symbol for crisis they also use for opportunity. I’ve been given a great opportunity here, and as I walk out that door, I seek my next opportunity. I walk out in peace, and I wish everybody else here the best. … Hopefully, the Tuscany tile will do a lot better than a hardwood floor."

Some good words about Jerry.

Keep Moving...There Is Nothing To See Here....

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!

I somehow feel vindicated and applaud my own steel resolve. I was berated at times and called many unspeakable things for keeping my cause alive, but it is finally over. However, I think the Mets sort of handled this badly to put it mildly. There were plenty of reasons to get rid of Willie, but at 3:15 AM East Coast time?

I was sleeping parallel to the foot of my bed with the TV on and my blow up doll still on the bed with a few frozen bananas laying around. I was in one of those in and out of consciousness states and then I heard the news that Willie was fired. No shit, I thought I was dreaming. I gave the old one eye squinting/half sleeping stare at the TV and indeed, Willie was gone.



I smiled a bit and then it dawned on me that this team is run by a group of absolute morons. There were plenty of times to give Willie his walking papers and the Mets wait until after the 1st game of a West Coast trip while the Mets are in the midst of a streak where they had just won 3 or 4 games. Fucking ponderous.

I wanted this to happened I believe this team needed a shake up, but this is how they decided to do it? Why didn't they do it before the team left Anaheim or weeks earlier when everyone knew this needed to happen. I guess I should expect this from my team and it is hard for me to complain now that my man Ken Oberkfell is up in the bigs and ready to jump on that managerial position this off-season. I guess I should not concern myself about the 'why' at this point and just focus on the 'fuck yeah'. Winning cures all and this will be a figment of our little imaginations if the Mets do just that.


As for Jerry, he is not chopped liver (a little bonus story about Willie being confused in there). From '98 to '03, he owned a 500-471 record which is good for a .515 winning%. He finished 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd during his reign as a manager and has four winning seasons on his resume with two losing seasons with one AL manager of the year award in 2000. The team is familiar with him and he is familiar with the team so I am optimistic that things will go as smoothly as they can.

As for Peterson, it seems there were other factors at play with him. The Mets have done well under his watch in terms of pitching, but Mulder and Hudson had issues with him and it is very possible that he rubbed a lot of pitchers and other people in the organization the wrong way. I liked him and will be unhappy to see him go, but it seems to me that people were maybe sick of him and felt a change was needed there.

* * *

Some people just don't get it.

mets33196 Jun 16, 2008 11:01:50 AM Report Offensive Post
its no big secret Baseball is a white man sport...just look at the fan crowds...especially Shea. Most bloggers here are white...therefore the FIRE Minaya / Randolph cries. Its only because Minaya is Hispanic and Randolph black. And u most of u bloggers 99% are illiterate ignorant I D I O T S with no life. I am a white hispanic by the way....but most of u people are racist against hispanics....and blacks...bottom line. I bet u all believe Clemens is innocent and pure, yet Bonds is guilty from day one. U made that decision from day one....before the facts., yet Clemens the Bush lover Texan is still considered innocent. McNamee GOOOD JOB !!!!!!!!! and Good Luck

Really? I mean, really?

This is a very amusing story.

There are so many things wrong with this article I hardly know where to start.

Another coach who could be in jeopardy may be first-base coach Tom Nieto. If Nieto is fired, that could be viewed as a warning shot by Randolph, as Nieto and Randolph have a solid working relationship from their days together with the Yankees. But at this point, Randolph doesn't need any more warning shots.

If this had happened, it would have been deplorable. This team needed a shake up and it was going to come in the form of firing your first base coach to send your incompetent manager a message? What exactly would that do for Randolph? I am to believe that is going to make him better? Getting rid of him was the right thing to do.

Ted Berg has a nice article about the state of the Mets.

Beltran and Heilman helped out the Mets efforts to try and end the game with more runs on the board than the other team. It is good to see Beltran's average inch up more his power numbers increase as well. His OPS+ is equal to his 2007 OPS+ when he knocked 33 homers and drove in 112 runs, so I think he is doing a bit better than many people think.

Buster attempt to layout what possibly goes on in the Mets personnel meetings but comes eerily close to what my actual relationship sounds like.

The personnel meetings the Mets hold are said by participants to run on for hours, the discussion often turning circular and pointless. And maybe that's when it starts to happen in their organization when they get to the point where the staff members are so beaten down emotionally and intellectually that they don't have the ability to stand up and scream: Are you people crazy? Are you serious? Because this is a really bad idea -- no, no, wait, let's go one step further: It's really just flat-out nuts.

Scary. But one does have to wonder what the hell is going on in those meetings? Randolph should have been gone long ago and they certainly have had better opportunities to do so. I mean, they do have to consider the PR aspect of things, no?

Progress, But No Results

I prefer results oriented activities, but some people are looking at the silver lining in this 3-7 skid the Mets are mired in.

"We have to dig down deeper, and I think we have," Randolph said. "It might not show in our record, but we are starting to play better. We have to start making our own breaks." As for his situation, he said it is not weighing on the players, noting some may like him and some may not. Everyone is always so concerned about the fragile psyches of ballplayers. Here's a tip - just go out and play.

I typically would not expect him to say anything else because he cannot be outright negative, but I think everyone is past the point of sugar coating things. There is one thing about Willie that has made him a bit more endearing these days and it was his stand up comedy performance during the post game on Friday. Frankly, I like that side of him a bit more and maybe he should let that permeate his entire being and maybe he should be showing a bit more personality. Of course, that makes him more fun of a manager, but that still does not cover up his shortcomings as a tactical manager.

That being said, I think things have gone a bit out of control. The entire Pelfrey thing was ridiculous, the Pedro chants were silly, etc. Everyone is now getting on him for non-issues. I have seen Willie do plenty of egregious things and they helped build my disdain for him as a manager, but he simply cannot win these days. It has gotten to the point that actual sound baseball decisions are being scrutinized and this my friends, is not good.

I have not wanted him since his facial hair edict but I have discovered that I actually do have a heart and actually feel bad for him. There should be a different manager leading this ballclub, but I just hope everyone can keep perspective whilst this ridiculousness is going on.

* * *

A little Michael Iona chatter.

I would actually love to see the A's make that type of splash. It is always nice to see smaller market teams jump into the fray on these types of players and if the Mets do not get him, Oak-town would be a great landing spot.

By way of tc, a 3-d look at the new home of the Mets.

It is always good when Johan Keri weighs in on anything and especially so when it is on the Mets.

All those teams did a better job of scouting and player acquisition than the Mets did. They also did so with smaller payrolls, in some cases much smaller.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Maybe necessity is what the Mets have been missing.

Part of their '06 success is exactly what Jonah is talking about. These kind of lightening in a bottle scenarios happen every year and typically propel a certain team to, and possibly through, the playoffs.

There were a few people who look really smart stating that the Mets were due to regress in 2007 as a result of the likes of Valentin, Oliver, Chavez, etc. playing over their heads and the unlikelihood that Omar would be able to replace their unrealistic output.

Willie gate is getting ugly.

The rumor mill is churning.

Sources have told the Daily News that principal owner Fred Wilpon and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon have authorized Minaya to fire Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto. Bench coach Jerry Manuel would ascend to manager if Randolph is ousted, while Triple-A New Orleans manager Ken Oberkfell and pitching coach Dan Warthen would join the major league staff.

