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During a recent interview with WFAN, SNY’s Gary Cohen theorized that Jose Reyes and his teammates may be missing Jose Valentin, who acted as a sort of Uncle to Reyes, and was a leader in the locker room.
…or, maybe reyes can realize he is a 24–year-old, million-dollar, major-league athelete, and should just play baseball well like he is paid to do…
Valentin has not played for the Mets in 
the regular season since July 20 of last season.
Prior to his injury, the Mets played eight games over .500, while playing just two games over .500 after the injury.
Similarly, Reyes hit .304 with Valentin by his side, but hit just .248 after his injury.
The talk-show’s host, Evan Roberts, then suggested it could be an interesting idea to at least consider Valentin as a bench coach, since he is unlikely to return to action any time soon.
Speaking of WFAN, check out the following clip of Joe Benigno going wild about the Mets, issues in their clubhouse, focus, and Willie’s future, during yesterday’s Daily News Live:
Enough already. It’s time for Reyes to grow up and accept the responsibility that comes with being a major league player with a big contract. Are we going to carry players on the roster because Reyes likes them? This is absurd. Valentin is shot, and this team needs to get younger, not to ccontinually bring in older washed up players.
I agree. Reyes is an adult and needs to start acting like one. He doesn’t need ‘Uncle Valentin’ by his side (whether it be as a coach or a player).
Before we bash Reyes as needing to grow up and stop needed his hand held lets remember he has never said that. Everytime we hear about Reyes missing Floyd, Valentin, etc it comes from the media while during an article about what is wrong with Reyes. He hadthe one good year which was when RIck Down got him to have controlled agression at the plate. If they throw a fastball first pitch down the middle smash but otherwise wait for your pitch and lay off the junk in the dirt. Problem is last year he reverted and pitchers have figured it out. He needs to take the ball in the dirt and hurt them with his legs after he walks so that they will start pitching to him again.
Ha! You beat me to saying the same exact thing. Ridiculous, todays athlete is too pampered.
me too..
…that being said, I wouldn’t mind Jose Valentin finding his way to our bench somehow. I think he was a major component to the success in 2006.
He played near flawless defense and at the plate, he was way better than anyone could have hoped for. Power in the 8 hole. Wow.
Beningo is on target. He says pretty much the same thing every day and has been consistent. I agree with him regarding these players and to and extent, Willie Randolph.
That said a number of sports writers, talk show hosts and bloggers have intimated that maybe this is just a .500 team. As creepy and scary as that sounds, it might be right on target. We all know about how great teams are on paper(does anyone remember the 2002 Mets with “superstars” like Mo Vaughn, Robby Alomar and Jeromy Burnitz?) That team should have went to the WS too?
I’m upset like most Mets fans. I’m a die-hard who has watched every inning of every game. But there is a little silver lining. The 2007 football New York Giants also had a team that was disconnected, players sniping and undermining the QB behind his back, and a coach that was out-of-touch with his players. This was the big story early last season. What happened? I think anyone can finish that Cinderella story.
The only thing we can do as fans is watch and wait.
Too bad Reyes isn’t a big boy yet.
Amazing how one can go from one of the most beloved athletes in New York, to a guy falling out of favor this quickly.
All you need to do is listen to teh half-hearted “jose, jose jose jose” chants eminating from the stands. They last about 3 seconds then fade out. It’s really sad.
God do I wish Reyes was as good as Hanley.
He use to be better. What the $#%* has happened?
My thoughts exactly. I’m still confident that he’ll get is back. With all that talent, he has to.
Right?
I hope you don’t mean defensively. Hanley’s a born 1B/DH.
Hanley is athletic enough to impersonate a SS, and I’m sure he has the potential to be a very good outfielder. He’s way ahead defensively of your average 1B…
Who hates Randolf more, Beningo or NY Cuban?
PacmanJones has them both beat.
my vote goes to cuban…i mean the guy has a book coming out if ya didnt know….NY Cuban hands down
I think NY Cuban is Benigno.
