Matt Harvey

It is accountability, which is the backbone to admit screwing up.

We certainly didn’t see any the past few days from the Knicks, so let’s turn to the Mets. After losing Thursday to the Reds, Harvey was front-and-center about his performance and threw high-heat at himself.

“It was a tough day – whether it was the changeup I couldn’t necessarily throw for a strike when I wanted to – and everything just crept over the middle,’’ Harvey told reporters at Citi Field. “It was one of those days. I didn’t execute. I didn’t do a good job. I’ve got to be a lot better than that. Nine hits is unacceptable for me. Obviously I wasn’t happy giving up any runs. We needed a big win, and I wasn’t able to do that.’’

What a reporter wants is for a player to be stand-up, to answer questions when the heat is on. Davis tried, although sometimes it seemed as if the listener would get frequent miles for following along with the answer.

I’ve never been enamored with Davis’ approach to hitting and explanations of his approach and thought process. This time, I didn’t care for his defensive explanation, although I appreciated the effort.

With runners on the corners in the ninth inning, Brandon Phillips dribbled a ball down the first base line. Davis, who misplayed a similar ball in the seventh that allowed a run to score, seemed confused on how to play the ball.

“I couldn’t get the guy at home,’’ Davis said. “[Shin-Soo] Choo runs really fast. And it was really slow to my backhand side. I was trying to get off the bag to get in the hole because it was a right-handed hitter.

“They usually don’t hit it down the line like that. The second bounce … I thought it bounced foul. In my head, I can’t turn two. I can’t catch it, touch the bag and then throw it to second and get the guy out, because then it’s a tag play and the guy [Choo] scores anyway.

“So, in my head, when I thought I saw it bounce foul, I pulled my glove back, because then we’d be 0-2 on Phillips [if it were foul] and the run wouldn’t score. That was my thought process on that. I still can’t tell if it was foul or fair on replays. But I definitely did think it bounced foul right before I got it. He made the call fair.’’

With no interpreters in the Mets’ clubhouse, let me attempt to boil it down: Davis said he couldn’t get the runner at home or get the 3-6-3 double-play, so he thought his best play was for the ball to go foul.

Only, Davis couldn’t tell if it was fair or foul. Given that, Davis’ mistake was letting the ball go and hoping for the right call. As a hitter, Davis wouldn’t stay at the plate and wait for the call, but run the ball out. So, why didn’t he do the same on defense? Why would he let the ball go on such a close play and hope for the best?

Maybe he wasn’t asked, but even so, he should have known what to do and admit the mistake of giving up on the play. What we got was a roundabout analysis that sounds like an excuse. Just catch the damn ball. If it is fair and a run scores, so be. Letting it go by opened the door for three to come in.

And, let’s cue the violins when he said, “everything that could go wrong for me now is going wrong.’’

Terry Collins is in a rough place, between telling the truth and not throwing his players under the bus. But, when his team is already ten games under .500, I’d like to see him go to the whip a little more. Didn’t he also promise a culture change and emphasis on fundamentals?

Where’s the fundamentals when all but two players in the normal starting lineup are on pace to strike out over 100 times? Where’s the emphasis on getting a good pitch to hit?

Two walks is a stretch in saying Davis is showing come-out-of-it signs. And, I don’t buy Collins saying Davis is not taking his offense to the field. His fielding has been miserable lately, so how could his offense not be a connection?

Collins didn’t get on Jon Niese for letting the first inning get away from him Tuesday. Nobody on and nobody out and he walks three and let three runs in. That’s inexcusable on any level.

Collins wasn’t forceful on getting on Jordany Valdespin last week when he should have been in full rip mode. And, I would have liked for him to get on Shaun Marcum more for not coming to camp in good condition. He did the previous spring with Ruben Tejada.

However, in fairness to Collins, it is hard to come down on a player if he doesn’t get the backing of the front office. Sandy Alderson, who over the weekend said the minor leagues wasn’t imminent for Davis, echoed that Tuesday, saying: “ … at this point we’re going to live with Ike for a little longer.’’

When Alderson came on the job, he promised a change in culture and stressed accountability. Immediately, we knew he was talking about Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo and both would be gone the following spring. Alderson also knew Jason Bay‘s lack of production after three years shouldn’t net him a fourth. Bay was a good guy, yes, but wasn’t hitting.

So, why be hesitant with Davis, especially if he’s considered a building block?

Alderson speaks like a lawyer with the way he dances around questions. All, I want to hear is: “I didn’t do a good job of putting together the bullpen,’’ and “I didn’t do a good job putting together the outfield,’’ and, “I should have handled things differently with Johan Santana this spring,’’ and, “If I stocked the farm system better, maybe I’d have more options to replace Davis.’’

And. ownership should show more accountability, if for nothing else, letting the Ponzi scandal distract the Mets and influence their off-season moves the past two years. Not to mention, signing off on contracts given to Perez and Bay.

And, don’t deny it hasn’t.

Be accountable. We deserve that much.

Updated Post 7:40 PM

Straight from the files of Believe It Or Not, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported via Twitter that Ike Davis is unlikely to be demoted before the end of the weekend.

“Was told Ike is on double, secret probation, but likely still be a Met on Friday. Mets will use weekend to get a “better understanding.”

If the Mets still need more time to get a better understanding of Davis, they’re not as smart as I thought they were. Obviously I’ve been giving them far too much credit…

Original Post 5:30 PM

Ike Davis has lost his way. Not just at the plate, but in the field too. Terry Collins said after the game today, that the first baseman’s slump at the plate has not affected his play on the field. I beg to differ.

