Tejada To Report Sunday Morning And Meet With Collins

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• goose February 24, 2012 at 3:29 pm

  does he not understand that he is having visa issues?
  • trs86 February 24, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    Based on what I have read/heard Tejada was asked to and given the opportunity to take care of this potential issue long before now.
    • srt February 24, 2012 at 3:39 pm

      I read the Mets had that Visa available for Tejada to pick it up back in Nov. And he waited until a week before camp to go get it. I believe I read that in one of Rubin’s posts or his weekly chat this week.
      Who knows if that information is correct, though….
  • t agee February 24, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    Seems Ruben chose his girl over spending the off season with Murphy. Can’t blame him there but how about Feb 1st?
• srt February 24, 2012 at 3:49 pm

  Copter-gate – LOL.

  I understand TCs mindset in wanting Ruben there earlier than report date – especially considering the role he’s taking over.

  Doesn’t say but I wonder how long ago Ruben did try and pick up that Visa and knew there were problems? Could have been mid January for all we know and the Mets knew about it. Didn’t want to publicize it hoping it would resolve itself sooner rather than later.
• Fonzie13 February 24, 2012 at 3:51 pm

  Until he reports late,Collins should keep his feelings to himself and not make it public. I guess the players revolt in Anaheim hasn’t taught Collins to keep things like this to himself. If he’s not there by the mandatory date then he can complain all he wants.
  • Trade Wright for Nolan Arenado February 24, 2012 at 6:30 pm

    I’m with you on this one, Fonzie…sure, it would be nice if he would have shown initiative as the new starting SS to show up early…but, as of now, he is not late, so, this is a non-issue.

    However, sort of reminiscent to Tom Coughlin’s “if you’re not 5 minutes early, you’re late,” thing. Maybe it’s just what cranky old coaches/managers do.
    • Sloatsburg Mets Fan February 25, 2012 at 9:00 am

      Are you all nuts? TC is absolutely right in being ticked off!!! He cannot by union rules force him to stay behind but he mapped it out for him and Tejada (Yes the same Tejada who has proven next to nothing in the way of being an exceptional major leaguer like the player he’s replacing). This may all amount to nothing in the long run but TC is trying to set a standard here and Tejada is certainly getting off on the wrong foot with his quest to replace Reyes. So you think TC is starting to sound “Cranky” like Coughlin? You mean the same Coughlin that just won his second title in four years? Yeah, I’ll take that EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!!! GO TC!!!
      • Trade Wright for Nolan Arenado February 25, 2012 at 11:24 am

        I see what you’re saying and why you may be upset about…however, examples are set at the top…TC is middle management with the Mets. Tejada has already been crowned the future SS by upper management so for him to come to training camp early, in his eyes, is not necessary. I’m sure all the players know that TC won’t be around very long anyway and that 2012 is a throw away year. It’s basically a year for the team’s vets to try to put up decent stats in hopes of a trade and for the young guys to earn a major league check instead of a minor league one. Sad, but true.
        • Metsie February 25, 2012 at 11:33 am

          Well I don’t think this has anything to do with Tejada feeling anything about his position

          It’s a simple issue of how hard it is to get a Visa these days with all the Homeland security checks (Doesn’t seem to affect terrorists for some dumb reason) and a simple miscommunication on picking it up!

          Funny how other teams don’t seem to have these problems yet this is the second time in two years for this organization (Remember Paulino’s late arrival last year?)

          These things should have been settled a LONG time ago! They could have filed for his Visa and had all the paperwork in hand before he even left the country after the season!