The ever-looming presence of Kenny.... Everyone is on notice these days.

Church is feeling better these days.

“I’m improving every day, getting better,” he said. “I haven’t had any dizzy spells. Now it’s just about waiting out the time on the DL. Everything is completely gone.”

Cocaine helped the Mets land Keith Hernandez.

Wally has some pointed things to say about the Mets.

These $140-million Mets are looking more and more like a one-run horse, and that run is now almost two years in the past. Someone has to take the fall and as always, the ready-made scapegoat is the manager.

Randolph's big mistake, it turns out, was his failure to understand the modern ballplayer, many of whom make more for one season than he made for an entire career but still need to be "motivated" by someone else. Randolph, in his own way more a self-made man than Fred Wilpon, thought he was coming here to be a manager, not a kennel-keeper. He arrived a grown man and expected to work with other grown men, in his clubhouse and the front office.

On the surface, you would have to agree with him. We cannot 100% for sure know if this is true, but it sure seems true, doesn't it? That still does not change the fact that Willie is not a good tactical manager, but it certainly adds another dynamic to his non-self imposed

Here come the Yankees....

They are now three games over .500 and feel like a different team. There was some debate on the Boomer and Carton Show about who is in a better position to make the playoffs. The Mets and Yankees are both five losses behind the division leader, but the Red Sox were a more formidable opponent than the Phillies. However, the Yankees took a while to get a healthy team on the field and did not gel until late in the year and Mets are still mired in a funk with a healthy team.

Alou is done for and Church will be great to get back, but the shake ups on the Yankee side that are getting situated have a much greater impact to their push for the pennant than the Mets. The x-factor here is that the Yankees might have lost Wang for the majority of the remainder of the 2008 season, but I still have more faith in Kennedy and Hughes straightening out a bit more to give some meaningful innings than say Delgado or Castillo turning things around and dropping down some quality production.

The Yankees are looking to be in a much better position these days and I do not think it is all that much debatable. Wang is a big loss, but at least if they so choose, they have more bullets to get some sort of a deal done to replace his innings than the Mets would have to augment their current team and production via a trade.

I Talk Prospects to Ignore the Pain

Jim Callis talks top 10 and I talk prospects so I can ignore the bigs.

1. Fernando Martinez, of
Still young and talented, but his lack of production may mean he's overhyped.
2. Ike Davis, 1b
Hulking lefthanded slugger can handle the outfield and pitch, too.
3. Reese Havens, ss
More likely a third baseman or possibly a catcher, stands out with approach and pop.
4. Jon Niese, lhp
Quietly having success in Double-A at age 21, he owns three solid pitches.
5. Dan Murphy, 3b
Having a breakout year with a .325 average and eight homers in Double-A.
6. Mike Carp, 1b
Back on track in Double-A after slumping in 2007, he's hitting .351 with nine homers.
7. Eddie Kunz, rhp
New York's top 2007 pick has held his own in Double-A in his first full season.
8. Brad Holt, rhp
2008 supplemental first-rounder can touch 96 mph, needs a reliable second pitch.
9. Javier Rodriguez, of
2008 second-rounder is a lean athlete with speed and projectable power.
10. Nick Evans, 1b
Another Double-A masher (.295, nine homers), he destroys lefthanded pitching.

First thing you may notice is the #2 and #3 prospects were the 2008 first rounders and #8 and #9 were drafted in the sandwich round and the second round respectively. Now, that might seem disconcerting to some, but I would a bit shocked and disappointed if a team's first rounders were not immediately in the top ten.

I mean, you would have to have a system better than Tampa to not have that happen and I would venture to guess Davis and Havens would have cracked a lot of top tens and plenty of top fives. Yes, the Met systems is weaker than many others, but Davis and Havens are solid ballplayers for sure.

As far as Holt and Rodriguez go, Holt can throw really, really hard which will always garner some attention. I am tepid on him to say the least and I think the Mets should give him a go as a starter and let him work on his secondary stuff and not make some Brandon Morrow debacle out of him and rush him through as a reliever with the lack of anything but a fastball or a Mike Pelfrey debacle and just plain 'ole rush him and change him too much.

Rodriguez has a sweet swing. You do not need to be a scout to see that and he looks like a solid player and if Mr. Callis says he has projectable power to go along with that sweet swing, I am a fan. He has a little bit of a uppercut, but nothing tremendous, and should be able to generate some lift. Some guys are too flat to really hit for a ton of power like Milledge, but this guy looks solid fundamentally.

Also, the Mets finally have some guys at higher levels that are performing. Five of the top ten are in AA and Murphy, Carp, and Evans are all in the top 15 in OPS in the league. Niese has put together a solid year and is still walking a bit too many, but had put up some solid numbers.

As for the Mets #1 prospect, I wholeheartedly agree with Callis. Yes, he is talented, but his best trait these days is being 19 in AA. Yes, he has been held back because of injuries, but why in the name of Kim Kardashian's ass do they continue to rush him? The only year you could call a good one is the first half of '06 when he had an OPS of .880 at 17 years old. Since them, he has put up .641, .713, and .722. I want him to be a stud just as much as anyone, but I cannot see one justifiable reason to rush him and not allow him to let his talent and production dictate when he is moved rather than some absurd timetable like a new stadium.

Overall, every year I am perhaps overly optimistic about the Mets system. Right now, it is painfully clear they need more pitching and especially so because Pelfrey is going through so many ups and downs. However, there are some bats and a few potential impact players that will be ready as early as 2009 which is in stark contrast to some previous season where the Mets have been pitching heavy and laden with prospects in the lower ranks.


* * *

Also from the above link:

Waggoner is a hot name on college baseball's coaching hot stove. He truly believes he can get quality players to come to Marshall, and he has expressed affection for the school and administration. He says he's not thinking of going anywhere. However, Marshall must step up and deliver a home ballpark to have any shot at keeping such an up-and-coming talent in town for long. Right now, that looks like a longshot, because the school claims to be short on funds.

The other hot name on college coaching wish lists is New Orleans' Tom Walter. The Privateers have reached regionals in consecutive years for the first time in nearly two decades despite unimaginable adversity resulting from Hurricane Katrina. The local Times-Picayune ran a terrific story about Walter that outlines all the obstacles New Orleans has had to overcome and what the future might hold for the coach and the program. It's well worth a read.

Basketball and Football both scout the college ranks for coaches. More often than not, it does not work out because the coaches go from being a big fish in a little pond to being quite the opposite and scrutinized more than they are used to. Less job security, less input, less everything...

However, with such a lack of coaching talent (seemingly anyway), it is surprising no MLB teams have even tried this approach for looking for coaches. MLB seems to be a tightly knit frat that respects ex-MLB ballplayers more whereas in the past, non-MLB players were used more liberally.

I have no idea if it is a respect thing, but it is something that probably hurts the coaching pool. Football and basketball have plenty of non-ex pros as coaches, but in baseball? Not so much. Maybe it is time to broaden the horizon a bit and expand the search for coaches.

Rob Neyer speaks my language.

Dan (NJ) : Do you think the Mets have what it takes to make a run at the wild card, let alone the division? They look pretty messed up right now.

Rob Neyer: I haven't looked it up lately, but over their last 162 games the Mets are essentially a .500 team. Are they more talented than that? I believe they are, but I think they need a shock to their system. Like a new manager.