Maybe Terry feels a desperate need to defend his players, but to say that his last few miscues on the field are unrelated to what Davis is going through at the plate doesn’t ring true.

We’ve all seen Ike Davis at his best and have all marveled as fans over his gold glove caliber defense. But that was then and this is now. His instincts at first base are deteriorating and I believe it’s because he has something else eating at his mind. Davis is so unfocused and frequently looks like he’s in a daze.

During the 2010 through 2012 seasons, Ike Davis makes that play today down the first base line rather than just staring at it. The same can be said about his faux pas two days earlier when he stood in front of the runner on the basepath like a zombie and got called for obstruction.

Why can’t Terry Collins see what is so apparent to the few thousand fans who still go to the game? There’s a good reason why Davis is absorbing all the boos at the plate and now in the field. This isn’t the same player we grew to love almost from the first moment he made his debut three years ago. Remember how excited we were? Who didn’t think Ike Davis was a core player right from the start?

We want that Ike Davis back again. The only way that happens is by doing the right thing and sending him to Triple-A where he can sort out his problems and rediscover his stroke, his glove, and more importantly his confidence that is evidently shattered.

I’m not mad at Davis, I’m really not. But I am angry at Terry Collins who constantly makes excuses for bad baseball. There seems to be no more accountability on this team, only a boatload of excuses after each game. I guess that’s what I’m most concerned about. I want a manager who gets pissed off when he sees a breakdown in baseball fundamentals and not cover for his players.

Maybe Ike Davis’ biggest problem is Terry Collins who seems to have become his enabler… I don’t know, I’m not a psychologist, but it sure looks that way…

Davis is a very likable guy and I still believe he has a world of talent. But it’s time for the Mets to save him… It’s time for the Mets to try and get Davis back on track and that’s not going to happen in the major leagues. Don’t let this situation reach the point of no return because if that happens, we all lose. Just do the right thing.

Because of Murphy’s high on-base percentage, batting him leadoff is something I have advocated, and I’m glad Terry Collins was thinking outside the box enough to make the move.

“He gets on base, because he can hit,’’ Collins told ESPN.com. “And, when he’s swinging good, he can get some walks. We’ve got to get some people on ahead of David [Wright]. That’s for sure.’’Notice how Collins didn’t mention getting on base ahead of Ike Davis, but I guess he couldn’t say that with a straight face.

Murphy is the seventh Met to hit leadoff this young season, and of the previous six, is there one who you can note with conviction that will be here next year?

Ruben Tejada (12 times), Jordany Valdespin(10), Mike Baxter (eight), Collin Cowgill (seven),Justin Turner (two) and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (one) have all appeared without much success at the top or the order. Mets leadoff hitters have hit a major league low .179 with a 29^th ranked .238 on-base percentage.

Collins was non-committal on how long he’ll use Murphy leading off, but considering he’s a .300 hitter with a .337 on-base percentage, he doesn’t have better options.

With their leadoff hitters and Davis, the Mets have two slots in the batting order hitting less than .200, and overall they have four positions in their regular lineup hitting below .240.

Collins thought about Murphy hitting first during spring training, but then he had to come up with a center fielder and decide what to do with Tejada. Meanwhile, Murphy, because of his willingness to take a pitch, also seemed suited to hitting second.

“I thought about it in spring training, to be honest, whether or not to lead Murph off,’’ Collins said. “We’ll just see how it goes. It might be something we’ve certainly got to consider as we get deeper into the season, because he can hit.

“He gets on base. If he does that, certainly we’ve got to keep our options open with Murph being the leadoff hitter.’’

Murphy hitting first seems the way to go for now, but slotting him there doesn’t alleviate all of Collins’ concerns. Rick Ankiel can be an answer defensively in center field, but the outfield remains subpar.

The Mets now need a No. 2 hitter, but because Tejada insists on hitting fly balls, he’s not an ideal fit there.

Let’s face it, currently Murphy and Wright are the only hitters in the lineup who are reliable.

Terry Collins

It won’t be fair, but we know few things in baseball aren’t fair.Collins doesn’t have a contract beyond this season, and his lame duck status rises to the surface when the Mets go into a tailspin, as they did last week when they lost a season-high six straight games, and he later blasted the fans over the Jordany Valdespin episode.

I ripped him over Valdespin with no regrets, but Collins does deserve some points for his clarification the next day. He didn’t retract, which is fine, didn’t say he was misquoted, which is commendable, but said there was room for interpretation.

Sometimes, I don’t get where Collins is coming from when he waffles – for example, I don’t think he gaveCollin Cowgill a long enough opportunity in center/leadoff at the start of the season – but for the most part realize he’s dealing with a lack of depth and talent.

Assuming there’s no turnaround, this will be Collins’ third straight losing season, enough to get most managers sacked, but there is a unique scenario in Flushing.

Collins was not hired to take the Mets to the playoffs. He was hired as a caretaker and to change the culture. He is being asked to win a poker hand with five cards worth of mismatched talent. When it comes to discarding cards, Collins might keep David Wright and Matt Harvey, but that’s about it.

Sandy Alderson – also hired as a caretaker – and ownership, which is trying to stabilize its financial ship, have not given Collins a genuine opportunity to win.

Collins has not changed the culture, but he’s not had total support from Alderson in that regard. How else can you explain Valdespin’s presence on the roster? Also, Alderson’s comments yesterday about it not being imminent Ike Davis will be optioned shows a lack of changing the culture.

