What was the score tonight? A hundred to two, or some such. I checked out in the fourth inning to garden and get to know my children, who’ve known only a Mets fan psycho for the past month or so. Being true to my Mets OCD-self, however, I had to keep checking back. At the back of my mind, there’s always the prayer that there’s going to be some crazy comeback. And then I realize, the only thing crazy is my thinking this.
Okay, LA is a good team, but I don’t think they’re great, and there’s no way we had to lose this series, but, er, ah, naturally, we did. We got obliterated in two of three contests. And yet, I felt that maybe somehow we could go back into battle with the same lineup and beat these guys again tonight. And then I saw tonight’s lineup. Certainly not nuts, but so many have intelligently asked why replace Murph w/ the friggin’ bum Tatis when stats don’t even bear this out?! JMAN reportedly said that it was a combination of lefty-righty match ups and the fact that pitchers are “getting to know Murph.” WTH?? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m convinced Tatis’ solid playing days are over, and the Mets don’t need him except as an occasional stopgap, but he’s really not very good at that. He’s a good man w/ no baseball future.
Here I’m going to get a little and briefly random to support the argument in my headline: Jerry Manuel is a really decent man who will not advance the Mets, especially the Mets in extremis. All of my White Sox fans buddies make sense: he couldn’t get it done in Chicago, and he won’t get it done in NY. Tonight I think I figured it out. He’s a sharp baseball man in so many ways, but he’s not a great decision-maker, and he’s not the kind of guy who can get the extra yard out of our beleaguered club. Overall, it’s the bad decisions that convince me this very likeable and decent guy has to go. I know, I know, less than a week ago, I was arguing that there’s nothing he can do. Tonight I changed my mind. We might win with him, but, ultimately, we will never get high up on any mountain with him. What follows are my cases in point, or the examples to support my argument:
1) Nick Evans can’t really play the OF; we saw it again tonight. Reed should be in there, although he’s an unreliable bat. Evans cannot be counted on to hit either, so what in God’s name do they have him futzing around in left field for?
2) Livan Hernandez never should have been allowed to pitch eight earned runs. How idiotically demoralizing. I know the pen is overused, but this guy sucks some very sour lemons right now. Frankly, it would be great if he collected his things and headed elsewhere (maybe in a TRADE!!!)
3) Omir Santos—the hero of the Red Sox series… the train seems to have left a while ago. I do not see him as a future catcher for our Mets. The bat seems to have tanked, and he is mediocre to less-than-mediocre on defense. I don’t know if Schneider was fatigued, but I didn’t like the fact that he was sacrificed for the lefty-righty match up either. In fact, I’d love to see the overall percentages with these constant lineup changes based on lefty-righty. Can’t be too good now can it, given our bloody record!
4) Bullpen guys just never seem to be used in the best way. True, tonight it hardly mattered, but Tim-You-Stink-So-Awfully-Redding again?! How did we ever buy into the delusion that this was a quality Nationals pitcher who just endured tough luck. Let’s box up folks like Redding, Hernandez, Evans, and Santos (among others) and try to get one decent hurler or hitter. Heck throw Manuel in the mix, too.
We know that the team is badly broken, and that Manuel cannot take all of the blame, but even in these dire straits, he just makes so many inadequate decisions. I hate the suspicion of rashness that I think my position entails here, but I cannot for the life of me see our Mets becoming champions of their own division, let alone the world with Jerry Manuel at the helm. I’m sorry, but it’s time to move on.
You may ask why I’m not calling for Minaya’s ouster as well. Frankly, I am more frustrated by his statements than how he operates at this point. My hunch tells me he is working hard to do something by the deadline, but if not, then I am inclined to see him go unless, of course, it’s all about what the Wilpons won’t let him do, but then that just means he’s weak and ineffectual. On the other hand, since I wanted the Mets to re-sign Petey back in March, I am pretty cross about the Phils’ apparent acquisition. Despite everything, I am not inclined to concede 2009. It’s really important to me as a Mets fan that ownership isn’t either! The clock, she is ticking…
*Mets Merized Online Needs Your Help*
It’s Omar, not Jerry that is the prime cause of the Mets problems!
The above ’statement is fair, accurate and timely if we want to not hold the Wilpons accountable for investing with Uncle Bernie Madoff (the real prime cause).
