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During his weekly appearance on WFAN in New York, SI.com’s Jon Heyman had the following to say when asked why the Mets did not bring back Paul Lo Duca…
“I don’t think the Mets ever wanted Lo Duca. I still think they blame him for what happened in the 2006 playoffs, I think they think he didn’t call the right pitches…they seem to blame Lo Duca. I don’t think they ever wanted him. He was like an option of last resort, in case every thing else didn’t work out. I think they just pefer Torrealba, that’s the bottom line.”
To listen to Heyman’s entire 15–minute interview, during which he also discusses the availability of Johan Santana and the center-field market, go to WFAN.com.
If that is the case, that is pretty messed up…
Last I checked, LoDuca didn’t give up the homer to Molina, he did not strike out against Wainwright, he did not pitch a crappy Game 3 like Trash did, he did not blow Game 2 like Wags did…
Why the hell would you blame Duke????
Yeah blame it all on LoDuca. Don’t blame it on the fact that Mota was on the team or in the game or for shaking off LoDuca repeatedly. Blame it all on LoDuca for 2006.
So Stupid.
If this was really the case then I’m pretty scared about the direction and thinking of our front office. How can they really rationalize that Lo Duca was to blame for the 06 NLCS?
I hear Willie say that Loduca was injecting Mota with the roids on the mound when he did that little fist/chest punch thing….ALL HIS FAULT!!
THANK YOU OMAR FOR BRING US THE REY ORDENEZ OF CATCHING.
YOU JUST WEAKEN OUR HITTING….
Well said I was looknig at his K stats..the guy K’s like once every 4 Ab’s….so much for getting the pitcher’s spot at bat out of the way w/2 outs in any inning.
No he doesn’t. Where are you getting your numbers? He Ks less than 20 percent of the time. His rate last year was 18 percent. Both are far away from 25 percent.
Check your stats first.
No one said anyone thought it was all his fault. Don’t exaggerate a quote, which also comes from a writer who is speculating to beging with.
Well I like Duca …..sorry but you cannot blamehim for 06 or our collapse last season….He didnt throw the pitches , he just tried to catch them…anyway , that being said, I am gettin really angry about these poss. acquisitions: Eckstein??? Iguchi?? plz!!! after the past few years of us finally being spoiled with top notch key acquisitions….Im starting to get fed up with these little rinky dink signings or possible trades….Cmon Omar do something drastic!!!! The division is slipping away! Wen need a lot more help then a scappy 2nd basemen..or a #4 pitcher.
I understand the urge for the Mets to make a big move, but you can’t understate the value of the little moves. You don’t need every player to be an All Star to win.
But it doesn’t hurt…
see: Yankees 2002-now
we only have the bullets to make one big trade this offseason. would you rather it be for the best 2nd basemen in the league. or a #1 or #2 pitcher?
We can get Odog ..for Mulvey/Guerva
And then we can get a solid pitcher for Gomez,Pelfrey,Gotay,Humber,or Fmart.
I want a #1… I don’t think our ‘bullets’ are that good to get us one…
im not confident that mulvey and guerva get you odog.
i dont think they are either but a #2 is probably possible. i think that would be more valuable than a 2nd baseman.
I agree…
I think we have #2’s in Pedro, Maine and O Perez… I wouldn’t mind a staff of #2’s… I think it might provide balance… But I’d LOVE a 1
definitely, you never know though maybe we can score a 1-A….kind of like haren, hes not really a blow you away ace but he would probably be our best pitcher barring some huge breakout year from OP or JM.
The division is slipping away?
Dude, it already slipped away.
We lost last year…
The Phillies (UGH) are the defending NL East Champions
Just because Heyman feels the Mets blame LoDuca for the 2006 playoffs, doesn’t mean that’s actually the case. It’s just his opinion.
Exactly – Heyman is far from a reliable source.
the lo duca thing was personal; i had gotten the sense, back when there were reports of lo duca hanging with a little girl as well as a gambling issues that got in the press, the mets were turned off to the negative image and upset with that portrayal in the news. this organization has a history of players spraying bleach at reporters, throwing firecrackers at children, and doing drugs. the wilpons don’t want to have to try and sell a product, that in their estimation, is damaged by such associations.
lo duca’s obvious, lame attempts to turn the blame on the media, during locker room lectures, for creating issues of nothing, was an outburst of desperation to draw fan sympathy and paint himself as the victim. it backfired.
that or maybe its just that he cant hit, run, catch or throw. but hey, he had “fire” and didnt strike out much.
Who cares?
LoDuca was overrated and it was time for him to go.
I agree 100%. Catching is one of our weak postions. Why bring back the same guy? There are only three top notch catchers in the bigs today (Mauer, Martinez, and Martin). You can’t just stay with the same guy when he doesn’t know when to call a game. Your not going to get the offensive numbers that these three guys and Posada will give you so why not get somebody who pitchers feel comfortable with?
We were spoiled with the offense at the catching position that Mike Piazza brought… We had some good offense from Duke in 2006 and rough year from him in 2007…
Historically we have had offensive-oriented backstops, especially over the last 20 years-Carter, Hundley, Piazza, Lo Duca
For the record, didn’t Mota shake LoDuca off before serving up the gopher ball to Spiezio in Game 2? They wanted a change-up and he threw him a fastball down broadway.
