N.Y. Mets: Meet the Meddlers

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Mets Say Mickey Callaway Is Safe 

No Matter What Next General Manager Thinks

New York Mets: Ownership Lays Groundwork For More Meddling in 2019.

Wallace Matthews writes what I've been saying for nearly a decade.

Jeff Wilpon pays people to take bullets for him. Alderson is just the latest 

in a long line of human shields. - Wallace Matthews, FORBES

I took a break from this narrative when Sandy Alderson assumed office.  Otherwise I first broached this subject back when Omar Minaya was still general manager, then again last year when he is rehired by the organization.

We joke with little amusement of the three-headed general manager.  But the real three-headed monster is Fred, Jeff, and silent Saul, and their collective inability to venture far off campus for sake of effectively seeking out a qualified independently minded executive - someone so blatantly confident as to either demand they stay clear away from baseball operations, or tells them to stick it.

PON and Son of PON have proven repeatedly how their various insecurities and paranoia prohibit them from trusting an unknown executive.  Proof positive is Fred spending his entire Mets career relying solely on executives provided by Frank Cashen and Steve Phillips.

Think about it ...

Cashen populates his front office with Al Harazin, Jerry Hunsicker, Joe McIlvaine, and Steve Phillips.  Upon his retirement, Cashen inexplicably names Al Harazin as his replacement.  Jerry Hunsicker and Joe McIlvaine rightly blow their tops, and bolt the organization (Hunsicker to Houston and McIlvaine to San Diego).  When Fred Wilpon finally grasps the magnitude of Al Harazan's ineptitude, he first asks Hunsicker to return and is rebuffed.  Fred then calls Joe McIlvaine begging for his return.  Unlike Hunsicker, McIlvaine agrees.  Fast forward - Fred exhausts his patience with McIlvaine's irreverent behavior.  Fred executes his next in-house hire, this time appointing Steve Phillips as new general manager.  Phillips in turn brings into the front office fold both Omar Minaya and Jim Duquette.  However, Omar would soon accept the general manager's position at Montreal.  When Steve Phillips earns his pink slip, Fred Wilpon turns to his lone remaining in-house executive, Jim Duquette.  Before Jim is allowed to complete his second season on the job, a panicked Fred Wilpon is back on the phone begging for Omar Minaya's return.  Like McIlvaine, Minaya agrees and assumes the office of general manager.  Omar brings in John Ricco.  Minaya gets fired.

By this time it becomes crystal clear how repeatedly hiring enablers; mutually familiar predisposed sympathetic executives; only fuel Fred's and Jeff's penchant for meddling in baseball affairs.  It was during Omar Minaya's tenure as general manager that I finally deem Fred Wilpon's Mets a lost and inbred organization in dire need of a commanding outside influence.

Enter Sandy Alderson, who I view as an anomaly.  Ownership's search for a general manager to replace Minaya as far as I'm concerned was farcical at best.  It was to be COO Jeff Wilpon's first effectual hire.  But even after seeking out professional consultation, Jeff's search goes nowhere until then Commissioner Selig makes Alderson available.  Wink, wink; nudge, nudge; ownership's search comes to a screeching halt.  Sandy Alderson is hired on the spot.

When health issues necessitate Sandy Alderson stepping down, Wallace Matthews suggests COO Jeff Wilpon may have already been contemplating mutual separation.  Sandy Alderson is not Frank Cashen, and Jeff is not his father.  Although Cashen answered directly to ownership, it's abundantly clear Cashen operated autonomously, and completely free of interference.  Every general manager since, to varying degrees, had Fred looking over their shoulder.  Whereas Omar maintained a working relationship with both PON and Son of PON, Sandy on the other hand answered directly to Jeff.

It's rather ponderous to me that Son of PON would be so motivated as to actually fire Sandy Alderson after tasking him with shielding ownership from a constant onslaught of slings and arrows.  Surely Jeff wasn't going to blame another two straight 90-loss seasons on Alderson, was he?  I would like to think that at some point during his tenure Sandy tried telling Jeff to butt out.  An unlikely scenario, as Jeff would not have allowed that being as both he and his father refuse to look themselves in the mirror and humbly admit they themselves are the overriding problem.  Circling back, we'll never know if Jeff really had it in him to fire Alderson, as the former general manager wound up making that decision for him.  This much is certain, throughout Sandy Alderson's time as general manager, ownership's meddlesome decisions are wildly dictated by their own financial distress.  Their sole focus is and has been protecting gate receipts versus smartly building a sustainable winner.  They've done just enough to elicit a ray of hope from the paying customer, nothing more.  In the end, they let Sandy take the fall, as they themselves maintain the club is financially stable.

Many years ago (pre-Madoff) Fred Wilpon told us very plainly with regards to payroll that he aims to break even.  Meaning, if we pack the place, they spend more; if we don't show up, they spend less.

Former general manager Steve Phillips is rather emphatic when it comes to defending the Wilpon's.

Now for a more detailed credit check ...

I wrote an article Feb. 18, 2018, wherein I list my sources:  FINANCIAL FOLLY

By late summer 2002 Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon have the terms of their divorce settled by an independent party.  Fred must pay Doubleday 50% up front, and the remaining balance over the ensuing three years.  At the same time, Steve Phillips leaves behind a last place team with the highest payroll in the National League.  Fred then orders puppet Jim Duquette to cease spending.  Minaya takes over, and convinces ownership to reopen their wallets.  They acquiesce, but today we better know the reason why.  Just as they had done in order to raise Nelson Doubleday's money, and just as they had done with deferred money owed to Frank Cashen, Fred Wilpon relies on Madoff accounts to fund Minaya's expenditures.  All the while, Fred Wilpon is seeking financing for the construction of Citi Field.  As fans pack Shea Stadium in its final years, Fred Wilpon sways lenders with promises of 3.5 million in sustained annual attendance.

When the Madoff ponzi scheme is revealed, the Wilpon's world comes crashing down all around them.  Without delving into every bit of minutia, they are forced eventually into selling upwards of 25% of the club to outside investors.  In 2015, they refinance $750 million dollars of interrelated SNY and club debt due over a five year period (this being year three).  This past off-season, Jeff Wilpon announces he is shaving $20 million dollars from the previous year's opening day payroll.  An unrelated report by FORBES, perhaps reveals the underlying reason why.

One can only conclude that financially and operationally, we are being told one thing, while ownership does another.

Just ponder this exceptional mess the Mets are in ...

Just look at the organizational backtracking ...

John Ricco is presently the face of the front office, while Omar Minaya mentors Jeff Wilpon.  Then there's J.P. Ricciardi, an Alderson guy.  As such, I feel he is mentally checked out, and will make his exit no later than season's end.

Ricco said Jeff Wilpon instructed all three to be creative heading into the trade deadline.  Then the plan suddenly changed, then changed again.  The results speak for themselves.