          For some reason they didn’t take care of it and maybe if it is all that important yto have these guys come in before they tell them they have to be here, they should make sure the Visa is in their hands before they actually need it and are too far away to just hand it to him!
• Peter R. February 24, 2012 at 3:52 pm

  So this heir apparent to Jose Reyes was asked to come to a Mets camp in November and didn’t show up. Then he was asked to come in mid-January to begin work with his new double-play partner Daniel Murphy who did show up. Then he didnt show up early for spring training and we still have no idea if he will show up on time. I love his sense of urgency. LOLMets
• Richie D February 24, 2012 at 4:04 pm

  If you are suggested to do something by your coach, boss, whoever is in control, you do it. The team has moved on from Reyes, and he is the one to fill those shoes. Forget TC asking him to come early, he should have went to Florida earlier on his own. Its one of those things..if you are early, you are on time, if you are on time, you are Late. Either way he was asked, and he ignored his manager. As far as the Visa issue goes, I can guarantee he waited for the very last minute to take care of that situation. This kid better be in top shape, be a vacuum in the field and be hitting really well whenever the hell he gets to camp.
• Petey Pete February 24, 2012 at 4:25 pm

  The thing that irks me is the fact that the team had tried to contact him in the off-season, and he made himself “unavailable” to them. What’s the deal? They don’t have phones or computers in Panama? As my mother would have said, “You couldn’t pick up a phone?” For him to not call back his employers when they were obviously leaving him messages is very strange. What was he doing all winter that he couldn’t communicate with his team’s officials? I interviewed thirty players this winter, and they were all very nice, and cooperative. Ruben needs to grow up. Fast.
• AV February 24, 2012 at 4:37 pm

  Ted Berg had a great post on his blog of all the crazy things he did when he was 22: http://www.tedquarters.net/2012/02/24/you-at-22/ (Ted’s life was much more interesting than mine.) I read that Tejada went to pick up his visa but found the embassy was closed. I Google mapped Tejada’s hometown of Veraguas to the US Embassy in Panama and didn’t realize it’s 262km and a roughly 3 1/2 hour drive, so it’s obviously not a trip he can make multiple times in a week.

  Before he died, my father used to spend his winters in the country where he was born and he once went to the US consulate in mid-January only to find it closed for Martin Luther King Day. Obviously this is a holiday not celebrated in any other country in the world so it had slipped my father’s mind that the US government offices would be closed on that day. I’m guessing this is likely what happened to young Ruben as well.

  As long as Tejada clears the air with Terry Collins when he arrives, this will be water under the bridge very soon.
  • srt February 24, 2012 at 5:47 pm

    NIce. I’m a big fan of Ted’s work.
    As usual, he brings this issue right into perspective for us.
• Met Maniac February 24, 2012 at 5:18 pm

  I like Terry Collins and I know he will handle this as perfectly as he did the Beltran to RF situation and the Paulino showing up over a month late. This manager knows how to talk to the players and they respect him. The job of disciplining him should come the longest tenured Met on the team David Wright, but don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. He’s no Derek Jeter or Keith Hernandez.
  • Kay February 24, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    This article is all about what Terry Collins said and feels about the situation? What does this have to do with Wright and nice way to put in your digs just for the sake of it “he’s no……”
    • Met Maniac February 24, 2012 at 6:05 pm

      The post is about what Collins said, and my comment is about what I said. If you dont like my opinion, I suggest you move on and stop trolling.
      • Kay February 24, 2012 at 10:24 pm

        I suggest you learn what a troll is, start with looking in the mirror.
        • Met Maniac February 24, 2012 at 10:41 pm

          Dont let me say anything we’ll both regret. Move on and if you dont have anything substantive to say about my opinions other than instigating more vitriol on this site, than dont say anything at all. You are part of the problem here and while we once agreed to stop being so combative towards, you continue to persist in this behavior. Please stop with your unprovoked attacks to people whose opinions you disagree with.
  • t agee February 24, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    It’s a nice thought Maniac but in a dysfunctional organization like the Mets it’s almost an impossibility.

    This is a team that throughout the years has had clubhouse guys selling steroids, pot, running bets, stealing memorabilia and players throwing fire crackers at children, threatning reporters, squirting bleach at them and playing cards in the clubhouse during playoff games.