I think they both hate RandolPH. Don’t think they ever heard of Randolf. Unless you’re talking about a certain red nosed reindeer.
haha whats the difference?
While I agree with the above comments, that Reyes needs to be his own man and figure out how to play without someone holding his hand, I wouldn;t be opposed to Valentin being a coach in some capacity.
I believe he is knowledgable, experienced and a good bridge to Mets players.
Yes, I agree whole heartedly. Whatever it takes, at this point, to make Reyes and the rest of these guys play to their potential is fine with me.
does anyone think it’s time for Reyes to play like he can, without Rick Down, Valentin, etc etc etc? I know he’s young, but jeez kid, just be Jose Reyes again, grow into those big shoes, we’re counting on it.
On the same note .. enough with the josejosejose just after the poor kid gets down 0-2 in the count, how can that possibly help?
but maybe it’s my fault, after all, I got my first ever jersey for my birthday last fall (just not a jersey guy really…) from my in-laws, with the old number 7 on it… Though my bday being in October, I couldn’t quite bear to wear it for quite a while.
Maybe these guys need to hire their own inspirational advisors…it’s not as if the salaries aren’t high enough for them to afford it. And, since they all get suites on the road, the advisors can sleep on the sofas in the living rooms.
Maybe Reyes should bring his mommy on the road with him too.
we’re gonna need a new bench coach when manuel is managing anyway
Gary Cohen, bring ‘em all down. Howie can coach 3rd, that could help.
You hit the nail on the head re: Manuel. What’s the over under, June 1?
Kieth Hernandez for hitting coach!!
Ron Darling for pitching coach!!
Great! There goes the best part of the team, the broadcast booth. Now no one will watch a Mets game. LOL
Pfft. They did a broadcast from the upper deck. Who’s to say they can’t do a broadcast from the duguout?
Broadcasting from the dugout… I like it!
THIS IS GARY COHEN REPORTING LIVE FROM THE METS DUGOUT. ALONG SIDE KEITH AND RON.
ooo yea i dig it
Just a simple switcheroo will do the trick. Willie, Manuel, and Peterson can do the SNY broadcasts.
WIllie won’t understand half of the action. Manuel will translate the spanish curses the field mice pick up, and peterson will be spewing Butterfly analogies.
No thanks.
There goes 2/3 of our emmy award winning broadcast team but if it helps us win…what the hell..I’m in
Cohen for manger. Guiseppe Franco for bench coach…
SNY in full effect!!!
we need the bermuda feeeeeeeel the LOOOOOOVE guy in the dugout
clubhouse chemistry FTW
Is there a way for both the Mets and Yankees to go 0-3 this weekend? These teams both have the ability to do it, no matter what the critics say.
LOL – this post was great !!!
maybe reyes should just grow his own mustache…maybe that will help.
maybe everyone who complains on this site should just watch the yankees instead.. i heard their short stop has an edge
you mean that guy jeter…YOU KNOW HES GOT AN EDGE!!!
Bobby Valentine for manager and buy Jose an Edge. Problem solved
Derek Jeter? Oh, he’s got an edge.
you guys are too funny, thanks for making me laugh!!
“are you sure you’re not a shortstop?”
that kid reminds me of the verizon fios kid. puke!!!
Well, according to NY Media he only has an edge with ARod and Posada around. I kept hearing he had an edge all by himself but I guess that was not true.
porque tiene un EDGE!!!!
oh, he’s definetely got an edge..
I agree with not bringing guys in to babysit Reyes, but Valentin is intriguing as a parallel to what the Yankes had with Sojo for awhile – a former teammate as coach who everyone loved and who they even activated once in a pinch….
enough excuses for Reyes! Step up, be a man, and take responsibility for his lackluster performance.
I heard this stuff on WFAN and I was screaming at the radio. OMG – It has nothing to do with missing Valentin! Jose did well, then he slumped at the end of last year and the mental doubt has taken over. Baseball is such a mental game and Jose knows what everyone was saying about him at the end of 2007, and he wants to do well, but is getting hung up on other things -such as whether he should give “high 5’s” after scoring. He’s playing in NY and that can cause players to tailspin when faced with adversity. I agree with everyone that says he needs to grow up and work it out himself. If he needs a baby sitter, then I don’t want him on my team.
