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I’ve been very torn lately on how I feel about this team, but the dust is starting to settle and I think the true nature of the 2008 Mets is finally revealing itself.
I cannot pretend to know whether their problems stem from an incompetent Willie Randolph, a struggling offense, or a lack of team unity. However, what I do know is that this team has shown me little to be proud of. I have been telling myself that they’re better than their record, but lately the constant ups and downs have spelled out that their .500 record reveals just what they are: a .500 team.
Now, I’m not saying that they can’t turn this thing around – in fact, I still believe that they will. But if they keep playing such lackluster ball, things will only get worse for this team. Whether it be managerial changes, clubhouse division, or the most likely result, another failure to reach the playoffs – the path that they are currently on is certainly an ominous one.
Something is just not right. Perhaps it’s the pressure that each player has been placing on himself; perhaps all of the negative media attention around the Mets’ skipper is wearing on the club; whatever it is, these guys need to let it all go and get back to doing what I still believe they know how to do, and that’s playing solid, playoff-caliber baseball.
The paradox here is that they will have more fun when they win, but they need to have fun first before they can do so.
Sort this thing out fellas and start having fun again, because I certainly am not.
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And is that your final answer, Regis?
well said.
Heck…American Idol was more entertaining than this team.
Can anyone imagine this team doing something like shaving their heads, or putting the bubble-gum-on-a-cup thing on Castro’s head like they used to? I dont know what happened to the chemistry, but it is completely gone.
I think pressure happened to the chemistry.
The Mets are better than a .500 team. I think that after 162 games, they’ll have won more than they lost. Unfortunately, they’re a LONG way from being a championship-caliber team. This season, in my mind, represents just another step backward from 2006.
I’m seriously thinking 75-80 wins, tops. There’s no one in the minors or on the bench to step in for the has-beens or the injured. Pat Gillick was right when he pointed to the Mets’ lack of depth as a serious Achilles heel.
Question for Matt, Regis, anyone: if the Mets put up an 0 fer through Sunday, does Randolph make it back to Shea? I think not.
he won’t, but they’re a long way from losing 5 more. They’ll porbably end up winning of 4 of them the way they play.
I think Randolph is a fine manager, and doing fine, but I wonder if what the Mets need to relax is no pressure, which would happen a little if they fired Randolph and (hopefully) Peterson and others.
This team could very likely pull a Rockies from last year, bury themselves and then dig themselves out and make the World Series. Philly and Atlanta aren’t as good as the Padres and Diamondbacks last year.
This team brings absolutely no joy. If they are winning, you are waiting for them to blow it. If they are losing, you know the game is over. The losses are maddening and there is nothing satisfying about the wins.
Until very recently, there was no real negative attention around Willie, so that’s no excuse.
This is on the players, and they are not going to magically turn it around. Changes need to be made. Now.
Dave, it’s on the players to some extent, but I think the manager makes a difference. Look at the 2003 Marlins, who went from also-rans to champs with the same cast of characters after a manager change. Hell, look at the Jets, who Parcells took from 1-15 (?) to the playoffs with essentially the same team that Kotite had (yes I know football’s very different). I’m not saying the Mets are gonna pull a 2003 Marlins if they get Jerry Manuel in there, but I think staying the course is going to accomplish zero.
Again, well put. This is not a charity operation. If there’s a chance expunging Willie will improve the team, I’ll help him pack his bags.
Except unlike with the Marlins, Willie WAS the manager in 2006 when this team was fun to watch, and exciting, and successful. McKeon replaced Jeff Torborg – we all remember him. You can’t compare Willie to Rich Kotite or Jeff Torborg.
I don’t love Willie, but firing the manager is just a quick fix – it might result in a little hot streak, but I doubt it will achieve sustained change.
Actually, Torborg was a great manager for a young White Sox team back in the day. I have no idea why he was such a disaster thereafter.
Also, he had Ozzie Guillen as one of his coaches. Guillen stayed on with McKeon, and was partly responsible for setting the tone with that team. The Mets sorely need a similar arse-kicker.
If you are a Mets fan, you have done an amazing job blocking out Torborg’s Mets tenure…which looked startingly similar ot what’s going on now.