And, not for a second do I buy there’s no other alternative. The issue isn’t who will play first base for a month in a lost season, but why won’t they make the decision to do something to help Davis?

That falls on Alderson, not Collins.

A way you determine whether a manager is reaching his players is if they’ll still hustle for him and if he loses his clubhouse, and there’s not enough evidence of either. The captain, Wright, plays hard and is the proper example.

However, keeping Valdespin’s toxic attitude and Davis’ dysfunctional bat could gradually eat away at this team’s psyche. Collins’ lame duck status can also do the same.

If the Mets are to be financially whole after this season and show a willingness to spend to add talent, then Collins should get the opportunity to manage that team. He should get the chance to manage with some degree of talent in his dugout.

In looking at the Mets’ 25-man roster, I only see a handful of players I can say with certainty will be back next year: Wright, Harvey, Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell. I can see Daniel Murphy back, but also dealt in July. I can see somebody else playing shortstop next year. Everybody else I can see gone.

That indicates no core or organizational depth, and that’s not Collins’ fault. Give Collins time with a full deck and then make a decision. It’s not fair to do so otherwise.

Murphy becomes the seventh player to be used in that spot by the Mets this season, joining Ruben Tejada, Jordany Valdespin, Mike Baxter, Collin Cowgill,Justin Turner and Kirk Nieuwenhuis. (ESPN)

Here is what Collins had to say about it:

“I’ll see how it goes. He’s swinging good. He’s swinging great. And we’ve got to get guys on ahead of David Wright.”

“I figured I’d give it a shot and get him up there enough times and maybe he can do some damage.”

Collins said he had given serious thought to batting Murphy leadoff as far back as Spring Training and realizes the team needs some help at that spot in the lineup.

Leadoff men have batted .185 for the Mets this season – worst in the major leagues. Their .255 on-base percentage ranks 29th in MLB.

It’s a double-edged sword for the Mets. Yes, they needed help at the top of the order, but in using Murphy they sacrifice a very hot middle of the order player to do it.

In my ideal lineup, I’d be batting Murphy third and Wright cleanup right now.

As to how long this new experiment lasts, you never can tell with Collins calling the shots.

With the way Ike Davis has been hitting lately, there has been a ton of talk has about sending the slumping lefty down to Triple-A to try and figure things out. With good reason, some are questioning whether or not Davis is the first baseman of the future anymore.

Everyone is chiming in on how to fix the situation. The fixes range from have Lucas Duda playing first base, to moving Daniel Murphy over to first base and calling Wilmer Flores up to play second base. That last option isn’t too bad of an idea, but I would have Jordany Valdespin play second base if I were to go that route — Flores isn’t ready for big league action yet.

The Ike Davis situation doesn’t seem like an easy fix, and the team may do a number of things to try solidify that first base position. If I have to give the Mets credit for anything, it’s that they definitely know how to get creative when positioning players defensively.

But what if Ike Davis isn’t the first baseman of the future? What if he gets sent down and still can’t figure it out? Who do we have on the farm that can potentially fill that void in the coming years? Here is a list of options the Mets have within the organization that could fill that void at first base:

2013 Options

Andrew Brown: Brown has been tearing the cover off the ball with Las Vegas this season. He has primarily been used in the outfield this season, but logged his first game at first base this past Friday night. He was called up for a couple of weeks already this season and played in six games, hitting .200 with one home run for the Mets.

Zach Lutz: Lutz is another option the Mets have, although he has played the majority of his games at third base this season for Las Vegas. Through 35 games this season, Lutz is hitting .260 with four home runs. Lutz is currently on the Mets’ 40-man roster.

Josh Satin: The starting first baseman for Las Vegas is having a very solid 2013 season. He’s batting .303 with six home runs in 38 games with Vegas. Satin would be equivalent offensively to having Daniel Murphy play first base, with slightly more pop.

A less likely option than the three listed above would be Travis d’Arnaud/John Buck. The fractured toe will delay this from happening, but one of the early plans that Terry Collins flirted with was having John Buck play some first base when d’Arnaud got called up to the show. I would love to see both of those guys playing first base to keep them both in the Mets lineup, and it would lessen the rigors of being an everyday major league catcher with them platooning at both positions. With all the injuries d’Arnaud has already suffered before even stepping foot onto a major league field, the Mets would be wise to consider a move like this.

2014 Options

Allan Dykstra: A former first round of the San Diego Padres, Dykstra is having a solid season with Double-A Binghamton this year. He’s a very patient hitter, and while he walks a lot, he also strikes out a bit due to getting into deep counts. This season he has 34 strikeouts in 33 games, but has also walked 26 times. His OBP has been over .400 the past two seasons, but the power numbers have been lacking during those same seasons. This is really his third look at Binghamton (2011, 2012, 2013), and his numbers have been pretty flat across the board except for power, where he has dipped.

Jayce Boyd: Boyd is a really polished college hitter that was drafted by the Mets in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Florida State University. Getting this guy in the sixth round was a steal. His approach to hitting screams major leagues. He’s not going to hit 40 home runs, but he has excellent gap-to-gap power, and he will flat out hit — Mark Grace type of player. This is my pick to be the Mets’ future first baseman. He hasn’t played above A-Ball yet, but what he’s doing is remarkable. This season for Savannah, Boyd is hitting .360, and has walked more times than he struck out (24BB/16K). I doubt Boyd will be with the Mets out of Spring Training next year, but keep your eye on him.

