Results tagged ‘ Jerry Manuel ’

The Saul B. Katz Dilemma ~ Son of ‘PON

 

Met Year 8 A.D.  ~  Year 8 AFTER DOUBLEDAY.

OR

The Age of WILPONianism.

Welcome.

Back in 2003 Nelson Doubleday sold his half of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club to his partner Fred Wilpon, ending a very acrimonious relationship between the two.  I’m not going “there” because the Mets only won one World Series while he was still half owner.  No, I only bring that to your attention because I’d like to remind Met Fans, and those who slow down to see the wreckage of an accident, about the parting shots Nelson Doubleday took at the Wilpon’s; and more specifically, Jeff Wilpon ~ Son of PON….Fred Wilpon’s son that is ~ Lil’ Jeff, C.O.O. of Mets R Us.  

Harsh of me?  Read what Mr. Doubleday had to say HERE.

 

The quote I’d like to extract for your reading pleasure is this little screwgie from ESPN Archives as Nelson Doubleday said what he really felt.  He was working without a filter.  There was a lot of disdain for his “Partner and Son” of which he kept no secrets about such feelings.

(picking up mid-article…) Doubleday especially had some harsh words for Jeff Wilpon, Fred’s son, who is heavily involved in the daily operation of the franchise.

“Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year,” Doubleday told the newspaper. “Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail.”

In fact, Doubleday still owns box seats at Shea Stadium, but apparently does not attend games partly due to the presence of the younger Wilpon.

“Jeff sits there by himself like he’s King Tut waiting for his camel,” Doubleday told the paper. “Hump one. Hump two. They like that, two for the price of one.”

 

That ESPN article was as of July 2003.  Researching the “good Old days” and trying to retrieve articles covering Nelson Doubleday’s parting shots at the Wilpons I came across THIS ARTICLE in my travels.  Just giving due props.

So let us fast-forward now to September 1st, 2010.  I will omit everything I’ve been screaming about regarding this club since winter past and beyond..  September 1st, for all intent and purposes should be, symbolically or real, Day One of the Beginning of the END of the current Met Era.

The Failure in Flushing must be corrected.  The Misery in METropolis must end.

FIRST ITEM OF CONTENTION:  OWNERSHIP ~ Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz, Jeff Wilpon.  OR as I like to sometimes call this administration….The SAUL B. KATZ Dilemma.

Fred Wilpon ~ For as much as I like to rip him, there’s no place for that here at the moment.  Trust me, it’s unlike me to pass up an opportunity to criticize the Father of the Least.  But this is Jeff’s team now.  So that’s where I’m staying.  But before we leave Fred behind I will offer this ~ He, Fred, was never forthright with the fan base about the team’s financial health.  But how much of the Madoff situation can we say is “our business”?  Honestly, how much of the Bernie Madoff scandal IS our business?  We’d like to know; sure.  But when your owner maintains a payroll near the NL top spenders…how much can we badger Fred about team finances?  There are fair shots to be taken at Fred and some deserved.   But On Sept. 1st, 2010 we move forward with – (because I’m living in the here and now.  I’m trying to stay positive.) Jeff at the helm of the S.S. Wilpon.  And we need to figure out a way to keep Jeff, The Son of PON, from turning this ship into the iceberg.  So Fred actually gets a pass here.  I’ll save the shrine to the Brooklyn Dodgers and all that other stuff for another time.  It’s the son I want now!  Jeff is the Phantom Menace in the SAUL B. KATZ Dilemma.

I’m a real sucker for going all Soupy Sales on the Wilpons with jokes and barbs..  That is why I will end this first installment of FIXING the FAILURE in FLUSHING now. Tune in tomorrow as I methodically try and help Lil’ Jeff, C.O.O. of Mets R Us.

Mets R Us…….S.S. Wilpon, Wilponianism…whatever; –  We just need to keep the Kid from crashing his new car.  In a moment of clarity, this is the 30th year since the Mets were sold to Doubleday and Wilpon; and then there was one (..and son).  Back in December I went through a whole Blah blah blah…and said this was the most important season facing the Wilpons over the last 30 years.  Mr. Fred Wilpon has “Met” his crucible (pun intended).  That time is upon us now.

That was my warm up; my Swanny River (reference anyone?).  Tomorrow is September 1st.  The day of reckoning is a sunrise away.

DAY TWO; Son of PON ~ The Saul B. Katz Dilemma

September 1, 2010 by my Declaration is DAY ONE of the END of THIS MET ERA.

 

“Meaningful Games In SEPTEMBER” will elude the Mets in this 2010 season.  Mr. Fred Wilpon’s stated goal to have his club play meaningful games in September has been denied by his uniformed employees and mid-level management….again.  Barring a “Miracle” the Mets will not participate in this year’s post-season just as they have missed the playoffs for 7 out of the 8 years Fred Wilpon is principle owner of the Mets.

In 1992-93 both Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon were stuck with an onerous bill for an embarrassing last place team assembled by Al Harazin..  In 2003 Steve Phillips masterfully crafted the worst team money could buy and Fred Wilpon, who by then was the sole principle owner, got stuck with another payroll albatross and a last place club.  I empathize with the Wilpons in so far as I know they do care.  Fred Wilpon has never been cheap per say..  The Mets have always maintained a higher end payroll for players.  So that’s not up for debate.

What is up for debate is how the Wilpons maintain a blurred line of demarcation separating Ownership and Baseball Operations.  The well publicized and criticized “collegial” structure the Wilpons promote in their front office is nothing more than a nursery for Chaos.

As Nelson Doubleday declared in 2003, and as we’ve witnessed with our very own Met Eyes, Jeff Wilpon really does want to be a Baseball Man.  While Omar Minaya perhaps wielded a lot more influence and operated with more autonomy back in 2005 and 2006, let’s be clear; Jeff Wilpon is calling the shots.  Today Omar is a completely watered down version of the man the Mets re-employed by asking him to become GM of the club at the end of the 2004 season.  I do not want to get ahead of myself, but Omar’s power has been diminished somewhat by his own machinations also.  But back to the point about Jeff, he has taken the line of demarcation between Ownership and Baseball Operations and knocked it completely out of focus.  As a matter of fact, there is no line and there never has been one.

Jeff Wilpon has the whole “OUR GANG” involved in the decision processes of the club.  The philosophy was fostered by his Pop.  Jeff, John Ricco, Omar, the invisible Bob Melvin, before his dismissal *Tony Bernazard, and a small list of others comprise(d*) The Brain of this organization.

Before moving forward, let’s revisit this clubs finances for a second because we still do not know the motivations for some moves made and the motivations for a lack of transactions made.  The Wilpons have stated the club’s financial health is strong in spite of the Madoff Scandal.  There’s speculation Fred has lost a very substantial sum.  There are also reports F.Wilpon may have even made money in the process.  But while they say the team’s financial health is good, they behave in a very contradictory manner.  Fred Wilpon has said nothing to silence the wild speculations consuming print, on-air and electronic media.  So that’s where we are with that.  We just don’t know how much the Wilpon’s finances influence their, Jeff’s, Jeff’s dictates to Omar(‘s)…, decisions.

Moving forward now, Jeff Wilpon is what he is; the Owner’s son.  He’s the Owner’s son and he wants to be a Baseball Man.  That’s a problem.

Omar may have precipitated Jeff’s increasing involvement in Baseball Operations, however I do not think anything would have prevented Jeff’s encroachment upon Baseball Operations.  George Steinbrenner was consumed with Baseball Operations but he was transparent in such dealings.  His word had a high credit rating with the Fans.  When George made decisions there were no secrets.  If he wanted to fire someone, he told you why.  If he wanted to sign someone, he told you why.  We do know George operated his club at a financial paper loss in his last few actively participating years.  He didn’t tell us that; the newspapers did.  But what he told his fan base was that he would do what was necessary to…  and don’t worry about…….   and he followed through.  He dipped into his own pockets to deliver on his word.  And here is one of the few if any times, I compare Met and Yankee business.  My point is, as stated earlier, the Wilpons say one thing and behave another way, in part because I feel they, the Wilpons aren’t being truthful with their fan base about the Owner’s ability to financially afford or manage the team.  So what translates into the Baseball Operations side strikes us as being somewhat conflicting and confusing as Fans, and perhaps to the media also.