More proof of continued meddling ...

Last September Newsday reveals how principle owner Fred Wilpon shields (then) manager Terry Collins from general manager Sandy Alderson and from his own son COO Jeff Wilpon, both of whom it is speculated sought Terry's dismissal for some time.  One month later, Newsday informs us how Mickey Callaway becomes the number one choice to replace Collins after spending a long lunch with principle owner Fred Wilpon.  This past Sunday, Newsday completes the trifecta by reporting Mickey Callaway is expected to return as manager in 2019, and that even if the team brings in a new general manager, Callaway would remain in his position.

Said another way, the next general manager already has his/her first precondition.

So much for autonomy!

And so I ask: what supremely qualified and respected executive would accept a Mets general manager's position riddled with stipulations?

This is exactly why the Mets need a President of Baseball Operations - an astute baseball executive whom will ensure ownership's priorities are met to their satisfaction.  A person who in turn will oversee the entire baseball operation.  A new general manager should be hired by and made to report to said president, not ownership.  Until that happens, Fred and Jeff Wilpon will continue exercising their executive decision making powers with negative effect.

Because that's what meddlers do.

Subway Series: The Best and Worst City Has to Offer

From the desks of:

HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET  and  BLAME CARLOS MAY

Heading in Opposite Directions

SUBWAY SERIES

New York Metropolitans

vs.

New York Highlanders

FROM

THE HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT

BRONX

With a 39-55 record, playing meaningful games in September is out of the question.  Instead, the Mets head into the second-half tied with the Miami Marlins for last place in the N.L. East.  On a macro level, they need to go 42-26 over the final 68 games of the season just to break even.  On a micro level, anything short of playing .500 baseball from here on out will guarantee them a second straight 90-loss season.  Meanwhile, the non-waiver trade deadline is fast approaching and the Mets have no general manager to speak of.  I suspect John Ricco is merely playing the role of front man, and that Jeff Wilpon is firmly in charge with Omar Minaya mentoring him.  As such, I'm also inclined to believe J.P. Ricciardi, as someone brought into the fold by Sandy Alderson, will not be sticking around beyond this season and already has one foot out the door.  Said another way, the Mets organizational situation is dire, their condition is critical.

At least they catch a break this weekend ...

The Mets will not be facing C.C. Sabathia nor Luis Severino whom pitched in the All-Star Game.  Giving Sabathia an extended vacation is a smart move by the Yankees.  With 18 starts to date, Sabathia is 7-6 with a very respectable 3.51 ERA, and 1.27 WHiP.  He has allowed 98 hits and fanned 77 batters in exactly 100 innings pitched.  He is the Yankees stopper; his forte is preventing losing streaks.  General manager Brian Cashman is under pressure to add another starting pitcher by the deadline, which is exactly why keeping C.C. fresh and in functioning order is in the Yankees best interest.

Otherwise, the Bronx Bombers are living up to their moniker leading the American League in home runs and team slugging en route to a stellar 62-33 record.  Yet, despite their best efforts they remain in second place 4.5 games back of the relentless Boston Red Sox who lead the circuit in total bases, team average, and runs scored.  There has never been a regular season in which both the Yankees and Red Sox each won 100 games.  After 115 years in the circuit together, this might finally be the one.  It's no wonder, then, why minions of the Evil Empire are up in arms faced with potentially having to play a one-game Wild Card playoff.

N.Y. Mets: The All-Star Game Break, Kinks, Dings and Dents METSian Podcast

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR.MET

2018

ALL-STAR GAME

Jacob deGrom

Apparently, John Heyman is reporting the Mets are in "excellent financial health."  To that I say, lies!  Sam, Rich, and I discuss this very matter on Episode #14 of a Metsian Podcast.  I want to know whom or what is the source of his information?  Is someone within the organization intentionally leaking sponsored gibberish?  If not, who then is feeding him this nonsense?  I'm not sure what he knows.  I, however, cite highly credible sources and documented facts suggesting otherwise.

We also conducted a compare and contrast regarding the respective business models of N.L. East rivals Washington, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, versus that of the Mets.

As the non-waiver trade deadline approaches, the $65,000 dollar question remains where do they go from here?  You would think the Triumvirate of Flushing has formulated a plan by now.  We'll see ... in the meantime we donned our Metsian general manager's caps and discussed each of our plans for moving the club forward.

We answered the question asking what type of person do we want serving as next general manager of the New York Mets.  After which, we failed at finding few kind words while haranguing over the bullpen and Mickey Callaway's performance, to date.

A recent Yoenis Cespedes sighting ~ why buying out Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, and Jason Vargas makes sense ~ why is Jose Reyes still on the team ~ what we need to see transpire in the second half of the season ~ and much more.

All-Star Memories: 

• Bo Jackson; Fred Lynn; the 1999 All-Star Game and All-Century Team celebration at Fenway Park; the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field; Dwight Gooden performance in 1984; four Mets selected to 1975 All-Star Game and Jon Matlack earns victory in relief; Lee Mazzilli hits home run in 1979 All-Star Game at Seattle; and this year's selection of pitcher Jacob deGrom.

We close out the podcast reminiscing over Mets uniform #14 worn by the venerated Gil Hodges.

   

Showtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes

FOLLOW:

@THE_SamMaxwell   @MetFanRich   @BTB_MikeII

N.Y. Mets: The Three-Headed METSian Podcast

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

FIX THIS HOUSE

I wrote this back on June 14:

Why Life After Sandy Alderson Terrifies Me
My point stands.

Sandy Alderson has since taken an official leave of absence from the organization.  His cancer first diagnosed back during the 2015 season has unfortunately returned.  He made the rest of the front office aware of his condition some time ago, but his recent press conference proved a somber revelation to media and fans.

He was originally brought to Flushing under very unique circumstances in which he was charged (by the commissioner; wink, wink) with matriculating the Mets organization through very dire financial straits.  His is unlikely to return, and therefore I thank him for all his efforts and years of service for the New York Mets.  I know the Marine in him with battle to the end.  I offer him, his family and circle of loved ones my prayers for a speedy and full recovery.

A METSian Podcast, Episode #13

Rich hosted; 90 minutes

@MetFanRich    @The_SamMaxwell

Wishing Sandy Alderson well

What Now? ~ Hail to the Chief!

On the three-headed monster: John Ricco; Omar Minaya; J.P. Ricciardi

Jeff Wilpon ~ Plan for the trade deadline ~ Mr. Reactive Mickey Callaway 

Dom Smith ~ fundamentals have left the building ~ WTF? 

Mets who've worn #13 ~ NYC baseball in 1913 ~ the return of L.I. Mike

Lee Mazzilli ~ The Newark Bears ~ dead ball era ~ triples to right

Giancarlo Stanton is no better than Dave Kingman!!  I really said that!