Anyway, I’m not defending Willie, but I don’t think it will have a lasting effect. I would be wrong – the Mets were 20-22 when they fired Davey in 1990 and took off under Harrelson. And the 1999 Mets responded when half the coaching staff was canned. I just think there are too many players who are just not fighters on this team.
Well, if the ‘93 Torborg narrative continues, the Mets will can Willie Randolph and hire a blowhard who does nothing to right the ship. Oh well. . . .
Second time could be the charm. . . .
Phil Gardner in 2004 is another example of how a managerial change mid season can benefit of the team.
And Phil Gardner doesn’t blow me away as a manager.
The point is that simply a new voice can make a difference. I don’t understand what the downside or risk is.
This team needs a shakeup. Even if they go with Jerry Manuel in the interim and nothing changes or they get worse what’s the big deal. If they go from 3rd place to last place who cares.
At least a new manager can give us a fresh start and at least create the illusion of hope and that things could at least possibly change. That’s all I’m looking for because right now I have no confidence or faith that this can get turned around
Joe and Evan said it pretty well on the FAN this morning. There’s too many people on the roster who just don’t seem to care. Delgado doesn’t care. Reyes doesn’t seem to care. Beltran doesn’t seem to care. Even Wright, who called out his mates yesterday, has been guilty of not hustling. They need a new voice in the clubhouse, someone who can get them to play with passion, fire and intensity every night, regardless of who the opponent is. Maybe that person is Jerry Manuel, Ken Oberkfell, or Wally Backman. Or, given the personalities on the team, maybe that person doesn’t exist.
But we know this much at this point: It’s not Willie Randolph.
Bingo. Very well put.
The great challenge for the Mets for the remainder of the season is to figure out how best to deal with Delgado and Castillo, however. I can’t imagine a new manager getting much out of either of those washed-up has-beens. They have to go, but the team owes them a lot of money. They are going to end up chewing on a lot of it. Additionally, who the heck plays their positions, with the bench as rotten as it is?
You know, after all the daily agony of last fall, after being ridiculed all winter, after being reminded of the collapse on every national broadcast, and the current state of the team, I believe that deep down every Met fan just needs catharsis and closure. Fair or not Willie Randolph needs to go if only to absolve the fans, the players, the media, and the whole organization of their suffering. It’s hardcore human nature, in essence someone needs to pay so that we can turn the page and move forward.
Willie should have been fired after the 06 playoff debacle. Obviously, I understand why he was allowed another season, but after tthis past Sept. there is no way he should be leading this team now. Get him out of there.
The Mets should have never let Manny Acta go…
I know I am in the minority here but I am not in love with Acta like everyone else is. How many times during gnats games does Gary say something like, “Why is so and so not pitching here?” or something like that and it bites Acta in the butt?
Living in the ATL, I’m excited when the Mets come to town, but they ALWAYS do this, for whatever reason they cannot win down here. And its getting pretty old. I’m very tempted to wear a paper bag on my head tonight!
Didn’t they sweep the Braves in Atlanta last September, right after being swept by the Phillies? And did they sweep them in Atlanta in August of 2006, just when the Braves were inching closer?
You live there, so I can’t imagine the pain of following the Mets in THAT Stadium over hte years, but this “we can’t win in Atlanta” stuff is over. This team could get itself swept anyplace.
I fear this team is still reeling from the effects of last year’s collapse.
To show the collapse is behind them, I think the players are putting too much pressure on themselves to perform at a high level. As a result of this pressure, the team cannot perform
The scary reality is I think the Mets may need several years to get over what happened at the end of 2007. Something that catastrophic tends to stick with teams for a while…whether they are willing to admit it or not.
I do not think what is happening to the Mets is really anybody’s fault. You certainly cannot blame Willie or Omar. They are doing their best. I really believe that. I do not even think you can blame the players at this point. I think the situation the Mets are currently in is just one of those things that happen to teams now and again.
Of course, everyone wants to have a scapegoat. However, sometimes, in my opinion, there is none.
They’re not paid to do their best. They’re paid to build and manage an organization. If their best isn’t good enough, bye-bye.