So let’s just say, Omar remains on-board as the GM.  If that be the case, a dramatic change in the relationship?/structure between Omar and Jeff must take place.  If Omar is retained as the General Manager, I suggest the Mets need to hire a bonafide, Baseball experienced Team President to separate Omar and Jeff.  If Jeff wants to be a Baseball Man, let him buzz the ear of the President; not Omar’s.  A Team President must assure the Wilpon’s financial interests in the club are being met in return for full autonomy.  A Team President then turns and delegates autonomy to his General Manager to implement the Organizations will concerning Baseball Operations.  Omar is accountable to, and answers to said Team President.  A Team President then delivers a state of  Baseball Operations report to the Owners.  Yes, this entails Jeff Wilpon relinquishing baseball concerns to said President.  If you’re Jeff, this is a rather large pill to swallow.  But the homogenized duties of the front office….pffft ~ the direct connect between Omar and Jeff must be severed.  If Omar is to be retained, he must be handed a clear budget parameter and be left to make decisions autonomously.  Jeff always retains the right to question and inspect his club of course.  But as things stand right now, Omar has been rendered impotent because Jeff engages in baseball operations with an owners mind and his Father’s wallet in his heart, and secondly, Omar helped create the condition due largely to diminished effectiveness on the major league level, besetting the club with paralyzing contracts and an inability to seize the moment in matters of crisis management.

All of which I said is IF Omar is retained as General Manager of the Mets.  But Omar is a later topic of discussion.  Jeff is still topic one for now.  And to summarize, if Omar is indeed retained in his present capacity, of which I am not opposed to, the direct pipeline between Jeff and Omar must cease and a Team President must be found.  A Team President is the only one who can have a Team Owner’s, a General Manager’s, and the over-all best interest of an organization as his primary interest all at the same time without bias.  Anything else is just hands in the cookie jar or too many chiefs and not enough Indians.  You choose.  But the overlapping of ideas, interests and concerns is just creating standing water spawning mosquitoes.  The ramifications of the inbred thought process by this front office has been clearly evidenced and we’ve watched it bleed onto the field of play.

Regardless if Omar or whom-ever is General Manager of the Mets, something has got to give; that something is Jeff Wilpon.  If he wants to be a Baseball Man so badly, I’m afraid he’ll have to do it vicariously through a Team President.  Jeff Wilpon and his on-the-job-training is the Phantom Menace at work here.  If part of the reason I think what I do is because they, the Wilpons haven’t exactly been truthful with us….isn’t that his fault and not my misinterpretation?

There’s another side of me that actually likes Jeff.  I’ll just quickly make use of his trip to Atlanta back in May, when he addressed the angst surrounding the team.  He’s pretty darn good at crisis management and Atlanta wasn’t the only display, unfortunately.  He comes, speaks to the media very plainly/frankly but effectively, and gives Met fans a sense as if he said, “All is well. There’s nothing more to see here.  Go back to your homes”.  He’s good at that.  Maybe there-in lies his niche on this team.  If Omar is still the GM next year, I’m sure Jeff will have more opportunities to smoke screen us.  But I still hold firm in my belief one of the ways to go about solving Saul B. Katz’ Dilemma is with a good Team President.  The Son of PON must be contained.

….I will make my suggestion for a Team President much later in this discourse.

NEXT ITEM OF CONTENTION….The Office of General Manager

September 2, 2010  Day Two of The End of this Mets Era.

In 1980 Frank Cashen was the first General Manager hired by the new Mets Ownership of Doubleday and Wilpon.  Cashen marks the first and only time Mets ownership has gone outside the organization to fill the office of GM.  Well, they had to…He was the first.  Well enough right?

If you’re an ardent Met Fan, I’ll save you all the particulars.  Let’s just run through the General Managers of the N.Y. Mets over the last 30 yeas.

Frank Cashen was the architect of the 1986 World Champion Mets.  But I’d be doing a tremendous disservice to the former GM and last who operated under the old regime of Joan Payson, and her Estate; Joe McDonald.  The new ownership asked Joe McDonald to stay on board but they also made it clear they wanted to hire their own guy for the GM position.  Joe stayed on one more year to make the Mets ownership transfer smoother.  He is currently a scout for the Boston Red Sox.  What Joe McDonald left behind for Frank Cashen to work with amounted to, without doing the hard math to get an exact figure, 25% of that ’86 team.

Lee Mazzili, Hubie Brooks, Wally Backman, Jesse Orosco, Niel Allen, Mookie Wilson ~ (and I’m sure I’m missing someone) ~ were all players developed in the Mets organization by Joe McDonald.  Some of those players stayed with the club.  The rest were used smartly by Mr. Cashen in trades that translated to players, directly or indirectly, like Kieth Hernandez, Gary Carter, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez and Howard Johnson.  I’m sure I’m missing someone again.  But before we lurch forward I thought it necessary to include Joe McDonald in this conversation.

From 1980 through 1983 Frank Cashen rebuilt the minor league system and by 1984 the fruits of his labor started joining the big club starting with Darryl Strawberry in ’83.

Fast-forward now to1992.  Frank Cashen finally steps down as General Manager but remains in the front office.  He appoints Al Harazin, who had more of a business background than baseball.  It showed!  But what happened besides the fiasco on the field was Joe McLlvaine got tired of waiting around to get promoted within the Mets front office so he bolted to San Diego when they offered him their General Manager’s position.

Al Harazin was in over his head and Mets Ownership cajoled Joe McLlvaine into coming back to the organization to be GM of the Mets in time for the 1994 season.  He had a plan.  Met Fans were on board with said plan.  Everyone got emotionally invested with Generation -K and the whole youth movement.  It failed.  During those years another Mets front office prospect got tired of waiting for his chance.  Gerry Hunsicker was another “star” skyrocketing through the Mets front office, similar to Joe McLlvaine.  Gerry left the Mets front office to take the General Manager’s position in Houston in 1995.

Joe McLvaine got fired because no one ever knew where he was.  His priorities went askew and apathy was written all over his face.  When things got chaotic in METropolis and times demanded his presence, he was off on his own, scouting or doing whatever, somewhere else, while leaving no itinerary or contact information behind with the front office staff.

Enter Steve “HornDog” Phillips; another and the last protege left behind by Frank Cashen.  All the previous General Manager hires by the Mets were executives developed by Frank Cashen.

I think we’re all familiar with Steve Phillips’ record by now.  Moving forward, Steve brought in Jim Duquette as he did Omar Minaya bringing him over from Texas.  Steve Phillips got fired and the Wilpons gave the job to Jim Duquette.  Omar had already left for Montreal to become their General Manager.  Without ever firing Jim Duquette first, the Mets (eh hem, the Wilpons; Fred) begged Omar to come back to the organization to be the next GM after just one year and a half.  By the end of the 2004 season we were sporting two GM’s by default.  Needless to say Jim Duquette eventually recieved his pink slip over the winter and by 2005 Omar was the sole and new General Manager of the Mets.

Obviously that is a short summary of the GMs.  Their records and degrees of effectiveness do not really need to be dealt with for my purposes, other than for a point I will make shortly.

Omar is still chasing down the same problems he inherited back in 2004; LF, RF, CF, 1B, 2B, C, Starting pitching, and relief pitching.  That’s the truth.  Centerfield with Carlos Beltran was the only position we truly rectified.  In leftfield how can we forget Moises Alou and the LF match game that continues into the present with the questionable status and sub-par year Jason Bay is having.  Right Field? Shawn Green? Xavier Nady, Moe Larry and Curly? Many players have played RF since 2005 and the position is still unsettled with the depature on Jeff Francoeur (see Ryan Church).  Second base?  Remember Kaz Matsui?  That’s what Omar was charged to improve upon.  He still hasn’t.  The catching was and still is in flux ever since Mike Piazza was phased out.  Josh Thole seems like he’s finally going to settle the position for us.  The bullpen and namely a closer? Billy Wagner?  KRod?  Good in theory but they turned out to be more headaches that anyone bargained for.  Billy Wagner was maddening.  KRod is right there with him.  But as of right now, we have nothing to show for the position.  The starting rotation?  From Pedro, Tom Glavine and Trachsel…to Maine and Oliver…and the big catch with Santana, and the emergence of Pelfrey and Neise?  It’s taken 6 years to get to this?  But what exactly is this?

