19
2012
Live From Citi Field: Terry’s Top Concern Next Spring Is To Avoid Second Half Swoon
An article by 
Hey everyone, Clayton Collier is covering another Mets event for us at Citi Field and I’m going to post his pictures, quotes and insights for him as he sends them in. - Joe D.
I’ve arrived at Citi Field and it looks like I’m the first one here…
It’s a beautiful evening for baseball…
Josh Thole grabbing a few bags of baseball as he and the team get ready for batting practice.
Here are the new seats at Citi Field as the Mets prepare for the 2013 All Star Game.
Time for some running drills before the game as the shade overtakes the field.
Frank Francisco won’t get a call from the pen tonight as Terry just told us he is not available for the game.
Josh Thole – You’re the next contestant at Who’s On First…
A touching pre-game ceremony for breast-cancer awareness prior to the game
Any guess as to how many people are here? Anyway, I think I might get a nosebleed up here, back to the press box.
As the sun sets over Flushing…
Look out for a lot from these three on MMO tomorrow!!!
A hot dog wrapped in bacon?!?! Is this heaven?
A shot from section 117 in the bottom of the fifth. Believe it was Tejada at the plate.
Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but Harvey walking off the field to a standing ovation after his fantastic final outing of the year.
Terry Collins Pre-Game Interview
I got a chance to ask Terry Collins a couple of questions and the first one was what his priority was for Spring Training next season. His answer was very interesting.
Terry Collins said he will go into camp next season and find a way to prevent the team from struggling so badly in the second half.
In fact, his eaxct words to me were, “To prevent this!” He then gestured with his hands motioning to his surroundings.
He said he regrets the quality of play since the All-Star Break, and reiterated that “it was not due to a lack of effort.”
I asked Terry about his plans for the outfield and it looks like Kirk Nieuwenhuis is a huge part of the plan. He said, “Kirk is going to be our big project in the Spring.” Collins said, Kirk has had his struggles, but he might be our best option for center field.
He brought up Jason Bay, saying that he will be in camp and they will have to get him back on track somehow.
“Lucas Duda has performed better since being recalled and he’s also in the picture.”
By the way, Frank Francisco has right elbow tendinitis, and is unavailable to pitch tonight. Francisco last pitched on Sunday and is 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA and 23 saves in 26 opportunities this season.
Keep hitting refresh as I will keep updating this thread…
All photos by Clayton Collier and you are welcome to use them with proper credit.
About the Author: Clayton Collier
Clayton, a Long Island native and die-hard Mets fan, started writing online about three years ago. He is currently a Journalism major with a minor in Broadcasting at Seton Hall University. Although very disappointed with the current state of the team, Clayton remains hopeful that the young prospects in the farm system will bring the Mets back to a respected franchise in baseball once again. Besides writing for MMO, Clayton is also a staff member at 89.5 WSOU, Seton Hall's modern active rock radio station. You can contact Clayton by following him on Twitter: @Clayton_Collier or E-mailing him at MaybeNextYearMets@yahoo.com
41 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 25 | 18 | .581 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 21 | .523 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 23 | .477 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 17 | 24 | .415 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 12 | 32 | .273 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/19/2013
Recent Comments
- Kim M.: on Is Keith Hernandez Slipping?: I'm a Mets fan in baseball, but...
- ill_egl: on Mets Only Manage Three Runs Behind Marcum, Lose 4-3: * than 38yr old dickey and his...
- Billy: on Mets Only Manage Three Runs Behind Marcum, Lose 4-3: I wouldn't trade the Mets top pitching...
- ill_egl: on Mets Only Manage Three Runs Behind Marcum, Lose 4-3: So let me get this straight... you...
- Billy: on Mets Only Manage Three Runs Behind Marcum, Lose 4-3: D'Araud is a higher rated prospect than...
MMO Mets Chat
Need Tickets To The Mets Game?
Check Out These Great MLB Links!
Photographs From Gordon Donovan
5366 Fans Follow Us On Twitter!
1269 Fans Like Us On Facebook!
2341 Fans Read Our Feed!
1702 Fans Subscribe via Daily Email!
Hey so you posed the question? If you did then Metsblog has done you a disservice. I just saw them credit someone from WFUV with that.