We’ll according to that interview, it sounds like he actually has no idea what people are saying, he just smiles at you.
It’s worth a shot, they have NO offense.
Well said, then it’s back to Holliday for Reyes and we can just bring up Gomez to bat…………oh wait
If I’m Omar Minaya, I call up the Giants and offer Reyes for Lincecum.
He’s the Giants only pitcher, I doubt they’d do that.
Better check that Church, Cain a sevral other youngsters
Good point, which one is 5-1 or 6-1 or something?
They have zero offense though.
Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain are solid, and young. Outside Zito, the Giants staff is actually solid!
i love benigno.
reyes is an idiot savant.
BENCH DELGADO, please !
This post brought to you by Matt Cerrone, the major-league blogger who used to take days off from updating his site until he needed Uncle Nichols, Uncle Courtemanche, Uncle Short, Uncle Eddy, Uncle Janish, and Uncle Berg to hold his hand and help him.
huh?
i’m new to this site, but it’s a great site, very informative,
fun to read, and contribute to…
how could you expect one guy to do all that?
i’m sure he had to work a regular job too.
point is for cerrone to bash reyes and tell him to start playing the way hes supposed to with or without valentin is a joke because even if valentin might not be a manager and may take a roster spot he can still help out jose with mechanics, timing, etc while batting that hojo or willie might not be able to. this site has just become a bash player x, bash player y when the mets are only 2.5 outta first FROM THE MARLINS.
If everyone is going to complain and wants to watch a team that is “supposed” to win every game and has that type of mentality, go watch the yankees.
i love how fans who care about whether the mets win or lose should be yankee fans, and these jokers who accept mediocrity with a smile are the true hardcore. lol!
Seriously.
its not even 2 months in yet, but i wish people followed you around your job if you were not doing what you were supposed to be doing and they all booed you for weeks and i would love to see how you would take it.
i dont care if the mets go 81-81 or 162-0 as long as they make the playoffs. two years ago the cardinals won (i dont know if anyone remembers) when they had 82 wins during the season. the giants (and im a pats fan) won the superbowl last year when half way through the season everyone wanted their coach fired and their qb traded. some of the ny fans are just complete jokes.
I’ve said for a long time that I think Valentin would make a good manager. He really seems to know the game and know the opposing hitters, you can see by the way he lines up on defense and the plays he makes. Whether or not that translates into being a good manager, time will tell but I think he will be.
As for Reyes, I think it is time for everyone to take an honest look at the guy. He had one good year in the bigs. Pitchers seem to have figured out he’ll chase garbage in the dirt. Maybe he doesn’t take his job seriously, maybe he should bat exclusively from the right side and I think there is a good chance he has off field issues. He seems real up and down and unfocused at the plate. I hope he pulls it together, but right now he is a guy who should be batting 7th or 8th not leadoff.
I agree, it is time to take a close look at Reyes.
Beningo has lost it. I love that he loves the Mets so much. I actually agree with much of what he says.
That was Beningo’s final show.
I missed it, how bad was he?
Not too bad. Actually pretty much dead on with what he said….
Especially when he said Willie needs to go….
I was just kidding, I honestly don’t think he was that bad. He basically sounded like all of us.
So basically we need to have 3 bench coaches for Reyes: Valentin, Franco, Floyd. C’mon. Enough already. Maybe we just need 1 good manager?
Good point. Ken Oberkfell (sp?) is going to be the next manager of this team.
allllllllriiiiiiiiight. He might be a good choice, but the Mets will never bring in a AAA guy to manage this squad.
They brought in a guy who has never managed a ball club and handed him the job for 3 years now….anything can happen…
Bobby Valentine….case closed. Ruined you.
Bobby V has managerial experience in the majors before the Mets job.
Ruined you.
I don’t know about that. Just about every other choice from within isn’t even up to the level of a AAA manager in my opinion. It could be him.