This is what happened in 2006 when the Mets were within a strike or a hit, pick your poison, of the World Series.  For one year, the multitude of Omar’s second tier type signings paid off in a big way, just as RA Dickey is earning more and more credibility today.  In 2006 Jose Valentin hit 22 home runs for us while at 2nd base batting 6th and 7th in the line-up.  On the night the Mets clinched the N.L. East flag in 2006, Jose Valentin hit 2 home runs.  In 2006 Paul LoDuca hit .300 out of the two spot in the line-up.  In 2006 Carlos Delgado made the line-up lethal; not Jose Reyes like most believe.  I may be in the minority on that.  But I believe strongly it was Delgado and not Reyes that made that 2006 line-up deadly.  It was Delgado that spear headed the charge back into contention in 2007 after a very sloppy start.  As of right now, 2006 is the abberation.  It stands alone.  What we witness today is where they are since steadily spiraling downward and becoming more and more out of control since that 2006 October night.  That team doesn’t exist anymore and this organization has been chasing it’s ghost ever since to no avail.

Take the 2006 season and make it a wash versus last season’s injury riddled campaign.  Look at the 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010 and what do you have? Angst, frustrations, collossal chokes, revolving doors in postions still unsettled since 2005, a second manager, madenning mediocraty, a clubhouse which has experienced more drama than “All My Children”, Latino phobia, poor fundamentals but less so this season, and other items of contention that don’t really need to be listed in their entirety.  Look at the win loss record of the Mets since 2005 and what you see is a man who is a General Manager of mediocraty and let downs.

All the Mets’ General Managerial hires have been in-house or as is the case with Duquette and Minaya, the Wilpons were previously familiar to them, and likewise they to Fred.  Today, with Omar Minaya holding on precariously to his job title,  Asst. GM John Ricco emerges as the latest link in a chain threatening to snap.

The time has come for this administration to go off campus again.  Again is actually inaccurate.  Going off campus would in effect be the first time they did so, outside of Cashen.  The thought process of this front office is inbred.  There must me a new, outside, unrelated and independent thinker brought into this front office.  A new stimulus is needed to procure progress.  The Wilpons and this organization have stagnated. The need for a strong minded Baseball Executive, independent and free from familiarity with the Wilpons is needed.  This need is exasperated by the want of Jeff Wilpon to be a Baseball Man.  Who can tell the Owner’s son he has to step aside but the Owner himself?  We can only hope and pray Jeff is promulgated by epiphany and returns to “just” being the C.O.O. of this club and stays away from day to day operations.

John Ricco can not become the next General Manager of the Mets.  That would be an inconsequential move considering the Jeff Factor.  The move would be tremendously toothless.  The move would be incredibly un-impactful.  The hiring of John Ricco I’m sure would infuiate the Fan base.  The present scuttlebutt has Omar getting re-assigned within the organization in more of a super-scout role and would head up Minor League Development while John Ricco would be more of a front man for the club.  Translated, John Ricco’s body and suit; Jeff Wilpon’s mind.  It’s as simple as this; John Ricco can not be the next weak link in this lengthening chain of ever increasing homogenized front office thought.  The Wilpons must, - have to go off campus for the next General Managerial hire.  The organization is in dire need of an infusion of new blood.  That time may be upon them right now.   This decision should be made be a qualified Team President.  Whether Omar stays on or not, a Team President is still needed and it’s the Team President that should make the next GM hire.  With a Team President I am not opposed to Omar Minaya remaining as GM for the remainder of his contract.  But if Omar is in fact relieved of those duties, I will find every ounce of energy containing matter in my being to voice my opposition to John Ricco!  I will make my suggestion for a new General Manager later in this discourse.

NEXT UP….THE MANAGER ~ JERRY MANUEL

He did express interest in managing while Willie Randolph was still serving in that capacity.  Jerry Manuel has been accused of throwing Willie Randolph under the bus, or, being subversive towards the same end; Willie’s job.

Jerry Manuel went down yapping some negative Ghandi’isms in Chicago all the way to the bus station when Kenny Williams released him of his duties there.  Jerry Manuel did win a Manager of the Year though.  Jerry Manuel was also a coach on the 1997 World Series Champion Florida Marlins.  He’s been around the block and his resume is credible.

There are worse managers and there are certainly better managers.  But way more than most likely, Jerry will not be asked back as manager for the 2011 season.  At this very moment, Jerry is still managing and trying to win now as if a playoff spot was still attainable.  But he’s smart and realizes we wants to salvage some respectability for himself and this team.

There’s a saying ~ when you can’t dazzle people with brilliance, baffle them with bull$#!t.  If that doesn’t work, make jokes!  Somehow Jerry Manuel has kept the more blood thirsty media satiated with humor and jocularity.  Jerry has played it masterfully to his credit.  He figured out never leave them angry, always leave the media laughing.  Brilliant!  Brilliant because look at any other manager or head coach in whatever sport in this town, and the relationship between the media and him is pacifying at best.  Jerry has many of them eating out of his hand pecking at his next joke.  That is perhaps the single most biggest reason why the calls to have his head chopped off haven’t come sooner or more vehemantly.

However, for right now, for September’s sake, Jeff Wilpon must immediately tell Omar Minaya and more specifically Jerry Manuel, “It’s over Johnny”!  Jeff Wilpon must hand down the directive now, – Jerry, stop trying to win and forget getting back in the race.  The focus is now on the youngsters being farmed up to the big club.  Jerry Manuel is presently engaged in self preservation.  That is in conflict with the newly initiated rebuilding process.  It’s incumbent upon Jeff Wilpon to get his General Manager and his manager on the same page of music he is on for the remainder of this month.  The money for salaries is already spent.  The money is committed and will be doled out regardless whether the higher priced players on this team play or not.  Sit these players and play any and all prospects we call up.  Not intentionally because that’s not where the front office’s mind set should be, but just possibly a good benching of the old establishment on this roster may find them time for self-reflection and lend an opportunity to find inner gumption to play this game in a different state of mind other than melancholy.

 But Jeff needs to hand down that dictate to Jerry and do it now.  There is no plausible reason in Flushing why any, if not all the prospects are not playing on a given night.  What needs to happen on the part of Jeff Wilpon for this dictate to be implemented and followed out, is….Commitment.  In the absence of a Team President to navigate this for him, Jeff must be committed to a process with strong conviction and a determination to stay the course.  For too long this has been a reactive administration and the time for a proactive mentality is now.  In the absence of a Team President Jeff Wilpon must act with conviction regarding the “plan” and COMMIT.

 Jeff Wilpon must commit wholly, not just in parts, not in spurts of whimsy, not in time of reactive damage control; NO ~ Commit to the complete rebuilding of this team and make it the Mets’ business to correct, in every business sense of the word; CORRECT the expensive and insipid players signed to negative yielding contracts.  You know who you are!  But first what must happen post haste is Jeff informing Jerry Manuel that Dean Wormer has dropped the big one.  It’s over.

 We all share an understanding Jerry Manuel will not be manager next year.  His contract will expire and it’s unlikely the Mets will ask him to return.  He will most likely be dismissed with an inordinate amount of the blame for the Mets’ woes this season.  A manager can only put the best players he has in the best possible positions to succeed.  The General manger is responsible for procuring those players.  At some point the players need to be held with ultimate responsibility.  But you can’t fire a whole roster and you can’t fire the Owner or his Son.  The Mets have been-there-done-that with firing coaches, using them as sacrificial lambs.  So the only logically certain deletion from the Mets Media Guide will be Jerry Manuel’s.  He done some “not so smart” things.  What manager hasn’t?  But when a role player has to ask why pitch to Jeter with Mariano Rivera on deck during an Inter-League Subway Series Game?..C’mon.

 One barb is enough.  I don’t choose to kick him while he’s on the way down.  But I do want a new manager next season.  I’d like to say I never ever said, Fire Jerry Manuel.  But today it is very safe to say I don’t want him back.  I’ll say this about him; he’s gutsy, strong minded, he was never hesitant to shake things up and if you got beyond the jokes, he wasn’t afraid to say what he felt and it was usually said with tact…. Although there was that one time when…..

 

….more coming

Mike.BTB

This blog post is still in progress…I’m updating as I go along..

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Brooklyn Potpourri

While I’ve been conducting the business of HoVVG here, this is what I’ve been up to on my Blogspot.

 

 

“Brushing Up” in BROOKLYN

A post as/of June 24th

“I’m living in Brooklyn for twenty years now.  I love it here.  I originally lived in upper Manhattan and Bronx.  I lived in Queens for some time.  But this place is great.  It’s just me and my box of paints; looking for work.  Brooklyn loves people who get up everyday and do their thing.  In Queens I’d get out there with my easel and no one gave a notice or a look.  I’ve loved art all my life.  I’ve been oil painting for 30 years.  I’m 55 years old now.”

Those were RON NESBITT’s words.  Who’s he?  The answer is he’s the reason why I had to slam on the brakes of the TROLLEY this morning.  He didn’t jump in front of me and get hit or anything like that.  It’s what he was doing on the sidewalk that got my attention and I had to stop.