Plus our usual bitching, sniveling, complaining, and more.

N.Y. Mets: Why Life After Sandy Alderson Terrifies Me

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

How To Make The Mets Great Again

New York Mets: We can't make the Wilpons sell the team.  So how about a compromise?

Want to know why the prospect of life after Sandy Alderson terrifies me?  For the same reason that life before Sandy Alderson once terrified me: The Wilpons are no better prepared today for running this organization than when they hired Sandy Alderson eight years ago.

Think about this: Fred Wilpon, nor Jeff Wilpon, have never once been forced to venture out into the unknown and secure a general manager of their own volition.

They tried, once.  But the matter in the end was settled for them.  Otherwise, all the footwork had already been taken care for them previously by Frank Cashen, Steve Phillips, and most recently by former commissioner Bud Selig.

I bring into question the last thirty years in support of my claim.

The late former co-owner of the Mets, Nelson Doubleday, by his own admission believed in hiring good baseball people and staying out of the way.

Fred Wilpon ... not so much.

Partner or no partner, Fred to varying degrees has always exercised managing control of the New York Mets.  A dismayed and betrayed Nelson Doubleday learned that the hard way.  Despite Wilpon and Saul Katz originally buying in as mere two percent owners, since day one and throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and through the 2002 season, Fred Wilpon served as team President (until his partnership with Doubleday reached its acrimonious end, after which he assumed the role of Chairman).  As such, Fred historically has been at the forefront of all matters concerning executive employment, specifically the team's various general managers.

Frank Cashen is easily still the greatest hire either owner ever made, and perhaps goes down as one of the few times Nelson and Fred ever agreed on anything.  Frankie Bow Tie served as general manager from 1980 through the 1991 season.  His job description was understated to say the least.  For he conducted business as the Mets grand mystic high exulted ruler of operations virtually unopposed throughout the 1980s.  Ownership essentially signed off on all things Cashen deemed fit.  Deservedly so as he was a supremely qualified baseball man who long ago proved his prowess as an executive.

With Cashen in place, reports of ownership meddling in baseball affairs were virtually non existent.  On the other hand, Cashen succeeded in transforming the Mets front office featuring Jerry Hunsicker, Joe McIlvaine, and Steve Phillips, that despite becoming the envy of the league, quickly earned a reputation for being notorious infighters (but that's neither here nor there).

By 1992 Cashen was getting up in years and so elevated himself for one season to the position of team COO (after which he continued in a consulting role).  Ponderously, he appointed Al Harazin (assistant general manager since 1986, and perhaps the least qualified of his executive choices) to succeed him as Mets general manager.

Insulted and disrespected, both Hunsicker and McIlvaine understandably flipped their respective lids and bolted from the organization with haste.  Hunsicker left to become general manager of the Houston Astros, and Joe McIlvaine likewise accepted the general manager's position at San Diego.  Only Steve Phillips (brought into the fold in 1990) stayed put.

Meanwhile, Al Harazin's two years as general manager were nothing short of terrible.  The 1993 season in particular goes down as one of the more embarrassing campaigns in all New York Mets history.  This two year episode can certainly be blamed on Frank Cashen.  Not coincidentally, though, this is when Fred Wilpon's tribulations begin.  Because by this juncture in Mets history Cashen is no longer serving as buffer between ownership and baseball operations.

Free to fill the void left behind by Cashen, Mr. Wilpon earnestly begins intervening in baseball affairs.  Acting on his own behalf, he turns to the only people with whom he had previously gained any sense of familiarity: Jerry Hunsicker and Joe McIlvaine.  The former rebuffed outright Wilpon's plea to return.  However, McIlvaine acquiesced and returned to Flushung.

Fast forward through the Generation K years, and Wilpon is growing increasingly perturbed with Joe Mac's many unscheduled and often lengthy scouting trips during which he would routinely fail to return Wilpon's calls in a timely manner ... if at all.  Wilpon ultimately makes Joe Mac's aloof and irreverent behavior an issue, and fires him midway through the 1997 season.

Fred Wilpon turns to the next familiar face.  An in-house hire, Steve Phillips is elevated to the position of general manager.  Phillips in turn is responsible for bringing into the fold both Omar Minaya and Jim Duquette.  But in 2002 Omar Minaya leaves to become general manager of the (then) Montreal Expos.

Steve Phillips earns his pink slip a year later.  Fred Wilpon not surprisingly turns to his lone remaining in-house option, elevating Jim Duquette (whom Wilpon would effectively dictate his day-to-day terms of employment to the point Duquette is literally rendered inconsequential as a team executive.  The freeze placed upon him coincides with Fred Wilpon's efforts towards securing financing for the construction of Citi Field).

By 2003-2004, Mr. Wilpon has seemingly exhausted all internal executive options left behind by Frank Cashen and Steve Phillips.  Or so we thought.  In a bind, Fred Wilpon dials up Omar Minaya begging for his return to Flushing just as he had once before with Joe McIlvaine.  And like McIlvaine, Minaya agreed.  However, in his haste to secure Minaya, Mr. Wilpon failed to relieve Jim Duquette of his duties in a timely and professional manner.  If nothing else, this made for a typically Metsian transition.

With this blog as my witness ... by 2009 and 2010 I began accusing the Mets of being a hopelessly inbred organization, completely bereft of an original idea.  Hardly a hasty conclusion considering for thirty years Fred Wilpon had limited his front office personnel to only those he was familiar with and knew well.  While Jerry Hunsicker goes down as the one that got away, Joe McIlvaine, Steve Phillips, Jim Duquette, and Omar Minaya were all either groomed by or recruited into the organization.  As front office resources, Fred Wilpon exhausted every last one.  As such, this blog began imploring the organization to finally venture off campus for sake of recruiting someone not previously tethered to the Wilpons.

When circumstances turned against Omar Minaya, the future of the organization further terrified me.  I believed then as I do now, the Wilpons do not possess the requisite, acquired, or even applied experience, nor the industry intellect to identify, recruit, and ably secure a learned and aptly qualified baseball executive.

To reiterate, my reason is because they've never before been forced out of their comfort zone where it concerns employing general managers.  Much to my dismay, I was right.  Upon Minaya's dismissal, ownership first sought consultation within the industry before initiating a (farcical) search for a new general manager.  Multiple candidates were interviewed (including in-house executive John Ricco).  Well into the process, however, Fred and Jeff were no closer to hiring a replacement than they were on day one (Jeff Wilpon is now team COO and in control of front office operations, whereas previously and right up until Omar Minaya's hiring this was formerly Fred's domain).