Yes, they are paid to build and manage an organization…to the best of their ability.
So, they are paid to do their best.
I am pretty sure Willie and Omar don’t come to work thinking “Hey, how can we make tonight’s loss even worse than last night’s?”
Right, but their jobs are (or should be) contingent on “their best” actually getting the job done. If you’re currently a student, you find out that things tend to work that way in the real world.
They are not reeling from the effects at all – as a matter of fact they STILL haven’t learned a ting from it.
They are still doing all of the things that CAUSED the collapse, not suffering its effects. I wish they’d suffer it’s effects – then they might be able to move on.
I said it first…Mets are going 8-2 in their next 10 games.
…and 3-7 in the 10 after that.
wishful thinking my friend…..more like 2 and 8
You are what your record says you are. Everyone has talked that it will turn around, and it hasn’t since the last year. The Mets are just an okay baseball team.
A lot of good posts here on the current state of affairs.
I’ve been a fan since 1970, been through the many ups and downs. I bleed blue and orange and will always support this team. That said, the Mets as currently constructed are mostly not a likeable bunch. I think it is a combination of the lackadaisical play and overall malaise that seems to shroud this team, injury prone over-the-hill players, and the rest probably Omar and Willie.
One way or another something’s gotta give, whether it’s canning Willie, benching and/or releasing the over-the-hill and unproductive veterans, bringing up some new blood from the minors, or making a trade or two.
This is not a fun team to watch; it’s downright painful at times. I truly hope they can turn it around and show they’re better than a .500 club.
What happened to the team unity of last year…remember when they all shaved their heads?
I just hope for run support for Johan tonight! one game at a time.
They should all go play paintball on their next off day. It’s an excellent way to build team unity and let off some steam by shooting the heck out of your teammates. They can lineup Delgado, Castillo, Beltran, Reyes, Wright, Maine and Perez and let Church and Schneider light ‘em up!!
Their next day off is June 9! We better have a solution before then!
D’OH!!! I wasn’t lloking at the schedule. I didn’t realize it was that far off.
Maybe we should all go play paintball instead. I think WE need it.
Excellent idea…I’m in. There’s a great feild out on L.I. in Coram.
“field”…man, my spelling sux today.
Paint ball? Good thing you are not the manager.
*ussies.
that sums it up better than anything else I have read or written here today.
Add don’t get me wrong, there is some good material out there.
Hard to argue.
Can’t argue. None of them looks like a brawler. I’d much rather sit down to dinner with the Mets than the Phillies. On a baseball field, however. . . .
i could have sworn there was a ‘P’ there at one point. Did that just get edited witha ‘*’? or am i seeing things today?
totally!
and if it was an edit, I commend the editor for leaving the post and minimally altering the content.
Perhaps 2006 was the surprising year…in Randolph’s tenure they have been slightly above .500. Even in 2006, this team was 83-50 on September 1st…since then they are barely above .500.
Outside of a good stretch of games last year they were barely a .500 team.
It is what it is. Disappointing to us, the status quo for them.
I think we all really want this team to win…but I think if they were losing and appearing to play hard, or care, we would be having an entirely different conversation about this team.
While I am now officially on the “Fire Wille” bandwagon, I would think that a change of Hitting Coach (HoJo) would come first. If that doesn’t send a message, I’m not sure even changing out Willie will help. Is it just possible that the clubhouse has tuned out Willie? The players have to know that all eyes are on Willie, yet there is still no fire on the field. A message needs to be sent to the team through the Brass. Start axing the smaller guys, and then if nothing changes, then tell Willie to call Girardi and ask him if he needs help at the Zoo. (BTW, I understand this is a blog for Mets fans, but does anyone else notice the lack of criticism aimed towards the Bronx? I keep telling the local Yanks fans that both NY teams suck, but at least the Mets are the better of the 2. Anyone second that?)
I hear ya…. without pitching a team is going NOWHERE, and that’s the Yankees biggest problem
The media and Yankees fans have decided that the Yankees are the first $209MM “rebuilding team” in history.
Then again, they were all set to land in the crosshairs after this weekend until the Mets decided to crap the bed. Again.