Ron is an artist; a self-proclaimed Baseball Artist to be more exact.  On this fine morning I caught him working at his office “of the day”.  His sidewalk studio was all set up on Vanderbuilt Avenue, only a few blocks from where construction on the new “Brooklyn” Nets arena is being built, when I pulled up.  There was no need to knock as his work area had that open feel to it and no door.  What stopped me in particular?  After all, an artist plying his/her trade on a NYC sidewalk is not uncommon or unusual here, especially in this part of town.  What stopped me cold were these:

(oil paint on window glass)

Please excuse my own reflection.  Ron uses glass as his canvas laid over a separate background so as to give his work a 3-D effect.  These are his representations of EBBETS FIELD and of old YANKEE STADIUM.

The Ebbets Field frame he said is for Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President.  Ron’s hope is that this work will get placed in Borough Hall.  As an aside, money is really a secondary issue to him right now.  He is more interested in just getting his work shown around town; preferably for schools and things of that kind of city nature.  Ultimately he wants to present MLB offices here in NYC with a proposal for his works.  I wish you well with that Ron!  May all luck be with you.

I got more than I bargained for by meeting up with Ron this morning.  He had great little anecdotes about the old New York Giants and about his Father’s love for them.  It was just the other day in my Adelman’s post I was saying how the New York Giants don’t get much talk around these parts like the Brooklyn Dodgers do.  Well, go figure.  It took Ron, if you remember, who said he was originally from upper Manhattan to shed some light on that for me.  That was Giants territory he speaks of.  And that’s where his Pop rooted for the neighborhood team.  Ron said he is absolutely amazed by the love of the Brooklyn Dodgers here; still, after all these years.  Ron the 54 year old never did make it to the Polo Grounds or Ebbets Field although he said he does remember seeing the Polo Grounds on TV when the Mets played there.  His Pop went though.  He said his Father also told him the old New York Giants fans didn’t gravitate towards the Mets right away like the Brooklyn Dodger fans did.  He said it took much longer for those old Giants fans to affiliate with a team again.  Most of them eventually became Met fans but some remained as no fan at all.  Sure some folks jumped to the Yankees.  But it’s my understanding from everyone I speak with about those days the Yankee fan base just continued normally with no discernible influx of Dodger and Giant fans.

(oil paint on window glass)

Ron?  The shirt and hat he was wearing threw me off.  C’mon Ron…a Yankee cap and a Jeter shirt?  Ron told me he was a Mets fan.  Me and you have some discussing to do about your attire today my friend.  But all is forgiven.  He’s a true Mets fan indeed.  Donn Clendenon is his favorite All-Time Met.  That’s a damn good choice.  Big Donn was the muscle behind the Miracle Mets of 1969.  He like me, likes the way the Mets have been playing.  Before we continued on with our days he added, “When the Mets are in the World Series, it’s a feeling in your gut!  The Yanks?  Eh – take it or leave it.”

Yea!  That’s my boy!

Ron specializes in Baseball Art, and today I learned there’s a lot of passion for Baseball that goes into every brush stroke he takes to his glass canvass.  If you would like to commission Ron Nesbitt for a Baseball related work, he left his contact information.

Me?  I’m happy to have made a new friend.  As such a big fan of the history and nostalgia of Baseball I’m happy to have Ron Nesbitt’s work here on my BlogPage.  We’ve agreed; I get to utilize his art works for my own love of baseball and my posting entertainment and in return I get him some exposure.  I think it’s a great way for two Baseball fans to come together and share our love of the game in a way beneficial to each other.

But the bottom line here folks;  This is how We Do in Brooklyn.  Ron Nesbitt IS my neighbor like all the other friends we’ve ever visited on my (self-described Glorious) Trolley.

Ron, I look forward to seeing more of your work here, and hopefully getting you some exposure in the process.  If I can help by having you join us on the TrolleyBlogger, let it be done.

Get in contact with RON NESBITT:
phone ~ 718-230-0513
You can find him outside 601 Vanderbuilt Avenue…painting!
Prospect Heights Neighborhood, Brooklyn
He’ll paint anything Baseball.

Good Luck my friend.
Mike.BTB

**************************************************

These pictures of Ron’s work are from this morning August 3rd.
He and I have been talking since we first met.  Today was another very engaging conversation and time well spent talking about Baseball and the ol’ neighborhood of
Prospect Heights.

Same as above.
(window glass/oil paint)
(window glass/oil paint)
An unfinished Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio
Can’t wait to see the completed piece.
 
(window glass/oil paint)
Satchel Paige

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

 
*****************PART 2*****************

 

Benefits of Eating Fruit

 

I like rubber grapes!
 
 
 
******************PART 3******************

 

Five Years Later

Five seasons and four playing months ago, former Mets front office employee Omar Minaya was “begged” by the Wilpons to return and run their team.  Jim Duquette was actually the GM; but a lame-duck one at that.
The Mets, in Wilponian fashion, had two GM’s as 2004 came to a close.  Jim Duquette was subsequently relieved of his post and the S.S. Wilpon set sail from that moment with Omar at the Helm.

The Wilpons ordered Omar Minaya to take the team out of the holding pattern they imposed upon Jim Duquette.  Two years later the Mets were a 96 win team and came within one strike or hit of making it to the World Series in 2006.

Two very frustrating seasons ended in defeat for the Mets on their last day of play.  Twice needing a victory to gain the playoffs; twice they failed to defeat the Florida Marlins when they need ONE GAME.

The 2009 season fell apart like wet toilet paper due to injury and compounded by very fundamentally poor play by whomever was on the field any given day.

Omar fired Art Howe to end the previous era he inherited.  Omar then totally botched, but none-the-less, still fired Willie Randolph on the West Coast under the cover of NYC night.  Today Jerry Manuel sits, and has for some time now, and will remain, on the hot seat.  Why?

Because after getting defeated tonight by the first place and newly rebuilt Atlanta Braves by a score of 4-1, which followed a drubbing at the hands of a woefull D-Backs club the night before, at home by the way, the club Omar Minaya appointed Jerry Manuel to guide is officially, as of August 2nd, a .500 team.

Five seasons and four playing months later…the Mets are a .500 team.

That’s just the way it has played out folks.  I didn’t really inject my opinions into that.  Did I?  How we got here and what happened along the way is a different conversation I’ve been having…..No?

(that was yesterday’s post ~ tonight they are currently tied 1-1 with the Braves in the 5th inning.)

Mike.BTB

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

 
 
 
 
*****************PART 4******************
 

 

Wall Mural in Bushwick ~ 300

 
 
 
 
 

 
By the urban artists of Brooklyn.
BTB
http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/
 
****
Refer to the links on the right side for all
HOVVG
updates, this week’s ballot box, all inductees and everyone’s comments.
We have some good e-mails for next week I’m sure we will find 
very interesting to say the least.
 
Mike
 
 
 

METrospections ~ Road Rage!

<a href="VOTE FOR WEEK 5 HOVVG HERE 

 

These are my last three METrospections that have been sitting on my Blogspot Page.  Just a friendly reminder…If I’m not here, I am definitely there.  I do all my publishing from there and move things over to this page.  My Blogspot is just more Brooklyn intensive and that’s where I scream about my other teams.  There’s plenty of Baseball related posts that don’t make it here also.  If you should visit, Thank You for your patronage.

 

 

Friday, July 23, 2010

Two Minutes To Midnight

Two minutes to midnight?  Well…not exactly.  It’s actually 1:22a.m. and I’m still trying to formulate words that describe this Left Coast trip.  After tonight’s loss to the Dodgers and yet another shut-out to ponder, the Mets are now losers of 7 out of 8 games on this swing.  If were not for The Umpire that Giveth and Taketh and Whatever’th…Mr. Cuzzi, we’d be win-less.  Remember the gift he gave the Mets in San Francisco by blowing the call at home?  We then went to Arizona and got dusted there.  In L.A. things are starting out status-quo.  The Mets coming out of the All*Star break, are misfiring on all pistons.  But the Mets were failing before the break also.  They are losers of something like 12 of 15 lately.

Two minutes to midnight means they are two games above the .500 mark now.  That is an 800 lbs. gorilla placed squarely on Jerry Manuel’s shoulders.  Suck it up Dude!  Just like your GM said today in passing as he viewed you getting grilled by the media earlier in the morning…He said, “Welcome to New York”.  Of course he said it in jest and as he was running away with his briefcase in hand.  This was Jerry’s media time and I guess Omar didn’t want to take away from that.  Jerry was good with the jokes earlier today in the reporters circle.  I wonder if he needs a good scolding of the likes Alex Cora gave Big Pelfry and some of the beat writers the other night for laughing too much after another loss.

