At the risk of being called “Captain Obvious” and getting comments of “Gee, ya think?”, I wanted to point out that the Mets are out of the Playoff hunt, and the only thing meaningful about the end of the 2009 Mets season will be playing time for the prospects and maybe to play spoiler.
Now that that’s been established and is out of the way: Why is David Wright in Tuesday’s lineup? Why, in fact, has he not been shut down for the year?
I’m glad to see (as Phil Hoops pointed out) that he’s wearing the new batting helmet, and, don’t get me wrong, I love that David wants to play; his determination and competitive nature is something that we need to put into pills and force down the throats of his teammates (and I also will enjoy having him for my Playoff run in Fantasy Baseball this year), but why in the world would the New York Mets risk their prize possession for a year like this one?
Now, I realize that they need money and are desparately trying to fill Citi Field with a sub-.500 club, but as any half-decent financial advisor will tell you, sacrificing a little now will help you tremendously in the long term. Getting through these tougher times without resorting to blatantly (dare I say) stupid moves is the key to long-term success. (DISCLAIMER: I am not a certified financial advisor, nor do I intend to come across as one, and refuse any responsibility for financial or other decisions made based on my comments). From the Wilpons’ perspective, trading a month’s worth of fans who’s deciding factor on showing up was David Wright being in the lineup for the ticket sales you’ll get by having a fully-healthy David Wright in 2010 should be a trade worth making every time.
There is simply no reason that David should be playing at Citi Field again this year. If he’s feeling better, fantastic, rest up for 2010. At the very most, let him rehab in St. Lucie for the rest of the year, but do not subject him to further exacerbating the injury by letting/making him play for the big club for the rest of the year. Let me be the first to coin the phrase “metsmanaged”, meaning “greatly mishandling a baseball situation”. So, this is just another incident that has been metsmanaged by the Wilpons, Omar Minaya, and Jerry Manuel to add to an ever-growing list, and rather than hoping for the win tonight and for the rest of the season, I’m instead resorting to praying that this is the one time that the Mets will get lucky when it comes to dealing with an injured player in 2009.
There hasn’t been much precedent this season for things working out well to the Mets benefit. So your fears and concerns are very well placed.
CAPSLOCK=DISABILITY ACCOMODATION
LET ME COIN A CONTRARY PHRAS “METSFANAGED” MEANING SEARCHING EVERY INCH OF EVERY QUESTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINDING FLAWS, TO ME THIS ARTICLE IS A QUINTESSENTIALLY PERFECT EXAMPLE OF METSFANGEMENT RUN WILD.
THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPLAINATION FOR GETTING AS MANY OF THESE WALKING & NONWALKING WOUNDED BACK TO ACTIVE PLAY IS THE PLAYER’S PEACE OF MIND. PEMERE ATHLETE CAN BE VERY INSECURE WHEN DOUBTING THEIR ABILITIES TO RESUME THEIR CAREERS AFTER CRIPPLING INJURIES. THE SCAR TISSUES THAT CAN FORM MENTALLY CAN BE MUCH MORE DEVASTATING THAN THE PHYSICAL ONES.
DOES DAVID OR ANYONE INVOLVED NEED HIM STEWING DURING THE OFFSEASON ON WHETHER OR NOT HE’LL BE ABLE TO STAND IN THERE ON INSIDE STRIKES? SO MANY OLDER PLAYERS BECAME TOO INSIDE SHY AS TO RUIN THEIR CAREERS DUE TO ALLOWING THEM TOO MUCH TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT. WRIGHT NEEDS TO KNOW POSITIVLY HE CAN STILL “HANG IN THERE”, BELTRAN NEEDS TO KNOW HE CAN STILL PLAY AS HE ALWAYS HAS IN THE FIELD, UNFORTTUNATLY REYES MAY NOT KNOW UNTIL APRIL IF HE CAN STILL ACCELERATE ENOUGH TO STEAL BASES.
ATHLETES FRAGILE EGOS ARE IN NEED OF CARE MUCH MORE THAN THEIR PHYSIQUES. ONE HAS TO WONDER IF MAINE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO ATTEMPT HIS DESIRED, DR APPROVED COMEBACK LATE LAST SEASON IF HIS QUETIONS WOULD’VE BEEN RAISED SOONER GIVEN ALL OFFSEASON TO THEN SORT THEM OUT.
DID ANYONE SEE DAVID SEEMINGLY OVERREACT LAST NIGHT TO THAT ONE INSIDER? BETTER HE KNOWS & ADDRESSES NOW, NOT FOR THE TEAM, NOT FOR THE GATE; BUT CERTAINLY FOR HIM!