Nice pic of the bullpen phone. I am surprised it looks in such good condition considering how often it has been used this year.
You’re kidding me right?
I just DM’ed Michael Baron on Twitter. I’m sure it was an honest mistake. Clayton asked that question about the game plan for Spring training and then the follow-up to be more specific and he went into the outfielders.
Of course they would credit WFUV instead of Metsmerized because Amit Badlani whom works for WFUV is also a contributor to Metsblog. Metsblog doesnt want to lose the few they have left to Metsmerized. I never heard them mention this site over there ever but i have heard them mention other mets blog sites for articles. Blog sites with little to no activity.
Well they did link to Joe D’s article about the Digital Domain closings recently. Though I was actually surprised that they did.
I wish that were true but last I looked if you took every other Mets blog combined and doubled their views you wouldn’t come close to Metsblog.
“Josh Thole grabbing a few bags of baseball as he and the team get ready for batting practice.”
Hopefully those are the bag of balls Thole will be traded for….lol
Don’t you think that bag is a little too full?
Lol….you’re absolutely right, I guess thats why he’s emptying the bag. Makes sense now, he was traded for the bag alone with no balls.
Joe D.,
You should ask Clayton to take pictures of the crowd at game time curious to see how much people attend the game.
I jut texted him to take pics after the second inning. Thank you for the suggestion.
No prob. Thanks!
Just posted the picture for you BadBoyLeroyBrown. Was up in section 524
hard to tell Clayton, can’t tell if there’s more people there than draft picks signed or vice versa
LOL@ BadBoy
Thanks Clayton
Is there any reason why the Mets needed to make those new seating sections for the 2013 All Star game now?
They look rather sub par. I mean there is like folding chairs from what I can see. I mean folding chairs really?
Unless they are but a temporary setup to just get a feel for it which still doesnt explain why the need to do it now.
I believe I read this on either Rubin’s or McCullough’s blog, but someone from the team said they wanted to see if the space allotted would affect game play, and that they wanted to test that during the last homestand.
Ahh, thanks Joe D. That at least makes more sense.
Clayton can you please ask Terry Collins why he allows players to catch flyballs/popups with one hand as it seems to be growing in popularity while at the same time it is a huge a fundamental mistake. Also ask him what a youth baseball coach should say to his players who are emulating this practice?
And if he asks “Well who does this? Tell him David Wright was the first one to make it a habit and now veterans like Jason Bay, newbies like Ike Davis are all starting to do it. It’s wrong.
Lol……I doubt Clayton asks that question
Well it absolutely is a question that should be asked. Some people around here may laugh at questions about fundamentals (I know of a few) but I don’t. Without it baseball looks like a Sunday morning softball game played by a bunch of overweight fans still drunk from the night before.
Bayonne,
Fundamentals on defense is the last thing this new regimes mind. They play everyone out of position. You would think that they would have some plan and foresight and say to themselves,”Hey, We’re rebuilding so lets identify players in are farm we view as keepers/building blocks and groom them in 1 position” rather than hey we like his bat I wonder if he can learn to play 2nd base in the pro’s or RF in the pros….
Our best hitting prospect is Wilmer Flores and they had him at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, SS and DH throughout the whole year Yoyo’ing him around. Imagine when he gets the call to the pro’s and if he struggles defensively they’ll blame Wilmer and say he has no position trade him to an American league team so he can DH as they do Duda,Murphy,Valdespin. You cant blame the players when they struggle if you play them out of position. Blame the people in charge of development and there bosses.
They need to teach these kids fundamentals before they come to the pro’s. And treat position players as they treat pitchers when it comes to learning their craft. You wont get the call to the pro’s until you master your craft which is the fundamentals (position defensively,bunting,proper baserunning). Most of these kids know them from highschool, little league but its up to the farm to ensure they master these crafts.