Jerry shook up the line-up tonight.  He’s trying what he can with what he has.  Omar was captured a short time later and endorsed Manuel very plainly.  Omar said he is happy with the job Jerry is doing and he’s the manager.  Well the manager could have put the line-up in a blender tonight but even that wouldn’t have been enough to shake the Mets out of this offensive funk.  The Mets offense has score like 4 runs in their last 1,000 innings or something.  They’ve been wasting quality starts that we’ve been fortunate to get.

Two minutes to midnight refers to the dreaded Left Coast Vote of Confidence.  Remember how the Mets fired Willie Randolph out there under the cover of NYC darkness?  I’m not saying Manuel is getting fired; any time soon.  But his clock is set at two minutes to midnight.  There is only one bright spot I can find for the Mets and Jerry right now.  That silver lining is that this road trip WILL end.  That’s it.  That’s all I can say.  They can’t stay on the Left Side for ever.  I don’t know if the results will change once they leave but at least we can’t pick on them while they’re there.  We’ll just have to do that when they get back!

That piano falling out of the sky has a Mets logo on it.  Look out!

Mike

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

WILPONIANISM

 
An e-mail I sent in to Bill Daughtry’s show on 1050ESPN Radio:

Let’s get right to the heart of Met Matters and WILPONIANISM shall we?

Are the Mets going to make a genuine effort to sign Cliff Lee this winter?   Are they willing to do what other clubs won’t?   Will they do enough to convince him to pitch here?

ANSWER ~ I’m leaning towards no; They won’t.

The time is coming soon when the Mets need to decide whether WRIGHT and REYES are going to anchor this team before they’re up for big money.   If the Mets don’t commit in theory one way or another now,  we’ll just continue to spin our tires in the mud when it gets to that.   If they know they are not committed to them long term for big money, Trade Them.  If they are committed in theory, hurry up and continue the re-build process we started (started out of desperation and we are still deciding whether it worked out by design or accident!).   MY OPINION?   I have no idea what the Wilpons think anymore.

So what exactly is the plan here Bill?   Have the Mets thought about these things?   I say no because they are practiced at the art of Band-aids.   They’re still a reactive ownership.

The Wilpons themselves represent the biggest problem for the Mets’ fan base.   They have NEVER been forthright, truthful, open…about the financial health of the club.   Additionally is the Mets Medical Staff that inept to still be getting (injuries in general) Reyes’ oblique injury somewhat wrong OR are the dictates of the Wilpons at work in such matters?

In business, CORRECTIONS hurt.   All business’ go through corrections.   The Mets need a correction Bill. If the Mets do not impose a correction upon themselves they will forever chase their tails in a circle.   The time is now.   It was started already.   They just need to recognize, follow through and finish the job.  Remember how the Rangers recognized they needed a correction because of the ARod contract?   Remember how Colorado recognized they had a problem on their hands with the Mike Hampton contract?  Corrections.   Look at Colorado and Texas in today’s standings after a rebuilding process and a painful correction.

Joe McDonald did it with the Mets in the 60′s.  Much of his work had a tremendous (if indirect) effect on the 1986 Mets also (after all, Hubie Brooks, Mookie, Orosco, Backman, Mazzilli and the trade return of Ron Darling…etc) .  The 80′s Mets built by Frank Cashen were the next example of harnessing a group of young players, seeing who is going to work out and building around them.  Joe McLvaine tried it also in the 90′s.  It didn’t work out but we were all on board with the plan.

These kids saved Manuel’s job.   They saved Omar’s credibility.   They kept this team in the mix.   The kids changed the whole atmosphere around the team.   The kids changed the fan’s whole perception about the Flushing Ballclub.

The Yankees used to have AURA and MYSTIQUE appearing nightly once.   Now that the Met regulars are back together again, our version ~ ANGST and ANXIETY start their summer tour through mediocrity.

The CORRECTION I speak of, of course is Beltran, Castillo, Maine, Perez, Barajas, and Francoeur.  Beltran, Castillo, Maine and Ollie need to be corrected post haste!   Find a way to rid the roster of these players or minimize their playing time and/or impact.   The money is spent!   That’s part of a correction. Within two years there’s a lot of money coming off their (Mets) books.   Those players are the OLD GUARD.   This ship needs to sail.   We need to move on.   The correction needs to be made.

If the Mets are not committed players at the trade deadline (and for what I have no idea), if they are not serious players for Lee this winter, if they are not thinking about Wright and Reyes with regards to the future…..what are they doing?  What exactly is the plan here?

Give me all the kids I can have if the Mets do nothing by the deadline.   I want Thole full time.   I want F-Mart and Tejada playing.   There’s a whole list of names I want involved on the big club between now and Opening Day next year Bill.   The rest of Baseball and the respective GM’s out there may not like our prospects but there are a handful I do like and want to see them now.   This is where the team is.   We are not a serious playoff contender.   Period.   Rebuild it now.   Complete what you started Jeff.   Do it!   So much of it has been done already.   Just finish the job.   We can then trade and use free agency to supplement, compliment and augment as needed.   Build a core and do it now.   There are players in this organization that can be somebody.

If you want to help this club right now…package Francoeur and a prospect for a right field upgrade and some bullpen help.   Oh yea…get another starter too; anyone at this point. Just do not overpay for something average if that will make Met fans happy.  Me?  I’m not interested in an average pitcher.  I’d rather give a kid a chance in our present context.

The OLD GUARD is back and so is the Met fan’s angst and anxiety.   Is it me Bill?   Do I just not get it? You know for three years I’ve been screaming for this.   And for three years all I’ve heard is people complain about the Mets and how bad this, and how bad that…..and they don’t this, and they don’t that crap.   And I was told I couldn’t have been anymore wrong than I was in 2007.   Oh Yea…I was called lost and lacking baseball acumen back then by someone.  Really Bill?   Really?   I’ll blow this horn till I die or get what I want (win or lose…just give us the chance to have a clean slate).

Bill…after all this, I can still go on about how the Johan Santana window is closing…and the ”then what” scenario; ~ About needing to replace K-Rod after next year (Parnell has stuff to be a closer). Those are more MET opportunities for applying Band-aids in the Wilponian world we live in. When will this vicious cycle end?

After that Bill….you know where my head is at. What kind of club does Jeff want his POP’s team to be? It’s all on him.

Gee I wish we had more forthright ownership.

Mike.BTB

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

 
 
 
 
 
Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Hey Jeff ~ Feel the Breeze

On June 25th, I posted with glee the Mets were starting 7 home grown players out of nine for that night’s game.  A short time after that the Mets set an organizational record for the most consecutive games played with the most home grown players in the line-up.

Everyone knows by now how much I’ve been snivelling about how my ship has sailed regarding this team’s old guard.  Ollie, Maine, Beltran, Castillo, and Barajas and Francoeur too; I’m DONE, and have been and you all know this!  I’ve been screaming about all of this since I moved into the Hood over the winter…haven’t I?

If the Wilpons will not permit a quality deadline transaction to improve our pitching, I don’t want the old guard wasting my time anymore.  I realize I am alone on an island with my thinking.  Just remember I kept reminding everyone how badly I wanted this team broken up in 2007.  I also realize that my wishes and the Mets’ reality are in conflict.  These players I mentioned have contracts that just don’t disappear.  I get all that.  I guess I’m just killing myself over a philosophical debate here.  But having said that, finally, three years later after me asking for the team to be gutted, the Mets embarked on transitioning this team to it’s young farm hands (I think it came about through desperation but we can argue whether the Mets did it by design or got here by accident).

What do the Mets need right now to make a playoff push?  We know.  They need a top flight number two pitcher and a slugger better than Jeff Francoeur.  Francoeur can be packaged so he doesn’t bother me too much right now.  Pitching?  There’s a large price to pay for that.  I am not willing to pay a whole lot for anyone right now considering Lee is off the market. 

ROY OSWALT?  The Astros will want too much I believe.  What will the price be and how many of my kids do they want?  And I just don’t trust Oswalt in a Met uniform in a year two or three scenario.  I will just not do it.  Oswalt to me represents another expensive Met band-aid.  If the Mets want to get Lilly on the cheap or something like that?…Whatever!  Really.  Just don’t pay with anything good OR don’t do it at all.  In other words…forget it.  Keep your Lilly’z

What I am saying is I am willing to let the chips on 2010 fall where they may.  I do not want this front office to do anything short-sighted.  I am not interested in a three month fix.