LET’S STOP THE METSFANAGEMEBNT IN IT’S TRACKS. NOT EVERYTHING IS OBVIOUS. IDENTIFY METSFANAGMENT WHEN U SEE IT.
If he’s healthy and able to play then he should be playing. Why does he make millions of dollars? Not to sit out and rehab and in florida when he’s healthy enough to be playing with the big club. Like Beltran said the other day on why he was coming back and not sitting on the rest of the year, “Im a baseball player. Thats what I get paid to do. If Im healthy and able to play I need to play. I dont get paid to sit out.” If these guys are healthy,which Wright says he is and the Dr’s say he is he needs to be in the line-up.He needs to be playing against big leaugers to be ready for 2010 not hitting off pitching coaches in Fla. It doesnt matter how far out they are. If guys are healthy then they should be playing
I agree 100%. So does Wright. He’s playing because he wants to play and he knows he should play. He’s not the first guy to get beaned. And that new protective hat looks ridiculous.
Pops
Diagnoses of concussions are overrated. I have had six, four incurred in a former life as a highschool and college quarterback.
The first one occured in highschool on a bootleg and I learned then that I could no longer run through linebackers. I experienced a momentary loss of consciousness. A few minutes later, as I was being helped up, the chalky yard markers appeared to move, kind of wiggling. I was taken to the hospital, examined and diagnosed with a concussion. I sat out a few practices but always suited-up and played the following week. It feels like a big-ass headache.
The following season, after my third concussion, I used a new football helmet developed by “Bike”, a bit larger and heavier and I received some ribbing over it, but it did help some. I received one more concussion in college.
The most recent one was the worst I ever from an automobile accident.
In my opinion, as an athlete, there’s absolutely no reason by David Wright can’t play baseball if he feels up to it.
Contrast DW’s concussion with Ryan Church. Last season, Church suffered a concussion in spring training in a collision. In May, he got nailed in the head by Escobar’s knee trying to break up a doubleplay. To this day, I believe Escobar hit him with a cheap shot.
I think Church’s second concussion was severe for two reasons: first, it was within months of his first concussion; second, the mechanism that caused the concussion, a kung fu swinging knee to the head, was unprotected, more blunt and thus, more severe.
DW appears to be fine. Church never seemed the same last season. Same injuries to vastly different degrees.
There are concussions and there are concussions. They vary from case to case. We saw severe repercussions from Church’s. The point with David is that no one actually knows for sure how he truly is. As the cornerstone of the franchise, the Mets are taking a risk bringing him to Colorado to play in the tail end of a meaningless season. Is it worth to take the risk on arguably our best player? I say no, this is the time for caution. I don’t think he should be travelling around the country. I would feel more comfortable if they kept him local, let him play with the Cyclones when the Mets are travelling and let him play at Citi when the Mets are home. Sure, a few roster moves would be required, but the Mets have been jerking the roster around all season. I think caution is the right approach for Wright.
MASK, ONE MORE COMPLAINT FOR THE SAKE OF COMPLAINING, SINCE THE CYCLONE’S LEAGUE IS COMPRISED OF THE LEAST EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS IT’S MORE LIKELY HE GET REBEANED IN BKLYN THAN PROBLEM ON THE PLANE. AT WHAT POINT DO YOU TAKE THE BUBBLEWRAP OFF? CONSIDERING ALL OF THIS BOGUS CONCERN IS CENTERED AROUND CHURCH’S CONDITION, IS IT IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK CHURCH IS/WAS THE PROBLEM AS JERRY’S REACTION TO HIM WOULD INDICATE? MY PRE-MET REMEMBERANCES OF CHURCH AS AN EXPO/GNAT USUALLY CENTER AROUND THE DON SUTTON(GNAT BROADCASTER) PHRASE, “CHURCH IS ON D/L, UNAVAILABLE OR CHURCH JUST RETURNED TO THE LINEUP WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE IN THE PAST HIS GAMES PLAYED DOES NOT SHED LIGHT AS HE WAS MOSTLY PLATOONED. I’M NOT IMPLYING HE’S A MALINGERER; BUT PERHAPS HE SENDS TOO MANY MIXED SIGNALS REFERING TO HEALTH/AVAILABILITY,ETC. JERRY’S SEEMINGLY INOCUOUS STATEMENT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BET WRIGHT & CHURCH SEEMED TO BE TRASLATED BY RYAN AS DIFF BET WRIGHT & WRONG. PERHAPS THAT NERVE WAS RAW FOR A VALID REASON. THERE IS CERTAINLY AN ANTI-MET BIAS IN THE NY SPORTSPRESS DISPLAYED IN A HYPERBOLIC RHETORIC THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND. LIKE FIRING WILLIE AT 11:00PM PDT IS SUDDENLY A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND TANTAMOUNT TO HITLERS’ “NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES” DEPICTED REPEATEDLY AS 3:00AM DUE TO NYCENTRICITIES. WHY IS IT NEVER POINTED OUT THAT NO ATLANTA DOCTOR HAS EVER SURFACED INDENTIFYING THEMSELVES AS HAVING SUGGESTED HE NOT TRAVEL TO CO. YOU’D THINK IF ONE EXISTED, THE NY PAPERS WOULD LOCATE THEM. IT’S ONLY IN NY WHERE THERE ARE REPORTERS WAITING FOR PLAYERS’ DISCARDED TISSUES TO EXAMINE WHAT COLOR THEIR SPEWTEM IS, IS IT ANY WONDER TEAMS IN OTHER CITIES ARE MORE RELAXED?