CAPSLOCK=DISABILITY ACCOMODATION
DES, YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT CHURCH; BUT THE WONG PEW.
IT ISN’T JERRY OR OMAR OR BERNIE MAIDOFF; BUT AN OWNER LIVING IN 1950’s NEVERLAND RANCH(IN HIS FANTASY/DREAM/PERFECT WORLD-BKLYN DODGER RECREATION OF LEAGUE CHAMPIONS & LEGEND STATUS SANS BAD PRESS). IT’S MY BELIEF WE’VE A VERY MORALISTIC, BLACK&WHITE (NO GREY) THINKER AS AN OWNER. MORALISTIC? HE FOUGHT AGAINST LUXURY TAX IMPLEMENTATION. ONCE HE LOST THE FIGHT, HE VOWED TO PROVE IT UNNECESSARY, BY WINNING WITHOUT PAYING ANY. HE’S KEPT THAT VOW. NO MAIDOFF NEEDED. THE LINE THIS YEAR IS SET AT $162M. I BELIEVE BASED ON FRED’S TREATMENT OF PHILLIPS & OMAR THAT HE WILL NEVER, EVER CROSS THAT DEMARCATION FOR OWING LUXURY TAXES. HE REMEMBERD FRANK CASHEN’S WARNINGS ABOUT STEVIE AND INSURED HE DIDN’T ACCIDENTLY CROSS THE LINE THROUGH POOR ATTENTION TO DETAILS & POOR TALENT EVALUATION BY PRESETTING A NYM HARD BUDGET WELL SHORT OF WHERE THE TAX LINE WAS(PHILLIPS NEEDED FRED’S PERMISSION ANY TIME HE DESIRED TO CROSS INTYO THE PRESET BUFFER), WITH OMAR HE HAS FULL TRUST & CONFIDENCE ONLY INSTRUCTING HIM TO SPEND WHAT HE NEEDS; BUT NEVER CROSS THE LINE. THIS YEAR THE LINE IS SET AT 162M, OMAR KNEW HE MIGHT NEED TO ACQUIRE A HOLLIDAY OR HALLIDAY AND STOPPED OFFSEASON SPENDING AT $149,373,987 EXACTLY $12,626,013 FROM HIS DROPDEAD LINE. FUNNY THING IS IN 2009 BOTH PLAYERS ARE EARNING 13M. PRORATED BASED ON 7/31 ACQUISITION LESS PLAYERS DEALT AWAY & OMAR COULD PERFECTLY SLIDE EITHER IN WITHOUT EXCEEDING HIS JOB DESCRIPTION.
THE PLAN BROKE WHEN THE CORE BROKE. TO CAVE INTO THE MOB BEING IRKED ON BY THE AIRHEADED AIR WAVE RABBLEROUSERS & AQUIRING A DiROSA,HINSKE,DUNN,HUFF INCREMENTAL PIECE WOULD MAKE ACQIRING EITHER OF THOS H’DAY ESSENTIAL PIECES PLANNED FOR TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE, THUS OMAR MUST SIT & TAKE IT. ALLOWING OMAR 1 SEASON TO RECENOITER A FAILING FRANCHISE(‘04 METS)EXCL THAT I SEASON GRACE PERIOD(2005) OMAR’S RECONFIGURED TEAMS HAVE FINISHED NO WORSE THAN SECOND IN ANY ONE OF THE ENSUING THREE, ‘06.’07,’08. WHY IS IT SOMEONE HAS TO PAY IN THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY? IT’S NEVER (UNFORESEEN) CIRCUMSTANCES “BEYOND CONTROL”. IS IT SO IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE HUMANITY HAS LIMITATIONS? DID THE CAPT. OF THE INDIANAPOLIS, THE ADMIRAL AT PEARL HARBOR, THE PRESIDENT ON 9/11, THE GM OF THE INJURY PLAGUED 2009 METS ALL NEED SUPER POWERS TO FORESEE THE FUTURE & PREPARE FOR IT BEYOND REASONABLENESS. OMAR’S