Here’s my dream of Opening Day 2011:
catcher ~ JOSH THOLE
1st base ~ IKE DAVIS
2nd base ~ REESE HAVENS (AA) ~ JON MALO (AA) ~ RUBEN TEJADA (AAA)
shortstop ~ JOSE REYES ~ (see 2nd base candidates),  WILMER FLORES
3rd base ~ DAVID WRIGHT
left field ~ Jason Bay…we have no choice.  I was warm at best over his signing.
center field ~ ANGEL PAGAN
right field ~ FERNANDO MARTINEZ

Starter ~ Johan
Starter ~ MIKE PELFREY
Starter ~ JON NIESE
Starter ~ (AAA) DYLAN OWEN
Starter ~ (AAA) DILLON GEE
Starter ~ (AAA) HENNRY MEJIA
Starter ~ FERNANDO NIEVE

closer ~ BOBBY PARNELL
bullpen ~ EDDIE KUNZ

Now, will these names I mentioned win me a Championship?  C’mon…I don’t think so.  But you assemble them together and see what you have.  See if there is a core worth building around.  Do I think we have some players like that?  Yes.  Put them together and see if they can gel.  See which ones work well together.  Keep shaking the pieces and watch them fall into slots.  Then…, I say we take the steps necessary through astute trades and using free agency to compliment, augment and supplement that core of young, joyful, gamely, hungry players.

In a more simpler posting of mine…that’s it; That’s my plan as of today.  It hasn’t really differed.  I’m still pursuing the same things I wanted in April; the same things I wanted over the winter and the same things I’ve been looking to take place since July of 2007.

Do I think the Wilpons are going to blow this for me?  Absolutely!!

I don’t think they realize what they started and where they are right now.  Take a look.  Since the All*Star Game, the Mets are 1-4 (as of 7/21 they are 1-5 since the break; and have lost 11 of their last 15).  Beltran made his return and that lone victory we have since the break is when Beltran did not start.  For the first time this season, last night against Arizona, we fielded our Type-A Line-up.  Beltran, Reyes, Castillo and the rest of the starting cast finally played in a game together.  So what happened?  The D-Backs blew us out.  We left a lot more than our hearts in San Francisco when we got shut-out twice there.  Now we haven’t been able to win a game in the desert yet.

I guess what is OLD is NEW again.  We’ve reassembled the cast of regulars and the chaos is back as well.
The Mets are already being appeasers with Beltran.  Instead of making him fit into the new context of this re-invented line-up, the Mets have acquiesced to Beltran by allowing him to play CF over Pagan because he’s “more comfortable” there.  He’s wearing a brace the size of a milk crate and he’s already back telling the team what’s good for him.  THAT’S why I have no more use for the old guard folks.  That’s why my ship has sailed.  The return of Castillo and Beltran have already caused ripples in the water and disruptions with positive efforts the young lings put forward to help keep us with-in sight of first place.  The other guys are back and we’ve stumbled out of the gate entering this 2nd half.

Is there a correlation?  Who cares.  It still doesn’t get me what I want.

Yea…the Wilpons are going to get this wrong; very very wrong.  They have no plan.  Omar MIGHT have one but it’s clear Jeff Wilpon is pulling all the strings and their end of the business is in bad and worsening shape…or so we hear.  That means the Wilpons are in somewhat in survival mode and people do desperate things when in that situation.  The lack of a plan and desperation is a horrible mix for me to fathom as it pertains to my team.

In 2011 we have expiring contracts and flexibility on the way.  Maybe the best thing the Mets can do at the trade deadline is…Nothing.(?)  That wouldn’t bother me.  Don’t do anything stupid JEFF.  Don’t over pay for OSWALT.  If there is another guy who will eat up innings and make a game of things in the 4th slot…….fine.  There’s a couple of names out there to chose from (who don’t impress me at all!)

The kids of this organization have saved Jerry Manuel’s job this season.  They also helped Omar save face.  The kids of this organization have given the fan base a whole new perspective.

Don’t blow this for us JEFF!  What is in your best interest right now is to start weaning yourself off the money siphoning players we have, cutting ties with the dead weight, promoting the players from within and signing Cliff Lee this winter.

Jeff promised us last Fall, his Father’s company was in good shape, the Mets were healthy, we would be active with trades and seeking free agents, and that payroll would not be a restrictive issue.  Oh yea, he also told us Omar is free to run this team as he sees fit.

Here’s the answer to that.  The Wilpons have never been forthright about their financial troubles.  I believe the only reason they signed Jason Bay was for appearances and fan perception.  Why? ~ Because they do things like that.  Oh yea, we got joined at the hip with Ollie Perez and Omar got lucky with R.A. Dickey.  Payroll?  Again…the Wilpons say one thing and behave a different way.  And it’s clear Omar can’t do anything unless Jeff approves it.

So…you tell me Jeff…!?  This is all up to you buddy.  Your season ticket holder’s faith lies in the balance.  Me?  The wind is picking up and I’m ready to sail Dude.  Everything is coming together.  Are we going to go full-blown re-build or what?  Most of it is here already.  Just finish the job and don’t blow it.  Feeling the Breeze Jeff?

mike.BTB

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/
http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/

 
 
 

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 got 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.

Back to my points….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 over the winter 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.  Before Bobby Valentine ever managed a game for the Mets, he served as a coach here.  A return to Hunsicker and Valentine, both with connections to those earlier Met successes, under these circumstances is something I’d welcome.

That is my Bobby Valentine scenario; a path which I am not inclined to follow but I would be agreeable to.  However, 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.

 
…And so as to not end this post on a negative note, Jeff Wilpon said everything I wanted to hear from this situation and from my ownership.  He does that.  He is very comfortable with the media and handles himself very well.  I just need for all that to translate into something more.  More what?  More Better.  I’m trying folks.

Mike  BTB
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Manuel on Manuel Crime

If for some crazy reason I want to have my wife followed because my bank account is disappearing and she suddenly signed up for tennis lessons, remind me not to hire this guy. 

 

phillies cheat bullpen coach mick billmeyer.jpg

She can have the $13.26 by the way.  This guy was like Wile E. Coyote peering down the cliff with his ACME binoculars while Road Runner was behind him the whole time.  Apparently the Colorado Rockies are accusing Mick Billmeyer, Phillies’ bullpen coach, of stealing signs with the help of binoculars.  Read about it here.  And here for the NY Times’ take.

 Just to let you know, I don’t really care as it applies to the Mets as you will soon see.  In-game hi-jinx is OK.  But binoculars from the bullpen?  Nah..  C’mon.  Be better.  As a batter if you want to try and sneak a peak.  Fine.  If the catcher nabs you in the act and has a problem with it?  Fine.  If the runner on second base is looking in and gives signs to the batter?  Fine.  If the pitcher dots that guy next time up?  That’s fine too.

Binoculars from the bullpen?  C’mon.  I’m not going to get too crazy about this but…C’mon.  Be better than sitting on your duff with binoculars. Just be better dude.  Heck, he might have only been watching the positioning of the catcher.  Sure.     C’mon.  Be better.

But what makes this story truly amazing and humorous to me is Charlie Manuel’s response to the accusations against the Phillies.  He pulled the classic ‘Ol Okee-Doke!  He donned his rubber vest and bounced the sign stealing controversy right on the Mets!!    How Philthy is that?  Accuse Me?  Check the Mets!!  Now I know that Charlie is an old hand at the double-speak.  If I were the reporters in the room I’d be trying to soothe away the slap Charlie just took pleasure in delivering to them all.  All Charlie was saying was the Phils and the Mets have the same home record and both are struggling on the road.  Well done Charlie.  It was a classic move right out of the ART of WAR.  But you’re still a chump!  That’s right Philly! Your Manuel is a chump for saying what he did.  My Manuel’s butt might be on fire this year but your Manuel just proved himself to be a pimple on it.  Read here about how Chuck Manuel threw the Mets under the bus.

Maybe you can read this Chuck; the Ethics of Sign Stealing by Mike Silva.

So here we are.  The trumpet charge in the latest battle in the War of I-95 was lead by Ol Rooster Neck himself, FogHorn LegHorn, Chuckie- M.   What used to be verbal Wrestlemania among the players like Hamels, Rollins, Wright and Beltran has taken a strange turn towards something much weirder. Jerry, my team’s Manuel, laughed it off as if to acknowledge the very page of the Manager’s Manual, Charlie Manuel spoke from. 