It seems that Mr. Neyer cannot get enough of the Mets and some national baseball writers are taking notice of our crusade.

Speaking of consistency, over their last 162 games the Mets are 82-80. Yes, it's cherry-picking. While 162 is not an arbitrary numbers, it's little more indicative than 142 (72-70) or 182 (90-92). But you know, 182 games is a fair number of games. The Mets are two games under .500 in their last 182 games. That means something, doesn't it?

Bad luck? Maybe. But over those same 182 games the Mets have scored 868 runs and they've allowed 869 runs. Exactly the profile of a .500 team. Over 182 games. That means something doesn't it.

And yet the organization just rolls merrily along with the same manager and the same general manager. If I were a Mets fan I would be leading a revolt in the streets. (Actually, I would be hoping that someone else would lead a revolt that I could follow, at a safe distance.)

Blissfully ignorant they continue to trudge down the path of mediocrity.

“Until they prove differently, they’ve been playing this way for almost a year now, so it’s hard to believe they’re going to turn back to 2006 all at once before the All-Star break,” Darling said.

Why anyone thinks things will magically turn around is beyond me.

But Darling says it’s time to re-think the metrics of the Mets’ presumed superiority. The reason, he says, is linked to the changing industry itself: more and more teams are drifting away from older, higher-priced players, particularly free agents, and are instead filling their rosters with younger, less expensive talent. In many respects, having too much money is a curse – the Yankees and Tigers are prime examples — which is why Darling says the Mets’ $140 million payroll is a guarantee of nothing.

That will never happen as the Mets have committed themselves to winning. Rebuilding is not an option at this point and that typically leads to a vicious circle.

“We’re back to the days where 35 is old again,” Darling said. “Except for the last 10 years, when a player reached his mid-30s, he was done, he was old. And old players play like horse-[bleep]. That’s the tradition of the game for the last 50 years.”

Does this mean the Mets are cooked for 2008? Darling won’t – can’t – say that. The wild card is their beacon of light, and it’s probably what’s keeping Willie Randolph employed. Still, the manager seems more out of touch every day, insisting he saw “positives” in the blowout against the Diamondbacks, trying to convince reporters that Arizona’s hitters “found a few holes and we didn’t.”

And there we have it...even keeled Willie.

I find it ridiculous that the Willie watch is on and off and on and off. It is a flat out yes he should be gone, but how does a few wins change that? As Rob Neyer said, it is not just this season. This mediocrity goes back a looooong ways.

It seems the Mets had a closed door meeting which is nice that something is going on outside of the eye of the media, but we also have not heard about many of these and one has to wonder if they have not been happening, why not?

An Example of How to Not Run a Franchise

Rob Neyer checks in on the Mets.

"Willie has my support. He has the support of our ownership," Minaya said. "Willie's job was never in danger going into this meeting."

If not, why not?

Yeah. Winning would be good. You can't read anything about the Mets these days without seeing a reference to their payroll: $138 million. And it's worse than 23-26. Over their last 162 games -- Randolph's last 162 games -- the Mets are 79-83. The Mets, with the largest payroll in the National League, have a losing record over their last season's worth of games.

I know that's cherry-picking. It's not arbitrary cherry-picking; 162 games is not a meaningless number. But I'll bet I could find a 162-game stretch when Joe Torre's Yankees lost more games than they won.

Well, maybe not. But close, probably. Usually, I would acknowledge the possibility that Randolph's team simply has gone through a 162-game stretch of tough luck, and anyway it's the general manager's fault for not spending that $138 million on the right players.

But last year Randolph presided over one of the worst collapses in major league history. His team is losing again this year. With the exception of David Wright (who's unflappable) and Ryan Church (who wasn't around last year), nobody on the roster is doing anything extraordinary and a lot of guys are struggling. Jose Reyes, now in his sixth major league season, seems to do something silly on the bases every other game.

Reyes is not the problem, but something is clearly wrong. Would getting rid of Willie solve the problem? We have been over this and it might not. However, what else can you do and what other move is as simple?

Publicly, the players complain that Randolph shouldn't be held accountable for their struggles. But if not him, then who? The owners aren't going to fire themselves, or Omar Minaya. They can't fire the players. But a message must be sent to the players, somehow.

Unfortunately, the owners seem to have decided to send exactly the wrong message, which is that nobody's accountable for this mess.

And it is a mess. The Mets resume their place as the joke of baseball and I am left wondering just how a team that was supposed to be so good is so bad. Rob Neyer had called them the best bet to win 100 games and now they are wallowing around in fourth place and knocking on last place's door.

As if the Mets needed another distraction at this point because they seemed distracted prior to this managerial mess, it is only adding to the ridiculousness that has become Met baseball. Right now, the Mets have two of batters being too heavily relied on with a sub .400 SLG% and should be buried at the 7th and 8th place in the batter order and yet they remain entrenched where they are.

However, much like what the Mets front office is doing to rectify the problem, which is nothing, a similar approach is being taken with the day to day management of the players. In not so unrelated news, that was also the same approach used while this team was in a free fall at the end of last season.

I had titled a post steady as she goes the other day when I thought the Mets were about to turn things around a bit, but it is more applicable to their demise. Steady as she goes straight down into the shitter with no action taken. Brilliant. I think Neyer said it best the other day:

I like Willie Randolph. When I see him interviewed on TV, he strikes me as sensitive, thoughtful, and intelligent. He might be the perfect manager for the Brewers, or the Indians, or the Mariners or the Reds or the Pirates. But with each passing day that the Mets lose and look bad doing it, he seems like the wrong manager for the Mets.

* * *

This all seems like a fictional comedy story, but it is not.

When a manager is not fired, as Willie Randolph was not after a long meeting yesterday with Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and general manager Omar Minaya, it is usually not news. Managers are not fired all the time. Only rarely, though, can a manager for a team with a $140 million payroll lose more games than he wins for a full year, wax paranoid about racist camera angles, follow that up by losing six of seven games, and then keep his job. This is why yesterday's press conference was carried live on ESPNews. What baseball fan, given the chance, wouldn't gawk at this bizarre spectacle?

Hey, but he thought the racism remarks were off the record. I'm not sorry I said it, I'm just sorry I got caught, right? Also, let us not forget accused SNY for painting him in a negative light and trashed the fans.

Bureaucratic dynamics aside, not firing Randolph is a perfectly sound reaction to the team's lousiness. While I've written a lot about all the reasons why the skipper should go, no obviously better manager is around, and anyway, the main problems are that there are lots of bad players on the team, and lots of decent players being used badly. These problems can be at least addressed, if not fixed, without getting rid of the manager.

Decent players used badly could be rectified without changing the manager? How so? He is the one using the players incorrectly.

This may all be tinkering around the edges, in total disproportion to the gravity of the team's plight, but by not firing the manager, the Mets have made it clear that they're not going to do much else, and there's nothing and no one to trade for a cure-all anyway. Now the right play is to minimize the damage the weaker players on the team can do and get some flawed younger players into situations where they can contribute to the limits of their skills. The Mets are what they are, which is apparently not very good, or at least not as good as most people thought they were. I still suspect, though, that there's a baseball team lurking somewhere under the spectacle.

Klap says why not now? What did Randolph say to save his job?

