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….yes, the Mets scored two runs in the second inning last night, but they should have scored more…they had the bases loaded and no outs, yet stranded all three runners…they had 
Dodgers RHP Hiroki Kuroda on the ropes, and, again, let the starting pitcher off the hook…
The Mets were 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position on the night.
Willie Randolph, speaking to reporters after the game about scoring runs, said:
“Wasted opportunities. It sets yourself up for the fall when you get opportunities like that early and you don’t take advantage of it…It’s no secret, we’ve got to start swinging the bats better. You know, we’re leaving too many ducks out there and making it tough on our pitchers to be fine…We really should have had one of those laughers. We just wasted too many opportunities tonight…We’ve got to swing the bats better.”
David Wright, on hitting with runners in scoring position, talking to reporters after last night’s loss:
“Uh, (pause), they threw some pretty good arms at us today…We just couldn’t muster up anything against that bullpen. It’s been phenomenal. They’ve been playing well as a team and it’s continued against us.”
Rephrased, Wright was asked if he feels it will come back to bite his team later in the game if they do not score early, to which he responded:
“Uh, (pause), you know, it’s, again, um, we got two in the second, we would have liked to get more, but to scratch off a crooked number there in the second inning, and I thought: we’re gonna hit in to some double plays, we’re gonna strike out with a guy on third, it’s gonna happen. I thought we did a good job of striking early. We could have gotten a few more, but I’ll take one in the first and two in the second.”
…here’s the thing, had willie given the response that wright gave, fans would be killing willie right now…
…i hear the people who are calling for willie’s head, in May, with their team above .500, and one loss out of first, but, what i want to know is: where is the line…at one point does the manager shoulder the blame, as opposed to the hitters who are flat and stranding runners…where is that line…
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I don’t even understand David’s remark. Is he saying that he thought the team would hit into DPs, strike out w/guys on base, etc? Or that he thought “I’ll take it”? It doesn’t make sense.
David all around looks completely lost. I understand that he is a young player, and was hot last September—for naught—but when he slumps, he SLUMPS.
First off, not sure if anyone heard the Gary Cohen shout out to Metsblog last night. Way to go Matt.
I think Wright is saying you expect those things to happen, because they usually happen at least once during the course of a game. You will hit into double plays, you will strike out with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 out. The thing is, it seems like the fans aren’t the only negative ones, or that the negativity from the fans is finally rubbing off on the players.
Listen, I’m all for booing the team if it doesn’t put forth the effort….but I think this team needs its fans to get behind them. Don’t know about you guys, but I don’t want a looooooong summer. With attitudes like that, it just may be.
Just to respond to something Matt said:
“…here’s the thing, had willie given the response that wright gave, fans would be killing willie right now…”
The player’s attitude’s are a reflection of the manager. It’s amazing that some people still can’t see this.
I normally agree with that, but what I think there is a possibly troublesome issue here. It sounds like David is actually countering what Willie is saying, and I think you can read between the lines and see that the team really isn’t listening to Willie. It feels like the players are starting to get the attitude like “Willie can say whatever he wants, who cares.” This is totally speculation on my part, but that’s the feeling I get, and continued losing and losing painful games can lead to that.
Mikey, you’re 100% right. When Willie came in 2005, there was this “no acceptance of mediocrity” attitude around the team. That attitude carried over into 2006 and got us the devision. The collapse of 2007 and Willie’s attitude toward it as well as his general approach to the entire situation is “acceptance”. “It’s over. Accept it and move on…” – that’s all we’ve been hearing from him. I’m ok with that if the teams plays hard, but the truth of the matter is – and this is showcased by no other than David Wright in his statements – this team has accepted being mediocre. They have accepted striking out with a man on third and less than 2 outs, they have accepted hitting into a double play in a big spot, they have accepted our boos, they have accepted ugly losses. You would never hear these words out of DW in 2006. Their attitude has changed for the worse. They have accepted that they nothing to prove after 2007, yet they’ve proven that nothing has changed in 2008.
Matt – you want to know where that line is? It’s way behind us – we crossed it about 10 months ago…
yo you guys are nuts,there attitudes reflect the managers,i agree to a point ,but when has any one fo your bosses ever changed the way you thought about something,if you have conformed then you ahve no backbone. Sure willie should.could be getting these guys pumped up ,but did willie have anytihng to do with church not realizing that hit wasnt a homer,nah prob not.