Thing is, with a concussion it’s not like he can make it worse by playing. Yeah, he could get hit in the head again. But even that would most likely not make it worse. If he is not feeling any side effects then what is the problem with him playing?
Really, he could get hit in the head again and it would not matter? I don’t think you’ve got that right. Another this soon could end his career or set him back very badly and create problems for next season. I choose to disagree with your statement.
I think it’s reasonable to say taking another fastball to the head would make it worse. Unless he’s wearing his new helmet..LOL But all kidding aside, getting hit by pitches in the MLB really could cause serious injuries. But I think it would be alright to let him play IF competent managers/doctors have said he is fine…notice I said IF
When he first was hit I expected him to be out for the year regardless of how he felt. When he was placed on the DL like everybody else I assumed it was just a 15-day formaility. instead he is back within 15 days (is that a first among met players this year?). I don’t care if he wants to play. Let him play with the kids in his backyard for all i care. But he should not be performing at the major leauge level. there is no point.
This blog is complete nonsense and typical of the weak-kneed attitude that permeates pro ball today.
You want Wright to sit out the rest of the year and have the team and fans wait all winter to see if he’s ok? No. It doesn’t work that way and hopefully never will. You’re healthy? Just play ball
It’s as simple as that. Like George Carlin once said – we are in the age of “Pussification”. Everybody wants to “conserve”. Not “run hard” if you don’t have to. Total and complete nonsense.
Everybody who’s ever played knows that once you’re healthy you want to get out there and play. People pay to see you play.
Beltran is coming back to and that is EXACTLY the right thing to do. You want to stay fresh and if anything it is BETTER that Beltran come back and I’m sure he wants to know for himself how he does.
That is the nature of a competitor. You’re ok?…then just play.
Man, you’se guys are totally overreacting to DW’s concussion. Its like you’re soccer moms ready to run on the field every time little Joey gets hurt. Knock it off.
Let me put to you like this. I have played my best baseball and football when I’ve been injured. When you play injured, you tune everything else out, tell yourself there are no excuses, dig down and produce.
Geez, I pitched a no-hitter with a torn left ankle that was wrapped in tape to immobilize it. I’m a righty and the ankle was my landing leg. I figured as long as I could come down ok, I was good to go. During the period of that injury, I went on a string of pitching 21 innings and surrendered four (4) hits.
I laugh at Oliver Perez. The reason he can’t pitch isn’t because of his right knee. The reason he can’t pitch is that he was out of shape and had his head up his ass. I am certain the Wilpons put in an insurance claim due to his injured knee to recoup some of the money they pissed away on him.
Concussion? DW appeared very lucid a few days after the beaning, and likely could’ve played had he not been on the disabled list. It simply wasn’t in his nature to go on the DL, which is why he was embarrassed. As a team leader, he is obligated to get his ass back on the field ASAP no matter the circumstances in which he finds his team. Its a character issue that I feel very strongly about.
If anything, I question the NY Mets strength and conditioning, and whether they counterbalance muscle development with tendon strength and flexibility. When players start pulling tendons off the bones, its indicative that the muscle contractions are too strong for the tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone. Hence, more time should be spent on the strength and conditioning of the tendons more that the muscles.
What exercises strengthen tendons?