Wright predictably says it is not Randolph's fault and we know the players have some blame on their shoulders. However, one change is easy and the other is not.

Another notable piece on Willie.

Down, Down, Down....

Ted Berg tried to lay some perspective on us the other day and I said it was really hard to keep perspective with this team and they did not take too long to prove me right. Really right. I have tried to be optimistic for the most part, but right now, that is hard to do.

"It's not acceptable," Randolph said. "This is not the way we want to play baseball. We need to get on a streak and play more consistently. We're better than this. No one's happy with where we are and how we're playing."

It is hard to point fingers at one person or one cause, but this team just does not have it. They have talent, but they do not have it. What is it? Good question. However, it is clear that this team lacks focus and losing to Glavine and three overall to the Braves is utterly ridiculous. The inability for this team to step up is extremely frustrating.

Keeping things in perspective is just not possible because it looks like this team is just losing control. They are almost as close to last place as they are first place and truly a .500 team in every way. You do not need to be a genius to look at their roster and recognize they have talent and you do not need to be a genius to see that this team is simply not playing up to their potential.

With less than 30% of the season played, there is time to turn things around, but time is running out quickly.

* * *

If this goes down, I will be piiiiiiissssed.

18. METS. New York has the financial wherewithal to spend as much as any team does on the draft, but it apparently will stick to slotting once again in 2008, even if Hosmer is still on the table. The Mets need a catcher for the near future, and Castro has convinced scouts he can handle the defensive responsibilities and produce at the plate. New York has checked out Friedrich, but it's unlikely he'd get this far.

I mean really. Who cares about the Commish? He cannot do anything and your farm is pretty barren. After Omar made overtures this past off-season about abandoning slot, I would be very disappointed if they passed up a better player so they do not piss anyone off.

If they pass up Hosmer? Utterly ridiculous and why this team will never get over that next hump. You simply cannot pass up a gift like that and they better step it up on all fronts.

Would Pedro retire to be with his parents? Would Omar give him a Clemens-esque deal to keep him going another year or two?

Just in time for the summer to keep the boys cool.

This sweat-absorbing, friction-fighting wonder powder will keep you gloriously dry and comfortable during everyday manly activities...like chainsaw juggling.

Tim Marchman does a great job making a case for Jose Reyes to not be the scapegoat.

It is true that Reyes's game went into notable decline about a year ago. From last July 1 up to the beginning of last night's game against Atlanta, Reyes hit .268 AVG/.334 OBA/.414 SLG with 61 steals in 81 tries; over the preceding year, he'd hit .322/.383/.510 with 73 steals in 90 tries. Many explanations have been offered for this: that Reyes has been sulking over his contract, that he was ruined by Rickey Henderson's brief stint as the Mets hitting coach, that he lost his mojo after ceding to demands that he stop acting so exuberant on the field, etc.

Pedro's dad is not doing well.

Pablo Jaime, 78, is suffering from an inoperable brain tumor, and Martinez said recently that his father does not have long to live.

"His dad's not doing well and had a seizure," Willie Randolph said before the game. "We'll just see what happens when [Pedro] gets back [from the Dominican]. All the other stuff in terms of pitching is on hold."

Pedro should really put baseball on hold and tend to his family. The Mets success does not hinge on him so he needs to do what he feels is right.

Joel Sherman pens a good piece about Willie.

I am not foolish enough to believe race still does not motivate repugnant feelings. But I do think sports have more of a meritocracy than most environments, and that the great divide between love and hate is winning and losing. Again, Willie, look to your Knicks past: The city did not love DeBusschere and Bradley more than Reed and Frazier. The whole team won, and the whole team is remembered fondly. Just like Bernie Williams and Paul O'Neill will be from those champion Yankees for which Randolph was a coach.

There is racism out there, but sports to me was always kind of different. If you are winning, no fan gives a shit who is from where or is what color.

Randolph lived these New York moments, and constantly brags he is a New Yorker and understands how things work. But most days it seems he just showed up from Ames, Iowa. His self-awareness is poor, and that is hurting him way more than the color of his skin or what angle SNY cameras are shooting him. He thinks of himself as a tough, been-there, seen-that kind of guy. But his sensitivity and lack of savvy reveal the opposite.

He tried, for example, to backtrack off the critical statements he made about race and SNY by saying he thought he was off the record with the reporter. Even if I believed Randolph (which I don't), he should know reporters grant off-the-record requests to gain the truth, so being off the record would only make you believe Randolph's harshest assessments (not his current spin) most.

Willie just does not get it and should not be managing this team. Especially so after grasping for straws and attacking the fans. Really? The fans?

"If you look at my body of work since I've been here," Randolph said, "I'm proud of that, because prior to that Mets fans were hiding. You couldn't even find them ... The season's just starting and you're booing my guys already? You're booing your team?'"

Mets fans were hiding? Interesting statement. Mets fans are not hiding anymore because of Willie's body of work. Sound logic, right? I am really glad he spouted his mouth off with such madness because it only makes everything I have been saying stronger and he just validated a lot of things that I thought.

I think at times he can be immature and stubborn and these articles truly outline that. If the Mets want Willie to be their leader, so be it. However, it is a mistake.

Torre feels bad for Willie and no one is arguing that this job is not extremely difficult, but not everyone can do it.

Losing Church would be very, very bad. The Mets need him to be healthy and performing.

Pondering the Two Spot

Though these have nothing to do with actually numbers, I like them. ESPN's Power Rankings have the Mets as the third best team in the bigs. Also, they mention how nice Angel Pagan looks in the #2 spot.

Not that this means much at all, but I was going to write a post about Pagan in the #2 hole before he became the #2 hitter. Of course, that post seems pointless now hence me skipping it. However, it bears noting that many people can see that Pagan looks fantastical there and who thinks Castillo and his balky knees will be there when he returns? Um, me for one.

Willie could care less that Pagan looks good there. I am 99.99999% sure Luis will resume his place as the #2 hitter when he returns despite how great Pagan has looked. For me, a slappy hitter serves no purpose there. Not that Pagan is a masher, but he is a more valuable bat right now while Castillo's stick looks like the weakest on the team.

I am not saying Castillo serves no purpose and is 100% useless. I am not saying he is a disaster in the #2 spot, but I am saying Angel Pagan is better suited there for now. Let us see how Willie plays this one. If I am wrong, feel free to come leave nasty comments and chastise me. I would actually welcome that because it means Willie might actually be learning, but toss me into the 'ye of little faith' category.  

* * *

Two nights...two great wins. The Mets are also getting calls their way and even Nelly Fig was getting a Glavine circa '95 strikezone. I mean, what the fuck? When did the Mets start getting calls like this? Some great at-bats from the Mets end of things and a spectacular showing by the bullpen and my man Aaron came out there and did what he does best. Shut down the opposition. It would have been a perfect night if I just remembered to check out my fantasy baseball team and put Edison Volquez into the starting lineup.

Reyes has a tight hammy. And now we play the waiting game....

"It's sore right now," Reyes said after the game. "Let's see how it feels tomorrow. Before the game I felt it. So I went to Willie (Randolph) before the game and told him that I'm not going to give you 100 percent today. He said to be smart about it. ... It's nothing big."

Clay Buccholz has a nasty curveball. Nasty.

Is it possible the NL is not as bad as people think?