A little help anyone? Over on my Mets blog we are trying to figure out if Moises Alou is the oldest to every steal home…4 players over 40 have done it, including Moises himself back in 2006 on the same exact play from last night (throw through).
He is. Gary and Ron were discussing it last night. They got word from Elias.
DW will always try and be the diplomat….he just wants to say the right thing and give credit to the opposition when he thinks they’ve earned it.
These games just make you want to throw up. The Mets just seem lost right now. They can’t hit anything. They have the bases loaded and no outs and they can’t even score a run. It seems that David Wright can’t hit anything on the outside corner. When the Mets get blown out, David Wright is the only one who hits. But when they are in a close game David can’t do anything. Have the Mets ever been 4 games over .500 yet?
DW cannot hit a slider. That’s his problem.
He is Alfonso Soriano. The only time he hits the slider is when it is really a fastball. Then it goes pretty far.
By the way, the guy has an excellent glove, but can’t throw. He has 1B written all over him.
I completely agree…I hope the Mets move him to first next season and look for a better arm at third. Gold Glover? Give me a break
I have no idea how he won that Gold Glove. I actually think Delgado deserved it over him. Saved the guy about 37 errors.
No they haven’t and don’t look now but we are tied with the Braves for 3rd/4th. Better get used to it because its not going to change.
Can we all not jump off a bridge today? Granted not a good loss last night and the mo from “zona” is gone, but we are only 1.5 games out, have gotten nothing from Beltran and the pitching has been up and down. Relax and take a deep breath today, its not the end of the world.
Lastly, some of the comments about castillo last night were despicable. He is our 2B, there is no one else, how about trying to support the guy? He is a gamer, a proven winner and is doing more to help the team than hurt it. He is not the problem with the offense right now and hitting him in the 8th spot, whether you agree or not, is not the best spot for him.
Castillo is done and you are right, 8th is not the best sopt for him. The 9th spot is where he belongs, he couldn’t get the ball out of the infield if he was playing slow pitch softball. nice going Omar, we are stuck with this guy for 4 years!!!
I think he got the ball out of the infield 3 times last night…granted, foul or out…
Guys, Castillo had an RBI single yesterday, did he not? You people need to concentrate more on the production of our 3-4-5 hitters rather than a guy in the 8-hole…
I’ve generally been one of the more optimistic fans, with my support pretty much unquestioned, but I’m really beginning to lose faith in this team. Yes, Memorial Day is still a few weeks in the future, so its “early” for a little while longer. However, as a fan, it still feels like September 2007. I’ve been pretty vocal about last year was last year, but it seems like the team has carried over the malaise…This team can very rarely put together a sustained stretch of winning…in the few times they do, there tend to be an equal stretch of losing. Despite what Willie and the team says, I don’t quite think they are over the Collapse, which is kind of a scary thought.
I’ve also been a Willie supporter, but it may soon be time for him to go. I still don’t think he is bad as some people make him out to be, but the problem is as manager, the most viable way to shake up the team is to let Willie go. I don’t know how long of a leash he should have, nor do I know who should take over. I’d think that Jerry Manuel will have an opportunity a the interim manager, while Omar looks for a full time replacement. However, other than Ken Oberkfell, I’m not sure who that replacement may be.
Of course, the easiest solution would be to start winning…
Larry Bowa? Buck Showalter? Bobby Valentine (although he would NEVER come back)?
Not. Bowa. The best argument for keeping Willie is that there’s someone like Bowa out there. . . .
But, not even Omar could be that stupid. Willie should have been expunged after the Collapse, and should be removed if the team is still scuttling at the end of the month. I don’t care if the Phillies are struggling, the Marlins are only one loss ahead of us, etc. In a Wild Card league, you compete with everyone. The team needs a boot to the behind, and Randolph’s job is the low-hanging fruit. (There’s your horrible mixed metaphor of the day.) Get rid of him and serve notice. The team just coasts, day in, day out.
Obviously, it’s not all his fault — not even close — when you’ve got Wright 0-9 with 5 Ks in the series, your best hitter right now, Church, hitting into a horrid double play, etc. Sometimes great hitters slump, and sometimes hot hitters fail . . . but it just happens too often, and always at the worst time. Changing the manager may change the tone, may operate as shock therapy, and may improve the team. Maybe not, but as expensive as this team is, it’s worth a try.