Enter commissioner Bud Selig.  He suddenly makes Sandy Alderson available who at the time was conducting MLB operations in Dominican Republic.  For ownership, a veritable stroke of luck.  Upon Selig's not so subtle insistence, they hire Sandy Alderson Johnny-on-the-spot thus ending their general manager search post haste.  So truth be told, it is purely by default that Jeff Wilpon makes his first general managerial hire.

Fast forward again, and we've now arrived at a point where Sandy Alderson either faces getting fired, or retires on his own terms.

The objective observer might view John Ricco as a natural candidate for general manager considering his time and experience within the organization's front office.  Perhaps best known for performing damage control in 2010 during Omar Minaya's colossal media meltdown, John Ricco not only survived Minaya, but seems as if he may outlast Sandy Alderson as well.

I on the other hand view John Ricco as a worst possible scenario.  He's been tethered to the Mets for at least a decade.  He is too familiar with ownership, and them with him.  He strikes me as just another potential yes man as I refuse to believe Ricco would be granted full autonomy.  J.P. Ricciardi is also still on board.  But I was never impressed with his body of work as GM of the Toronto Blue Jays.  In either scenario, the club would be reverting back to in-house candidates, further inbreeding of the executive pool, and once again insulating the organization from foreign and/or innovative thought.  Re-hiring Omar Minaya would be no different.

Nelson Doubleday warned fans of this looming mismanagement ...

Fairly or unfairly, Jeff Wilpon has long been accused of being a micro-meddler.  The local tabloids are littered with such scuttlebutt.  How many times through the years have you heard the Wilpons trying to maintain a collegial style front office operation?  Isn't that corporate code for meddling?  We know his father is still actively meddling when it was disclosed he sheltered Terry Collins knowing Sandy Alderson wanted him fired.  How more many times have both Jeff and Fred made baseball decisions for the wrong reasons by putting issues of money, attendance, and public perception, ahead of actual winning?  When an organization is run by a reactive (dare I say impetuous) COO, be sure meddling will be order of the day.

We can't make the Wilpons sell the team.  But there is a way of removing their fingerprints from baseball operations.  A strict chain of command has become necessary.  Hire a learned and independent minded President of Baseball Operations.  In the age of general managers basking in the spotlight, I realize employing a Team President seems somewhat archaic.  I understand teams just do not operate that way anymore.  But in this particular case, a buffer between ownership and baseball ops is just what the Wilpons and Mets fans need if they are to continue forward in an agreeable manner towards reestablishing this public trust.

A Team President of Baseball Operations must be someone the Wilpons can trust unconditionally with keeping their best interests front and center at all times, and above all having said interests satisfactorily met.  But ownership must then be willing to completely separate themselves from baseball operations.

In turn, the President of Baseball Operations oversees the entire operation.  He/she hires a general manager and makes sure he/she stays on the straight and narrow, adhering to team objectives, and making sure organizational resources are allocated in the most effective way possible, all the while ensuring the primary focus remains on the agreed upon mission (handed down by the President of Baseball Operations).

The general manager then sets forth on the Team President's mission, and reports directly back to same.  The President then occassionally reports back and assures the owners their interests are still being met.  In this system owners do not speak directly with the general manager where it concerns baseball matters.  In return, the President of Baseball Operations is left to decipher ownership's nonsense before acting upon, and disseminating pertinent information.

All that being said, I believe it's time the Mets instituted a disciplined chain of command.

Sandy Alderson's record is a matter for another discussion.  But as it relates to this narrative, he is likewise tethered.  And this is precisely the organizational condition which must change.

N.Y. Mets: Terry Collins Takes a Knife in the Back

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

THE IDES OF AUTUMN?

Media, Front Office, and Players

Gang-Up On Terry Collins

New York Mets: Terry Collins Deserved Better; I Guess Handling the Situation With Dignity Was Too Much to Ask.

On Wednesday, the Mets played their final home game of the 2017 regular season.

In all likelihood, it was also Terry Collins' last game at Citi Field as manager of the New York Mets.

If only things were that cut and dry.

On Thursday, Newsday writer Marc Carig unleashed an incriminating expose, unveiling just some of the dysfunction afflicting the Mets front office; a condition we fans have suspected all along.

According to more than a dozen team insiders interviewed by Newsday, speaking on the condition of anonymity (of course..), Carig states organizational dysfunction, discord between Terry Collins and his players, and a broken relationship between the manager and the front office, have all been plaguing the Mets for several years now.

Carig wrote that Fred Wilpon has been protecting Terry Collins from Sandy Alderson and Jeff Wilpon, who've lobbied several times during the last few years for the manager's dismissal. 

Apparently, Fred would have none of it.

Otherwise, Collins' misuse/overuse of the bullpen is reported to be one of the front office's major points of contention.  Carig's article also leads us to believe Terry was never the great communicator we were led to believe.

And there's the rub ...

All we've heard from the media since 2011 is how much players respected, and wanted to play for Collins.  It was the media congratulating Collins for somehow maintaining a sense of comradery in the clubhouse through some very lean seasons.  And it was the media heaping praise upon him in 2015 after guiding the Mets to a National League title, then again for piloting the Mets to back-to-back post-season appearances.

Let me be clear, I was never among TC's biggest supporters.  Collins never made my personal list of candidates back when he was originally appointed manager.  At best, I grew ambivalent towards him. Suffice to say, I do not necessarily disagree with many things Carig's article touches upon.

Terry Collins is indeed a poor tactician, and his abuse of the bullpen borders on criminal.  I do not appreciate his lack of conviction when it concerns certain higher profile players, nor his heavy-handed tactics with younger players, because when managing a clubhouse one method flies in the face of the other.

In that sense, some of which Marc Carig reports makes perfect sense (most of it, actually).  And in truth, nothing about this is new to us fans.  The dysfunction afflicting the Mets front office is crystal clear, and has been for quite some time.  We've been screaming this from the mountain tops, only to have the media take Collins' side. 

How ironic ... hmm?

Whether you liked him or not, I believe most fans were perfectly willing to thank Terry Collins, then just let him ride off into the sunset. 

That is why I call this article a swift kick in the ass.  For Carig's part, the timing of it stinks to high hell.  Worse, however, the front office contributing anonymous quotes is nothing short of cowardly.

And if Carig didn't get some quotes directly from Sandy Alderson, then the Mets front office has a leak.

John Ricco?

Think about it ... no one knows what he does, but he has a bird's eye view of everything.

N.Y. METS ~ Like the Team Now? You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

From the desk of:  Head-Butting Mr. Met




NEW YORK METS:  The Fog Over Citi Field Still Lingers Over The Mets.  But You'll See, Sandy Alderson Will Light up The Night.

What!?  Me Worry?  What could be wrong?

It's still too early for seeking ledges to jump off, but we have to start somewhere, right?  After all, the early bird gets the worm.

Stop yourselves.  Now.

