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In an article for Newsday, David Lennon lists five things the Mets need to do to salvage their season, including, “Connect With Clubhouse,” of which he writes:
“Manuel already has relationships in the clubhouse, but this is a player-controlled team now, with little respect for authority. Manuel is off to a good start by forcing David Wright to DH and pulling Jose Reyes. But staying on top of others such as Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado – two of the team’s biggest underachievers – is going to take work.”
…i think this team needs to refresh their mindset and play the season like it has just begun…put the past behind them and stop looking ahead, play to win every game like it’s their last…
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does someone want to clue Lennon into the fact that since his rough April, Beltran is hitting .300 with a .925 OPS
And all this while having no sort of protection behind him. If we had a bonafide slugger hitting 5th both he and Wright in front of him would prosper tremendously. Even though I believe Beltran should be batting 3rd and D-Wright 4th.
Matt: Don’t you mean START looking ahead? Small typo but has weird implications…
I agree, they should flip Wright and Beltran…but they would have to flip back when (if) Alou returns…
or that he’s fourth in the league at his position in vorp, despite his terrible april? or that his power and obp have increased each month? or that he’s going to be worth around 9 wins this year? or that he’s doing this with two new knees?
*fourth in baseball
Agreed, not seeing how the guy with a 126 OPS+ (same as last year) is an “underachiever.” Given last year’s numbers and the expectations heading into this year, Wright is more of an underachiever than Beltran is.
To most fans/media types, Wright can do no wrong, while Beltran and Reyes can never do enough.
It smells a little bit, you know?
Wright is cute, and white.
Patrick is dead on
Um, anyone see the si.com article suggesting Bernazard is in line to be the next GM? Gulp.
That said (1) it’s probably BS, trying to get hits from this site and other Bernazard-unfriendly places, and (2) I kind of . . . liked what they had to say about Bernazard, in that he emphasizes building from within. . . .
But, to go back to the other side, there’s a heck of a lot out there that suggests he’s a jackass, it says he didn’t want to part with Guerra for Santana (huh? guess we’ll find out), and every GM emphasizes building from within from the get-go, which pleases both fans and cost-conscious owners. It’s how you can balance that with pressure to win now, get that “one missing piece”, etc. that takes the measure of the GM.
Anyway, sorry to post in the wrong place.
Adam Rubin has a similar article in the Daily News. I do not trust SI as a lot of there info comes from John Heyman. If you heard Heyman on FAN yesterday with Francesca you can clearly tell that Bernazard is Heyman’s source. It is an interesting listen.
Willie seemed like a great guy from his article on the News, but he also came across as the thing that held him back — over-sensitive. I understand he was hurt and that he cares about the team and the perception of what went down, but if he was really as comfortable with himself as he portrayed to his team why would he write this article. A statement to the fans, maybe. I really liked Willie as a person, did not agree with his “book” (100 pitch limits, not seeing a point in arguing, playing vets too much, easing in rookies, patience in duress), but did like that he used his gut at times. What happened is that he is too think-skinned and when he started to lose he had self-doubt and he overthought every move. He began to stress. He was tight, and that permeated to the team. There was no way he could succeed this year with everything hanging over his head, and his personality unable to shake it.
That’s why any change to someone new could help. This is a great situation where change for sake of change is right. No one thought Manuel was the right guy until we saw the difference of releasing the tension caused by Willie’s broken spirit. Again, not Willie’s fault, he got caught in the cross-hairs of the fans, media, and his own sensitivity.
Like Lennon and Regis said, if he can bring it together, Manuel can succeed here. Just like Willie did in 2008 tho, he’ll need a hot start and then he won’t look back.
Willie succeeded here in 2008?
No, of course not, I said he needed a hot start and that’s why he was fired. Let me re-word the last graph for you:
If Manuel can bring it together like Lennon and Regis said, he can succeed here. But he will need a hot start — like Willie needed but did not get in 2008 — and then he won’t look back.
I’m here anytime to move participles around for the grammar schoolers.
You know what I found amusing out of the whole media concocted mess the Willie Watch saga? It’s the fact that we’re nowhere close to being completely out of the division race. I’m not going to suggest that we’ll reel off a 10 game winning streak but with the way some writers have protrayed this season you would think we’re the Seattle Mariners.
I mean the Mets essentially have the same winning % as the Braves. You know the team that plays for its manager, hustles on every play and doesn’t have a majorly dysfunctional clubhouse (I know there was Chipper and Smoltz tension last year)? How come no one is criticizing them for relying on the DL-reliable Mike Hampton or an aging Smoltz or injury prone backend of the bullpen…I’m looking at you ESPN.