I firmly believe in continuity, and i also don’t think he’s nearly as bad as some obsessive fans think he is….but i’m starting to agree that his time may be up, especially if they keep this back and forth going
I’m sure Willie is a great guy and a good manager, but it’s become more and more apparent that he lost this team last september and hasn’t gotten it back since. I’ve been as big a supporter of the “keep willie” cause as anyone, but hasn’t it become clear that he can’t motivate these guys at all? he should have been fired after last year, and everyone who was saying that was dead-on. he can’t motivate the pitchers, he can’t motivate the hitters; his moves haven’t mattered much since every time he’s shuffling his lineup or bullpen it seems like another round of russian roulette, and he has now pretty much lost the fanbase… UGLY…
How’s it Willie’s fault if Church misplays a fly ball or hitters don’t hit in the clutch? He’s in the dugout, not at the plate or on the field.
As much as he contributes he may as well be asleep at the hotel.
I’d like to see him get angry or upset at a call from an umpire sometime and just give him hell. Sometimes you have to do that rather than restrain your own players (which he does too much of). He needs to be the one in their face.
He never supports his players and the players can’t respect that kind of manager. Say what you want about guys like Cox or Larussa or Pinella but their players know those guys have their backs.
right ask scott rolen and jim edmonds how they feel about larussa. if piniella is so wonderful, how come he always seems to wear out his welcome whatever team he’s on?
They both have WS rings, Yankee Willie has 0 as a manager.
Your bias is showing…
i really think some (not all) met fans hate this guy only bc he played and coached almost his entire career with the yankees, and that’s just ridiculous
Matt, COME ON
If it’s not painfully obvious, the fans who aren’t happy blame the manager FOR the players being flat. While you can pick apart individual moves all day long, its the flatness and lack of emotion the team shows on the field that annoys everyone. Like any workplace, the attitude of a manager trickles down to his workers. Willie has the same attitude as he did last year, and so do the players.
You cannot realistically expect the players to stop playing so flat on their own – even if the change is symbolic more than strategic, Willie must go. We don’t have these expectations and this payroll for a “over .500 team.” This isn’t 2005, so being “over .500″ does not equal success in our minds. Willie Randolph is not a bad manager, however, he is an “over .500″ manager, and we need a legit winner. Noone is following the Mets, or reading Metsblog, excited we are only a loss out of first place, Matt. We want a World Series Champion, and if that must start with firing Willie, we need to make a move as soon as it is obvious, not after it is too late.
You should change your name to Luis Castillo.
Until they change the situational hitting around we are not going to on a consistent basis. Maybe a change of the hitting coach (sorry HoJo) ??
We need to clean out the entire coaching staff, every one of them.
I agree … The Manager, The Jacket and all the rest of them. Start fresh … get some new karma in here.
Well, maybe if DW didn’t go flailing at a slider in the dirt at 3-2 there wouldn’t be so many strikeouts.
It actually looks like he is pressing, trying to do much by himself. Not having any run production behind him all year, he could have it in his head that if he doesn’t drive the run in, it ain’t coming in. So, he swings at pitches he shouldn’t, instead of taking a walk like he used to do.
Hopefully Alou helps him get over that feeling!
Ive seen the same thing. He wants to take it out of the park in every swing. He is trying to do too much and its hurting more than its helping
New York has always been a “fire manager” kind of town when the whole team is doing badly. Wright will never shoulder any of the blame.
Btw, Matt, not sure if you heard, but Ronnie and Gary gave you props last night.
Get off Willie’s back. Remember how it was with Art Howe here??? He’s as much responsible for the success of this team as anyone else. RELAX!
It’s too early to fire Willie…let’s all get off that horse for a few weeks and just focus on the baseball.
Win today, come home and pound the crap out of the Reds and get back to the business of being a great team.
We won’t hit the Reds pitchers either, don’t be surprised if they take 2 of 3 from us.
That will just continue the trend of facing everyone’s 1-2 starters. Why does it seem like our 4-5 starters are going every day? Oh, it’s because Ollie and Maine are pitching like 4-5 starters and Figgy and Pelfrey are 4-5 starters.
We are set to face Belisle, Arroyo, and Cueto. All with ERAs over 5. We are avoiding Harang and Volquez. How do you figure?