On the one hand, we knew our team had more problems than a math book.  On the other hand, ...there is no other hand.  Our team has more problems than a math book.  This is as good as it gets people.  There's nothing more to see at Citi Field.  If you are that disgusted, go back to your farms if you really want Mets R Us shut down for good...   If you had expectations, shame on you.  You'll hear this a lot from me; You can't be disappointed with what you do not expect.  So stay home if you want the Wilpons gone.  The brown paper bags routine was an old 1970's gag that is no longer "CooooL Man"!

Please!

But, there is still something to be said for brown paper bags and what they say.  So, in the mean time, Sandy Alderson's team leaves us with an awful lot to talk about.  Let's start out with the easiest target; their record:

4-9   .308 pct.

The New York Mets have won 30% of their games so far.  Or, the New York Mets have lost 70% of their games; - Give or take a fraction.  You choose how you like your numbers.  Let's move on, shall we?

For me, ten games is a nice number to wait before I really start taking stock of the Mets.  So, after Tuesday's rain-out, I thought it time to start putting the 'Mazin thinking cap on.  And so far, for me, the best thing to happen to the Mets this season has been the New York Rangers.  The 'Mazin Mets have remained safely off my docket because I still have Hockey of the brain.

I've been paying attention, but it's time to start a-talkin'.   And I guess for King 'Pon, Son Of 'Pon, and the whole "Saul B. Katz Dilemma" over in Flushing..., that sucks.

When my fellow Met fans come to grips with the fact our season doesn't start until the trade deadline rolls around, they'll stop twitching in their sleep at night after games.  It doesn't matter where in the standings we are come July, this team is getting exterminated.   The best we should hope for are some individual successes so as to bump up their value.  But for sure, we haven't seen anything yet.  Sandy Alderson is going to strip this Bad Boy down to a fig leaf.  The only thing that prevents that from happening now, is the calendar.  The only thing that separates real concrete change on the field and a change in our perceptions and attitudes, is TIME.  In three more years, this team will not have a single semi to high profile free agent on it.  Not One!  We'll neither have one of our own holdovers and it certainly won't be one picked up on the market.  All that is done.


Do you think Alderson hired DePodesta and Ricciardi to scout potential high priced free agents and potential recipients of five and seven year deals?  No, of course not.  They are here to wipe the slate clean.  Make no mistake.  Everyone is gone....Even David Wright!  That sucks to hear.  I know it and I am with you.  I'd rather keep him.  But we have to reconcile ourselves with the fact that it's not about what we want.  This is more of what Sandy Alderson is going to do.  But you can not deny, no matter what David Wright has done here, he's been a constant throughout the last seven dramatic and frustrating years in Flushing; - both him and Reyes.

Carney Lansford was Sandy Alderson's third-baseman back in the Bash-Brothers Days; - Can you dig it? And no one has been holding an open umbrella under the dark clouds at Shea/Citi longer than Jose Reyes and David Wright.  They have been the one constant these last 7 years.  Do you want to improve this club?  Trade your best players!  And that's exactly what Sandy Alderson is going to do.  He has no personal attachment towards, and for what we hold dear, and cherish; - our beloved Met History and favorite players.  What Alderson does have is a plan to totally restructure this team.  And the player (Wright) that can very well own every Met record if he's allowed to stay, I feel will be gone.  It makes sense, he will garner the biggest return.  Who will play third after David is gone? Answer - A Sandy Guy.  Ricciardi is working on that as we speak.

At Shortstop, Reyes is the other pre-Omar Days guy.  But, don't you know the only reason why Jose Reyes is off to such a good start is to fulfill our manifest destiny?  He'll go on to get as many hits as Paul Molitor and steal as many bases as Tim Raines.  Why? - Because he won't be doing it in a Mets' uniform.  We know how that goes..(eh..hem! Nolan Ryan).  I say that in jest, he won't achieve those numbers, but do we really want to start talking money again; whether it's Madoff's money, Wilpon's money, or Reyes money?  Nah.  And there is nothing developing down on the farm ready to step in for Reyes upon his trade at the deadline which seems like a lock at this point.  Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada, etc. - They aren't Sandy's guys.  They belong to Omar and they're looking more and more like duds.  Harsh?  Maybe.  Trust me, I'd love to ease off.  But truth is truth.


Alderson still has his hands full with cleaning this roster of Omar's thumbprints.  And it's turning out to be a monumental task.  Counting backwards, Jason Bay and Johan Santana are the latest two lost to lengthy injuries, and are players who's contracts are hampering the team in the meantime.  And before them came the jettisoning of Ollie Perez, Castillo, and John Maine.  You are more than within your rights to ask, did Everything Omar Touch Turn To Mush?  I mean really?  Almost every one of his mid to high profile acquisitions have all wound up on the backs of milk cartons.  Which one hasn't?  Please..., remind me.

The bullpen has been a complete and utter mess.  They are/were? still anchored by two Minaya guys in Bobby Parnell and closer Francisco Rodriguez.  Iggy got cut and now he's back.  Izzy is back too.  They won't last!  All the other guys were Alderson imports, but there was nothing he realistically had to work with money wise, nor was there anything available talent wise.  If anything the Mets were smart to let Pedro Feliciano walk away.  Now the Yankees are stuck with that medical bill.

Second base hasn't been correct since Edgardo Alfonzo played the position for us.  And while Emaus is an Alderson guy, it looks like the job will go to the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none, and Omar leftover, Daniel Murphy.  It's looking like 2B will turn out to be a strict platoon very shortly.  But I'm sorry, even though I like Murph, he's not a solution at 2B.  And other Omar farm-hands like Reese Havens and Jonathan Malo have been beset by injuries.  And I get the feeling Alderson isn't as enamored with Reese and Malo as I am, for ever materializing good reasons.

Left field has been a complete joke for how many years now? 

Most fans know by now, teams never get their money's worth from a player on the back end of long term deals; - See Carlos Beltran.  If at all possible, this old Omar acquisition will be a trade-deadline goner.  Omar farm-hand Fernando Martinez just got injured yet again.  Every season he proves himself more and more fragile.  Another Omar farm-hand Lucas Duda, even though I like him (from Brooklyn Cyclones days), is headed back to Buffalo because he was over-matched to start the season and looked frighteningly unprepared.

And speaking of being unprepared, all that needed to be done was to watch just a few games this season to come to a conclusion, it is no longer a matter of being prepared or unprepared with this team.  The on-field folly still looks the same.  Terry Collins is proving that right now.  How is it that Willie Randolph, Jerry Manuel AND Terry Collins now, all have had that "I just got pumped by the neighbor's cat look on their face", after yet another futile looking loss.  How is it?  The Media for one, corners these managers into said looks on their faces.  But the results on the field won't change, and the questions won't change, and therefore the answers won't change, until the reasons for this cycle of insanity are all eliminated.