I realize the Mets have the highest payroll, the collapse of ‘07 and an increasingly acrimonious fanbase, but at this point I want the Mets to win the division and maybe the NL not just for a fan’s personal satisfaction, but as big F-YOU to everyone that’s doubted us this entire season.
This is all on the Mets’ fan. If the Mets fan didn’t boo after game 10 and yell “fire willie!” at every chance without giving any substantive justifications for their desire to have him leave, he would still be the manager. I have no doubt that if the Mets don’t make the playoffs this year and a manager search begins, the calls to re-hire Willie will begin.
what? I’ll bet you ten gajillion dollars that never happens.
No way.
Haha no way! Re-hire BV calls probably. Re-hire Wilie? Maybe Yankee fans would be saying thats what the Mets need to do, but not Mets fans
true…lost amidst the drama to most of the media is that we’re far from out of it. can the miracle that has been the phillie’s pitching hold up? will the fish regress? plenty of questions about everybody in this division (not to mention the wc contenders). PLENTY of room for things to happen.
we also have like 12 games left with the Phils (and Marlins too I believe), and so far are 4-2 vs. Philly
What is up with this crap that Beltran underachieves? In the past two years he has 41HR/116RBI and 33HR/112RBI. This year he is on pace for 24HR/110RBI. Not to mention the fact that he is the best fielding outfielder in recent Mets memory. I would guess that he save at least 30-40 runs scored per year.
Chavez is a better fielder, but yeah, Carlos B is the total package in terms of tools.
I disagree. Endy is great and makes some huge plays, but Beltran makes some really tough plays look extremely easy. When the ball is hit anywhere near him in the air, I’m very confident that it’s going to become an out.
The idea that Beltran is an underachiever in any sense is ridiculous. I’d agree with the above sentiment that he saves 30-40 runs, if not more, over the course of a season while producing very well on offense.
Well the problem is that his first exposure in the national spotlight was is 2004 postseason. Thats the type of player the press expects him to be…When he isn’t at that level, he is labeled an underacheiver. However, those of us who watch him everyday, see what type of player he is, and we appreciate him.
Beltran gets such good jumps on balls hit to the outfield that he doesn’t have to sprint like a madman and/or make crazy diving catches. His instincts on contact are great. Because of this he gets no credit for his fielding prowess. The folks on ESPN would rather show someone diving head first to make a catch during their “web gems”. Whenever Beltran does have to make a circus catch he usually does…like that catch he made in center field in Houston last year.
*at the wall, on the hill, while on the run in center field in Houston last year.
I disagree with your characterization of Endy. I think he covers a tremendous amount of ground, can play all three positions, and has a terrific arm. He runs anything and everything down, AND can do the diving “web gems.” Don’t get me wrong — I’m not criticizing Beltran, who also has tremendous range. I just think Chavez is slightly better all around — better jumps, better arm, more agile.
kbh218 — Beltran gets “no credit for his fielding prowess”???? He’s won back-to-back gold gloves!
does someone want to tell david lennon that if you’re going to cover the team, it usually helps if you actually like the team and know a little something about the year the players are having.
he does not need to like the team, but if you are going to grind the axe, make sure it fits.
Yes Carlos Beltran is not Paul O’Niell, but did anyone expect that? The player he was most compared to was Bernie Williams, a quiet performer.
That article on Bernazard that Rubin wrote seems strange, especially when the term “no-nonsense” was used.
I mean what is it, either Tony is a snake, or he just happened to be correct all along and not listened to?
Adam Rubin generally has a solid pulse on things, so it was qutie unexpected to see the words no-nonsense tied to Bernazard with all the slaying going on lately.
Weird weird weird
I hope Manuel has the ability to kick some prima donna butts in that clubhouse.
If the team has issues w/ authority then lets do the ultimate thing and sit all of those that do. Make an example out of anyone who does whatever the backlash.
Why does this always seem to happen to us. The ‘93 Mets were like this. Then it was the Leiter/Francho clubhouse, and now this team. The only common denominator has been, WILPON. Somethings gotta give.
Beltran has always been extremely streaky, and he did get off to a rough start this season, so I guess that is where the perception comes in that he is “underachieving”. And some people can’t seem to forget 2005 with him.
But who knows, Beltran was supposedly one of the main guys who didn’t get along with Willie. Would be nice if having a better relationship w/ the manager could somehow translate into an even better performance.
No no no nono ..
They’ve _already_ been playing like every game is their last, pressing, stressing. They need to relax, ignore the media, and just play ball.
There is still plenty of time left, and they need to understand that they can and will catch Philly, and not stress over each game. But they need to do that from a ’season starts now’ philosophy, which is opposite of the ‘win every game like it’s the last’