Cueto will make us look silly and its the last game of the series, the one willie usually uses his throw away lineup. Btw, others than Johan, thats all we have are 4-5 starters.
backinbusiness,
i didn’t look at the reds probably starters. however, every time we play the braves, we see smoltz and hudson. whenever we play the phillies and he isn’t hurt, we see hamels. we just saw webb and haren. we saw zambrano and lilly. we saw matt chico and tim redding (kidding, but we really did). we saw ben sheets.
seriously, pay attention to it. the last two years we have faced every team’s ace, whether it was a 2 or 3 game series. in 2006, it wasn’t so much the case.
The 2008 New York Mets Throwaway Lineup:
2B Luis Castillo
SS Damion Easley
1B Carlos Delgado
RF Ryan Church
C Raul Casanova
CF Endy Chavez
LF Angel Pagan
3B Marlon Anderson
Ollie, I have been paying attention to it and know that has been the case. My point is it isn’t this weekend, that’s all.
Is Alou the oldest player to steal home?
Anyone? A little help por favor!
I was just asking myself the same thing ho-go. In regards to the poll about last night’s loss…how is possible to be 50/50? Can anyone that answered “yes” please let us know why? I just don’t understand why you would say that last night’s game was Willie’s fault. 2-14 with RISP!!! If they got just one more hit with RISP we’re talking about a Met win this morning.
I also keep hearing people all over saying “we are still over .500″. When did .500 become the measuring stick? THis isn’t the NBA….500 won’t snif the playoffs. Usually I don’t think 30 games is enough time to get a gauge of what a team is, but there is just something about this team that makes me think this is who they are, especially factoring in their play from mid may and on last year. I can’t imagine them running off a prolonged winning streak. I think Willie deserves a shot with a full team (Pedro in the rotation, etc) but if they get al of the troops back, Beltran picks it up, and they are still playing like this, then I think Omar will have to seriously consider a change.
We’re only one Phillies win streak away (and they have proven over and over again that they can do it) from being 5 or 6 games out, and i don’t know if this team could make up that ground.
If its only fair to Willie to have a full team including Pedro we will be waiting a long time. Don’t expect Pedro back til July and by that time we could very well be out of the race by then.
Pedro will be back before July. I think he’ll be back by the end of the month or beginning of June.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Where is Mr. Koo when we need him most?
…and do I really need to keep on watching Hong Chi Kuo destroy us while he can’t get out of his own way vs. anyone else?
JUST like last year where you don’t win championships in May (as many were accusing the overly positive Mets fans), they’re not out of it THIS may either…
Willie called and the team executed a Moises Alou steal home. That is simply awesome. Willie gave Figgy 5 innings and over 100 innings—granted, he probably could have gone 6, but the way he was pitching, it wouldn’t have been a shock to see him go. Every move he made with the pen last night was the right move to make.
I agree that Willie doesn’t seem to be inspiring the team. But how he is responsible for yesterday’s loss is beyond me.
Certainly doesn’t seem like any of the players are inspiring the team, either. Leadership from within, anyone?
willie shouldn’t be held responsible for last night at all. But we can’t give him credit for ALL of last nights exciting plays either. THis is an excertp from Mets.com
“After Angel Pagan reached on a fielder’s choice, Alou discussed with third-base coach Sandy Alomar the possibility of breaking for home. If Pagan attempted to steal second base, the two decided, then Alou would make a run for it.”
You don’t think that call to Alomar came from Willie? I suppose we don’t know either way.
Cool play, whoever came up with it. Maybe it was Alomar’s payback for stupidly holding Beltran at 3rd 2 nights ago.
You’re right, we’ll never know. I wasn’t trying to dispute what you said… just playing devils advocate. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter
Maybe it was Alomar’s way of making up for Roberto.
Alou did the exact same thing in 2006 with the Giants–stole home on a throw through to second….that made him one of 4 players 40 or older to steal home.
Wright’s comments pretty much sum up the attitude of the team right now. Instead of thinking they’re going to drive in runs and being confident, they’re waiting for the other shoe to drop…”we’re gonna hit in to some double plays, we’re gonna strike out with a guy on third, it’s gonna happen.”
Seriously? What kind of crap is that. Aren’t we, the fans, supposed to be the ones who have that attidude? It’s that attitude that pretty much epitomizes the 90s…not today. Our players, all of them, need to take a good hard look in the mirror and decide what kind of ball club they want to be.