Failed experiences. Kenny has been in our system for 5 years.
That’s more than Randolph had when we handed him the keys to the clubhouse.
Stop sweating Mazz, he’s just as bad as Willie. Homer.
Meant for Biscuit! He sweats Mazzilli.
I’ve been saying this for a long, long time. I once poste ‘Valentin for manager’. I know that won’t happen, but his presence in the clubhouse was key during the Mets success of 2006. Omar, put him on board before it’s too late!!!
I am no Willie hater, nor I boo players, Normally I am very positive. But I think this team needs someone that serves as a cultural bridge between Hispanic players and the rest of the clubhouse. I don’t think there is such a gap, as the media seems to suggest, but I think Valentin can be an excellent piece in what seems now a ‘dysfunctional’ clubhouse.
I beg for a change.
observing in port st. lucie, it seemed that every player got along great with valentin.
he’s a great guy and a real student of the game. an off the wall choice i admit but maybe that’s what we need.
what about stache as manager and felipe alou as bench coach?
i really like the young energetic manager with the old experienced bench coach dynamic. except when the young manager is very stubborn and apparently unwilling to learn.
Wow… The tension is mounting for everyone. Every article, post and comment reflects complete frustration and hardly anyone associated with this team gets a pass
Wagner, Santana, Maine, Church, Smith, Scho and maybe Pelfrey are the only ones I don’t have issues with right now
It is so sad because this team has me in an overall bad mood. It’s like I’ve run out of patience for everything else in my life. I have too much invested in this freggin team!!!
Yeah, it’s been like that for a lot of us pal! Haha, and people wonder why us Mets’ fans are so bitter! LOL
I have no issues with John Ricco or Tony Bernazard, either.
They make it hard on us, but its not over yet.
They could surprise us all, who knows? There are some things to like about this team, you just have to look really
really hard right now…
We need a Pedro/El Duque siting from Matt to change the subject for a little while. Those are always entertaining.
what is this “El Duque” thing you speak about? I have never heard of such a thing. Is it something to do with baseball?
I think you speak for a lot of us, man. Me and my bros at least.
Well said as I feel similarly. I have tried to lower my expectations for this team but there I am night after night hoping for something
That’s so true!! I hadn’t connected the two. I have so little patience for other things in my life, and I am in a perpetually bad mood. I guess I have no life.
u forgot cow-bell-man and mr met
I agree with most of the people that reyes needs to start just doing his job. Its hard to keep in mind tho this guy is just 24..his best years are ahead of him not behind. I think valentine would be a good coach but i dont see that happening for a few years. Reyes will turn it around..perhaps with a new manager….who knows……….
I think Valentin owns/manages a Dominican winter league team. Maybe even plays first base? So he does have experience running a team.
COuld make a fine bench coach. Someone just needs to wake up manual and have him slide down a bit.
Gee, when they bring in Oberkfell, wonder if they will change coaches too, or just saddle him with the same old crew?
Get mazzone out of retirement maybe?
Haha, I love how we all have Willie canned already. Tremendous. LOL.
he’s a goner. i don’t even know if a 4-3 mark these next two series saves him.
lol yea the fire willie is almost a run away train at this point….Id day they are just looking around for a replacement and thats why they are giving him until june
He USED to own a club in Puerto Rico. Not anymore. Anyway, the dude sure knows about baseball, even managing.
Bright side of this weekend is the fact that we are playing AL baseball, which means Willie’s lack of baseball knowledge (squeeze plays, double switches, etc.) won’t be exposed as much as usual….baby steps.
Although, he will still take Johan out after 94 pitches and 6 innings tonight and then complain that his SP aren’t giving him enough length.
problem is johan usually hits 94 pitches after 4 innings. i love the guy but he thows a lot of pitches
Could Valentin comeback and either coach or play 1st please
In defense of Willie, he has left them in longer lately (except for Vargas, which I can see taking him out on a good note, although not for Heilman!). He left Santana in there against the Reds until he had no gas at all left
True. Willie knows his guys.