Yeah, I like how they are getting a pass because they are “rebuilding”. With a $200m payroll! Giving a 4 yr deal to a 36 yo catcher! Resigning Pettitte. What, because they have three young pitchers?
They got it wrong however. Next year will be the true rebuilding year.
Anybody notice Castillo was a little late coming out for the fourth inning last night, after his little miscue, he ripped the seat of his pants bending to field the ball………….! That must have been some sight for Chavez!
Off topic, but the Mets acquired Mike Piazza 10 years ago today.
Would it have been so hard to have Piazza delay his announcement unti ltoday, and make it in conjunction with the Mets signing him to one of those ambiguous “personal services” contracts where he makes an appearance or two before figuring out what he really wants to do? This again is typical Mets to me. They have no regard for their history. The best position player in their 47 years and all they could manage (so far) is a press release.
Sorry, I know we have bigger fish to fry, but it’s these little things that make an organization special…and which the Mets never do.
How could the Mets have possibly “delayed ” Piazza announcing his own retirement?
By asking him to, and offering him a role in the organization…which for now could just be accomplished through a symbolic services contract.
Sorry, just feel like this should have been done in a press conference at Shea. Whatever.
I don’t think that firing Willie is the answer, although it will likely happen if the team continues its quest for .500-dom. Here’s the thing nobody is considering…this team just isn’t that good. ‘06 they had things happening like Jose Valentin defying the concept of aging…Endy Chavez hitting .290…the threat of a Cliff Floyd HR in the 6 hole…Guillermo Mota throwing performance enhanced pitches in the 7th…a dominant Aaron Heilman changeup that could get over the plate…a reliable long man named Darren something-or-other…and most importantly – a real 1st baseman who was nothing short of awesome in the playoffs.
the team has none of that now…the only place they’ve upgraded is in RF, and obviously with the “best pitcher in baseball” that i keep hearing about at the top of the rotation.
Well said
The team may be a .500 team, but expectations have been much much higher. I tend to think the team isn’t that great and that Omar brought the Mets a very limited window of greatness immediately after the Delgado and LoDuca acquisitions. In fact, the Mets had a one year window, and it’s been mediocrity ever since. The deal for Santana may have been Viola deja vu. The Mets acquiring a 29 year old ace from the Twins as a last stab to save a sinking ship.
Anyway, you have to fire Willie. Blame the players, blame the GM, whatever. Mid-season, there are very limited ways to electro-shock a team and attempt to get a renewed pulse. Firing the manager is always step one. They already tried “fire the hitting coach” last mid-season and “let’s blame everything on Rickey Henderson” over the winter. How Willie survived after the choke has always been a mystery to me. But it’s clear, he can’t continue now.
Fire Willie now.
If the team continues to underwhelm the rest of the way, acting uninspired, acting old, uncaring and breaking down with all the predictable lingering injuries, Omar has to go next. He’s the “full autonomy” architect of this expensive wreck.
Somebody call Ozzie Guillen, we need to borrow his doll!
Or call his doll, because we need to borrow Ozzie! His team went into a funk, and they fought out of it. Our manager implied that we were fairlweather racists and blamed a camera crew.
So the lesson here is: Be sexist (not sexy) and don’t accuse others of being racist. Simple Willie. In the famous words of Spinal Tap: “it’s such a fine line between being clever and stupid”
No one said the doll idiocy actually helped. The manager’s intensity may have helped, however.
Hey, the doll is the key to the whole thing. Don’t knock the doll. The only problem is that Willie doesn’t like the “squeeze” and he might accuse it of being racist.
Where is Davey Johnson when you need him?
Old and managing the Olympic team.
Great, so he’s already familiar managing immature weenies, we’re halfway there!
I think Willie and Delgado are the two biggest problems. Delgado has become the de facto leader of this team, since Randolph is so passive.
And Delgado seems like he’s just punching a clock, and taking his money. He obviously doesn’t care about this team at all, and it has rubbed off on everyone else.
Reyes is always hanging around Delgado in the dugout. Wright is too young to have control over the clubhouse when you have an established veteran like Delgado exerting his influence.