Are they going to be the kind of team that has a runner on 3rd and they’re expecting to strike out? Or are they going to sac up and be the kind of team that exepects that runner on 3rd to cross home plate…
Right now, it’s been the former. I’m hoping they’ll realize they have the talent to be the latter…
Sure does seem like it. I think if someone like Alou gives the team a kick in the ass it will get them going.
“…it’s gonna happen…” That’s funny, I’ve heard that someplace before… Oh yea, that’s what Willie says.
I’ve been saying if forever, that Willie gives the team excuses for failing. A winner has to have a winners mentality, and they don’t have it. Willie makes it to easy for them to accept losing. He takes this approach to try to make his team “not get too low” but it makes them lose their hunger and fire.
They need that pedal to the metal mentality of ‘06. They seem to get complacent once they score or have a lead. That is not Willie’s fault. He always talks about staying aggressive and keeping the pressure on the opponent. I mean, I don’t know what else he has to do with the team. I’m sure he doesn’t mind the criticisms of the fans because we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors.
And as far as Wright being the diplomat of the team, I think he needs to be more. I’m a huge Wright fan, huge. Love the guy. But if he’s p*ssed, he needs to express that. He can’t just sit there in interviews with “um’s” and “well’s”.
If he thinks the team isn’t playing up to par, himself included, he needs to state that. Why not throw it out there and place the expecations on him and the team.
For all intensive purposes, he’s the team Captain. He needs to start leading this team and expressing his opinions. I”m not saying he needs to blast players, ala Wagner on Perez, but he can speak about the team as a whole. I know he’s young and I know there are a lot of expectations on him but everyone views him as THE MET. He’s our Jeter. He needs to start leading this team…his time has come.
It’s hard when you have Willie and his lockstep seniority caste system bestowing de facto captaincy on the broken down “proven” vets.
Off topic:
All Hail Brian Bannister!!
oops
last 4 starts:
0-4
21 1/3 IP
33 H
19 ER
Even Pelfrey has been better over the past few weeks
Yup, I posted that last night.
It’s good to bring this up because soon enough you are going to hear the “are pitching isn’t good enough” argument, followed by the “Omar made a horrible trade for Bannister” comment. 3-4 with a 4.66 ERA. That’s not exactly cutting it.
I keep telling you guys, he’s a young Steve Trachsel, .500 pitcher at best.
Where would that (AL) ERA put him on this team?
here’s the thing, had willie given the response that wright gave, fans would be killing willie right now
And rightfully so. That’s a totally disingenuous argument, Matt, because Wright’s job is to play the game, while Willie’s is to manage the game and the clubhouse. I don’t give a crap what Wright has to say, whether I agree with him or not.
The fact remains that Willie continues to drone on with platitudes and non-sequitors about playing the game the right way, or “we’ll get through this”, blah, blah, blah. Matt has often said that trasshing a clubhouse doesn;t accomplish anything, but I disagree. As with any messenger, over time, the message gets stale. You either change the way you deliver the message (i.e. – tear up the clubhouse), or you change the messenger.
I see no evidence that Willie is getting through to his players. I’m sure they all (or most of them) like and respect him, but that isn’t getting the job done. If he’s no longer getting through to players, what’s his value as a manager? Most of us agree that he is a terrible strategist, although some of us disagree on the importance of in-game strategy, but the pro-Willie argument has been that he’s good in the clubhouse. I have serious doubts as to whether that’s true any more.
That is the main reason the Mets need a new voice. Great post!
SPOT ON.
Bravo Metlomaniac, bravo…
“That’s what winning baseball looks like right now,” Figueroa said. “You see everybody is having fun. It’s hard here because I think we’re all pressing. Everybody wants to be the guy to step up. Everybody wants to be the guy to right the ship, and it’s going to take more than one guy.”
The 2008 NY Mets: Your team, not your time.
Ha! Too funny. Sadly, it’s looking that way. But as a fan, I will continue to support them.
Pressing schmessing. This team is flat out playing scared. It’s getting to be ridiculous.
Wouldn’t you be scared too seeing all these Mets fans jumping out of buildings after EVERY single loss? You can’t walk down the streets of NY without looking up to make sure no one falls on you! Man this board is making me sick, I used to love coming on her but all the negativity is ridiculous.
Anyone else think Joe Torre will throw Willie a life-preserver today? I wouldn’t be shocked if we see C-lineup vs C-lineup today.
I thought our everyday lineup was a C?