He knows his guys….yet, he doesn’t know they all resent each other for how the others’ handle media relations…way to take a pulse on your clubhouse.
Willie knows his guys the way Guisseppie Franco doesn’t know anything about Proceede.
I thought vargas was on a low count since he wasn’t stretched out yet, at least I thought I heard that going in to the game.
That said, tie game, 7th inning, 1 out runner on 1st. Give him a chance. I thought they were going to win that one late. That one still bothers me more than yesterday.
Billy Wagner should be the team Captain
Imagine the promote Matt Cerrone to 1st base coach?
He’ll sit at 1st base with a lap-top and blog live from the field.
Then we can have an “Overall confidence in the direction of the 1st base coach” poll.
I can see it now:
MC: I’m here live at 1st base, my first game as coach, and what a view. Ryan Howard just winked at me. I just tipped my cap back to him. ..Well…Reyes is on 1st, after a bunt single to lead off the game. I just leaned in to tell him to steal 2nd. I think he’s wearing Derek Jeter’s cologne, he smells phenomenal. Ooops, while I was typing that he got picked off 1st. I guess I should have told him Moyer was coming to 1st, but between blogging here and his marvelous aroma, I was distracted….
nice lol
You cant give Willie any credit anymore a team with this talent should be up 5 games by now on this division especially after last year
It’s not about Reyes…every week there’s another story about who the Mets are ‘missing’…whether it’s Valentin, Down, Ricky, Moises, Pedro, whoever…they haven’t been playing well without ______ on the team….BS….they need to suck it up and play the hand they’ve been dealt….if they’re not as talented as we think they are, then they can start giving back some of their salary, because they’re being paid as if they should be good.
and it’s really not about Randolph…yes, he annoys me as much as he does everyone else, but this isn’t Bull Durham – he can’t scare them into playing better…today’s players are too rich and too spoiled to be jolted into playing better.
The players have to self-motivate or live with the stink of failure.
Tatis better start sometime this weekend
Why?
DH baby.
Bobby V would win with this team
Agree 100%
Did you see “The Zen of Bobby V.”????
I thought Bobby would be a lock for the Mets…but after watching that there is no way he’s coming back to the bigs let alone NYC…
If you fire Randolph, Manuel should become the interim manager.
2 things on the reyes play in the 8th:
1) Why in gods name, with the best base stealer in the league, can’t we steal a base, and bunt him over to third? Isn’t that precisely what the best base stealers do? Get the sb when you know they are going to go, dave roberts against mo, rickey henderson all the time. (I would geuss that is on willie,although castillo certainly could have done that on his own – and reyes’s lead was minute – making me think the bunt was called for)
2) I love jose, but that play was enough to get benched, 24 years old or 40. Here is why, first off he takes no lead (why? – perhaps he knew he was getting sacrificed?) 2)he did NOT HUSTLE to second, and after loafing he takes off for third (poor decision – made worse by the lack of hustle), then when he gets to third he doesnt slide, granted he runs into guzman, but if he had slid it is unlikely guzman (on the run) could have tagged him. All in all it was a little league play and it should come with consequences. Don’t want to bench him for being aggressive, but its how he went about it that upset me.
I have always supported aaron heilman…….but weds was the straw that broke the camels back for me….enough, long man or make him into a starter, but he is really killing us in his role as 8th inning guy, 7th and now 6th). It is a marathon, but I hope thatthe playoffs are the finish line, not a game of golf!
If Heilman can’t get 3 outs no way can he start.
Church, you were correct above. SF has nothing in SP that jumps out. Linsicum 5-1 and the rest 2-3, 2-1 with era’s in the 4’s including Cain.
Yeah I heard something on sportscenter the other day about that, I think the pitchers could be good, if they had better players behind them.
Two points were great. The fact that he didn’t hustle to 2nd and the fact that he didn’t slide into 3rd. What was the third base coach doing? Probably shocked at the move by Reyes.
he was trying to knock the 3rd baseman over, who was blocking the path. If he’d tried to slide he wouldn’t even have made it to the base.
