Daily Archives: September 18, 2007
The following e-mail exchange occurred earlier today between two Mets fans, James Flippin and his father, John.
…james was kind enough to forward to me…
Mr. Flippin wrote…
“As I told Sue, who was also lamenting the recent performance of the mercurial Metropolitans, ‘It’s in their hands now.’ I (We) sometimes get so close to it that we almost feel like it’s up to us. It’s their team, their challenge, their careers, their test, their opportunity. But, you’re absolutely right. They get our frustration, our anger, our joy, our hopes…and our belief and trust…until the last out and we either win or lose. That’s it. That’s a fan. Let’s go Mets!”
His son, James, replied…
“As discouraged as I am lately, as difficult as it is to do, like Tug said, “Ya Gotta Believe!”
…i mean, seriously, i watch baseball to have fun…i watch baseball to experience emotions i typically don’t get to feel in my every-day, ordinary life…and giving up is not fun…so why bother to watch at all then…
…today, though, as usual, like so many other seasons before this, i am forced to look in to the blue-and-orange abyss that is being a fan and consider what to do…and, of course, my actions are never in doubt, since, for me, there is only one option, which is to surrender my doubts and fears to the team and simply scream, ‘Ya Gotta Believe.’…
Tagged MetsBlog |During his weekly interview with WFAN, Paul Lo Duca told the show’s hosts that he remains confidence in his team, because a) they’re better than what they’ve shown of late, b) still have a three-game lead, and c) they know they’re capable of winning, they just need to do it.
Lo Duca responded with a solid four-seconds of silence when asked if he believes his manager, Willie Randolph, should go out an defend his players to the umpire, such as when Marlon Anderson and Lo Duca were ejected over the weekend for arguing balls and strikes.
…i wrote the following three days ago, and i’m glad to know i was not just speculating…
i would like to have seen willie get a bit loud with the ump here, as well…usually, i don’t put a lot of stock in to this, but back-to-back nights he sees his player got tossed, in the ninth, and i’d like to think his players would appreciate knowing willie is as angry about it as they are…
Overall, Lo Duca credits the recent swoon to simply playing poor defense, which has made the bullpen look far worse than it actually is.
He expressed concern that some of his teammates were laughing on the bench last night, up by four runs in the fourth, considering they blew similar leads in nearly every game they lost over the weekend.
Yes, he is concerned by the team’s recent play, and though he didn’t acknowledge whether they would benefit from being yelled at by Randolph, he did say he may talk with Tom Glavine, Carlos Delgado, and other veterans, about how best to – and whether they should – address the locker room.
If he had a message to the team, it would be that they can’t take anything for granted. He expressed over and over again that he so badly wants to return to the post-season, and win a World Series, and does not want to see this talented team waste a great opportunity.
To listen to Lo Duca’s entire interview, go to WFAN.com.
Tagged Paul Lo Duca |According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies LHP Cole Hamels will return to the mound tonight, following a month’s absence due to a left elbow strain.
Hamels was 5–1 with a 4.37 ERA in the eight starts before going on the disabled list, during which the Phillies were 6–2.
…this isn’t getting any easier, is it…
Tagged Phillies |Mets C Paul Lo Duca will be a guest at 12:05 pm EDT in his regular spot on WFAN.
To listen live, go to WFAN.com.
Tagged Paul Lo Duca |Go to CharityBuzz.com, where you can bid to throw out 
the first pitch at the Mets game on Wednesday, September 26, as well as bid in a separate auction to meet Billy Wagner, among other pre-game perks.
The auction ends later today.
…actually, instead of the first pitch, they should let the winner pitch the seventh inning…the bullpen could use the help…
All proceeds from the two auctions go to support the Jerome Wagner Youth Residence for Boys.
…i have always said that if i ever get a chance to throw out the first pitch at shea, before throwing a perfect strike, i will first do the fake pick-off to third, then fake pick-off move to first…
…the increase in comments and angry language have tripped my site’s SPAM Blocker in to full gear, and it is wisely 
yanking comments left and right that should not necessarily be flagged…when this happens, your post will not appear…
…please, Do Not keep posting your comment over and over again…the SPAM Blocker learns, and when you do this it starts to recognize you as a repeat offender, which gets you on some sort of automated blacklist, which i have no control over…
…every hour or so i will be checking the hold bin, and i promise to release your comment back to the site if deemed appropriate…
Tagged MetsBlog |In a report for MLB.com, Marty Noble quotes an anonymous Mets player as saying…
“We play at the temperature of the manager. I know Willie cares a lot, but he’s not showing it much.”