That's why I tell you now, it's not the manager anymore.  Kiss Everyone Goodbye!  And stop all your nonsense people.  If you want to do something constructive, get a highlighter and mark every day on the calendar till the trade deadline hits.  Then get a black Sharpie and cross out every player with Omar's name on it - every one!  It's time to look forward to new players and farm hands that will make their managers look good for a change.  Because that's where we are headed.  Sandy Alderson has no plan for making this team better right now or ever; not with these players he's not.  This team is still headed for the glue factory horse by horse.  This season is still about purge.  And I couldn't be more on board.  So I guess that makes me, ironically, a happy Mets fan.  Hmmm?

Be happy with this.  Two relievers were having a ghastly time on the mound and Sandy Alderson sent them packing, post haste.  It took a meeting between Jerry Manuel, Omar Minaya, John Ricco, Jeff Wilpon, Saul Katz, Fred Wilpon, five hot dog vendors, and the valet parking guy to make a decision last season, when they made changes.  Sandy Alderson didn't have to make multiple trips to Atlanta to scold his team - remember the "I'm not here to fire anyone guys." - Jeff Wilpon?  Sandy Alderson did it from his desk with a phone call and a pen to sign the paperwork.  That's where we are now, with a GM making decisive decisions in a timely manner.

Now! - for some positives regarding Omar's leftovers.  We like Ike.  I don't know about you, but I am a staunch Bobby Parnell supporter.  I like Niese and I am holding out hope for Big Pelf.  Down at AAA, I really like Dillon Gee.  And then there is my guy, Josh Thole.

At catcher, can some one tell me why most local Media do not believe in Josh Thole?  And I'm not so sure Sandy Alderson has warmed up to him either.  Am I looking at Thole through Love Blind Eyes?  Regardless,  I am an unabashed supporter of Thole and I don't care to have the position upgraded.  I'm very content giving him the job.  I think he's solid defensively and calls a good game.  He makes contact at bat and I believe he will hit for a higher average than many project for him.  I also believe he will work himself into being quite an effective 2-spot hitter in the line-up.  I don't get why so many are still down or not enamored with the kid.  Someone fill me in as to what I do not see.

And with our season being what it is, I'm also quite content giving Angel Pagan the full season in center field without any complaints from me.  I moved beyond Beltran two years ago.

If manager Terry Collins is going to blow a gasket this early, fine.  If he wants them to take extra infield practice, fine.  What ever he does is fine.  It doesn't matter.  They will all be gone....(eventually) the manager included.

Are you kidding me?  In July, Sandy Alderson is going to light up the Flushing night with a fireworks extravaganza unseen around here since the Mets blew it up on Black Friday back in 1977, and when Frank Cashen lit the second fuse to set off better nights in Flushing.

Forget strike one; strike two; and strike three for now.

Wait for the Boom!  Burst!  And the WOW!  ...when Sandy really starts to blow this up.



I conclude by saying, Let's Go Rangers!!!  Because Mets Opening Day doesn't come until later in the summer.  That should give me plenty of time to let the Rangers play out their run for a Stanley Cup.  Yea, I know..., good luck with that too.


Let's Go Mets!

Let's Go Rangers!!




Mike.BTB

Not Ready Yet

Me; I'm not ready to go full blown into my fury just yet. I'm waiting. Like a leopard in the tall grass I'm going to be still, observe, and calculate my moment to strike.

I'm enjoying the downfall of Wilponianism.

If you weren't reading yesterday...it doesn't matter. My next question stands on it's own.
Why was Jerry Manuel the first Mets "official" to speak regarding Francisco Rodriguez? And he spoke without having a 100% grasp of the situation and having to wrangle with reporters about it.

Jeff Wilpon issued a prepared statement to the press.

Omar, Jeff, FRED, Ricco et-al...? Why haven't one of these gentlemen spoken into a microphone yet? It's all so stange how this organization handles things.

Mr. Met sounds like a blabber mouth compared to the front office.


Two minutes to midnight?
Begin countdown to implosion?
Iceberg Dead Ahead! ?
Let it BURN!! Let it burn down to the ground. Yeah!!!


BTB

Maelstrom of Discontent

"Well,  I still have my uniform on?"

That's what Jerry Manuel does.  He makes the "beat guys" feel like they're all his buddies.  Every QandA with Jerry is a Bud-Lite moment.  Jerry embraces them and makes em all feel good about their jobs because he makes jokes and feeds them just the right blend of corn-meal and grass-mix by-product to satiate their sensationalized article writing their editors demand.  Effective?  It's especially effective for Jerry Manuel.  If it weren't for Jerry holding the Media close to his bosom with humor, jocularity and random acts of gangsta sarcasm, the maelstrom to have Jerry Manuel would have gotten him fired long ago.  That maelstrom is usually whipped up by the Media first; not the fans.  The only reason Jerry Manuel is still manager of the New York Mets is because Jerry outsmarted the media this long.

Keep your friends close; but keep your enemies closer.

The media never created a maelstrom to have Jerry Manuel fired.  Sure they've had the burner on simmer and it even got HOT for Jerry once in a while; - as is the current situation after a 90 minute meeting with Met Brass in Atlanta of all places.  When Jerry Manuel emerged from that meeting his Maenad's were there to greet him.  When the Chorus asked of their Bacchus what happened in the meeting, their deity squeezed a grape into this goblet of wine:  "I still have my uniform on?!"  ...And because they're all buddies, the on-site Media nod their heads in a collective, "yea...we got your back dog!"...and then go write their spin.  Take care to understand I'm talking about the beat writers here.  Through wittiness and with an acknowledgment by the writers Omar assembled these players, Manuel gets a nice slice of slack in the daily(s).  When a guy like Mike Lupica decides to chime in about sports these days it's only when the fishing is good.  Today he served up this big plate of obvious  ...- I say be gone with you and go continue chasing your political aspirations.  I used to read his articles all the time but he's slowly turning himself into a writer's Howard Cosell of his later angrier years.

Allow me to digress.  For two years Manuel has floated the idea of batting Reyes third in the order.  Jerry thought it was part of Jose Reyes' natural progression as a hitter.  This year, due to circumstances that dictated alternative measures, Jerry got his way and Reyes was inserted into the third slot (he has recently been returned to batting lead-off again).  Before I go on a tangent, here's my question.  If Jerry felt so strongly about batting Reyes third, why does he ask Reyes, his three hitter, to bunt in two consecutive games?  These are just moves to ponder.