    The owners themselves put public perception ahead of winning baseball games. Selling tickets above the health of the players, got burnt twice on trades without physicals and twice put players with concussions on planes, constantly keep guys off the DL and continually insist everyone is day to day and repeatedly seek to embarrass their own players all the while forcing the team to play a player short instead of just eating the money and either enabling or outright assisting members of the front office in undermining the manager.

    Leadership starts at the top.
  • Des February 24, 2012 at 6:37 pm

    Met Maniac — Why the diversion?
    When I was Tejada’s age, I screwed up plenty. But I also didn’t have a $425 thousand job. We’ll never know what Terry might have said to Ruben, but it’s not a gold star for the kid trying to help the team.
  • Donal February 24, 2012 at 8:51 pm

    Ya, he won’t get Ruben on the White Pony the way Hernandez did for Doc and Straw.

    and when has Jeter shown any sort of leadership that you think applies here?
• jeff February 24, 2012 at 5:32 pm

  this fall under the heading of “the fog of information” and is a complete NON story. jeezus
• any February 24, 2012 at 5:54 pm

  sounds more like a preemptive shot across the bow from Terry. IOW, making sure that Ruben doesn’t come in with an attitude that he has accomplished anything, doesn’t have to work, etc. That’s for the vets like bay!

  Now, if he swaggers into camp at 4:00 Saturday, acting like lord of the manner, then there will be hell to pay. So he better be prepared to bust his hump when Terry finally gets a hold of him.

  anyway, not like he is guaranteed anything. If he say comes in out of shape, dogs it in camp, cops a ‘tude, then sure as hell he could find his arse in Buffalo opening day.
• Mets2012 February 24, 2012 at 6:27 pm

  Do they get paid for the voluntary works? if not, why is TC going nuts? What an ass !
  • Des February 24, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    These guys get paid much more than you or me. Public relations is part of their job. Every team puts great emphasis on it. Why the name calling?
    • Mets2012 February 24, 2012 at 7:08 pm

      Because I felt like it. how’s that?
      • Des February 24, 2012 at 7:51 pm

        Well you’re making more sense than you usually do — but the bar is very low. lol.
        • Trade Wright for Nolan Arenado February 24, 2012 at 10:06 pm

          Pot meet kettle. Considering Des has gone over to the darkside like so many of the other name calling posters have resided…it’s odd him asking “why the name calling” when 2 days ago he was calling me a “moron” for not being amazed that Murphy hit batting practice homeruns. The sad thing is, in the 5 years I have been commenting on this site…I thought Des was one of the brighter posters…maybe I am a moron.
          • Des February 25, 2012 at 7:25 pm

            Trade Wright for Nolan Arenado — You’ve got your facts mixed up. Another commenter whose name is Chad said in response to one of your comments:

            chad February 22, 2012 at 11:10 pm
            want some cheese with that wine?
            relax moron, every team has reports like that in the spring. get a life

            I noted you then said you weren’t whining but you didn’t say you weren’t a moron. In fact you subsequently said:
            ‘”Just so my moronic mind can understand…I am a moron due to the fact ….” lol.

            When you self-incriminate, don’t blame someone else. In fact I think you’re pretty sharp although we don’t always share the same opinion. For example you were saying Wright was getting beat with 88 mph fastballs. I say prove it.
• jerseymet February 24, 2012 at 6:30 pm

  Baseball is a team sport. Certainly Tejada’s presence does not make us a first place team. While Tejada is Reyas replacemet Plan A. He did not display maturity this off season. Thus Alderson created Plan B Cedeno and Plan C Quintanilla. This is the big league…time to grow up Ruben.
• Matt February 24, 2012 at 6:56 pm

  Terry Collins inevitably creates friction with every team he manages. Add that to the fact that the Mets stink, and this is a marriage destined to end bitterly. By the time Collins is fired or resigns, the players will want to hang him. My money says he quits mid-way through 2013.
• Mets2012 February 24, 2012 at 7:06 pm

  if TC wanted him that bad, he should’ve gone to the consulate himself and sent RT a helicopter.
• Richie D February 24, 2012 at 7:23 pm