Meanwhile, in a follow-up column for MLB.com, Noble talks with other anonymous Mets and, according to Noble, they all feel ‘a talk, a speech, a meeting or a tirade’ is necessary to snap the team from it’s current funk.
…from what i understand, lo duca had suggested to some people last night that he may or may not address the team before today’s game, with the help of a few other players…
An anonymous player, as quoted by Noble…
“Only two guys in here have the ear of almost everyone: Moises and Carlos Delgado. Maybe Paulie can help.”
…all i keep hearing fans is how the team’s manager, Willie Randolph, needs to be that voice, that willie needs to get angry, and make a scene…the thing is, on a veteran team like the Mets have, it is the players who need to step up more than willie does…
…i talked with two former major leaguers last night, both of whom are considered to be among this organization’s most respected leaders from the past, and from what i can gather out of them, while willie should let the team know he still believes in them, and that he should make it known to them that it is crunch time and time to get it going, it’s guys like lo duca, and Billy Wagner, mo, maybe delgado, which is tough now because he’s hurt, and to a lesser extent even David Wright, not willie, who need to get in their teammates faces, it’s the players, not the manager, who must wake themselves up, get them to hustle on every pitch, get them to raise their chins, be strong, run hard on and off the field, get up off the bench, cheer for their teammates, and essentially lead their teammates to victory…it sounds childish, or like Little League…and it sounds beneath high-paid athletes…but it isn’t…
…in other words, they’re all in this together, and they need to act like it, because you win and die as a team…not as subordinates…
…as one of the former players told me:
Tagged Moises Alou, Paul Lo Duca |‘i’ve been on a lot of teams, with good locker rooms and bad locker rooms, and to really have an impact, to get back to winning, it has to be a horizontal solution, not a vertical one.’…
…this photo of Jose Reyes, from the New York Times, reminds me of when Superman is forced to wear Kryptonite and loses all of his powers and falls to his knees in total weakness, which is exactly what seems to have happened to this team over the last few days…
Prior to last night’s game, Carlos Delgado told reporters that he ‘definitely’ thinks he will play at some point during this weekend’s series against the Marlins.
Delgado hit in a batting cage over the weekend, and took soft toss prior to yesterday’s game, but noted that until he gets up against live pitching it will be difficult to truly determine where is at in his recovery from a strained hip flexor.
Paul Lo Duca, on last night’s loss, when mumbling to reporters after last night’s loss…
“There’s no excuses. We get paid a lot of money and we’re not playing the game the right way. We’re lackadaisical on defense. We swung the bats a little better tonight, but it just seems like we’re not really playing to win. We’re being very passive and leaning back on things and just not playing well. It needs to turn around quickly or we’re going to be going home…
“We’re nothing if wee keep coming out and getting our asses kicked. We have to play all nine innings or go home. That’s the bottom line. This is just not gonna get it done. If we expect to just limp in to the playoffs like this and expect to just turn it on, it’s not gonna happen…
“There’s a lot of laughing and a lot of joyous people in the dugout when we’re up 4-0 and we keep coming out and getting our butts kicked. So, we need to change that around. We did that with Philadelphia and we’re getting our butts kicked. We need to play all nine innings or go home. That’s just the bottom line…
“It’s almost like we’re playing not to lose.”
…exactly, duke…you play…to win…the game…
…seriously, though, from listening to his very honest interviews with WFAN all season, it is clear that lo duca has long felt this team still thinks it is easy-breezy 2006…as though they have yet to wake up and realize they’re in a fight and it will take some work to win this division this year…and now the bell is ringing, and it’s time to go to work, and he doesn’t feel they’re working hard enough…and neither do i, right now…
When asked if he was upset that Willie Randolph double-switched him out of the game, Lo Duca looked beyond irritated and said, “No comment,” and ended the interview.
…last night was last night…but, now, given the last two days, and the potential doom that could come from it, going forward, willie would be foolish to yank lo duca, whose heart and soul this team is very much in need of right now…
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