Back To Square #1

Just when you think things are a done deal, they fall back apart. Now, the Mets are back out looking for a catcher after their deal with Yorvit fell through. I for one, am a bit disappointed. Not because I think Torrealba was the lynchpin to the season, but because now they have to go back out there and find another catcher in a market that is just not good for catchers.

Laird? Texas knows there are not other attractive options and will not just give him away. They have no incentive to. If it would cost a low level hard thrower, then possibly. However, those guys are nice to have for any team and giving one up for Laird would probably not be a great thing. Shoppach? He will cost more than Laird. The Indians presumably love having him as they can give Victor Martinez some time at first or DH and not lose much at catcher. He is a luxury item for them.

Overall, Torrealba was the best fit. Was he getting overpaid? Shit yeah, but the Mets were giving up a few more dollars than they should have to retain draft picks, which Michael Barrett will cost, and to get someone that is on the right side of 30 that could have capably shared a job with Ramon Castro. I do not know why the deal was broken off, but injuries and a possible inclusion on Mitchell's soon to be infamous list have been bandied about. Either way, the Mets are back to needing a catcher. Orangeandbluebood said it best though:

If the Torrealba deal is dead a new catcher is needed. I hope the Mets wait and let the market develop. If the Padres do not offer Barret I say go after him. Since Castro is in the fold I think Barret is a good upside risk. If Barret is offered arbitration and would cost the Mets #22 pick and the Braves have signed Glavine Barret may still be an option since the Braves would give the Mets the #18 pick by signing Tom, Not So Terrific Glavine. I wouldn't complain if the Mets went for a solid defensive catcher with average offensive skills. Consider Mike Leiberthal or someone like him. A solid defensive catcher who would be cheap for a short term contract and up until last year was a .275 hitter with .315 OBP skills and more power than LoDuca. Better defense than LoDuca, better power and similar average and OBP skills and he could likely be had for a one year $2M deal. No matter what, the available catchers are all #8 hitters so why not get low cost, low years, and good defense. My preference would be Castro and Barret but I think the #18 and 22 pick in the draft may be worth Castro and Leiberthal.

At least the Mets have locked up second base, but four years for Castillo seems excessive for a slap hitter extraordinaire. Obviously less than $6 million per year is not going to break the bank, but I hope this is not backloaded. Maybe $7 million for the first two years, $6 million for the third year, and $5 million for the last season. I guess there was more competition for Castillo than we all expected and Eckstein wanting a $36 million dollar contract added up to overpaying for Castillo. But with Gotay in the fold, I am not all that concerned since he probably is a better choice right now anyway so second base will be capably filled at all times.

* * *

Five years and $93 million dollars? Hopefully Santana takes that deal and if he does not, I think they might work things out either way. Maybe they should tack on some vesting options or some nice mutual options to sweeten the deal.

Also, if they ink Santana, trading Garza or Slowey not only becomes more likely, but almost a certainty in my eyes.

The Braves just gave the Mets their 18th pick of the 2008 draft. Thanks Tom! Now if the Mets squander their pick other first rounder on Michael Barrett, that will be upsetting. The upside would be that they still have a first round pick, but the Mets really need to try to bolster their system this year.

Also within the piece:

David Wells is one name that is expected to be pitched to the Mets. The 44-year-old free-agent left-hander finished last season with the Dodgers.

Wells is considering retirement, but the Mets are among the teams for which he would consider pitching.

Um, let me think about this one. No thanks. The Duque, Pedro, and Wells?

How ironic is this?

Says Willie, "I felt all year long we didn't have that killer instinct consistently that we should've had. We had at it times when our backs were against the wall, and we did show some fight (the Mets went 8-2 after the first four-game sweep by the Phillies), but you have to be careful when you put your back against the wall, because you can't always get off that wall. In the end, that's (exactly) what happened."

It is ironic because that is the persona Willie projects. Don't get too high. Don't get too low. Keep it even keeled. Even keeled Willie drove this team and their lack of urgency reflected his leadership style. Even when we could all smell collapse, he did not exhibit any urgency and is now shocked at the way his team played? I've been saying all off-season that the Mets needed someone at the helm to create a spark if no one there was going to do it. It is time to get someone with fire in there, which Willie clearly does not have.

Que?

Can anyone explain to me why the Mets hottest hitter would be removed from the second spot and moved down to the bottom of the order in favor of a backup? That only makes sense in one person's mind and to have him behind someone that has become somewhat of a double play machine just compounds my confusion. Not that it is really haunting the Mets in today's game or anything, but just bizarre to say the least and quite nonsensical.

Jon Adkins looked decent. Hard to really get a read off of one inning, but my first impression was a good one. With Smith gone and Heilman seemingly better with a bit of rest between outings, there should be opportunities for him to show that he is a big league reliever.

* * *

Just let this sink in. A pizza that is 646 calories per slice and has crust that consists of bacon wrapped sausage. It also has mini burger patties, garlic chips, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, parmigiana cheese, and pepperoni. Not enough? I didn't think so either...for an more kick, it comes with ketchup and maple syrup for 'extra flavor'.

I have my ticket ready and I'm moving to Japan.

This isn't funny at all, but if you have free time go for it.

I'm really not sure why this is a big issue. He made a throwing error. If he walked eight and looked like the 2005 Oliver Perez, that is one thing. He has easily been the Mets most consistent starter and still managed to lower his ERA to 2.84 during a game in which he game up five runs. I am not concerned about him in the least bit.

It looks like Pedro might be pitching on a mound in an actual game situation.

Talk about her glass being half empty. I don't buy trading talent for anyone marginally better than what we have and certainly not for Vazquez (though he has the most upside) or Livan. That is just a ridiculous suggestion as the Mets already have a solid four man rotation set for the playoffs baring injury. Stand pat on the rotation unless Roy Oswalt gets put on the market, which he won't.

Demoting Joe smith for some rest and relaxation might end up being a very, very good thing. If he is taxed mentally and physically, a bit of time off will do him good. Hopefully, he can come back because he is sorely needed in the bullpen...or at least the March/April/May version of Joe Smith.

Who knew?

This date in Mets history -- July 26: An error by shortstop Julian Gotay, the uncle of Mets second baseman Ruben, and a sacrifice bunt by Al Jackson were ingredients in the rally that allowed Jackson to prevail over Bob Gibson in the Mets' 1-0 victory against the Cardinals in the first game of a split doubleheader at the first Busch Stadium on this date in 1962.
Jackson, who pitched a complete game, threw the only four shutouts for the team that lost 120 games.

This is certainly encouraging:

"We don't necessarily go out to work on stuff," Milledge said. "We go out to chat, just talk about the game. I feel relaxed when I talk to Rickey. It kind of focuses me a little bit more. Gets me ready to play."

This sucks and I actually mean it. Utley is one of my most favorite non-Met players and even if I was concerned about the Phillies (not concerned one iota about them or anyone else unless a certain team reels in Mark T.) I would not want to see this happen.

Here is another thing that I just do not get. Why they did not trade Belliard and Young is beyond me. Even if you get a B prospect back, it is better than two useless years of these two with no upside. They really need to gear for three or four years down the line when their better prospects might make an impact. Newsflash, Bowden is a bad GM.

Mark Herrmann thinks the Mets need a bit of motivation.

They need something that puts them on the right track and keeps them there. The 2006 Mets were self-starters who never lost stride and finished with a kick. These Mets need a little nudge.