Byrd captured the attention of Mets fans and earned himself a spot on the roster with an incredible spring training, in which he hit .357 with a .965 OPS and a team-leading nine doubles, five more than anyone else on the team. However, once the calender turned and regular season play began, Byrd struggled, and was relegated to a lesser role. He finished the month of April with a .232 batting average and a .759 OPS.

Since May began, Byrd has turned it on at the plate. Despite having a diminished role, Byrd has hit .357 with a  .988 OPS this month along with two home runs in 29 plate appearances.

The reason for Byrd’s decline over the past two seasons (other than just getting a little bit older) may very well be his plate discipline. Byrd, in his best years, was swinging at pitches outside the strike zone somewhere in the range of 29 to 30% of the time. That number has increased to the high-30% range over the past few years. This year, he is swinging at a career high 40.9% of pitches outside the strike zone, but recently, has improved on that dramatically. He stuck out in almost 32% of his plate appearances in April, striking out at least once in almost every game, but has lowered that significantly, to just 24% this month.

Compared to the rest of the outfield recently, Byrd has been by far the best hitter. Here is how he compares to the rest of the outfield this month:

Byrd has been overlooked the entire season, when in reality, he one of the best options the Mets have on the 40-man roster. Remember, not too long ago, Byrd was a reliable 10-15 home run hitter with a .280-.290 batting average, which isn’t great, but it is certainly better than the struggling Mike Baxter.

The most famous No. 1 in Mets’ history has some advice when it comes to the man who is quickly becoming the most infamous No. 1 on the Mets.

“Give the kid a chance,” Mookie Wilson said Friday when discussing Jordany Valdespin. “He is a very spirited kid, very young and has a lot to learn, no question about that. But some things are being blown out of proportion. I think we need to back up and not overanalyze everything.”

That’s what Mookie told Bill Price of the Daily News.

“I do know the kid personally,” said Wilson. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with him for a limited time. I think we need to give everyone an opportunity to explain themselves and what is really happening.”

“They are struggling right now and I think that’s expected when you have young players and players coming in from other organizations. This is similar to what the Mets went through in the early ‘80s. Winning was not a frequent thing, we didn’t see the results of our labor, but in 1983 we were starting to be in games. I see that with the Mets now.”

And the beat goes on…

UPDATE:

Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog writes moments ago:

However, no team can guarantee success, regardless of who they sign, trade for or develop. They can only guarantee that New York’s media will continue to push on a story until it bleeds, because they know it will sell and people will read and listen… which is exactly what we’ve seen this week with this Valdespin and Collins story.

Is he kidding me?

What is going on over there…

Like many quick-fixes, it will not work. Despite Collins’ outburst, firing him is not the answer as it screams panic.

As the appearance is things spiraling out of control, the Mets desperately need to show signs of stability and reiterate the growth process. Sacking the manager does not achieve this goal.General manager Sandy Alderson needs to take several steps to show the fan base there is a plan, and it has to entail more than asking for patience and talking about a supposedly increased payroll after this season.

The first thing Alderson must do is speak out in defense of his manager. Jordany Valdespin isn’t being hung out to dry, it is Collins. Alderson must say Collins is his man and his job is not in jeopardy.

Supporting Collins also entails ridding the Mets of the topic, which set him off in the first place, and that is Valdespin. If Alderson can’t trade Valdespin, whose value is low, then designated him for assignment. Don’t bother sending him down because you don’t want to pollute a farm team with his selfish, punkish attitude. Get rid of him, and if he comes back to bite the Mets in the butt, so be it.

You will notice an immediate cleansing in the clubhouse. The Mets spoke about changing the culture of the franchise, and that should include getting rid of that kind of attitude. One can’t help but notice neither Collins nor Alderson care for Valdespin, and for whatever talent he has, he’s not worth the trouble.

Next, send down Ike Davis and Lucas Duda until they show signs of understanding how to hit. I keep hearing there’s nothing down below that can help. Well, how will they know unless they try?

Clearly, Davis and Duda aren’t getting it done on the major league level and the pressure is only increasing. When they get home, they will hear boos and that won’t help. It will be like Jason Bay all over again, but in two positions.

The Mets aren’t going to make a trade or sign anybody now, so let’s see what is below. If you don’t want to screw with Wilmer Flores changing positions, I understand. But, let’s look at Josh Satin. Or Zach Lutz. Or any Little Leaguer in the Tri-State area. I’m just tired of watching strikeout after strikeout.

Davis shows no signs of patience or understanding of the strike zone and Duda has regressed from a promising start. Maybe these guys are the future, but they certainly aren’t the present. And, it is obvious they aren’t learning anything up here.

Finally, Alderson should flat out say Zack Wheeler is not coming up and it is because of his contract status. We all know about Super Two, so let’s stop the charade. Putting a date on Wheeler will eliminate the distracting groundswell, which has included Wally Backman’s muddying projection.

Collins’ status, Valdespin, Davis, Duda and Wheeler are all distractions that could be eliminated by forceful actions from Alderson.

Just do it.

Daniel Murphy had four hits and Jon Niese pitched a gem as the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 to salvage the final game of the series and avoid the four-game sweep.

The Mets got on the board in the third when Jordany Valdespin ignited a two-run rally with a perfect drag bunt in the third and then scored when the red-hot Murphy lined double to score Spin and then came around to put the Mets up 2-1 after David Wright drove him home with a single to right.