  If TC wanted him bad??? Are you serious?? This is not about TC. This is about Tejada!! Every starter, bench player, and players fighting for a spot no matter if the are making league minimum (almost half a million a year) or multi millions are at camp and have been there for weeks. Who the hell does Tejada think he is at 21 or so yrs old strolling in the “required day to report” (if he is even there by tomorrow). Vets dont do that but yet this kid has the nerve to do that? TC shouldn’t have had to say anything for him to come early. We all know this team wont be great this year, but I def admire the fact that a lot of them got there early to start working out earlier. This freakin kid could CARE LESS. And now this situation AND Tejada Irk the hell out of me!!
  • MetsMan86 February 24, 2012 at 10:09 pm

    Possibly complacent knowing the job is his heading into this year. Although I expect him to be the starting SS come Opening Day, I would love to see if some no name tore it up and light a fire under Rubin’s butt that it isn’t a given. Of course I’m just speculating.
• Metsie February 24, 2012 at 7:44 pm

  Well you know what?
  If Tejada needs all this extra time to make this team a success the problem isn’t really Tejada not being here!

  I like the work Ethic push but it’s pretty rediculous at this point!

  Leave the kid alone he made a mistake stop harping on it do we really need a manager taking shots at the guy who is already in the firing line for the Front office’s lack on finterest in resigning reyes?
  • Des February 24, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    Metsie — It’s not that Tejada needs all the extra work exclusively for himself. TC wanted it for the Tejada/Murphy combo. Baseball is a team game.
    • Metsie February 24, 2012 at 9:11 pm

      Sure it is so why harp on one guy?

      If the team can’t cope without him then what happens if he gets hurt?

      Just move on, pair his backup with Murphy and let it go already!
      • Des February 24, 2012 at 9:40 pm

        Oh, the team can cope without Ruben, but you always want your guys to operate at peak efficiency. There’e a difference between not be able to cope and coping better.

        So Metsie, let it go already!!!
• NJstuckinTX February 24, 2012 at 9:19 pm

  Count down to the “players tuning Collins out and a mutinay occurs” begins sooner than later…
  • Metsie February 24, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    Yep thats what I’m worried about here….

    His First year they will respond to the enthusiasm
    The Second they will get a little numb to it
    By Next year it will be annoying to them especially if they don’t win a lot!

    At some point uppity stops being encouraging and becomes merely annoying!
    • NJstuckinTX February 24, 2012 at 10:33 pm

      Pretty much. when it’s new, it’s all the rage, but when it loses it’s flavor, it gets spit out.

      I wasn’t a fan of TC, and thought he he did an OK job, but didn’t wow me in his first go around. I still think he’s a holding spot for Tuefel or Backmann. We’ll see…
      • Metsie February 24, 2012 at 11:25 pm

        If they win games it won’t be as bad.

        He did a pretty good job last year I think. He kept a lot of people on their toes, ready to play and played everyone regularly so they didn’t get too stale.

        The slow start killed us but once he got his hand on the team they played pretty good.

        I just don’t know if his intensity is going to work very long and once the losing starts it will start working less and less!
        • NJstuckinTX February 24, 2012 at 11:43 pm

          agreed.
• Metfan Lou February 24, 2012 at 10:12 pm

  Look if you don’t want these visa problems, only sign US citizens to play on your team. You wouldn’t be breaking any laws and there is no doubt you would have a very competitive team. If other franchises want the hassles of dealing with foreign ballplayers they can choose to do that. Will you lose out on some great ballplayers, yes, but remember the Ruth’s, and Robinson’s and Mantle’s, Feller’s and on and on were all born in the USA.
  • Metsie February 24, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    Well thats a bit harsh but more appropriate why didn’t they settle all this Visa crap before he left last year?
• gary s. February 24, 2012 at 11:48 pm