Nothing major, mind you. Just enough to avoid lapses like the one that ruined their sleepy noontime game against the Pirates at Shea Stadium yesterday. As embarrassing as it was to waste Oliver Perez's gem-in-the-making and fall to a lowly team, 8-4, it was only one loss, not Greek tragedy.

Part of me thinks they already had their wake up call, but it is hard to argue with the man's logic.

I personally do not like 'buy now and pay later' deals for any players. However, sometimes you have to make concessions for some players for the betterment of the team. The only question is, is Torii that guy?

Did anyone actually think they were drinking spring water? They are reporting this like some big dirty secret was found out. Dasani and Auquafina were well known as being tap water. Brilliant strategy if you ask me. I don't have new info on this, but back in '03 things looked like this:

1. Aquafina (PepsiCo) $936 million 11.3 %
2. Dasani (Coca-Cola) $834 million 10 %
3. Poland Spring (Nestle Waters) $649 million 7.8%

That's a whole lotta scratch for tap water.

I cannot help but think the Mets now own a very deep ball club. The have two catchers that can contribute meaningful innings, they have pop off the bench, four outfielders when Alou returns that can contribute, the bullpen has turned it around a bit and even Sele has looked good, the rotation is deep and set to get deeper, etc.

However, there are few things that have irked me. As Gary pointed out, the Mets have been carrying three catchers and Willie failed to use Ramon as a pinch hitter outside of one time. Why even bother carrying three then? He started in four of those games and pinch hit in one since July 4th, which is when Alomar got called up. One of those starts was after a seventeen inning game in which Castro only made it into the game during the bottom of the seventeenth to catch Wagner. Just let that sink in...three catchers and only one caught until the bottom of the sixteenth with not even a pinch hit appearance for Castro, who has shown pop this season.

My thing is that if you have the depth, use it. I would not suggest sitting LoDuca for the hot hand because I have my reservations about Castro getting exposed if given a daily spot, but Castro can certainly play more than once a week. Speaking of hot hands, Willie is notoriously a hot hand kind of guy. Sitting Gotay for three games straight after collecting six hits in thirteen at-bats is curious to say the least. We've spoken about how Willie feels obligated to Valentin, who now might be done for the season, for whatever reason and you never like to see Major Leaguers lose their job due to an injury (isn’t that how Valentin got his job last season?), but enough already. I could see giving Valentin a start or two, but Gotay needs to be in the lineup. He is hitting and this team is struggling on offense. It is time to let commonsense prevail and let Gotay have second until he proves otherwise. He might prove us otherwise, but his bat looks lively.

Damion Easley has some pop off the bench, but the guy is buried so far on the bench it is mind boggling. Here is the scenario...5-4 San Diego up on the Mets. It is the ninth inning with Trevor Hoffman on the mound. Lastings Milledge is up representing the tying run. If he gets on, the Mets have some life. On deck, David Newhan. Newhan! The guy who got cut literally ten minutes after the game was going to usurp a perfect chance to Easley to flash some pop off the bench. His batting average as a pinch hitter is Newhan-esque, but Newhan has much more than double the at-bats and I would like to Damion get more chances and see some platoon time with Gotay. Why he is not is curious to say the least.

Finally, when Alou comes back, there is mention of LoDuca moving back to the two hole. Two things on that one. First, if he is going to move there, why is he not there now? If it is believed that is where he should hit, what does Alou have to do with it? Is he batting sixth to provide some missing pop in the space that Alou left? I'm not missing the connection. Second, why move him up into the two hole? He should be moving down further. He is a singles hitter that had done nice things in the two hole last year, but better options have emerged. I'd prefer a Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Delgado, and Alou lineup or a Reyes, Gotay (or whomever is at second), Beltran, Wright, Delgado, and Alou lineup over anything with LoDuca batting second. Part of me wants to get Alou as high up in the lineup as possible, but I know Willie's thinking and his apprehensive stance on stacking righty/righty and lefty/lefty bats in the lineup in the top six spots. Whatever....

This team is coming into its own and taking shape. Sometimes teams need a while to sort things out and figure out what they have. It has happen with many teams before and while the Mets did not have that issue last year, they did have some turnover and injuries and things were not settled. They are now for the most part and I want Willie to start optimizing the team. I have liked things he has been doing like getting Feliciano more meaningful innings and not trying to ride him everyday. He is trying to spread opportunities around and keeping Joe Smith in the mix despite a rough patch, which I think is the right move. I like his edict of making pitchers contribute in every facet of the game. He has been doing some good things, but again, he gets a bit stubborn. It is time to start doing things in a more efficient manner so this team can continue to surge.

* * *

Omar is in full spin right now and we have no idea if there is really no problem or there is a problem. But as DG stated, you are putting yourself at a serious disadvantage by divulging anything. Of course, the media does not care and would make things more difficult for the Mets at the expense of breaking news. Good times!

Alou should be back next week after sitting out with the galaxy's worst strain.

Also from the above link...

Although Ruben Gotay has been excellent, Anderson could certainly see time there. “He’s a pro, man,” Randolph said of Anderson. “He knows how to play the game.”

Riiiight. I love Marlon off the bench and I think he helps this team, but that outlines Willie's greatest fault. He thinks all vets 'know how to play the game' while young guys are too bereft of intellectual ability to know how to play the game.

Also from that luscious link...

The Mets’ first draft pick this year, reliever Eddie Kunz, is still not signed. Agent Dan Horwits said yesterday that the sides were “making good progress the last few days.”

Get the kid signed and get him some work immediately. I expect him in the bullpen by mid '08.

David Lennon is calling for Sammy Sosa? Please tell me that's a joke. Sosa has been a nice story for sure, but keep his empty homers in Texas with his sub .300 batting average. The Mets need to work pitchers more and not less.

Angel doesn't get it.

"Yet another anti-Met article from Wally. Is he dense enough to believe that the Mets will actually sell over 40,000 season tickets? Of course there will be tickets, and of course there will be plans. Does he even take that into account? Of course not, because such facts get in the way of yet another negative story by him."

- Angel, Bronx

I do not want to state the obvious, but you do not need to sell 40,000 separate season ticket packages to fill up 40,000. Something like 54% of the seats are on field level. Field level is notoriously a corporate area and those boxes come in chunks of eight or six. In packages of six, they would need 3,600 companies to fill up half the stadium (I have no idea how many are going to actually buy them of course and have no way to make a reasonable estimate so I’ll shoot off unsubstantiated claims in lieu of real information) . That is before individuals jump into the fray and ticket brokers, who will undoubtedly buy plenty of season ticket packages to broker off tickets in high demand. How many partial packages (if any) do you think will be available? How many years in a row did SafeCo and Camden sell out? Factor in this being New York. You might not be able to get a ticket outside of a scalper for a looooong time. Red Sox tickets are pretty much gone by February and I’m not so sure this situation would be much different.

Maybe I'm off here and let me know if I am missing something. Maybe I shouldn't complain until the 2009 season actually hits. I don't mind buying tickets for 10 to 20 games off the bat and essentially making my own package (it is not like they are discounted or anything with my current package), but life is easier with partial packages. I do think that 81-game season ticket packages are going to account for a lot of the seats and there is precedent here. If places like Colorado, Seattle, and Baltimore can sell out for years and years in a new stadium without a tremendous product in place, New York should be a frenzy to put it mildly. Overall, I think they might have been slightly misleading to partial season ticket package holders. Granted, I don't expect people to make business decisions five years ahead of time. That obviously is not smart business and I know they are trying to maximize their dollar, but I think they owe it to the fans to accessibly in some form.