TOMMY, ONE OF THE FIRST ITEMS CHANGED WHEN OMAR CAME ON BOARD FOR ’05 WAS THE MEDICAL & TRAINING SETUPS FOR THE TEAM. CHECJK THIS OUT RE. “THE CORE” OVER THAT TIMEFRAME;
THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE ANOMOLY FOR THE MET’ CORE PLAYERS OF BELTRAN,DELGADO,REYES,WRIGHT. SINCE THE TEAM HAS EMPLOYED THE SAME MEDICAL STAFF & TRAINERS SINCE 2005, I THOUGHT IT VALUABLE TO SEE THE EFFECT OVER OUR MOST VALUABLE ‘CORE’ PLAYERS. SINCE THIS GROUP HAVE ALL BEEN TOGETHER FOR MOST OF OMAR’S TENURE(2005-PRESENT)
HERE’S A GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION OF THE GAMES PLAYED BY EACH OVER THE PAST 4 FULL SEASONS W/RED INDICATING FEWEST G SEASON & BLUE FOR HEALTHIEST(MOST).:
TOTAL
PLAYER 2005 2006 2007 2008 GAMES
MISSED
BELTRAN 151 140 144 161 52
DELGADO FL 144 139 159 44
REYES 161 153 160 159 15
WRIGHT 160 154 160 160 14
WRIGHT’S MOST RECENT CONCUSSION WAS THE FIRST D/L STINT OF HIS CAREER. REYES DID HAVE ONE PRIOR D/L STINT IN ’06 OVER ALL-STAR BREAK CAUSED BY GETTING HIS HAND SPIKED IN A SLIDE. REMEMBER THESE DON’T ALL REPRESENT INJURY ISSUES SINCE DAYS OFF FOR ‘REST’ ARE ALSO REPRESENTED. IN 2005 DELGADO WAS NOT A MET; BUT PLAYED IN 144 GAMES FOR FL. BOTH WRIGHT & REYES HAVE BEEN REMARKABLY HEALTHY. EVEN PARTICULARLY TRUE IN REYES’ CASE AFTER SUCH AN INAUSPICOUS START TO HIS CAREER IN ’03 & ’04, WHERE HE MISSED SIGNIFICANT TIME DUE TO INCESSANT LEG ISSUES MISSING OVER 200 GAMES BETWEEN THE 2 SEASONS. THAT ISSUE, I BELIEVE, AFTER 4 HEALTHY SEASONS, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A NON-ISSUE THE CURRENT INJURY IS A TEAR TO THE HAMSTRUING TENDON, NOT THE MUSCLE; BUT THE TENDON ATTACHED TO THE MUSCLE & THOUGH VERY PAINFUL, IT DOESN’T SEEM PARTICULARLY DEBILITATING SINCE IT IS DEEMED REPAIRABLE & MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR TENDON IS NOT A CRITICAL ONE AS IT’S MOST OFTEN THE FIRST CHOICE FOR USE IN PITCHER’S TJ SURGERY, REMOVING IT FROM LEG ENTIRELY, INSERTING IT IN ELBOW. I’M STILL NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED THIS INJURY WAS NOT INCURRED DURING THE WBC AS REYES’ BASERUNNING NUMBERS WERE OFF BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT IN THE EARLY GOING LEADING ME TO BELIEVE HE WAS FAVORING IT BY FEWEWR BASE STEALING ATTEMPTS @ A LOWER SUCCESS RATE AND FEWER DOUBLES STRETCHED INTO TRIPLES IN THE EARLY GOING. I SPECIFICALLY RECALL CONCERN THAT JERRY MAY HAVE TONED DOWN HIS RUNNING GAME DELIBERATLY.
IN CONCLUSION, I FEAR THAT THE TRAINING STAFF MAY BE LESS CAPABLE IN REHABILITATING INJURIES THAN THEY ARE AT AVOIDING THEM. WHO KNOWS? DOCTORS ARE DOCTORS. TOUGH TO EVALUATE THEM IN NON INJURY SITUATIONS THAT WE HAD THROUGH MOST OF THE PAST 4 YRS OF THEIR 5 YR EMPLOYMENT.
I guess there is nothing out there to write about or Omar must still be hiding. David is playing because he is a professional, he gets paid to play for the NY Mets, not only when they are winning. He wants to see how his head, mind, reacts to being at the plate against hard throwers so as not to be worried about it over the winter. Your post mets62fan is right on the money. What is the purpose of this post other than to get people to talk about something that not important. David wants to play, he will be worked in gradually by Jerry and it is good especially for the other players to see the “Face” out there when he could of shut it down and no one questioning him. Please find something more important to blog about like Omar Santos and Josh Thole platooning next year. Oops my bad that post is already done. Sheesh.