RESPONSIBILITY IN 2009 WAS TO PUT THE MOST COMPETITIVE TEAM HE COULD MUSTER ON THE BATTLEFIELD WITHOUT SPENDING MORE THAN $162M, I BELIEVE HE’S ACCOMPLISHED THAT, KNOWING WHAT HIS MIDSEASON NEEDS MIGHT BE, WHAT WE ALL COULD SEE A NEED FOR, AN ADDITIONAL BAT(PREFERABLLY RH OUTFIELD) AND A ROTATION UPGRADE(PREFERABLLY FRONT-END #1A OR 2 QUALITY) WERE THERE BETTER BACKUPS TO BE FOUND OUT THERE? LIVAN & REDDING WERE BACKUPS. FACE IT LIVAN WAS INKED TO A $1M MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT & REDDING AS A L/R BULLPEN OPTION, AT LEAST THEY WERE THERE WHEN NIESE,VARGAS,PARNELL & COMPANY FAILED TO MAKE THE ROTATION GRADE OUT OF ST & WHEN PEREZ LET WBC DERAIL HIS SEASON. WAS CORA EVER SUPPOOSED TO SNIFF A PLAY @ SS? NO, HE WAS CASTILLO REST INSURANCE(MAYBE 1-2 G/WK) OMAR ISN’T ANYONE’S FOOL NOR IS HE PERFECT OR INFALIBLE, AS FANS, EVERYONE COULD SEE THE MOST LIKELY INJURY WEAKNESS FOR THE TEAM THAT BROKE CAMP WAS THE OUTFIELD, OMAR STUFFED THE STORAGE CLOSET(BUFFALO) WITH AS MANY FORMER MAJOR LEAGUERS(BOBBY KIELTY,CORY SULLIVAN,WILLY MO PENA,EMIL BROWN) AS POSSIBLE SAME WITH INFIELD POSSIBILITIES(ANDY GREEN,MIKE LAMB,JAVIER VALENTIN) EVEN WITH ALL THAT PREP AND WITH SO MUCH GOING TO ‘THE CORE’ 162M CERTAINLY DOESN’T SPREAD AS FAR. HELL, EVEN BY SPENDING THE ‘SKY’ THE NYY COULD DO NO BETTER THAN CODY RANSOM(.177) @ 3B FOR A-FREUD.
DES, IS NO ONE TO BLAME IN MY OPINION? NO! I’D LIKELY LOOK VERY DEEP & BLAME OBERKFELL,BERNAZARD,JEFF WILPON,baseball gods FOR OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF DISATISFACION FOR THESE REASONS:
OBERKFELL: FOR NOT HAVING DONE MORE IN GETTING HIS CHARFGES READY TO PLAY AT THEIR TOP ABILITIES, CONSIDERING HE WAS ASSIGNED A ‘GNATS’ LEVEL ROSTER FOR AAA BATTLE
J. WILPON: SO MANY REASONS; BUT MOSTLY AS SNY EXEC HE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR TEAM PERCEPTION (MEDIA MARKETING)
BERNAZARD: AS VP OF [PLAYER DEVELOPMENT HE HAS DELIBERATLY CHOSEN TO ASSIGN THE BETTER PEROSPECTS TO LEVELS BEYOND THEIR CURRENT ABILITIES. HIS REASON IS TO TEMPRER THEIR TALENT WITH STRUGGLES SO THEY FINISH STRONGER & MORE MATURE (GREAT IDEA IF YR KEEPING- BAD IDEA IF YR DEALING) THIS TREATMENT DEVALUES THE ASSETS OF MILB BY DECREASING THEIR PRODUCTION NUMBERS MAKING THEM LOOK WORSE THAN THEIR TALENT LEVEL SHOULD SHOW, THUS WE HAVE A PELFREY WHO’S STRUGGLED WITH BIG CLUB & AN F-MART WHO’S ASSIGNED TO AAA AT AGE 20 WHEN SO MANY PREP GAMES WERE ROBBED BY INJURY IN LOWER LEVELS. GOMEZ WAS HAMPERED MUCH THE SAME WAY, SO IS NIESE.