After another double by Murphy in the sixth, the Mets would score two more runs on an RBI-double by Wright and a sac-fly by Lucas Duda. Catcher John Buck broke out of slump with an RBI-single in the eighth for the Mets’ fifth run.

Meanwhile on the mound, the Niese we used to know was back and he was dealing. After allowing 15 runs in his last two starts, Niese worked on his mechanics and rediscovered his fastball and curve, using both pitches to great effect to silence the Cardinals offense. The southpaw tossed 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out three. It was great to see him bounce back and hopefully this is the beginning of something good for Niese.

Niese gave way with two on and one out in the eighth inning, but in came Brandon Lyon, who induced an inning-ending double play to escape any damage. Bobby Parnell closed it out in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.

Ike Davis continues to struggle and went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts to earn the golden sombrero. Davis is hitless in his last 22 at-bats and his batting average is at a four-week low of .157 for the season. Terry Collins says he’s sticking with him.

The Mets now head to Chicago for a weekend series with the Cubs. Matt Harvey will oppose Edwin Jackson in a 2:20 PM matinee. Lets Go Mets!

I was driving in to work and listening to WFAN today, much like I would on any other day. I happened to hear Joe & Evan discussing some quotes from LaTroy Hawkins and Marlon Byrd regarding the incident that took recently place with Jordany Valdespin, when he got hit by a pitch, in what seemed to be a show of revenge from tossing his bat after a home run, in a lopsided loss to the Pirates.

Joe & Evan said that the quotes really give a taste for how much the Mets dislike their teammate, and his immaturity…after reading the quotes, you can be the judge.

Here are the quotes from Hawkins, and a couple of other Mets, from USA Today:

LaTroy Hawkins

“I couldn’t believe he did that, we were all dumbfounded. It was a bonehead thing to do. And to do that against Jose Contreras? He’s old enough to be his father, and one of the nicest guys in the world. What were we supposed to do there? We were down six runs, he hits a home run and he acts like it’s a walk-off. This isn’t Little League.”

“What, now we’re supposed to get into a fight for that? We’re supposed to throw at somebody because he did a bonehead thing? Now, if they throw at him for no reason, that’s a different story. We protect our team. But to do what he did put us in a bad spot, a real bad spot.”

“He showed absolutely no respect. If you’re going to pimp it, you’re going to suffer the consequences. I have no problem defending my teammates, but some things, you just can’t defend against. He’s created a lot of unnecessary tension around here.”

“Sometimes you have to look yourself in the mirror. He’s got to ask himself, ‘What can I do to gain the respect back from my teammates?’ And he’s got to come up with that answer on his own.”

“For some reason, he doesn’t want to do things the right way. He wants to do it the hard way. Hopefully, he’ll figure it out, because he’s got a chance to be a damn good ballplayer.”

Marlon Byrd

“The Pirates did what you were supposed to do. They just sent a message that you don’t do that. We would have done the same thing to another team. Any of the 29 other teams would do the same thing. Anybody around baseball who knows anything about the game knows that’s what’s supposed to happen. It should have been done and over with.”

According to USA Today, Byrd has already counseled Valdespin many times this season.

Terry Collins

“I tried to explain to him that if you were a (expletive) star or a big-time star and you do that, you might get away with it, but we’re getting beat 7-1 with a 12-year veteran on the mound. Come on.”

“I don’t care what the fans think. This is the big leagues. It’s a big-man’s game. I told him, look, it’s not about you. It’s about us. It’s about the team. We’re all trying to teach you a lesson here. We’ll see if he gets it.”

David Wright

“The easiest way to describe this is that it’s stupid. The whole incident is stupid. It’s gotten way too much attention. This thing should have been over, and now it’s turned into a life of its own. To read these reports how we don’t have his back and how we don’t care about him is absolutely ridiculous. It couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s ridiculous.”

David Wright is sticking to his neutral stance, but the other quotes were pretty strong. Even if a teammate does something stupid, you come to their defense. If a teammate makes an error, you pick him up. If he strikes out in a clutch spot, you pat him on the back and tell him we’ll get them next time. If he gets plunked on purpose, you come to his defense, regardless of the events that led up to the plunking.

Updated by Joe D. at 6:30 PM

After making inflammatory remarks against Met fans yesterday that rubbed many people including those in the organization the wrong way, Terry Collins acknowledged that he misspoke and took back some of the things he angrily said about Met fans while a guest on WFAN today.

“The New York fans are maybe the most knowledgeable fans that I’ve ever been around,” Collins told Mike Francesa. “When the question was asked, it pretty much was … Look, as much as I respect everybody’s opinions, it’s my opinion that counts and what’s best for this club. I can’t be influenced by outside people who aren’t here, and that’s pretty much all I meant. Certainly I misused the words. I shouldn’t have said ‘fans.’ I should have just said ‘people.”

“Nobody spends more time with the fans and nobody goes out and does more with the fans than I do,” Collins said. “I respect the fans immensely. I tell everybody that it’s about the fans. I don’t care who you’re a fan of. If you’re a baseball fan, you’re a fan, and certainly I meant no harm, no disrespect to them. We’re doing the best we can to make the right decisions here to get our team better. I hope that’s cleared up.”

In the meantime, while he cleared up that mess there’s still the matter of the Mets losing five straight and 18 of their last 25 games.

How about we quit with all the players in the doghouse, and start giving less playing time to the players in the outhouse?