But like i said this new regime could care less about defense which is funny when you’re building a team around pitching
Bayonne gets in another shot at David (The Best Ballplayer We Have) Wright. Are you sure the first one wasn’t Luis Castillo, Bayonne? By the way, I agree it isn’t as sure as two hands. But do you have any data that DW has dropped more with his one hand than others have with two:
Bayonne, players have been one handing flyballs forever. Since they introduced these oversized outfielders gloves in the mid to late 80′s. Strawberry caught flyballs with one hand all the way down to Gilkey, to Beltran, etc… It’s not just Wright. Most MLB players use one hand. GG players, like Andruw Jones and Jim Edmonds. Very few guys use 2 hands. Nick Swisher is one of the very few. Collins is not gonna change players that have been playing that way their whole careers. Fundamentals went out the window 20 years ago. You go to a game 2 hours early now and all they do is take BP. No more infield drills and no more hitting fungo’s to OFers. It sucks but that’s all teams not just the Mets.
Doesn’t make it right and David Wright is the worst offender of it on the current team. I’m not interested in what history dictates – it’s WRONG and I don’t recall it happening at the rate it does now.
That’s why i asked the question- i want Terry Collin’s thoughts on it, that’s all
I am a big DW critique. But he is having a gold glove year. He is errorless in almost 50 games even during his batting slump. Have you seen the plays he makes? Furthermore, most ML baseball players catch it with one hand.
As for sunglasses non-use of pine tar to prevent the bat flying and injuring someone in the stands that is a different story. Of course throwing to the wrong base, doing a run down wrong, missing a sign to go home, failing to slide, forgetting how many outs: These all are valid points to be critical when screwed up.
Hi Clayton,
Believe me, it was an individual and Fordham University was not in collusion with stealing your credit – I ought to know, that’s the University I often refer to as being an administrator at!
Those are great shots and appreciate you sharing them with us. For those who never sat in the left field upper promenade, please note what many of us complain about regarding the blocked view. Notice one sees less than halfway up the foul line and how much more of left is blocked as one looks further out? As mentioned, one could not see the wall to the left of the Shea ball and we were sitting at least one section closer to third for that part of the facade than angled in more was just to our left.
Clayton, want to confirm that between innings?
Joey D, tomorrow morning you should have that student flogged. Do they still flog students these days? What about tarring and feathering? What about one rap on the knuckles with your 12 inch wooden ruler? lol
LOL Maniac,
I could then see a security alert with my picture emailed to the University community to be on the lookout for me after defending the honor of MMO!
I think, however, Clayton’s more upset with Josh Edgin than he is with us!
Clayton is that a picture of hot dog or was Willie Montanez at the game?
Just watched Harvey finish of his season striking out a Philly looking. Congrats on a impressive debut kid.
This loss really sucked. Harvey pitched great and Edgin was dealing heck he threw some pitches that looked closer to strikes than the strike 3 call Spin was called out on. Edgin has pitched well but Howard did to him what he has done to veteran All Stars and took him deep.
Great game by Harvey who deserved a win but then again the offense continues to be unable to score runs at home.
That totally sucked!!!! I feel so bad for Matt Harvey!!!!
Let’s be honest, every player on this team quit on Collins by the end of July. If he is claiming this disaster isn’t due to “lack of effort”, he is delusional.
It scares me that he thinks any player on this team is actually playing hard.
We have the worst talent, effort, and management in MLB. Collins is a big part of that.
We’re 4-23 at home in our last 27 games. Anyone off the street could manage the team to that record. If Collins at least admitted the disgrace, I’d feel better about him.
I won’t disagree with you that ‘we have the worst talent’ (pitching aside).
Given that, it’s very possible the effort is there as Terry stated. But when you’ve got the level of talent we do at the plate for the most part, no amount of effort will over come that.
As frustrating and continued disheartening this loss was, I would rather see Edgin come in and take his lumps as a learning process. Not every one comes up making the impact that Matt Harvey does.
We are playing out the season so let the kids experience their growing pains.
We are playing out the season so let the kids experience their growing pains”
You’r wrong.. according to sandy, we’re not rebuilding and we were not punting 2012…..
Hi Alex,
Come on, be fair. Sandy needs more time to see what the team is made of…..
There’s definately a lot to learn about this issue. I really like all of the points you’ve
made.
Personally I don’t think Terry is going to have to worry as much about the second half as he will the first half…
Cause if they have a slow start next year Terry is likely going to be the scapegoat for the FO and be fired mid season!
Which means the second half won’t really be his problem!