The 90 minute meeting between Jerry Manuel, Omar Minaya, Asst. GM John Ricco and Jeff Wilpon was as Jeff puts it, "...just Baseball talk."  He stated he didn't come to Atlanta to fire anyone.  He admitted if he was happy with the current situation he wouldn't be having this meeting.  When pressed, Jeff offered he would have made a change last year regarding a manger and or a General Manager, but he did not act.  So today he explains they are assembled together in an effort to "work this out".  Jeff Wilpon reminded the assembled media about his expectations of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel and about his lack of satisfaction so far.  But it appears the Wilpons are more committed to keeping Omar under contract than entertaining issues of being penny foolish-dollar wise.  Jerry Manuel is a lame duck manager which ever way you look at this.

I have been through all this before.  I've been doing it since December.  My displeasure with the way this organization is run is pretty well known by now.  But here we go again anyway.

If the Mets fire Manuel and replace him with Bob Melvin, I will be highly upset.  I'd rather let Manuel finish the season.  I am not in favor of Omar Minaya specifically, hiring Bobby Valentine.  I do not believe that relationship will work.  Omar Minaya was a Steve Phillips front office import.  Bobby Valentine and Steve Phillips could not get along.  Valentine wanted more say in personnel matters.  Phillips was strongly opposed.  Valentine will want as much input now as he wanted then.  Valentine has a very strong character and his baseball intellect is of superior quality.  But Valentine will exercise every bit a savvy and cunning intellect against Omar Minaya who has himself been looking over his shoulder at John Ricco.  To also put a very dead-spin on that relationship, Valentine will out think and counter Omar at every turn.  Valentine will spin circles around Omar.  A Valentine/Minaya duo will not work in my opinion.  And I'm not even so sure Omar deserves to hire a third manager.

There is only one situation I am agreeable with regarding the hiring of Bobby Valentine.  If Omar is allowed to hire him, the Wilpons must turn and fire Omar outright and do one of two things; promote Bobby Valentine to General Manager and let him hire his own manager; OR seek permission from the Tampa Rays for the services of Jerry Hunsicker to be GM with Valentine managing under him.  The two are very familiar with each other dating back to more stable and successful days in the Mets' organization.

That is my Bobby Valentine scenario; a path which I am not inclined to follow but I would be agreeable to.  The Wilpons have been there and done that with Bobby Valentine.  Valentine was critical of the Wilpons and they have memories like elephants.  They do not take criticism too well.

Of course my ultimate pipe-dream is for the Wilpons to do what it takes to get Larry Beinfest in the Mets' fold.  He is the guy I want.  I said it before.  I say it here again now.

I believe Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya should be joined at the hip.  Another terribly kept secret of mine is my total vote of no confidence in Asst. GM John Ricco.  If he is indeed named the next GM of the Mets, like the Bob Melvin situation, I will be highly upset!  No John Ricco!  No Bob Melvin!  If those are my choices for change I will stick with Omar and Jerry!  Thank you but no thanks Mr. Wilpon.

I have stated my support for Omar Minaya in the past.  I cling to him because he is the last resource Frank Cashen directly or indirectly left behind (Cashen brought in many executives the Wilpons have exhausted and through Steve Phillips, a Frank Cashen import, we arrived at our last two GM's in Duquette and Omar.)  Omar is the last executive familiar to the Wilpons and vice-versa over the course of 30 years.

The next General Manager of the New York Mets must be an off-campus hire.  Period!  The cycle of inbred thought and a watered down if not diluted executive staff must be infused with new blood if not now, when Omar is relieved of his duties.  Anything other than what I posted here will not make me happy.

Met fans need to give me more names other than Bob Melvin and Bobby Valentine (for reasons I stated above) before I say fire Jerry Manuel.  Who are the replacements Met fans are contemplating?  All I hear is fire Manuel.  I'm cool with that, but who's the replacement folks?

Here's another old line of mine.  The S.S. Wilpon just turned into the iceberg!  I dropped the life boats a long time ago.  I'm not about to raise them back up.

Mike  BTB
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Most Met Fans Clamouring for Bobby Valentine

The following is actually a comment I made to a post by a great author in the BloggerHood on
The Prince of New York's Baseball Blog (on Blogspot).

He makes a cogent case for the immediate hiring of Bobby Valentine as manager for the New York Mets.  Visit and show him love .  You'll be rewarded with a great read.

I am not averse to bringing Bobby Valentine back to METropolis and the reasons Paul touched upon pretty much explain why it looks to be the right move.  Being that my comment below covers everything I wanted to get out in a post concerning the on-going Mess in Flushing, Omar, Bobby V and the Front Office anyway, I figured I'd just present things to you in it's original answer form.

as of: April 17
theBrooklynTrolleyBlogger said...


I'm not opposed to Bobby V. Here's the rub.  Does Omar get to hire him and stay on as GM?  I'd disagree with that.*  Bobby V and Omar will not get along.  They may have Texas in common but Omar is still a Phillips guy imported into the Met fold.*  Their Met experiences are quite different.  Bobby's personality will cause friction with Omar because he will want personnel input again, and because Valentine can verbalize much better than Omar can, I see nothing good coming from that relationship.  I believe it can only get ugly.  John Ricco?  Bobby will eat him up too.  At least Steve Phillips played in the minors.  Ricco is a corporate guy and Bobby will have little respect for that.  If we continue down this road Omar will hire Valentine and Omar still has to be fired.  Bringing in Valentine only works if you bring in Hunsicker from T.B. to be GM in the same whacking of Manuel and Omar together.  Hunsicker is the other half of the Valentine equation.  They have a better working understanding of each other from their earlier Met experiences than Omar and Valentine will ever have.   Then both of them can put Wilpon and his paranoia to bed and get this organization back to health.   If Valentine is hired and we fire Omar and Hunsicker doesn't come here to be GM?...promote Valentine to GM and find another manager.

ALL this is if the Mets do not ask permission to talk to Larry Beinfest.  You have to think if the next GM doesn't like Valentine...the Wilpons will not eat another contract for a manager they aren't employing.  And I'm thinking what if Larry Beinfest doesn't like Bobby Valentine?  We won't know until the Wilpons get it together and ask Jeff Loria for permission to speak with Beinfest and Mr. Wilpon compensates Mr. Loria handsomely.  WAIT; Obviously not too long, but wait.  See if Beinfest and Hunsicker are available.  Then if you want to, whack Manuel.  Acting hastily with Manuel just for the sake of hiring Valentine now, without certainty of the GM may be counter-productive.  I know Valentine won't be out there forever, but that's why the Mets need to ACT quickly and see if these options are available.  Again, I have mad respect for your word, but we can't act on Manuel without lining up Omar's replacement at the same time unless you can see V as our GM or, the Wilpons plan on forcing Bobby V on the new GM.*

Mike
BTB

post script ~ Bobby Valentine has a great managerial mind.  But a fish rots from the head and the upper management of the NYM has my attention a little more that the field manager right now in spite of  my not wanting Manuel to continue here much longer.  We don't have much time because the players are starting to behave in open defiance of their manager.  It's not a full-blown situation but it's getting chippy.  We could use Bobby Valentine and we could use him now.  But we also need to get this right and factor in a/the GM into this mess we call the Mets.