How much is Cordero worth? Not all that much. Again, another missed trade opportunity. Teams need to be better at evaluating their long term outlook and need to do a better job building for the future. The Marlins will regret the day they didn't trade Dontrelle while people were clamoring for him while they had no shot a winning.

The Nationals, however, know him as a 25-year-old who isn't a free agent until after the 2009 season and who has saved 108 games with a 2.63 ERA in his less than four full major league seasons.

However, another thought came to mind. With Hoffman's 500th save, someone had made a comment that 500 should be the magic number for Hall of Fame closers. There should not be any magic numbers anymore in today's game. Being 25 with 100+ saves is Cordero’s best asset. He can close for another 15+ years and just accumulate saves. Does that make him a Hall of Famer? I think the game has migrated away from magic numbers these days because of so many guys that are good, but not spectacular over a long period of time thanks to modern medicine. In another ten years, would it surprise you to see few guys that are 50 playing a role on a big league club?

Those wacky foreigners... Really, for anyone that has watched Most Extreme Challenge or any Japanese prank shows, you know what I'm talking about when I say America is way too uptight and sue happy. We are really depriving ourselves of some really funny stuff.

Good win last night and it looks like the Mets might have a little run in them to start the second half. Putting some nice separation early between the Braves and themselves would be nice to deflate their confidence a bit. Also, for those of you who thought the Yanks were making a little run, the are definitely not as bad as their first half, but the damage is done. They could play great in the second half, but making up eight games in 60+ is really tough. Especially since the Tigers and Cleveland seem to be locks for two spots. Time will tell, but no matter what streaks they go on, they'll have lulls. I think they are done.

Obligated

First, it is great to see the young guys we have been clamoring for pitch in and provide a huge spark for the Mets two victories after the break. There are still concerns about the Mets hitting since they have not been able to drive guys in and a bad team has held them to five runs in their wins, but I'm sure everyone is happy the games were won.

Second, I heard Adam Rubin on the radio today and he is definitely one of my favorite writers out there in the NY area. He mentioned that is almost a good thing (you never want someone to get hurt) that Valentin got injured so Gotay could have gotten his chance. He mentioned on how Willie felt obligated to Valentin.

My question is, why would a manager who previously had nothing to do with a player that the Mets acquired last year and had little expectations for feel obligated to said player? He's 37 and the consensus was last year was not exactly the norm in terms of what his production should be at this point in his career. Reyes...Wright...Beltran....I understand the obligation, but guys like Valentin, Green, etc.? Why? That to me is just a perplexing thing. (FYI, I'm not asking for Green to be benched at this point....just using him as an example)

Ollie is going for the much needed win today. As Willie stated, with San Diego and LA on the horizon, the Mets needed to take three of four. If not for injuries, it is a good bet the Mets are not up 2-1 right now. But they are and today is a big game.

We will end with some good thoughts from Benny...

We hate Willie for the same exact reasons we LOVE guys like Lou Piniella and Bobby Cox. They want to win, they will demote and promote anybody and it doesn't matter whether or not they're rookies or long time veterans. They want the best 25 men on the field and it doesn't matter who's feelings are being hurt.

...and

Oh and I <3 Lastings Milledge. He's a game changer! He may not be going 4-4 but his hits are counting, he's making an impact.

And at this point that's what the Mets need. Not an empty 3 for 4, but an impact 1-4. Milledge's average doesn't look pretty (small sample size people), but he has made his time here count so far.

I'm off to Shea....

Willie Time™

Burgos-gate was revisited during yesterday's game. All the people that defended Willie for leaving in Burgos to face Ryan Howard had the rugged pulled out from under their argument. After facing three batters and getting through them rather easily, he yanked Burgos to have a lefty face the 'dangerous' Kelly Johnson after Shawn Green completely and utterly butchered what should have been a catch. To recap, Randolph let Ambiorix pitch to Ryan Howard in a crucial situation after throwing a lot of pitches and coming off a tough battle with Chase Utley but would not let him face a guy with a girls name after handily making it through three batters.

The thing that gets to me is the lack of consistency in regards to his moves. It is completely indefensible and extremely confusing why he handled each situation drastically different and made the opposite call of what he should have in each case. If he wanted the lefty vs. the lefty match up, why not use your guy who is more proficient at getting lefties out? Really, I like Schoeneweis, but bringing him into the game at that point in time was curious to say the least. All the people that defended Willie when he left in Burgos to face Howard to see what type of chops he had were clearly proven wrong when he yanked Burgos with a three run lead for a lefty match up. He goes against the book and with book in similar situations and I'm pretty sick of him using his gut. Maybe he should try some cognitive reasoning.

You could also say he wanted to to bring in the lefty so he had the favorable match up against Johnson and to also keep Chipper on the right side of the plate, but Jones bats well from both sides of the plates and really isn't susceptible to much. It also should be noted that Burgos is a fastball/splitter pitcher which makes him essentially equally effective against batters from both sides of the plate and he actually has been more effective against lefites his season than Schoeneweis. This loss rest squarely on Willie's inability to effectively navigate though situations that require some advanced managing. When this team is in cruise control, Willie looks great. When it comes time to make some in game strategical moves, he falls very short.

* * *

Oliver was stellar on Saturday and Willie was confounding as usual.

"Just because he's a little erratic at times," Randolph said, trying to defend Perez's ups and downs, "that doesn't mean he's not consistent."

Wait...what? Isn't erratic the definition of inconsistent?

Joe Smith was stellar as well on Saturday showing us what he is made out of with a huge strikeout against Andruw Jones with the bases loaded. I attended the game with a baseball novice and when Smith came in, I told her this will show us how big his balls are. She responded by yelling a "show us your balls" chant at Smith. As if that wasn't amusing enough, I was replicating the situation on Sunday for my friend and my seats are in the Loge in the first row where all the foot traffic is. As I was yelling it, a two foot tall child was walking by when I screamed it in his face and he had a bewildered look on his face that certainly had the appearance of some mental scarring happening. I'll never forgot that look as it is now etched in my brain.

You have to give this guy some credit for trying.

Jason Vargas got a bit touched up in his outing on Sunday as Milledge stole his fifth base and raised his average to .342 while Gomez stole his ninth base.

Mike Carp is a stud and went 3 for 5 with two runs scored, two doubles, and his second homer of the year in Binghamton's loss to Trenton.

Francisco Pena continues to hold his own in Low-A.

It's going to be in the high 80's today in the city!!!!

If a million people say a foolish thing, It is still a foolish thing.

That was Neyer's quote from the end of his latest chat (which by the way featured a Rob Neyer that was on fire). What do I mean? It means that I don't care how many people tell me I'm nuts in regards to my thoughts on Willie and his tactics. I'm going to call it like I see it. Furthermore, let me repeat that I am not particularly taking issue with Burgos-gate from Monday, but Willie in general. However, there were many good points sparked up by yesterday's discussions on both sides.

oSSyCoCoTaSo:
burger threw a ton of pitches at that point. so i can see why everyone is pissed.

but then again, ive seen pat burrell tear us new assholes too many times. i'd rather give up a 3run shot to him than fucking pat burrell.

pick ur poison if u ask me.

ae:
i'm gonna give willie leeway with letting burgos pitch to howard. howard's been struggling with the bat and pat burrell always finds a way to stick it to the mets.

until that one mistake to howard, burgos was owning him in that ab. burgos is still a "kid" and will learn from this - at least he better learn from this or his career with the mets will be short and bitter. anyway, i'd rather that mistake come now than in september and it's good to see that randolph will trust his people (i.e. smith in the opener).

