Read: Newsday on Acta, and Fraternization
As noted yesterday, during his appearance on WFAN, SI.com’s Jon 
Heyman expressed concern with the way several people on the Mets treat Manny Acta around the batting cage before playing the Nationals.
According to Heyman, many players and people from the front-office – not Jeff Wilpon – spend two to three hours treating Acta like ‘some sort of returning hero,’ and he feels it is very disrespectful to Willie Randolph.
In today’s Newsday, David Lennon investigates the relationship between the Mets, Acta and Randolph, who tells Lennon:
“How does that happen? How does that become normal? I don’t know. It’s just foreign to me, that’s all. I’m fine with, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ That stuff. I wish that we could enforce it more, really. They talk about it, but I don’t really see anyone policing it. You can’t force people not to talk to someone.”
According to Lennon, Major League Baseball prohibits fraternization with Rule 3.09.
David Wright, as quoted by Lennon, said:
“I’ll keep it down to a quick hello and that’s it. I’ll be the first one to be friendly with other players before we come to the park or after leaving the park. But as far as that time when I have my uniform on and they have their uniform on, I want to go out there and kick their butt…I think it’s important that they know that I’m serious about winning and I expect the same from them.”
…first of all, outstanding job by lennon, with what is a must-read report…second, i think the spirit of Rule 3.09 is essentially dated, considering how fluid free agency has become…i mean, so many of these players and coaches are friends, because so many of them have played together on previous teams, in other countries, in the minors, etc., that they may as well talk around the cage…as a fan, i prefer willie’s and wright’s approach, but i think it’s too late to go back unfortunately…