Spies Like Us Charlie?  No Chuck.  You’re hardly the Spy Who Loved Me type.  No this Philadelphia – New York Rivalry has become something more like:

spy vs.spy.jpgBeware of pianos falling out of the sky.

 

http://mlblogsthebrooklyntrolleyblogger.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/105020espn20radio20graphic.jpg

 

 

Seize the Moment

The following is a running post since Wednesday night.  I apologize for any repetitiveness.

Just a reminder, if I’m not posting on mlblogs, it’s usually on my Blogspot first.  I work from there.

…and away we go..

 

 Wednesday’s Thoughts:

After Wednesday night’s completion of the series sweep, for one game;- their next,

I want the Mets to seize the moment.

Coming off a 9-1 home stand and fresh from sweeping the Dodgers,

the Mets need to seize the moment Friday by defeating the Phillies in their park.

 

                                                               

Thursday’s Thoughts, Off Day:

After sweeping a good old fashioned double-header from

the L.A. in Citi Field Tuesday and then the series Wednesday,

On the morning of April 28, 2010 when you woke up, the Mets were in first place by a half game

over the Phillies who lost in San Francisco late Wednesday night.

                               Hey Met fans…Who Wudda Thunk it?! See?! Ya Gotta Believe!

Amazin’ !!  That not only means me, but many fans METropolis over.

If that seems a little bi-polar to you, it’s not.  Trust me, I still have my issues.

But we just can not pooh-pooh the moment, can we?

                    “We’ll be right back with the Happy Re-cap.”  ~  the Late Great Bob Murphy

In the series vs. L.A., David Wright collected his 1000th hit of his Met career and is now the clubs all-time leader in doubles passing Steady Eddie Kranepool on the list.

                                                                        

Friday Afternoon, April 28th:

The Mets completed a rather remarkable home stand. They recorded 9 wins versus 1 loss. They haven’t had a series like this at home since 1988 and 1969 before that. Incidentally, those were two years we won 100 games in the season. Easy there everybody…easy. John Maine put forth what appears to be his best effort this season against the Dodgers. His ball danced quite a bit and he wound up striking out his season high 9 batters versus 3 walks in 6 innings.

I’m taking this home stand in stride and not getting too giddy about a turn around from a 4-8 motley crew to a 13-9 (14-9 when I finally posted this today) team. 

After a day off they’ll be in South Philly for what amounts to a battle for first place.

Let’s Go Mets!

                                                         

Friday Night Post-Game:

Every so often in the season games present themselves as statement games.  They are singular in importance but the cumulative effect these types of games have is immeasurable; be it for better or worse.

The ‘feel-good’ we’re all experiencing right now could have suffered devastating deflation causing Met Fan optimism to fall like the Hindenburg over the fields of New Jersey.  Nine wins versus one loss could have shrunk in our rear-view mirrors very rapidly.

But No…  Instead the Metropolitans came down the turnpike and announced their arrival in Philly with authority, but thankfully better than NUKE could.  Tonight (last night) they scored early and often against the defending N.L. Champs.  They hit the ball “very hard” and some hits were just “not playable” (reference? anyone?). 

Jon Niese, the rookie, stymied the Phillies for 7 innings, albeit without Jimmy Rollins and Victorino shortening the line-up further by batting second to compensate Jimmy’s absence..  However the happy thought of the day -  We still have Pelfrey and Johan to go.

I started this post last night just as April expired and turned into May 1st, 2010.  April is officially done and the Mets finished the month in first place.  Some may call the month bizarre; some miraculous.  Me?  I call it AMAZIN’ !  When you think about it, Amazin’ is the best way to encapsulate the fan’s angst while still keeping this hot streak in perspective.

The series can still go very wrong for this Mets team.  But that’s not what tonight was all about.  Tonight was one game that stands on it’s own.  Tonight the Mets needed to keep their momentum going and stake their claim.  From where this team was earlier in the month,  having salvaged April and buffing a shine out of the situation, the Mets needed to seize the moment tonight against their biggest division rival Philadelphia Phillies…, and they did!

Last night the Mets did what they’ve often failed at over the last few years. They seized the moment. “Seize the Moment” games come along for many different reasons. Sometimes personal reasons, sometimes team reasons are the impetus to Seize the Moment. Last night was important to me. After last night’s game, a loss today I dare say will be more bearable. A loss Friday last night would have been very deflating. Somehow they managed to give April a good buffing and behold…it shines.

I couldn’t be happier with Jon Niese’s development.  He’s one of many prospects in METropolis these days.  This coming from the same farm system we all chided the organization about and accused it of being barren.  The Mets have more first and second year players on the current roster than they’ve had in a considerable time.  We all agree Tony Bernazard earned his release from his duties due to his behavior and recurring controversies.  He’s topical again because he just recently spoke about his Mets experience.  He believes he did nothing wrong last year and was scape-goated by the club for their ’09 failures.  But Omar appointed him Tsar of Minor League Operations back in the tail end of 2004 and we are now witnessing the results of his work while he maintained his job title.  With players such as Gee, Martinez, Parnell and Thole still on the way and Davis, Mejia, Nieve, Niese and Pelfrey already here, things look better health wise for this organization moving forward.  It’s some of the main-stays on this team that need addressing.  “the Kids are Alright”.

Here is Jon Niese’s line from last nights game vs. the Phillies:

7.0 innings pitched

4 hits

1 run, 1 earned

1 base on balls

7 strikeouts

3.10 season .era

Jon kept the 2,3 and 4 hitters, hit-less.

Saturday’s April Review:

The day?  April 17th.  That’s the day the Mets dueled the Cardinals for 20 innings.  That’s when this clubhouse decided they were going to get behind their embattled manager.  That’s when said manager, went toe to toe with LaRussa for 20 rounds and by tapping into his inner Buster Douglas, defeated the Great LaRussa.  Before that Saturday afternoon game started the Mets were 3-7.  Just before Saturday afternoon was about to change over to Sunday morning, the Mets won and up-ticked to 4-7.  They lost Sunday and sitting at 4-8 on April 18th wasn’t making anyone happy.  The Mets lost their 4th series in a row to start the season.  Pitchforks and torches were in hand and the angry villagers would be descending on Citi Field Monday night April 19th.

Opening Day was such a clean, efficiently played contest with a simple formula working for the Mets;   Johan pitched, David Wright hit and K-Rod closed.  But we lost 2 out 3 to the Marlins.  Then we lost the series to the Nationals; then the Rockies.  We went limping into St. Louis and only won 1 of 3 there.

But there was that 20 inning game.

During that time of perceived futility, two things became clearly evident.  The pitchers turned out to not be our biggest problem so far.  As a matter of fact they rank among Baseball’s best in early tallies.  And secondly,  the promotion of Ike Davis from AAA is paying huge dividends.  The Mets are getting production from 1st base and the middle of the line-up like they haven’t got since Delgado slugged in the 4 slot.

Jose Reyes came back to ignite this team.  He and Jeff Francoeur are in my opinion most responsible for getting these players to rally around their manager.

Getting back to April 19th and the game that started their remarkable turn-around versus the Cubs, the Mets went on to win 9 games while dropping only 1 on the home stand.  They are 11-5 at home for best in the majors and find themselves in first place as May begins with a 14-9 record, not including today’s game in which Mike Pelfrey is getting hammered after 5 innings to the tune of a 6-0 Philly lead.  But like I said earlier, because of last night this game is a little easier to reconcile.

What started out horribly wrong for the Mets this season has been reclaimed and restored.  Having achieved positive ground kind of wipes the slate clean for now.  They have this much to build upon.  Whether the strive forward or take steps backwards remains to be seen, today’s results withstanding.

As a motif, I believe in “seizing the moment”.  The Mets did that last night.  The month of April’s “Happy Re-Cap” is one for the books (a la Howie Rose).  Stay tuned for the musings of May.

                                                                     
Follow-up post after Saturday’s game:

Philly repays the favor.  They drubbed us 10-0 today.  I’m OK with that.  Just as Philly fans feel better about Friday’s results now that they’ve evened the series. The rubber game is tomorrow.  It’s not a seize the moment game.  Not this time.  It’s just a rubber game against a division rival as the two teams fight for first place.  The rest of the season is taking shape. 

One month is done and 5 remain.

Happy Baseball everybody!

 

METroSpections: Current HomeStand

…and so the beleaguered Mets seemed to find something in St.Louis against the Cardinals.

After admonishing Mayor Daley to pick up his team’s situation….METroSpection continues..