None of this would be a problem if Willie was the leader that he is being paid to be. The two words we always heard about Randolph were “class” and “leadership”. Those traits were shown to be severely lacking this past week.
This team is absolutely miserable to watch. Painful. It’s not even about the wins and losses anymore, they are just a very hard bunch to feel good about rooting for, and about as lovable as Bobby Bonilla.
I would start getting rid of people in this order:
1) Randolph
2) Delgado
3) Heilman
4) Minaya
Although if you want to dump Delgado first, I wouldn’t argue.
Well said….Delgado is a big problem….His poor dog attitude is definitely rubbing off on his teammates. The wilpons and omar should call his butt out and threaten to DFA him. At least this will hurt his future in baseball so he might actually care about that…..
I would dump Delgado and trade…… get ready for this one…. Jose Reyes.
I love Reyes but he is incredibly streaky. He would bring back the most of any player on our roster. As much as I like him I wanted to trade him straight up for Santana last season so we could keep our prospects.
We have holes, this year and next, in LF, 1B and SP. I would bet you could get at least 2 of those holes filled with above average players for Reyes.
I know you would then have to replace Reyes but maybe you could find an average guy that was consistant to take his place?
Radical idea trading reyes but I understand your point. I don’t think the mets would trade reyes without first bringing in a new manager to see if that would make a difference….
I agree, I am just having some fun and thinking about what we could get in return.
Reyes would be near the bottom of his trade value right now, even though he seems to be heating up. That said, he’s a fairly low-salaried impact player who could actually bring back some depth.
I understand what you are doing here but SS is such a hard postion to fill IMO. Reyes’ defense is really so good I think that it gets overlooked. I understand he has been inconsistent but he is also still young. Not all player progressions are linear.
This is true. I wouldn’t do it unless I could get an absolute stud in return.
SS is a hard position to get a good player at. However, many teams win with all glove no hit SS’s. You can’t say the same for 1B and LF.
Valid point but you don’t always have to get production from the “traditional” positions. That’s what made the Bobby V era Mets so good. Piazza was so much better than any other catcher the Mets could get by with subpar LF and 1B.
But you are right, for that to work out for the Mets, Reyes has to step it up a bit.
Funny part is, the Met’s 1B is no glove/no hit. The double whammy.
Santana would bring back the most of any player on this roster. The Yankees would take him.
No he would not, very few teams could trade for him. Besides who do the Yankee’s have that would help?
I disagree…Santana’s contract makes it very hard to trade him…remember how little the mets had to give up to get him. And remember how the Yanks balked at trading any of their top prospects. Yeah, I think Reyes would bring a lot in a trade, but the person that would definitely bring the most is Wright. Not that I would consider a trade of ANY of these guys.
Giving up on Reyes who is what 24? Crazy talk.
But if you could get Carl Crawford and a pitcher would it be worth it? I am not saying it would be but……
Well, you are right. The key to any trade is not who you give up but who you get back. I just like Reyes even with his “troubles”. But that’s just me.
I’m glad we’re at .500…at least now we can stop the silly projections…”oh, we’re three games over .500 and over a full season that would make us an 87 win team and that’s not too bad – so we’re fine!”
we’re a .500 team…we’ve been a .500 team for a year now…and Willie, you can’t get much more ‘consistent’ than that.
As much as I feel that this team needs a change, I don’t think that the Wilpon’s are quite ready to eat Willie’s contract, as well as embarrass him by firing him before he takes his seat at Yankee Stadium as an All-Star coach on Clint Hurdle’s staff. I agree HoJo should be under some fire right now as the Met’s are not hitting, I just think something needs to be changed.
I think people are overthinking the problems with the Mets. It’s simple, the players just aren’t that good. Besides David Wright and Church, nobody has had a good year. Reyes I still give a waiver (though I know some don’t), and hopefully he’s starting to play better, but just look down the lineup at how many easy outs there are in this lineup:
Castillo
Beltran (though he is heating up)
Delgado
Rotating left fielder
Pitcher
That’s 5 easy outs in the lineup, and that’s assuming Schneider continues to bat 280. Our cleanup hitter has 3 home runs. You can’t runs like that.
There are two routes this team can take in the offseason.