Every team plays a different lineup on a day game after a night game. Players need days off and can’t play games 12 hours after the last one ended, its ridiculous to expect that and bash willie for sitting his aging players. They need time to rest! How would you do if you left work at 5 pm and had to be back to the office 9 hours later to get ready for another day of work?
Okay, I’ve brought this up in previous posts, but I gotta do it again. This loss back thing is just stupid. If the Phils had one more win than we did and we were tied in the loss column, I’d get it. But they have three more wins than we do. That means we’d have to go 3-0 in the “make up” games to be tied. This team couldn’t go 3-0 against the Girl Scouts, so to suggest that we are tied with the Phillies in the loss column is just Polyanna nonsense.
Matt,
I love the site and I appreciate your contributions, but we have the highest payroll in the National League and a team that looks like it is sleepwalking through far too many games.
The fact that we are 1 game over .500 means nothing. If you do not like the pressure of New York than go coach in Kansas City!
This team is teetering on mediocrity and both Omar and Willie need to be held accountable.
While the manager plays a role, don’t you guys think this is as much a player problem? Think about it, for any of us who have ever been on any kind of team, that guy who will step up in the locker room and start yelling “what the f*** are we doing out there? are you kidding?” etc—that guy is just as valuable as the coach. i dont see that guy on our team. i see a lot of guys who sulk a lot.
Maybe that comes from the manager, or isnt helped by a passionless manager, but havent all these guys been on baseball teams for a good 20 years now? Grow up!
That story that last year, all “collapse”, only Marlon Anderson called a players-only meeting, is sticking with me.
If we are disgruntled with Willie, you gotta think the players are too. How about firing each other up, Willie be damned?
I agree 100%. The players need a leader. DWright is great, but he needs to start to realize that he is the man…he can’t defer to the veterans any longer. He needs to put this team on HIS back.
But I also think some of the guys who have been with Willie for a while now have taken on his persona. The fact that nothing phases them. A loss…its just a little blip. A blown call by the ump…they happen, we’ll catch a break down the road, they will even out. Losing the division on the last game…that was last year, its early still, its a long season.
Yeah, but a guy like DW didn’t just forget what happened last year, you know? My best guess is that everyone in that locker room is walking around on eggshells, quietly hoping that he doesn’t screw up tonight. Not a winning mentality.
Sidenote: wish there was a way to track how many Delgado game changing non-error erros have cost us games. It is infuriating. All props to him for saving all of DW’s throws in the dirt or sky, but can the man not bend, dive, lunge, even a little bit? If he can’t, he should not play a field position!
Speaking of, David’s throw 2 feet over Delgado’s head into the field level seats was something real special yesterday!
For just one game, put DW at 1B, bench Delgado. See what happens.
Chase Utley seems to play 1B just fine when thrust there…
That’s a very fair point, and speaks largely to Omar’s failures in building the team. Building a team is not only acquiring talent, but it’s also acquiring personalities that will mesh together. That means not a team of all “A” type personalities and not a team of all followers, either. This team has too many passive personalities, and no one seems willing to take charge.
Omar has done a decent job of acquiring talent, but in my view, a poor job of meshing personalirties. Other than Wagner, who in the clubhouse will say what’s needed to be said? It seems that whenever a player like that emerges, he’s traded or not resigned (see: LoDuca, Paul). It’s hard to blame the players in this regard – they are who they are – any player who tries to rally the troops could come across as phony or trying too hard. Leadership is a natural talent.
So it falls on the manager to be the vocal leader. I don’t see how Willie’s that guy.
npanzeca, go root for the Phiiles. A true fan supports the team in the rough times. Your negativity is absurd. You are typical of everything that is wrong with 1/2 the Met fan base right now. get over 2007 quickly and your life will continue to be miserable.
I just think this team isnt good enough, simple as that . There are too many old guys in important roles and not enough talent. This lineup isnt deep enough to score bunchs of runs every game. i said it before in spring training and i will say it again, this looks like a third place team to me!!
I’ll root for who I want to, i’ve been a fan since 1964, when I was 8 years old. I always support my team but if they play this way I’ll call a spade a spade. Its pansy pollyannas like you who the Wilpons love, the blind sheep who say, its ok if we play like crap, its still early. I’ll still give them my hard earned money and love it. And I’m positive you were one of the “we are still in first” gang who kept making excuses while we choked the lead and became the laughing stock of MLB.