 

a/o April 23
Reyes is saying the right things and displaying the right attitude with regards to batting third…Now. He’s let his feelings about batting 3rd be known in the past. This is not a criticism. But Reyes does seem to be back and if I didn’t know any better, I dare say he is stepping up as a leader and elder statesman of this team in attitude and deeds. There’s a sense this team is rallying around their manager because of the grumblings in METropolis this early in April. A 26 yr old Reyes is behaving a little differently that the 23 or 24 year old Reyes did. Maturity? Injury’s way of reminding one of their mortality? Whatever it is, this Reyes will be better for it.

a/o April 24
You can’t win pennants in April, but you can loose them. You can blame ’07 on a September choke. I blame it on a poor first half. Getting to .500 showed some gumption by this team. And I dare say they are rallying around their manager. It’s nice to see and who are we to be kill-joys right now. With 6 days left in the month, the Mets can actually polish this month to a shine. Let’s Go Mets.?!

a/o April 25
And the Mets not only gained the elusive .500 mark, they’re a game above it now.  Just as things seemed to be getting mighty ugly awfully early around here, it seems the Mets are riding the other side of extreme right now.  That’s right.  I’m not going to get crazy because this is what inconsistent teams do.  But I’m not going to be a kill-joy today.  So here are some thoughts at face value.

Jose Reyes ~ Re-capping what I said the other day….His demeanor is different since he’s back.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s growing into himself now and he’s recognizing he needs to take his rightful place as a Mets elder statesman now.  He’s 26 this year.  I have noticed a different Reyes so far.  It may be simply because Reyes is not the 22 or 23 year old we sometimes chided for too many theatrics.  The reason could be he realized his mortality after loosing two almost complete seasons to leg injuries which book-end his career.  Maturity and injury have a way of shaping a players perspective.  It looks like Jose will be better off for it.  He is saying all the right things with regard to batting third and it seems as if he has taken the lead in rallying around Jerry Manuel.  Other players like Jeff Francueor and Pagan are echoing sentiments about their manager.  Reyes is clearly having a quick effect on the Mets.

Jerry Manuel ~ No one is screaming for his job today.  I stress today.  I’ve already expressed my position on the manager of the Mets.  I’ll say this much about him; he’s pro-active.  If he’s going down, he’s going down managing.  He’s making logistical decisions about his players and taking chances.  These decisions and chances might be born from desperation, but again, I am not pooh-poohing the day today.  Manuel was never a consideration long term for me.  He was a good and logical choice to replace Randolph.  I thought we’d have moved on over the winter.  Having said that, I am in no hasty rush to replace him with Valentine.  I think you all know my concerns weigh heavier when speaking of the GM and my front office.

David Wright? Howard Johnson?
WTF?
This is the third stance in three years for David Wright.  Each one has resulted in worsening results.  His strikeouts the last 3 years are through the roof and climbing like a bean-stalk.  In his earlier years he was striking out to the tune of 115 per 600+/- at-bats.  The last three years he’s averaging about 50 less at-bats and striking out at a 150 per clip.  He’s gone 12 consecutive games with at least one strike out.  He’s not just striking out.  He’s going 0-2, 1-2 in the count regularly!  His legs are like boiled spaghetti at the sight of a curve ball.  He’s missing fastballs right down the middle by huge margins.  He’s swinging at worm killers and guessing wrong on almost every pitch.  He is completely out of his mind right now.  He’s got IT real bad.
For this one particular player, Howard Johnson the Met’s hitting coach, has to be working against what is right for David Wright.  These two guys need to clean the slate and start over with a new plan.  Trying to scape-goat Hojo is foolish but obviously what he and David are doing is clearly not even close to being effective.  And maybe, just maybe, getting beaned in the head is still fresh in David Wright’s memory.  Something like that can haunt a player.  If you watch him jelly-leg the curve balls, it’s fair to think.

THE WEATHER BOYZ!!!
The WeatherBoyz?  I hear-by release every and all Mets starters from their weather related nooses I kept around their necks.   ALL EXCEPT, Mr. RAIN.  Yep.  He’s taking the term “April Showers” to new heights.  John Maine and his Rain Act are enough to make Noah and the animals say “Oi Vey!”  Jon Neise and Big Mike Pelfrey have been doing well and Better.  Pelfrey has been nothing short of great so far.  Niese has been a hard luck starter been has been very very effective.  Johan is always the battler and needs little words on my part.
Snow, Sleet and YES HAIL TOO!!  You are hereby released from your cumulonimbus bearing duties.  Oliver Perez’s efforts, like Niese’s could reflect better in the win/loss totals.  But his 3.50 (rounded) era is OK with me and it’s good enough to warrant some respect.

There!….A post about my Mets with almost a complete lack of negativity.  See?  It’s possible.
But now the truth…I have not wavered from the way I feel about the changes I want from this organization.  I still, as I always will, stand by my criticisms of this organization.

After taking the series from the Cubs, and finishing off the Braves yesterday, tonight’s opening game of the Dodgers series was rained out.  Tomorrow will be a truely classic Twi-Night DoubleHeader at Citi Field.
There will be no day/night nonsense.  Tomorrow is strictly two for the price of one starting at 4:30pm.  Good Job Mr.Wilpon!!  Good job indeed.

This concludes my METroSpections for the home stand thus far.

BTB  a/o April 26

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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 in spite of the show of support offered by the players as it’s being reported in the Sunday papers.  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. Jerry 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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Week One METrospections

Today is the one week mark of the 2010 season.  If you’re a Met fan, it’s week 26 of the 2009 season.

It’s not wrong to take this tone.  The Mets lost their two opening series’ of 2010 to the two teams we are hoping to finish the season ahead of in our division.  We lost two of three to the Marlins and we lost two of three to the Nationals.  Both times we lost the rubber game of the series.  It’s not necessarily the loosing that bewilders me.  It’s the manner of play that irks me.  In the first 6 games of the season at home, I’ve seen way too much bad base running, poor fundamentals,  lack of situational awareness, no clutch hitting and everything else you would think this team should have purged itself from the 2007 thru 2009 seasons.

Jerry Manuel questioned the team’s intensity after 6 games into the season.  If he can do it why can’t I?
Oh, by the way…..Hey Jerry!!!  That’s your job!!  You have one job – get your team ready to play!  If you come out and say they aren’t playing with intensity, are you talking to me or Omar?  Because if you’re talking to me, I’m telling you to update your resume.  If you’re talking to Omar, I’m still telling you to update your resume.

I still see the same issues that have plagued this team, injuries aside.  They just have not played good fundamental baseball under Jerry Manuel.  Period.  I’m just saying.  I’m not rushing to fire Manuel, per say.  But when you continually do the things you’ve done wrong, wrong – I think it’s time to stop the insanity already.  For Manuel to say something like that, he’s just indicting himself.

Two wins versus four losses, six games into the season isn’t what’s bothering me.  Loosing to the teams you’re supposed to finish ahead of in the standings isn’t what’s bothering me.

What’s bothering me is I’m watching a continuation of the 2007, 2008, 2009 debacles.  I see nothing different in this team’s disposition or demeanor.  The hustle isn’t there.  A disregard for fundamentals is!
They still aren’t running balls out and it’s bit them in the butt EVERY time!  That’s what bothers me.  It’s not coming from new guy KRod, it’s not coming from semi-new guy Santana, it’s not coming from new guy Bay…..it’s coming from the players that have been here for a bit who are still committing the same mental gaffes they’ve been committing for 3 years.

I want to change the channel and get some new stuff to watch.  Every time I channel surf though, all I see is NY Mets re-runs from the last 3 years. 

Enough!  Jerry, seriously, start updating your resume.  I know that’s still not going to help this team.  Their problems are more deep rooted than just Manuel.  If April 12th seems a little too early for some Spring Cleaning in Flushing….I submit to you week 26 of 2009 is too late then.

(If you can’t beat the Nationals with your Ace at home, facing Livan Hernandez, who played little league with Ponce De Leone, tell me what to get excited about then.)

It’s not short sightedness or impatience.  It’s called being tired of the same brown bag of burning dung on my porch.  But this time I’m not going to try and stamp it out and track all that stuff in my house.  NO!  This time I’m scooping it up and flinging it into the fan.  Let someone else be in the way this time because they’re trying my patience awfully early this time around.

By the way…Don’t expect the Beltran of old when he returns.  It’s just not going to happen.

 

Rain is pitching today for the Mets.  It’s being said the wind is blowing out to the tune of 40 mph in Colorado today.  Wind and Rain?  Not a good mix.

That is all.  Go back to your farms now.  There’s nothing more to see here.

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/
http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

 

 

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