1) Fully commit to building through the draft, don’t sign the big free agent which would give up our pick, and ABANDON THE SLOTTING SYSTEM to use our financial clout to take the surest-thing prospect available. Promote Carp after the all-star break to see what he can do, and hope.
2) Say screw it, use the money that’s coming off the books with Delgado, make a full court press for Texeira and whatever next big Japanese player is coming out to fill 1st and LF.
I really don’t see any other options, but I’m all ears.
Two immediate moves would be moving Beltran out of the cleanup spot and relegating Delgado to the bench and calling up any of the AA folks to see how they do. But Willie won’t do the first and Omar will rely on Easley, Anderson, and Tatis before he calls up a mashing AA player.
Actually, before I say that — how do call ups work, exactly? I would have to imagine some combination of Omar and Willie?
That’s Omar’s job. But I’m sure there he asks for Willie’s input.
Whatever the case, I wouldn’t shed a tear if they benched Delgado period.
It’s not the NFL, where you can build through the draft without a solid commitment to player development down the line. You can always emphasize more developed players in the early rounds, however, which is a good idea, but David Wright was drafted out of HS.
And who is our director of player development, anyway? Bernazard? For that and many, many, many other reasons, Bernazard should be the first to go.
Then Castillo, Delgado, and Willie, in that order. . . .but all on the same day.
Who hits clean up?
Omar
Wright or Church seem more like cleanup hitters at this moment in time.
Who hits cleanup now?
True, I guess the draft to a certain extent is a crapshoot, but then how do other teams consistently produce high quality prospects and we produce so few? I guess the quality of player development may be the answer. It’s all just such an enigma and so disappointing.
I agree. Thats why I advocate putting the non-easy outs in a row. Reyes, Beltran, Wright all need to hit in order.
reyes has NO PROTECTION with Castillo, or even church.
beltran’s OB% is decent, so his average is more a result of getting slop bc reyes and/or castillo are not on base.
when and if church and alou return….
reyes
beltran
wright
church
alou
4 auto-outs…
thats it. church deserves the clutch spot bc he’s been clutch and beltran hasn’t since 2004.
now, why can’t the mets get 2 out hits? thats another question…
How does Reyes have no protection with Church?
Besides Reyes is the #@$#@ lead off hitter why does he need protection. If they don’t want to throw him anything to hit then take the friggin walk. Come on.
cause church can’t hit lefties.
:)
(our little secret)
I actually like church #2. But I’d like to see Beltran there bc of speed and to get better pitches if reyes is on.
Beltran was, and always be a #2 hitter. That is his preference, and the stats agree. But his $contract$ says he’s a clean-up hitter. That’s the only reason he bats where he does. I like Church, but he’s not a clean-up hitter either. What this team truly lacks is a clear #5 hitter. Alou (when non-injured) is decent, but we can all agree he is more a high-AVG, low-HR guy at this point in his career. That is not a #5 type hitter, more of a #6. Delgado is the killer here. If he could just put up average numbers, this line-up could rake, but alas he is playing out the string. And no, Mike Carp isn’t the answer either. And I don’t want Tex next year. We complain that Beltran isn’t a leader, well Tex isn’t either. Think the Cards would take Reyes for Pujols straight up? j/k But knowing the Mets they would pull the trigger on that one, and Pujols would get some Tommy John, and never be the same again.
Can we convince Olerud to come out of retirement? He was one fine #3 hitter!!!!!!!
Can someone post or summarize Wright’s comments last night? I heard them referenced to but couldn’t watch as I am outside SNY.
I do think that Wright’s problem is that he is trying too hard to carry the team on his back. That doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t criticize him for failing in big spots just like everyone else.
But you have to imagine that he sees his buddies Justin and BJ Upton on their teams of guys in their early 20s and kinda wonders what it would be like to be enjoying playing baseball again. Its an honor and a privilege to play among baseball greats, but I would imagine really gut-wrenching to realize that perhaps their time has come and they are dragging you down.
it’s on the mlb website in the mets page
thanks…wow
When was the last time this team put together a nice winning streak? Did they have any last year? I can’t remember more than 2 wins in a row this year? To be a >.500 team, you need to rattle off long winning streaks. This team cannot. Is it depth? pitching? probably both.