How about we start managing this team to win and not use games and writing lineup cards as a means to teach certain players lessons?

If you want to get through to someone, why not do it the old fashioned way and just call him into your office and clear the air?

Go win some games for crying out loud.

And if you’re looking for any sympathy from me, you won’t get any.

You’ve been in this game for over 40 years and you are your own worst enemy. We expect more from you!

Original Post 9:00 AM

Terry Collins did what no manager should do, especially one with a career losing record likely to be made a scapegoat for what figures to be the Mets’ fifth consecutive losing season.

Collins, who has been erratic and puzzling on several issues this season, took on the exceedingly frustrated Mets’ fan base Tuesday night, basically calling them clueless and he didn’t care for their perception of his team, which is rapidly falling out of relevance before June.

Not surprisingly, the catalyst for Collins’ anger was the lingering Jordany Valdespin issue. Neither Collins nor general manager Sandy Alderson has been able to get through to Valdespin, and both handled his self-glorifying home run and subsequent beaning poorly.

If the Mets were winning, it would have gone away. Because they are not and in the midst of a stretch that could blow up their season, Valdespin is an issue.

After Valdespin’s homer last Friday in a blowout loss, Collins alluded to the possibility of the temperamental outfielder getting beaned as payback. Collins spoke of baseball’s unwritten code, and how Valdespin’s attitude is the norm and he couldn’t do anything about it.

Basically, he left it up to the Pirates teach his player a lesson, when what he should have done was rip Valdespin’s actions. Collins could have also told Pirates manager Clint Hurdle he would handle Valdespin.

By not doing so, Collins invited the Pirates to throw at his player. After the plunking, Collins pretty much said, “that’s baseball,’’ and Alderson took the same milquetoast approach.

No Met approached Valdespin after his dugout temper tantrum, and only David Wright offered any verbal support. The perception is the Mets don’t have Valdespin’s back, and several nameless quotes say he is universally scorned in the clubhouse.

Collins was asked whether Valdespin is on an island and told reporters in St. Louis: “I don’t answer to fans. They don’t play this game. They have no idea what goes on. They have no idea what goes on in there.

“They have absolutely no idea what it means to be a professional teammate at this level. … I’ll tell you one thing: Jordany knew they were going to throw at him. He knew it. And you’ve got to go take your medicine. That’s part of being a big guy in this league.’’

If Valdespin knew he would get hit – and his reaction suggests he might be oblivious to the baseball code – then why would he put his player in that position?

Telling Hurdle he would handle things might have prevented the rib-banging pitch.

There are varying perceptions of the incident brought on by how Collins and Alderson handled things. Shipping Valdespin’s butt out the next day would have sent a strong message to the Pirates as well as his clubhouse his hot-dogging would not be tolerated.

The perception of that would have been clear and decisive. If nothing else, it would have shown Collins and his front office were in sync.

Instead, Collins put himself in position to handle another question of which its answer could grease the skids on his exit.

“I don’t care what the perception is,’’ Collins said. “All I know is what goes on here. I’ve been doing this for 42 years. I don’t care what anybody on the outside thinks.

“I know how to get it done in the clubhouse. I’ve been doing it a lot longer than a lot of people. He’s fine. He handled it great, I thought, the way he went about it. He went to first base. He didn’t throw his bat any place. … He did it the right way. And now it’s over. Now we move on.’’

Easier said than done, because Valdespin did not handle it the right way. No, he didn’t throw his bat or charge the mound, but he did slam his helmet, which prevents moving on.

Collins then went on to make excuses for Valdespin, saying he had a tough background. He also said Valdespin has to be careful not to alienate his teammates, which might already be the case.

One day, Collins spoke of baseball’s code and another made excuses for his polarizing player. You can’t help but wonder how Valdespin’s teammates might be annoyed by that defense.

Valdespin was not in the lineup Tuesday, and for a team struggling for offense, the perception is clear he’s on the outs. So, why is he still here?

Yes, Collins has been in the game for over 40 years, and in that time one would have thought he would have learned a few things.

One, managers are hired to be fired, so don’t align yourself with a seemingly lost cause like Valdespin, because by the time he gets it, you’ll be gone.

Secondly, this fire keeps on burning because Collins refused to put it out. He knows he could have given a neutral answer with the Cardinals media in the room, then after the session gathered the New York writers into his office for an off-the-record briefing. That way, his ripping the fans never gets out.

Finally, don’t take on the fans, as they always have the last word. That word is “boo,’’ and Collins will hear it loudly if things don’t change fast.

Thoughts from Joe D.

I get emails all day long asking me why don’t we let the story die. My answer to them is that we are not the story. The Mets are the story and we do what we’ve been doing for nine years now, which is to report and debate things as they happen.

Three months ago there were plenty here who told me that it was a non-story when I wrote that there was something amiss between Jordany Valdespin and his teammates in the clubhouse.

I picked up on that during the start of Spring Training when two players came into the clubhouse to find their lockers and said, “Thank god I’m nowhere near Valdespin’s locker.”

“Joe D. you are reading too much into things.”

I commented on the jokes that were made when Valdespin was hit right in the groin and lied on the ground in pain.

Then there was the pie.

All I did is what any rational and reasonable person who reports would do and that was to connect the dots. Rule number one if you are going to follow and report about this team? Take anything and everything you hear from management and their SNY wing with a grain of salt. They are all on the same team – Team Wilpon.

Now it’s a full blown controversy and the only story that anyone is talking about.