Anyone know what the Law of Attraction is? Basically what it states is that whatever you think about will be attracted to you. The reason I bring this up is that the psyche of this team is negative. They seem to always be waiting for the shoe to drop. It truly has been since game 7 06 that this team spoke and played with a sense of optimism.
What bothers me the most is Willies constant pessimistic attitude. Even when he talks about how good a player might be doing he always has to add a negative at the end. This is the most infuriating aspect of his personality. His glass half empty attitude is a major problem on the mentality of this team.. They don’t believe in themselves cause there “fearless” leader is always stifling there energy..
Ever notice how streaky the mets lineup is? When one guy gets hot the team starts to roll.. That is an aspect of the law of attraction. Its about truly believing that they will win. Believing in themselves with no doubts what so ever. The phrase “ya gotta believe” couldn’t be more right on.
No matter how positive the fans are it will only get this team so far. It has to come from there manager and themselves. They cannot win with someone like Willie constantly squashing the momentum. I hope this org realizes it can win with these players and that it really is a a mental issue. Its about positivity and heart. The fans booing is only a reflection of the teams opinion of themselves. Believe it or not this is the way it is. I don’t blame the fans for booing,, a change needs to be made.
I don’t know what to make of this team anymore. I’m disappointed and upset. As Matt mentioned the Mets scored two runs in the second inning and had the bases loaded. They couldn’t capitalize on the Dodgers blunder. Can we say, “Sinking Ship”?
I tried to post this on another thread, but I’ll try here again.
I hate watching this team play baseball – it’s not fun to turn on a game when I come home from work to see the team fail to execute with RISP, play poor defense, make metal errors, or fail to hustle.
This team’s flat play is contagious. I expected players who would be happy to be on a decent team or in the majors to provide some juice to this club, but it seems like the rest of the players’ malaise is infectious. Ryan Church gave up on DeWitt’s inside the park home run by sitting on the warning track looking at the ball because he thought it was out of the park and back in. Last time I checked you play to the umpire’s call, and don’t assumer anything. This was a mental mistake which is characteristic of the Mets. Then Angel Pagan, whose playing time will be scarce with Alou back, fails to hustle over to right field in case Church doesn’t make the catch and it comes off the wall. As far as I know, the center fielder goes to back up on a ball hit to the wall just in case it ricochets. DeWitt was the winning run for f-sake!
That one play sums up this team – dumb and lazy. Also, the offensive shutdown after the third inning is also characteristic of the team when it falls behind – no guts for a comeback. Something has to change to get this team back to playing crisp baseball, hustling, and fighting back in every game. Only two things can be done now to change the style of pay on the field: change the players or change the manager and coaching staff. I think there are some good young players on this team that could help the Mets contend for the next four years at least, so I don’t think changing the players is the solution. Firing the whole coaching staff is the only option.
Is there a full team coaching staff just waiting in the wings somewhere? During the “transition” we would probably lose 10 games. Mid-season hardly seems the time to change everyone.
So do we just sacrifice this season with Willie? Seems like too much talent and $$$ invested to waste it away. Especially with a new stadium coming next year (and the Yankees getting one as well). You think the Wilpons want to take that financial hit.
In the end it may all come down to money…will they lose more in the long run by keeping Willie than they will by just eating his remaining years. That might be what they are currently pondering.
We could start with a new hitting coach. I don’t know what HoJo is doing wrong, but it clearly isn’t working and hasn’t since he was put in the position.
Changing everyone all at once just seems a practical nightmare.
Changing the hitting coach didn’t work last year. We need to go one level up…the manager must go this time.
There are managerial candidates out there, Mazzone is free to coach the pitchers, hitting coaches are available.
If a coaching change is made, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an interim manager. This individual will have to prove himself through the end of the season. If not then the searching will begin after the World Series. I think the Mets will clean house all the way from General Manager to bat boy!
If the Mets change the coaching staff midseason, and the players don’t perform, then I think Minaya should be dumped after the season. Then the tough questions start: which players to keep?
Reyes
Church
Wright
Beltran – ???
Schneider
Santana
Maine
Pelfrey – ???
Smith
Feliciano
Heilman – ???
Sanchez
Wagner
I’m kind of glad I can’t stay up late enough to watch these west coast games, haha.
Yeah, I stayed up and my wife heard the score on the radio this morning. She was like “the Mets lost! How?!?” I told her inside-the-park HR and she couldn’t believe it.