And come back wins? Has this team come back at all? Even the 2005 team had an exciting share of come back wins.
They have had one 5 game win streak, two 3 game win streaks and two 2 game win streaks.
I am not sure but I think they have only won 1 game when trailing after the 5th inning. They haven’t won a game when trailing after the 8th inning.
The biggest deficit erased to win has been 2 runs.
On the flip side, what’s the biggest lead that Mets pitching has coughed up this year en route to a loss?
Comeback Wins: 7, Largest Comeback: 2
Blown Leads: 11, Largest Blown Lead: 4
Walk-off Wins: 3
Walk-off Losses: 1
thanks for that. At least we’ve only lost one walk-off!
thanks. i remember that now. the duldrums can really cloud the memory.
Wow. only 1 win when trailing after 5? Thats a recipe for getting an early dinner and a good nights sleep. no fire.
I think so. Can’t totally read the baseball-reference charts. Stupid brain!
Why is it a given here that Delgado doesn’t care, is just punching a clock? He’s lost his bat speed and will likely never regain it. He apparently doesn’t like talking to the NY media (who would?). But what is the evidence that he doesn’t care? Some half a dozen times in the last month or so – and I only see home games – the SNY guys have commented in-game on his team leadership. Talking to pitchers on the mound, in the dugout when they come out, I forget what other examples. But it hasn’t been an infrequent occurrence, is my point. I don’t think Gary and Ron and Keith are such buddies with Delgado that they’d be trying to prop him up with undue praise.
He’s an aging first baseman who isn’t hitting well. This is not uncommon in baseball, and teams manage to win anyway. This is not Delgado’s fault.
I don’t think that Delgado doesn’t care. I think he is old and not physically well and ought to retire from baseball.
last year I looked to see how delgado fared after a day off , and he was hitting well over .300. Anyone tracking this for 2008?
I’d like to see Willie sit him at least once a week. Easley and Anderson are suitable fill-ins as long as they’re not filling for alou-castillo.
delgado after off days…
4/5 2-4, 2R, 1 2b
4/8 2-4, 1R, 1 HR, 1 rbi
4/15 0-2, BB
5/2 2-4, BB, 1 rbi
5/10 3-4, 2 r, 1 HR, 1 2b, 1 rbi
5/17 2-5, 1 rbi
5/20 0-4
11-27, .400
we’ve needed an RH 1B-OF to platoon with delgado and cover for alou since before spring. it’s a real shame we didn’t get nady then because i don’t think we can now.
someone around here always brings up kendry morales from anaheim. sounds like he might be a good fit.
Here is David last night:
“I can accept losing,” Wright said. “Not easily, but every team loses here and there. But to go out and give the effort we’re giving, to go out and lose without a fight …”
His voice trailed off in much the same way his team has.
“I just don’t think we have the fire I would hope we’d have,” Wright said.
Standing at his locker, most of his teammates already departed, Wright pointed toward manager Willie Randoph’s office, then to the room where the coaches dress.
“The problem,” he said, “isn’t there or in there. … The problem is with us, in here.”
Without any other pointing, he wondered aloud about the general confidence of a team that now has 22 victories, 22 losses and more problems than solutions. The Mets had been beaten by a team with less talent and, now, with more injured key personnel.
“Losing like this, I hope, would ruin their nights,” Wright said of his departed teammates.
He didn’t appear to think that it had.
“I want them to take it personally when we lose,” he said. “I want them to be ticked off.
“If it was a matter of talent, it’d be different. If we just weren’t any good, I could put my head on the pillow at night and sleep. But to got through the motions every night …”
Wright interrupted himself again.
“Talking about it doesn’t get it done,” he said.
But neither had playing.
“It’s hard to lose a doubleheader,” Wright said. “It’s actually hard. Ninety percent are splits. And after losing two and getting embarrassed, you’d expect to come out and fight today.
“And we didn’t.”
At the big league level winning is about doing what you need to do to win. The Mets are not doing that. They have the talent.
I will give you examples of how we are losing. All of these add up.