baseball gods – OBVIOUSLY CHOOSING TO EXACT THEIR PRICE FOR PREVIOUS HEALTHY POSITIONAL SEASONS BY STRIKING TOO MANY ALL AT ONCE REDUCING A FORMERLY CONTENDER ROSTER TO THAT OF A STRIKE BREAKER ROSTER OF SCABS.(WHERE’S RICK REED WHEN WE NEED HIM MOST) gods HURT US WITH ROTATION PITCHING(PEDRO/DUQUE) INJURIES RIGHT BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS IN ‘06,SHAKEY ROTATION RECOVERIES IN ‘07 & ‘08(SAME CULPRITS) & DECIMATED THE LINEUP IN ‘09. THE gods must be CRAZY!!! OR PISSED OFF AT US
STILL WISH TO POINT OUT “NO HIGH PROSPECTS?” SEE MY PRIOR POSTINGS ON EFFECT OF PITCHING GM(GURU) PETERSON & BARREN MINORS INHERITED BY OMAR.ALONG WITH A 4th PLACE(.438 WIN%) TEAM. BUILDING BOTH MAJORS & MINORS WHILE RESTRICTED BY DRAFT-BONUS GUIDELINES+LUXURY TAX RESTICTIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY IS IMPOSSIBLE. MAJOR LEAGUE LEVEL PAYS THE FREIGFHT & GETS THE PRIORITY!
Good post METS62FAN, but it’s so hard to sit back and say it’s a lost season, especially the inaugural season at Citifield (maybe it’s the Citibank connection bestowing bad mojo….)
This is so stupid, the Mets lose all of there decent players other than Wright, and they tank (as they should) and fall to fourth place, which is not that bad this year, are what? only 5 games out? And then these “intelligent” baseball fans start calling for Manual’s head, why did you have any more hope last night than 2 nights before? 1 win?
The problem here, is like in the past two years, the Mets have been very slow to react to situations. Omar & Jerry should both probably go. Omar for his slow reaction time, and Jerry for his dumb decisions and inappropriate comments about play .500 baseball. Jerry, more than anyone else also need to be held accountable for the team’s poor play on defense.These guys although not superstars, are pros and should be able to play basic baseball.
GREGGA, THE DAYS OF PLAYERS GETTING 2-3 YRS OF PURELY DEVELOPMENTAL/INSTRUCTIONAL SEASONING IN THE MINORS WHEN W-L ISN’T BEING COUNTED & INDIV STATS SHOULDN’T MATTER ARE LONG GONE. NOW THER’S BASEBALL AMERICA RANKING THEM, RANKING ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. TODAY YOU’RE LUCKY IF A PLAYER GETS 2 FULL YRS. MANY ARGUE INCREASE IN COLLEGE LEVEL COACHING & PLAY REPLACES THOSE LOST EARLY YEARS; BUT NOT REALLY, CERTAINLY NOT TO EQUAL ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS. TYR TO RECALL 15 GUYS MISSED JERRY’S FIRST ST.
Russell I agree with you 1000%. I couldn’t have written this better myself. So many great points:
1-Like you, with the Mets playing so poorly I’m getting to know my kids again, and like you I still foolish sneak peeks to see if they have mounted a comeback.
2-You comments about Jman being a good decent guy who makes poor decisions is spot on.
3-I would rather watch Murph/Evans at first than Tatis. Time to release the bum.
4-Livan should not have been left in that long, it was obvious he didn’t have it.
Excellent post, I agree totally!!
GREGGA, I THOUGHT EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD LIVAN’S GREATEST ASSET WAS NOT W-L; BUT INNINGS EATING & IN DOING SO, BULLPEN RELIEF(WASN’T THAT, PEN, WHAT REALLY BROUGHT US DOWN IN BOTH COLLAPSES?) LIVAN STAYS BECAUSE LEAD OF 4+ ALREADY INSURMOUNTABLE BY THE REPLACEMENTS, BETTER A RESTED PEN Vs MORE EVEN FOE(REDS) THIS WEEKEND.
The fact of the matter is that the Met organization has made a decision it seems to ride out the injuries with what we have. Shrugs…
It’s not like the owners have said, “Win this year Omar.” and Omar is just sitting around doing nothing because he chooses too.