How can you hope it goes away when the General Manager only two days ago added more fuel to the fire by saying he wasn’t hung out to dry, and then learning that Valdespin ask out of going to the plate a second time after being plunked the first time. A fact that Collins even admitted to shortly after he ripped into the fans.

The Mets create the stories and it’s on the Mets to stop feeding us the stories, not me. I don’t have the power to keep players, coaches and management from saying things that are better left unsaid. I can fault the players for saying silly and inappropriate things, but when management does it how can you find that to be acceptable and professional behavior.

I agree with Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post regarding Collins who said:

Collins probably knew, as soon as he said this, he shouldn’t have said this. He knows the fastest way to be packing your belongings in boxes — faster than losing games in bunches — is to take on fans. Fans are undefeated. Fans are a franchise’s lifeblood. Fans …

Well, fans allow you to stay relevant, long past your expiration date. I’ve believed, and written, that Collins deserves a full and fair accounting before his time is done here. But Collins has also found trouble in Houston and Anaheim when the losing became too much for him. In both cities, he lost the players, and that’s bad enough (and judging from the listless way the Mets mailed in another game with the Cards last night, 10-4, that may be happening again).

My big concern right now is that the Mets are blind to their own problem. That means nothing is being done to keep more incidents like this one from taking place. The best way to fix a problem is to admit you have one. So far management seems to think everything is hunky-dory when it’s clearly not.

How many dog houses does Terry Collins have and why was Ruben Tejada apparently in one of them last night when the manager decided to scratch him from the starting lineup before last night’s trouncing at the hands of the Cardinals?

That factoid came from Eddie Coleman who is not known for exaggerating the truth and conjuring up false storylines. Eddie is as straight as an arrow.

Is there anyone else residing in these dog houses aside from Jordany Valdespin and Ruben Tejada and when are their parole dates?

I don’t make the stories, I just talk about them and ask the tough questions and am usually the first to do so. Ahh the benefits of having an independent Mets site.

Look, I can give you the same regurgitated stuff you can find on any other Mets blog if that’s what you want. But I try to be different. I like to play devil’s advocate. I enjoy ultra analyzing the things I hear and try to wrap it around a unique post that doesn’t always stay inside the lines.

I could just post everything Adam Rubin reports and make our jobs here easy-peasy, but what do you the reader gain out of that? Where is the uniqueness? Where are the insights? This blog is meant to be the antithesis to MetsBlog and it always has been. That’s never gonna change. We serve hard liquor here.

I know, lets blame batting coach Dave Hudgens and his approach to work the count, be selective, and get a pitch and drive it.

That’s it, his approach is wrong. It is why they are striking out so many times. They are taking, taking, falling behind, and then whiffing. Damn, it’s Hudgens’ fault.

That’s the current analysis of the Mets’ offensive woes and it is nonsense.

There is nothing wrong with the approach, the game plan, if you will. It is fundamental baseball, and it only doesn’t work if you don’t have the hitters with the ability to make it work.

There is nothing wrong in working the count and taking a strike. What IS wrong, is taking that strike if it is a pitch you can drive. This is about pitch selectivity and recognition, and Mets hitters don’t have it.

Remember when Yankees-Red Sox games lasted close to four hours? The approach from both teams was to run up the count. For the Yankees, when they faced Pedro Martinez, the magic number was 100. Once Martinez reached that number he became less effective.

Surprise, surprise, it works that way with all pitchers on a consistent basis. Some games they’ll have the stuff to go long, but usually they’ll break down.

It worked because those teams had hitters capable of recognizing their pitch and reacting. Bernie Williams, Paul O’Neill and Manny Ramirez. The term used is “professional hitter.’’

Trouble is, when you look at the Mets, you don’t find many. David Wright, sure. You can even make a case for Daniel Murphy, but he’s in a dreadful slump, which happens to everybody.

We knew going in Ike Davis and Lucas Duda were strikeout machines. Looking at their roster, so is everybody else.

Of their most-used lineup, only Murphy and Ruben Tejada are projected to finish with less than 100 strikeouts, and their numbers of 93 and 79, respectively, are high for supposed “contact’’ hitters.

For all the talk of John Buck’s hot start, he has come to Earth average-wise and his power numbers have cooled. But, not his strikeouts; on pace for 162.

Here’s the projected numbers for the rest: Wright (106, which is a marked improvement from recent years), Duda (153), Rick Ankiel (154), and Marlon Byrd (139).

Even in his limited at-bats, Jordany Valdespin is on pace to whiff 65 times. Give him full time at-bats and it would be over 100, also.

Given this, then why have an approach of taking pitches?

Answer: Because that gives them the best chance to succeed, if they have the ability to do so.

Early in the year we were thrilled about Duda taking walks and having a high on-base percentage. What went wrong is two-fold: 1) he fell back into bad habits and started chasing, and 2) he didn’t swing when he got his pitch.

Too often, Mets’ hitters still swing at garbage. In fact, they aren’t taking enough. Consider Davis’ last strikeout Sunday against Pittsburgh when he flailed at three pitches outside the zone, either low or away, or both.

If the Mets had a roster of guys such as Wade Boggs or Barry Bonds, who knew how to wait out a pitcher and what to do when he got his pitch, this wouldn’t be an issue.

But, they don’t. They have a roster of guys who aren’t major leaguers.

Pitchers know the Mets are taking, so they adjusted and are throwing down-the-middle strikes early and hard-to-reach strikes late in the count.