  If i had Murphy as my double play partner i would not want to show up either.He gets the thankless job of replacing one of the best players iin the history of the franchise because the Helicopter taking cheapskate owners have no money to pay him.If that is not enough pressure for a young player with limited skills, the brilliant front office and manager team him up with a guy who has no business being near 2nd base except when he is standing on the bag aftere hitting a double,The same genius manager who last year proclaimed Luis Hernandez as the bext 2nd basemen in the spring before making Emaus (yikes!!) the starter.If Tejada was smart, he should never show up and get himself traded.Maybe than the manager can play Murphy at ss.2012 is gonna be ugly
• MetsJets13 February 25, 2012 at 12:21 am

  On Saturday Tejada will show up with the rest of his teammates and this will all be forgotten. Lets Go Mets!
  • Metsie February 25, 2012 at 12:49 am

    YEP but not till Monday!

    Saturday will be all the questions asked of Tejada about WHY he didn’t pick up his Visa and Terry Quotes saying he is here and it’s over
    Sunday will be where the Columnists who write thier pieces today have their say and the stories from yesterday’s questions will see print!

    Monday there will be some other controversy until someone get hurt and then we talk about that!
    • any February 25, 2012 at 9:42 am

      cnosidering he won’t make it at all on Saturday, then you will have to push your timetable back a day!

      do they even have practice on Sunday now?
      • Metsie February 25, 2012 at 9:58 am

        LOL Any
        How funny would it be if Tejada showed up on Sunday and then ran to the press to complain about how disappointed he was in Terry for not having the wherewithall to practice everyday because He and Murphy need the work together!
• NJstuckinTX February 25, 2012 at 4:02 pm

  For how “crappy” this team is going to be this year, the last thing this team needs is drama. Just shut your trap, TC, and keep it in house. Rip Tejada up left and right, up and down when it’s behind closed doors but starting this media circus crap is wrong.
• Jon February 25, 2012 at 4:41 pm

  Biggest story here is that Collins was asking Tejada to be in camp early as far back as. November…. Jose Reyes didn’t sign with the Marlins until December… You can really see how the Mets were all over Reyes to resign. What z joke…. Sandy is nothing but a lying mouthpiece for our pathetic ownership
  • Metsie February 25, 2012 at 7:44 pm

    Nice Catch there Jon!

    Bad Slip by Terry! LOL

    OOOPS!
  • Des February 25, 2012 at 7:58 pm

    Anybody ever hear of backups and contingency plans? lol.
    • Metsie February 25, 2012 at 8:51 pm

      Apparently he didn’t have one for Tejada being late did he? LOL

      Someone just needs yo up Collins’ Valium dose!

      Much ado about nothin!
• Mat February 25, 2012 at 4:51 pm

  Once again, great move choosing “Napoleon” Collins over Wally Backman. Thank you Mets.
  • Donal February 26, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Because if Backman is known for anything, it is a calm disposition and even temperament.
• Lifelongmetsfan February 25, 2012 at 8:40 pm

  The real story is Collin’s. We tell the press he is going to, “meet with him at 8am on Sunday.”
  Is this going to happen all year long? Someone misses a sign and in the after game press conference Collin’s lets the press know< "I'll be meeting with him at 8am tomorrow morning."
  Tejda has been playing baseball for what, 30 months straight… Major league seasons, fall league, winter baseball…. It's a Collin's story, California Angels all over again Goodness, how miserable is the Mets clubhouse going to be in mid August?
  • Mets2012 February 25, 2012 at 9:00 pm

    Really pathetic !
• Morning News and Notes for 2/26 | Up Along First | A New York Mets blog February 26, 2012 at 7:31 am

  [...] Tejada will report to camp today and meet with manager Terry Collins to discuss why Terry is disappointed in him and Ruben’s [...]
• Mr North Jersey February 26, 2012 at 2:10 pm

  So officially everyone reported on time? Good now Play Ball!
• Ann Nogales February 28, 2012 at 7:24 pm

  Very instructive and superb bodily structure of content, now that’s user friendly (:.