Its far from over dave..like you say its a marathon not a sprint. Its just getting overwhelming with the heart break losses this team endures. This team needs a wake up call big time. Im still saying when we are effective we are a very formidable team and we have alot of talent here. I just think with a few tweaks we are good to go. As far as heilman, he has had VARIOUS amount of chances to prove himself and has failed more often than not. I dont know whats wrong with him but something needs to happen with him(either send him down or trade him). Our pen would benifit i think with a different arm than heilman at this point(sanchez doesnt have his velocity back but he fights, sho and pedro are doing better, smith has been very good so far)..perhaps muniz or kunz. Ultimatly tho i think we will see willies head rolling before the years done…..
DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY,
who in gods name wants aaron right now, why does everyone assume we can trade him, he is flat out bad right now, HE MUST WORK IT OUT HERE UNFORTUNATELY. To be fair, there have been relievers, GREAT RELIEVERS, to go through worse. I can’t believe I am going to say this, but he will help us before all is said and done.
Baseball is so tough to coach these days, becuase any time a coach goes to talk to a player we see it on camera and the player is being shown up, or its a huge deal that a coach is coaching. When do we ever see coaches, in baseball, actually coaching. Other then making strategical moves (not willies strong point) we rarely see it happen. I don’t think joe torre has ever spoken to a player mid game. Perhaps it all happens in the clubhouse, but judging from post game interviews it certainly doesnt sounds that way. I love hearing bobby v give tips to hitters and point out hustle and encourage his team, inistead of these ho hum managers that allow pro’s to be pro’s.
I dont know what team would want him…perhaps a team that sees potential in heilman starting because the mets dont seem to think so. While i think heilman has low stock i still think there are suiters for him. What we get in return is entirely a different story. I hope he can figure it out, i dont see that happening unless he takes a trip down to AAA to work on his mechanics/confidance.
I don’t see Reyes needing Valentin as much as he needs a new manager. Now is the time for change, when we’re not 6 games out. Pull the trigger on Monday!!!!!!
Reyes is just a big baby. Everybody has it so right here.
*sigh*
Well, we know Reyes has all the ability in the world. What is it going to take to get him back to where he was?
i wish the mets would play with the same passion that these guys have just talking about the mets.
IDK… but these days he’s even having trouble stealing bases.
maybe he should start going feet first, till he recovers from his year long concussion.
Here is my plan. I am going to log off this website for the rest of the day. I have tix for the stadium tonight. I am not going to speak of or think about this team once until then. I’m sure the game will be rained out, in which case, I will continue my plan until they actually play.
It’s just not worth wasting my time thinking about it or pointing fingers. I am gettin more an more pissed off by the second thinking about it. I have to find better ways to spend my time.
Until then, take care all. Hopefully the get this ship turned around starting this weekend…
great point metties, let it go, we have a lot of baseball to play.
passion – a fans comment when he is frustrated with the team, but has nothing to do with why we are not winning.
examples: alou gets tossed, delgado throws his bat in disgust. ollie fist pumps on k’s, mets go crazy on a walk off.
we lose becuase we cant hit with risp, or the pen struggles or becuase with 2 outs and risp we fail, but they are trying, they are passionate you can see it when they are frustrated and when things go well, STOP WITH PASSION.
good points dave. i suppose your right. i am a frustrated fan, as i’m sure most of us are. maybe i am confusing passion with the swagger they used to have. that’s what i miss. it seems like they are not playing with much confidence. i’m just waiting for them to reel off 9 of 10 or 12 of 15…but each day i’m starting to think it’s not going to happen and that they may just be a .500 team.
Say it aint so, but the lad’s body language makes me wonder if he could have problems outside of baseball.
Isiah Thomas for mets manager
I just threw my office chair through some glass doors and punched the guy next to me at the thought of Isiah coaching anywhere ever again. Oh my god my brain hurts.
Forget Jose Valentin…someone with a much bigger impact… Cliff Floyd! He was such a huge role model on D. Wright and has that voice to keep people in check. Look where hes been since 2006 – Cubs last year and Rays this year.