Daily Archives: April 14, 2008
[poll=67]
Tagged Poll |During yesterday’s game, with the Mets down by two runs, with runners on first and third and no outs in the eighth, Brady Clark was thrown out at 
home to complete a first-to-home double play.
…in that situation, clark must have been thinking the infielders would go for the first-to-second double play, allowing him time to score…however, he should break towards home, in case the ball gets by the first baseman, but once it is picked up he must return to third and give the heart of the order a chance to drive him in…this is not the time to gamble…
Following the game, Clark told reporters, “I screwed up,” adding, “By the time I thought better of it, it was too late.”
Willie Randolph, speaking about the situation, which was indicative of the entire day, talking to reporters after the game:
“It just was not a good read in that situation by Brady. He’s aggressive, we’re aggressive, but you have to be thinking ahead and know that in that spot right there there’s no way he’s gonna throw the ball to second and back to first…
“So, just a mental mistake on his part, and that’s what I’m talking about.”
…once he commits to home, though, knowing he is going to be out by a mile, he should have knocked over the catcher…instead, he tried a swipe tag and never stood a chance…it’s dangerous, but it’s the only option at that point…
The Mets blew a four-run, third-inning lead yesterday, losing to the Brewers while leaving 10 men on base, hitting in to five double plays and making one error in the field, among others on the base paths.
Willie Randolph, while looking and 
sounding very annoyed, had the following to say after the game:
“Well, that put a damper on a nice off day, huh? Jeez. Too many opportunities wasted, you get a nice little lead and…(long pause)…just a sloppy game. The kind of games we can’t have…How many opportunities did we have today? Man on first and second, man on third and first with one out, what did we hit in to five double plays? That’s what happens when you don’t execute and take care of your business, that’s what happens. This is a whole give away game to me and we’ve got to be better than that…Today, we just made too many mistakes and missed opportunities and if we’re gonna be a solid ball club you can’t play like that. You can’t play like that.”
Asked if he addressed the team, or intends to address the team, Randolph explained:
“It’s 10 games in to the season, there’s no reason for that…Guys, it’s not all about that. Again, I’m very disappointed in the way we played today, but we have a long way to go and it’s not like I’m ready to flip out on any body like that. We have a lot of baseball to play, I want my team to play crisper, play better and that’s what I’m expressing. But, no, we’re not getting to the point where I need to start thinking about blasting anybody like that. We’re playing hard for the most part, but we’ve got to be better in execution.”
David Wright agreed, when asked a similar question by reporters, stating that he and his teammates are adults and are capable of policing themselves.
…i do not believe in yelling and screaming and flipping over buffet tables, when it comes to baseball…it has no impact…ask Larry Bowa and Lou Pinella…or, ask Joe Torre, who was always calm, yet won four rings…
…i believe reporters and fans advocate for such behavior because it is obvious and easy to wrap our heads around…in reality, though, while it may help, it may also hurt just as much…there is no correlation between anger and success in baseball…
…in my view, this group of players lack accountability…and they lack shame…this, not anger, is what is missing…
…instead, if a player is not focused, making mistakes and costing the team an opportunity, willie should sit him down – like he did to Jose Reyes last summer…this is not a long-term solution, of course…the Mets need their best players in the lineup if they intend to win a pennant…however, it’s not enough to just have people in the lineup physically, these players must play hard and perform while on the field…if, instead, they would rather waltz around and cash a pay check, that is not going to hack it…so, from what i understand, having talked with former players, if they are shamed by getting benched, if they are pulled from a game, called out a bit in the media, etc, this will have an impact…yelling at them like children will only make them more disengaged, but embarrassing them in front of their peers could help…
…i think willie took his first shot with this sort of method last night, with his public comments and frustration after last night’s game…phase two will be making an example out of some one, assuming it gets to that point…i trust that it will not…
…i realize people get on willie, and rightfully so…i have a hard time with this, because, while i do not think he is passive, as most like to write, i do think he suffers from a bad case of tunnel vision and he is very, very trusting in his players…maybe to a fault…however, i like his style of baseball, i.e., aggressive base running, having a killer mentality and playing strong defense…my fear, though, is that, while the team may have some serious, high-priced talent, it may not be the type of talent best suited for willie’s style…and so, what we may be witnessing is a conflict of style playing out on the field, in the locker room and in the press…
…in other words, these guys need to get on the same page, i.e., the real meaning of team chemistry…until that happens, this team will continue to feel like a Rolls Royce stuck in second gear…
For more, read Kevin Kernan in the New York Post, who believes the Mets may be slipping down the same path as 2007.
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