Danny:
By the way, I didn't realize there were 2 outs to Howard when Willie left Burgos in. I thought there was only one out at the time. Unforgivable decision. You HAVE to walk him there. Leaving Burgos in to face Utley to try and get a strikeout was the right move. But you either have to walk Howard and go after Burrell with Burgos or Joe Smith, or you bring in Feliciano to face Howard. It sucks too because Burgos made a bunch of great pitches but all anyone will remember is the one pitch he hung, and that was a terrible pitch call by LoDuca.

Toasty:
To me, you can hyper-analyze this one all you want. All you need to know is (1) first base was open; (2) the MVP was at the plate; and (3) a tiring, unproven righty prone to giving up the long ball was on the mound in a one-run game.

No further analysis needed.

metsdynasty:
That said, let me clear up more confusions here. First, Willie has a managing style of his own. It's a style of never losing the sight of the goal to settle for a few cheap wins in hyped-up April or subway games. It's a steady and fearless apporach to the game where cockiness, laziness, unprofessionalism and lack of confidence will not be tolerated. It's a style of rather exposing the weaknesses early and working on them than hiding or ignoring them. It's about trusting all the players not just some of them and constantly testing them to see if they have what it takes to succeed.

anonymous weenie:
Amen, Metdynasty. You think after years of horrible managers and horrible teams, we'd all be happy to see the way Willie has brought along Wright, Reyes, Maine, and Perez while getting more out of Chavez, Valentin, and Castro then any other manager has been able to. Maybe, just maybe, he knows what he is doing...

mr. met:
I specifically posted about bacon to avoid such controversy!

the brooklyn bum:

Tired young right handed fastball pitcher + open base + baseball's premier left handed power hitter = intentional walk.

mike:
That said, let Willie-Critic #1 (uhhh, that'd be me) defend him on that one:

1. The Amburglar was dealing.

2. You don't wanna put Howard on and let a pitcher with control problems face a bases juiced situation.

3. Burrell has been on fire & always kills the Mets anyhow. Howard had been cold through 6 games.

4. Schoeneweis is horrible. Fuck him and never let me see his ass on the hill again.

5. Pedro Dos isn't that good against lefties: .231 avg in 2006.

6. Last year Howard hit .279 vs. lefties with 16 HRs in less than 200 ABs.

bookied:
Opening Day is not the time for a baptism-by-fire for your shakiest reliever running on fumes. I think Willie has a thing for hard throwing relief pitchers. Maybe he's hoping the Amburglar can keep him warm while he waits for Mota to return.

Doesn't anyone see what Willie was trying to do? He wanted to challenge Burgos a bit. I hate to tell you this, but at some point this year Burgos is going to have to get a good lefty out in a tight spot. This is game 6 of 162, not Game 6. I know we all wanted a win but, jeez, calm down.

The Met coaches:
"I felt like it was a good outing," Burgos said. "The guy hit a good pitch."

"Willie wants to instill confidence in these guys," Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson said. "Even though the outcome wasn't there, you gave somebody confidence. You trust a guy to get a job done."

"I'm not going to play every game like it's the World Series," Randolph said, which is of course the right approach. Perhaps, down the line, Burgos will reward him for such loyalty. Then again, maybe he won't.

I'd just like to say I wasn't solely using Monday's game as a barometer for what Willie wold in fact do in the playoffs, but it was just a microcosm of what I've seen from him in 2+ years as a manager of this club. Basically I see a disturbing trend and that did get lost in a lot of what I said since I did write about 1,000,000 words between Toasty's site and mine.

Count (aka David):

He said, if I remember correctly, that he had no problem bringing Burgos into a pressure-packed situation, because that is why he is on the team and he needs to know what he is capable of. He doesn't want guys who are scared or guys who don't come up big in big spots on his squad. I can appreciate that. The implication was that the game was important, but so was the season, and he needs to know what these guys can do.

That being said, and I "watched" yesterday's game on my Yahoo game channel only, but pitching to Howard there is a huge gaffe.

Anyways...good stuff and all good points. Now I hope the Mets get back to clean baseball free of controversy as the 1-0 Oliver Perez with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP takes on 0-1 Adam Eaton with a 13.50 ERA and and a 2.36 WHIP. While some people think this is a meaningless April series, I want to bury the Phillies and think that is important. After an off-season of this team talking shit, the Phillies get swept by the Braves and a sweep by the Mets would put them 6.5 games back behind the Mets before mid April. There are already articles about Charlie Manuel being on the hot seat and the Mets should go for the jugular and help send this team into a tailspin.

The interesting thing is how they thought getting rid of Abreu was a boost for this club, but getting rid of guy who can do it all is definitely a negative. Last season's late success was due more so to an insane hot streak by Howard and the Phils more than the lack of Bobby on the team. I think this season is going to show just how much they miss him during the long haul and though it is early, it certainly looks like people overestimated that team.

* * *

Duaner has a successful surgery.

Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez had a hairline fracture in his right shoulder repaired today in an operation done at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Sanchez must wait 6-8 weeks before he can even start rehabilitation. He could be out for at least four months or even for the entire season.

Pete Becker thinks Reyes might be the most valuable fantasy baseball player.

If you had the first pick in your fantasy baseball draft, odds are, you took Albert Pujols. Great. That was the right call; Albert Pujols is perceived as the most valuable player in fantasy and, as such, should be taken first. But will he remain No. 1?

If I'd had the first pick in my fantasy draft, I'd have taken Pujols, too. Immediately afterwards, I'd have traded him for Jose Reyes plus whatever else my trading partner would feel necessary to compensate me for the perceived value gap. I would do this not because I believe he can't put up Pujolsian numbers again this year, but because I believe Reyes' numbers will prove to be more valuable. In fantasy, that's the only reality that matters.

I'm not as smart as Pete and would have drafted Reyes #1 overall without thinking of the Pujols trade scenario, but it would have been hard to pry Reyes from anyone in an all Mets fan league. Of course this is fantasy baseball, but Reyes is still pretty valuable in real life.

Six homers and seventeen RBIs? After all the ripping on this guy and how much the Yankee fans and everyone has laid into him, I'm guessing a lot of people are quietly rooting for him. Even people that have made fun of him relentlessly (hint...that might include me). Of course him doing well is tied to the Yankees winning, so you can count me in as rooting for him extremely quietly.

Carlos Gomez continues to open up the season on fire and seemingly likes to hit in the PCL and Fernando Martinez opens the season with a 3 for 4 game.

Fernando kept it up with a 2 for 4 game with a homer, two runs scored, and walk in Binghamton's 4-2 victory yesterday.

Phil Humber had a bit of a rough start in Memphis' shellacking of New Orleans. He gave up four hits, four runs, one walk, and one homer in three innings while striking out six. Carlos Gomez went one for three and stole his fifth base of the season.