* sentence slightly modified from original comment for diction.

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A Leap off the SideWalk into an OnComing Bus

The knock on Jerry Manuel in Chicago when he managed the White Sox was that as soon as things got a little bit hairy for him, he started throwing players under the bus.  He pointed fingers so fast in Chicago's SouthSide that he looked like Neo in the Matrix.

: D        ...don't mind me.

Fast forward to 2009.  I or anybody else never understood what Ryan Church did to Jerry Manuel to get himself in Jerry's doghouse, but Church was a permanent resident.  He did have a game where he failed to touch third as he rounded the bag...etc etc.  The real rub stemmed from Church's post concussion syndrome.  Manuel interpreted the symptoms otherwise if at all and basically viewed Ryan Church as a malingerer.  If you're asking me, Church was being scape-goated for the team's troubles.  Ramon Castro, back-up catcher, was also being scape-goated by Manuel, if you're asking me.  He was suffering nagging injuries and it rubbed Manuel the wrong way.  But in a year lost to injury all around, Church and Castro were identified by Manuel as malcontents because they showed a backbone against Jerry, who  instigated Omar to trade them.  Regardless of opinions about the trades, that's the way it went down.

Just in this last week alone, there are three current Mets that if they're not finding themselves under a bus, are speaking in open defiance of their manager.

A leap off the side walk into an on coming bus ~ CASE ONE: 
John "RAIN" Maine; -  After John Maine's performance Tuesday night, among other things broached by reporters, and offered up by Manuel, was John Maine's status in the starting rotation needed to be re-evaluated.  It warranted concern and perhaps a change may be needed is the way I summarize it.  He said they needed to have a discussion.  Things started going terribly wrong that same night with the "He said, She said".  A Mets' beat reporter, kept Manuel's comments in mind and yesterday asked John Maine if he was feeling better about Jerry Manuel's decision to keep him in the rotation.  (revised decision = Jerry decided Maine should pitch when his turn comes around again.  He hinted maybe a change was warranted Tuesday night, then decided Maine would stay in turn yesterday, all before or ever saying anything to John Maine since Manuel made his comments the previous night.)  John Maine was taken back by the reporter's question saying he didn't even know taking him out of the rotation was even an option!

Uh - OH!  A short time later on the Wednesday afternoon, John Maine was seen making a B-line into the manager's office.  The team said it was a scheduled meeting.  So now guess what the latest plan is?  After pitching coach Dan Warthen and Maine looked over tapes and "stuff" (yea STUFF - because these guys are ponderous!)  John Maine insisted he was going back to his old way of pitching and reverting to his style and abandoning the team's edict of concentrating on throwing strikes to minimize the big inning.  It's their thinking folks...Not Mine!  He said his style is fastballs high in the zone.  John Maine must know something we don't because he needs to make up about 4 to 5 mph on his fastball to be taken seriously.  Does he think those 5 mph are just going to come because he's abandoning the old plan?  The team's concept is low in the zone and strikes.  For a change I don't think it's the club's fault this kid is coming in at 88mph, but the lack of communication is.  But John Maine has stated he is done with the Met's plan and he practically said it in those words.  Me?  I like the attitude, but no one is going to like the results.  His 88 mph fastball looks like a grapefruit right now.

And lastly....Dan Warthen?  C'mon with this guy.  I wouldn't trust him to mail a letter for me.  Rick Peterson was arrogant and instigated the Scott Kazmir trade, but we replaced him with Dan Warthen?  And he's still here?  Someone...Please?

CASE TWO:  Jose Reyes ~  has stated over and over his reluctance to hit third in the line-up.  Jerry Manuel has flirted with that idea for two years now has said Jose Reyes will be batting third when they open the series with the Cardinals in St. Louis.  These two still have not seemed to reach a middle ground and Reyes continues to verbalize his displeasure with the idea.  It appears to be item number two where a player is in open defiance of the manager.

CASE NUMBER THREE:  Johan Santana ~ Monday the 12th was an off-day/travel day.  Jerry Manuel flipped the rotation for the upcoming St. Louis series choosing to start HAIL (aka Oliver Perez) Friday, thereby giving Johan an added day off and not having him pitch after his normal 4 days off.  Manuel said the extra day off would serve Johan well.  Johan Santana responded to this move by saying, "There are times when you feel a little beat up and need the time to rest.  This is not one of those times."   This isn't something I would classify as an incident.  It's just a drifting scent in the air of something that is turning sour.

I'm not hinting at anything.  Am I?  I'm just bringing you up to date on what's been going on and the reputation that followed Jerry out of Chicago.  That's all.  This is not a Fire Manuel Rant....is it?  I think not.

Buses?  Dangerous.   Trolleys?  Safe.


****Elsewhere in METropolis****

Remember that Great January the Mets had?  Yea!  Neither do I.  In January the Mets signed two pitchers; Kelvim Escobar and R.A. Dickey.

R.A. Dickey.   *sigh*



****The very latest in METropolis****

Sleet (aka - Jon Niese) pitched unimpressively Wednesday night to a no decision after the Mets got him off the hook by tying the game in the 9th inning.  They wound up loosing the game on a walk-off HR in the 10th but what the hey...  Unfortunately he did separate himself from his name a little more with this outing and the Mets ensured they'd loose their third straight series to start the season.  Sorry kid.  It's the WeatherBoyz (starting rotation) that concern me, not blowing Wednesday's game in extra innings.

Here's the SLEET line:
5 innings pitched
9 hits
5 runs, 5 earned
1 walk
2 strikeouts
1 home run
99 pitches
6.55 era
He's a youngster and I'm taking it easy on him.  Keep at it Rook.

Today!  The Colorado mound was the EAST and MIKE PELFREY was the Sun!!  He was marvelous.  He threw 7 shut-out innings today salvaging one game for the Mets in the last game of this series.  He struck out 6 and walked none, gave up 5 hits and earned his second victory in as many tries.  Atta' boy Mike!

They head to St. Louis now sporting a 3-6 record for the season.  If they want to finish this road trip at .500 they need to take two of three from the Cardinals.  Let me see....Next in line are HAIL, Johan and another dose of RAIN.  But Rain promised he's going to be new and improved this time.  I'll get back to you on that.  We may have to re-name him yet again to REBEL.


****Tonight's Final Words of METrospection****

Assistant General Manager John Ricco had more to say this week and has gotten more press and face time than I care to see.  He dealt in minor issues but it shows the Wilpons are forcing this guy into the mix.  I am terrified by the prospect the Wilpons might be grooming this guy to be our next GM.  Please JOBU No!  Please tell me it isn't so.


That is all.  Go back to your homes.  There's nothing more to see here.

BTB

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