If the Mets are making personnel decisions based on single at-bats, then I’m going to cancel my ticket package.
Why? Met fans make rash judgments based on single at-bats all the time.
No, if they did that, Beltran would be somewhere else, too.
Heyman is speculating as to the motivation of Mets’ brass, and all he’s saying (albeit in a sensational way) is that the relationship b/w the front office and Lo Duca went sour, and that pitch calls were part of it. He probably proved stubborn. Additionally, imagine if he blew off coaches and called different pitches? That’s a big deal.
Anyway, catcher is not going to be a huge strength, but I think Castro and Torrealba can be a serviceable tandem.
The way I see it, LoDuca coulda called time out and gone to the mound to get on the same page w/ Mota. You cannot on an 0-2 pitch serve up Spiezio a fastball. If LoDuca is so firey, all he had to do was go to the mound and explain that rationale to Mota. Who is Mota to call someone off in the NLCS and what’s w/ LoDuca not doing anything about it??
Also, people can say all they want about how LoDuca didn’t throw the pitches in the NLCS such as the Molina homer but he did call the pitch. Perhaps a fastball or different location, such as outside pitch, doesn’t get hit out by Molina. LoDuca, not the brightest guy in the world, certainly took some pitches off and in the NLCS you have to be focused each and every pitch. I’m w/ Heyman on this issue for once. Usually I disagree w/ him but I think there’s something to that. If I noticed it at the time, i’m sure some people in the Mets front office did as well.
so basically the mets FO is going to try to pin all our short comings on paul lo duca
No, that is Heyman’s FO — a writer that has nothing to do with the Mets.
I didn’t realize John Heyman was in the Mets front office, when did they hire him? You people amaze me, stop believing every single word you read, he even prefaced what he said by saying “i think”.
im well aware it is simply his opinion as a writer, but i like to think he has access to SOME things we dont. and considering no one has really taken any kind of hit for the collapse, would you really be surprised if somehow more reliable information came out supporting this theory.
Heyman is a reliable source when it comes to baseball information. He isnt where he is today for making stuff up or coming up with just opinions. He has many sources throughout baseball and is pretty accurate with the things he says.
this is purely Heyman’s opinion. it doesn’t seem like he bases it on any facts. it’s all “i think…”
Jon Heyman doesn’t need “facts”. He’s Jon Heyman.
Exactly. “don’t think, I still think.
Heyman and Rosenthal, et al rehash day old news and prport to have inside information that htey clearly do not have. Those SNY Dalily News roundtabel discussions are ridiculously yesterday’s news. Let Heyman say “Omar just told me they blame Duca for 2006″ and I’ll possibly believe he has a clue.
Remember, the Wilpons like their players squeaky clean (steroid abuse does not apply, however). LoDuca had the gambling issue and that thing about the teenage girl he was dating off MySpace, can’t remember exactly, hanging over him. I’m not judging him, but it’s not far-fetched to think the Wilpons had soured on him because of his “character.”
If I remember correctly, the Mets organization had this whole big “vote Lo Duca to the All Star Game” thing going. He received a lot of support from an organization that supposedly held a grudge against him.
Take what you hear with a grain of salt. Some people are selective memories.
im sure the fact that they can sell paul lo duca all star shirts hats and jerseys if he makes it have nothing to do with that.
You know what, I like Paulito too, but he’s getting on in years and we haven’t done well with older catchers.
It is never easy to cut ties with a popular player, but the Paulie we saw at the end of last year looked like he was in decline. Let Heyman and the other spinmeisters say what they want, but it comes down to judging baseball talent, and none of us get paid to do it. Let Omar and co. do their work— if, at the end of next year, he made a bad choice, well, we’ll call him on it then.
that headline would also be true if you repalced ‘Mets’ with ‘Ken Dynamo’
Can we bat Torreawful 9th??? I think we should.
This outrageous!!! LoDuca is to Blame for 06? Who did Heyman talked to to give him such an ideas?
Anyone else concerned about how the absence of Paulie will affect David Wright? He and Wright seemed to really have a tight bond. I will be pulling for Yorvit as soon as he puts on the orange and blue, but I think I’m going to miss Paul LoDuca.
JETER THE TAX CHEAT
New York state tax officials want Derek Jeter to pay hundreds of thousands — possibly even millions of dollars — in back taxes and interest for the years 2001 to 2003, when he claimed Florida residency despite spending the bulk of his time in New York.
An administrative judge’s ruling shows that Jeter has claimed Florida residency since 1994. New York state isn’t going back that far, but it does want it’s cut from Jeter’s check from after be bought a $13 million apartment in Manhattan. Jeter made $34 million in salary from 2001 through 2003 and likely millions more in endorsements.
THROW HIS QUEER ASS IN THE SAME CELL WITH BONDS SO THEY CAN BANG EACH OTHER.
the mets never wanted loduca?? considering the fact in the offseason they acquired him they could had signed benji molina or ramon hernandez in free agency…but they elected to trade for paul seems to point that he wasnt a last resort. john heyman is such a drama queen.
I think the comment is referring to them not wanting him now, not that they didn’t want him when they got him.
“This team is dead to me…I have had it up to here with “L*s Mets” and the lack of results on the field…time for a regime change.”
And yet, you don’t go away.
ever heard of a catcher calling timeout and going out to the mound?