It’s frustrating as hell! I caught a scroll on the bottom of the tv screen very early this am as I was heading out that Fernando Martinez had been placed on the diabled list. For his knee I am guessing but … why now and not last week? Does anyone have anymore info on the Martinez injury? What do the Met Doctors do exam a Met player and say something like……”well. hmmm. hurts here ehhh…Well, lets wait a week and see if it get better.” I just don’t understand. The team invests so much money in these players and seems to be so cavalier about the treatment hurting players are given. It’s puzzling to me.
LIFER ARE U 12? D/Ling MARTINEZ EARLIER BUYS U WHAT? AN EXTRA WEEK OF A.REYES? OBVIOUSLY REPLASCEMENT WITH CHIP AMBRES,EMIL BROWN,JESUS FELICIANO OR CORY SULLIVAN FROM AAA WASN’T GOING TO ADD TO Ws.NOR WOULD:
# NAME B/T HT WT BORN HOMETOWN
16 Emmanuel Garcia L/R 6-2 184 3/4/86 Montreal, QC
39 Jenrry Mejia R/R 6-0 162 10/11/89 Santo Domingo, DR
54 Josh Petersen R/R 6-4 226 4/15/83 Palm Beach Gardens, FL
24 Caleb Stewart R/R 6-2 238 6/11/82 Rush, KY
18 D.J. Wabick L/R 6-4 196 5/30/84 Palos Park, IL
FROM AA BINGHAMTON. YOUR POINT OTHERWISE? AT LEAST HE GOT TO LEARN OFF BENCH ANOTHER WEEK.
Fmart was placed on the DL yesterday but hadn’t played in 5 days so it gets back dated so no need to harp on that point, the date of FMart going on the DL is honestly the least of the problems right now.
Very good points made in the article and the comments as well. Omar’s lethargy in not backing up injured players in a meaningful way is irresponsible. Jerry is full of bad decisions and the lack of defense reflects badly on him. An overall bad situation and bad performance which needs to be rectified. Unfortunately the Wilpons apparently supply no leadership or direction of any meaningful value. The current administration is as bad as any of the worst ones in the past. The Mets are currently in a very bad down cycle. It will take something extreme to snap out of it. Selling the team seems to be the best option.
MASK, ONCE MORE YOU CHOOSE TO IGNORE REALITY! LIKE IT OR NOT, THE NY METS NEVER HAVE NOR WILL THERY EVER INCUR LUXURY TAXES WHILE FRED WILPON HOLD THE CONTROLS REGADLESS OF INCOME TO THE FRANCHISE. IT’S A MORAL PRINCIPLE THING! OMAR SPENT UP TO 12.6M OF HIS BOUNDARY, WHAT WOULD U DO? REMEMBER REALITY THINKING, NOT FANTASY ISLAND, TATU!
62, Maybe you didn’t read my comment. My conclusion was: “Selling the team seems to be the best option.” Why would I say that? Obviously to get rid of the options. It is clear that Omar’s do nothing status comes down from the Wilpons. Perhaps it is because of the luxury tax which you have been ranting about. I don’t care what the reason is. It is clear that the Mets are rudderless with the Wilpons at the top. So solve the problem and get rid of THEM! The Wipons need to sell the team so that someone with real money and dedicated to success can take over. Then they can retire to their own private dreamworld of the Brooklyn Dodgers (my former team, but unlike them I have chosen to live in the present now)and visions of sugar plums.
Meant to say: to get rid of the Wilpons (I don’t know how options got in there).
In my view, the best move the Mets made during the last off-season was not going after Manny — a bum and a clubhouse maggot, no matter what Joe Torre is saying right now.
He would be coming back right now if he had the same habits on the East Coast as on the Left Coast. His play in CitiField leftfield would be something to behold — a clown who actually makes Lastings Milledge look good in comparison.
He would have been costly rental, contributing only a half inning every inning, the offensive half. Given the Wilpons’ concern for public image, they would likely need full time cardiac care by the end of this season.
If the Wilpons would need cardiac care with Manny, maybe we should have gotten him! Then we’d be free of the shackles the Wilpons impose on this team.
This inaction by Mets Management really frustrate us Mets fans. The team is full of beer leaguers.
You got it right. It stinks.
To this end, I ask a simple question in the form of a poll on my blog. Who would you like to see go first? I’m not even sure what move(s) the club can make that will fix things this year.
http://RememberingShea.blogspot.com