For all the BS lately of how terrible the fans are at Shea, and how the players don’t like playing there, and how negative and counterproductive it is to boo them, the Mets are 9-5 at Shea and 7-10 on the road.
Not to let the facts get in the way of a storyline…
Well, Willie was hoping for a little compassion when this team returns this Friday.
I think the fervent booing is related to the fact that the fans don’t trust the Manager and players to motivate themselves. Cheering didn’t help last season as we applauded this team even when they were down. So its seems that the fans have taken the opposite approach. Its related to Willie not doing his job.
Hey guys, there’s always this:
Called in to protect a one-run lead and preserve a victory for Andy Pettitte on Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians, Chamberlain crumbled in the eighth inning. He walked two hitters before surrendering a three-run, pinch-hit homer to David Dellucci that sunk the Yankees, 5-3, before 50,713 fans.
We are 16-15 with 8 games before the Yankee series. Do you think the Wilpons are waiting until after the Yankee series to hand-out their first report card?
I’m reading “Five Seasons” – Roger Angell’s wonderful book. What strikes me are his descriptions of Mets fans – not much has changed. Booing only sets forth more negativity and before you know it, Shea becomes a black hole of baseball despair. Also, when I read about good teams playing poorly and poor teams playing great, I remember why I like Baseball so much – it’s unpredictable.
Willie’s talent as a motivator was put to the test last year, and he failed. I think the booing Mets “fans” are pretty crappy motivators as well. However, the players also own the responsibility of doing the best they can every day. I’m willing to wait, to see if a miracle will happen by June 1st. If not, I will resign myself to cheering them on, even if they’re Baseball slackers.
Again, the Mets are 9-5 at boo-filled Shea, and 7-10 on the road.
So how exactly do you draw the conclusion that booing is a “crappy motivator”? It seems like it’s the only thing that motivates them.
Ever think that this lackluster team sorely needs a kick in the ass from “true fans”, because they don’t get it from their comatose manager?
Boomingranny,
Go back and read Matt’s interview last week with Darryl, where Darryl laughed off the booing, said the controversy was silly as it has always been that way at Shea and how Mets fans’ passion (both positive and negative) was something he missed when he went to the Dodgers.
JERRY MANUEL
What kind of manager is Jerry Manuel? Is he an aggresor or is he passive like Willie?
I’m tired of this booing nonsense. I am not a fan who boos a lot, but who cares if fans boo? For 13 million a year I’d let my kid boo me all day long.
I don’t know what 5 seasons is about or which 5 seasons are being written about, but I’ll tell you this: There wasn’t a whole lot of booing when I was at Mets games in the mid 70s and they were terrible. Maybe it was because the tickets were $5, the payroll was $20, and the expectations were 0. We’ve been sold a “Championship caliber” team. Our “time has come” and all that other nonsense. Meanwhile they haven’t won a pennant since 2000 or a WS since 86. Maybe if they changed the company line to “Wait till next year” the booing will subside.
You don’t want booing, start playing up to your salary expectations.
Imagine the feeling the day the Mets players walk into that clubhouse and Willie is no longer there. They will start to breath again. Start to believe again and start to win again
I trust you. You’re a doctor. Please let Omar know. YouKnowWhatImSaying@mets.com
That would be funny if this was actually Omar’s email address.
“i hear the people who are calling for willie’s head, in May, with their team above .500, and one loss out of first.”
Matt, the implication in that comment is that it’s premature to be calling for Willie’s head given the Mets’s record and place in the standings. I have to call BS on that. I honestly don’t care where they are in the standings if they’re playing flat, disinterested, lazy and sloppy baseball – just like they did for most of 2007. That, my friends, falls on the manager. Time for him to go.
Yup. Well said, Toasty.
Early for 2008 can only be a valid argument if one utterly ignores 2007.
We’re getting beaten in this series by Blake Dewitt.
Blake ****ing Dewitt.
Kill me. Over and over again, kill me.
I am not really sure what Wright meant by that comment. But I think he might have been saying that during the course of the game when they have a couple innings like that where they strand a couple of guys, that they aren’t (and shouldn’t be) thinking that they just blew the game.
For David Wright.
Hi Dave, you’ re hot saw you on discovery, but you’ve got to lose some weight if you want to meet Me. you looked a bit like a chubby bear..
c ya sexy.
tia