Note: The September-Clutch Player
Neither Jose Reyes, nor Ryan Church, who hit second, nor Carlos Beltran nor Carlos Delgado had a hit in last night’s loss to the Nationals.
In fact, Beltran and Delgado are a combined 0 for 15 during this current series with the Nationals.
David Wright is 1 for 8, with a single to center field.
Reyes is batting .204 in September. He has been on base four times in his last 13 plate appearances.
Jerry Manuel, speaking about the team’s offense, while talking to reporters following last night’s loss:
“We have to reassess where we are offensively. We’re a better-hitting club than we’ve shown here. We have to get back to the basics, because our bats are key for us.”
I’ve said it, and others continue say, ‘Manuel needs to hit and run more, he needs to have them bunt, play small ball,’ etc.
The thing is, Manuel did hit and run last night – with Robinson Cancel at the plate and Ramon Martinez pinch-running on first. Martinez ran, and Cancel hit a ground ball through the right side like he was supposed to do, but Martinez didn’t go to third as he should have. He may or may not have scored on Jose Reyes’s infield dribbler during the next at bat.
Point is, much like had often been the case under Willie Randolph, the manager can push the buttons, but, at the end of the day, it’s about the players being smart and getting the job done.
The Mets have ‘clutch players,’ at least when it comes to getting a hit in a turning-point at bat in a random game. They certainly have big-time, MVP-caliber players. However, I’m starting to wonder if they have players who are ‘September-clutch,’ i.e., guys who when the heat is on, when the pennant race kicks in to Red-Alert mode, like right now, guys who when the season is essentially on the line, in true Must-Win situations, will they step up to the challenge and get it done.
Yes, it’s important to be ‘clutch’ in June, but it’s also necessary to be ‘clutch’ in September.
I’m not saying the Mets do not have these players, but if they do, I can’t tell you who they are based on what I’ve seen.
Actually, when you think about it, they did not have to play a stressful game in September 2006, as they cruised to a division title. In the 2006 NLDS, they swept the Dodgers. In that year’s NLCS against the Cardinals, however, they let moment after moment slip away and eventually lost, which was followed by last September’s disaster.
So, the question is: Who on this team is going to step up, rise to the challenge and get the job done?
Hopefully we will find out sooner than later.