Luis Castillo last night didn’t charge that ball hit to him. Three runs scored after that.
In the first we had bases loaded and didn’t do anything with it.
Pitchers constantly go 0-2 and then walk guys. Walks equal runs and equal bigger innings and equal higher pitch counts and equal taxed bullpens. If they throw the third pitch down the middle of the plate they will get more outs than not.
Too many batters are letting strikes go by and swinging at balls out of the strike zone.
Batters are swinging for the fences anytime men are on base.
All of these things are what separates Major Leaguers from Minor Leaguers. This team is not playing baseball to win. They are simply going through the motions.
I’d like to see an occasional 3-0 green light. I don’t think I’ve seen one in years by the mets!
this post doesn’t make any sense. he says, “i think the Mets are a .500 team, but I believe they will turn it around.” They can’t be both a good team and an average team at the same time.
youre flat out WRONG
you dont “need to have fun first”
you bust your ass and work hard like the rest of us, THEN you enjoy the spoils.
“Telling? Mets’ COO Wilpon declines comment on Randolph”
New article on ESPN.COM mlb page. A must read!
yeah, this is a big deal i think. my journalist girlfriend doesn’t think that the writer is there is far too bold to be writing on a flat “no comment.” it may have been more like “well, officially, no comment, but off the record…”
Oh, please don’t say that. I can’t take another “off the record” situation in my life.
Anyway, espn tend to be pretty good at this stuff, so I’m with you, this is a big deal. I wonder why no one is reporting this locally.
off the record exchanges happen all the time. most sources are bright enough to make it really clear when they’re saying something off the record, and don’t just assume.
Ok. Now what about this Wilpon deal. Sounds like ownership is starting the beginning of the end for WR.
Unfortunately I’m starting to expect them to lose, and that really concerns me. The numbers just don’t add up and I really think several players are performing well below what would be considered standard for them.
At the current rate…
Reyes will end up with 92 Runs and 52 SB’s while being caught 18 times.
Beltran hits 11 HR’s and bats in 92 RBI’s
Delgado hits 18 HR’s and bats in 74.
Now I know guys get hot and the numbers can always be calculated out, but the numbers do show a reason for concern.
I did not expect a banner year from Delgado, but Reyes and Beltran should step it up. These guys look bad this year. Reyes offensively looks like a so-so SS, and an anemic leadoff hitter. Beltran’s numbers are way off. Yeah, he has looked awesome in CF, but there are a bunch of good CF’s and we are also paying him for his bat.
I continue to be impressed with Church, and waiting on the switch to get flipped with the other guys, but unfortunately time is passing by and we continue to lose to teams in the NL East. I continue to get more and more depressed, so I need to stop commenting.
can someone please tell me where EL DQUE is ????
I believe he defected back to Cuba so as to escape this team.
I don’t know if this is accurate but its something I’ve been thinking about since last season.
Last season I thought a major issue was the expiring contract of Paul Lo Duca. I used to think that because the Mets let him know they would not discuss a contract extension during the season that he became sort of a problem with the teams chemistry. In many ways I still feel there is something to this.
Now we have the same situation again. Carlos Delgado knows this team will not sign him to an extension or pick up his option. Now I’ve had the feeling for some time that he has undermined Willie and in a passive aggressive way destroying the club. I’m not even sure if any of his teammates realize this or even see it. I think he’s a phony. His on the field leadership is just a front. I don’t think he cares about this organization and doesn’t have any pride as a baseball player.
I think these situations are a new phenomenon in baseball. Something that comes about when players make million and millions of dollars and switch teams so frequently. I think these situations are also enhanced when there a clear lack of respect for the Manager or a lack of team chemistry. This sort of bullsh!! didn’t happen in the past because players played the game for love and also because they needed the money. Way back when players used to need the bonuses they got from post season play. Now they can sign one contract and sail off into the sunset.
I have serious suspicions about Why Moises Alou left yesterdays game. I don’t think he will be back until after Willie is gone or he may stay injured and retire. I think he did a very stand up thing yesterday and didn’t want to be a part of something. We’ll see.. Anyways I’m sure I attract some nice criticism for some of this.. So lets the games begin.. I’m here all night