If the first pitch is there, swing at it. The approach isn’t about taking until you have two strikes. It is about driving one strike. Sometimes, that’s the only good pitch you’ll get.

Outside of Wright, who is getting better, few Mets know how to protect the plate with two strikes, which is shorten your swing, foul off pitches that are close, and go to the opposite field.

No, the problem isn’t the approach. The problem is a roster of hitters who don’t understand the fundamentals of hitting.

The problem is also general manager Sandy Alderson, who is about the funky stats of Sabermetrics and has settled for a roster of players not able to hit, but oh boy they can walk.

But, the easiest thing to do is blame Hudgens, who after all, is only trying to get his hitters to understand Hitting 101.

Please follow me on Twitter @jdelcos

They criticize me to lower my self esteem but I’m going straight to the top. I was not born to lose.

Original Post 1:00 PM

“Valdespin knew that was coming. I don’t think it’s fair to say that since we didn’t hit one of the Pittsburgh hitters that he doesn’t have a friend. The notion that he was hung out to dry I think is a mistake. I’m not telling you he’s the most popular guy in the clubhouse, but I don’t think he was hung out to dry.”

That was the quote we heard from Mets GM Sandy Alderson when asked about the continuing Jordany Valdespin issue on Mike Francesa’s radio show yesterday.

Today, another new development has come to light according to Andy Martino of The Daily News.

Martino reported that Valdespin tried to “wiggle his way” out of pinch-hitting on Saturday against the Pirates. Valdespin allegedly sent word to trainer Ray Ramirez that he was “unavailable” to pinch-hit in Saturday’s blowout loss, according to Martino’s source who witnessed the dugout incident.

Much to the chagrin of Valdespin’s teammates, Ramirez sent word to Collins. Collins overruled the decision and sent Valdespin up anyway with body armor and an elbow protector.

Half of Alderson’s quote above now makes sense. Valdespin knew the inevitable plunking would occur if he stepped into the box so he tried to escape his fate. To say he wasn’t left out to dry seems like a stretch now with these new elements to the story.

This coverage is beginning to feel like the Casey Anthony trial, but the issue continues to be that Valdespin’s teammates and coaches decided to discipline him vicariously through the Pirates and not internally.

Valdespin has quirks, to put it mildly. He doesn’t play the game to the standards of conventional baseball in America, but this is clearly something he didn’t deserve given the circumstances.

We will be updating you with more information as it pertains to this story as it unfolds.

Thoughts from Joe D.

What have I been saying about this since day one?

Hung out to dry?

You betcha…

Ankiel is expected to be in uniform on Monday night for the Mets and Andrew Brown already has been told he is being dispatched to Triple-A Las Vegas according to Adam Rubin.

Ankiel, 33, was released by the Astros last week after hitting .194 with a .231 OBP in 25 games for the Astros. He also hit five home runs and drove in 11, but had 35 strikeouts and three walks in 65 plate appearances.

Thoughts from Matt Balasis

You may remember Ankiel from Game 2 of  the NLCS against the New York Mets, Ankiel was removed in the first inning after throwing 20 pitches, five of which went to the backstop. Ankiel appeared again in the seventh inning of Game 5 facing four hitters, walking two, and throwing two more wild pitches. The Cardinals lost the series four games to one to the Mets.

Since then Ankiel has more or less reinvented himself as an outfielder with his best season probably coming in 2009 when he hit .264 with 25 home runs and 71 rbi. Since then he’s been primarily a 4^th outfielder used primarily for pop off the bench. Ankiel is of course known for his rifle arm and has often been used late inning defensive replacement in right field with a runner on first.

I’ve always thought it a shame that this guy never figured out how to get back to pitching off a mound. Perhaps letting him pitch from center field might have helped him since his control from there appears to be deadly accurate.

Ankiel is also remembered for having purchased a 12 month supply of HGH with perccriptions signed by Florida physician William Gogan, who provided them through a Palm Beach Gardens clinic called The Health and Rejuvenation Center as reported by the Daily News in 2004. Ankiel was never suspended as HGH wasn’t banned by MLB until 2005.

Ankiel was hitting .194 but had five home runs in 25 games before the Astros released him. Ankiel, 33, could provide some interesting options for a Met team in dire need of outfield help.

The Mets with less than stellar performances from Lucas Duda, Jordany Valdespin, Malon Byrd, Colin Cowgil and Mike Baxter, the Mets could be a fit for the veteran Ankiel. The Met offense has been struggling mightily of late  with a 691 OPS (24th best in baseball. The Mets scored just 14 runs on their recent six-game homestand. It doesn’t get much worse than that.

Updated by Joe D. at 2:30 PM

Just caught this on MetsBlog who seems to have just caught on to what has been a two day debate here:

It almost sounds like Collins put Valdespin in a situation he knew would end up with a hit-by-pitch, maybe in an effort to teach Valdespin a lesson, right? If that’s the case, is that why Valdespin threw a ‘tantrum,’ as fans and media have described it?

Unfortunately, we’ll never know if Collins sent Valdespin up to hit knowing he’d be beaned, in a game down nine runs. And, there is no way to know if his teammates were really indifferent, even though that’s what it looked like. I hope this isn’t the case. I really hope Collins didn’t risk getting a player injured, just so the youngster could learn a lesson. I also hope Terry’s players don’t go on to question his leadership because of it, even if the guys understand his reasoning. In other words, I really hope this just goes away…

Matt, first welcome to the party. Also, you may want to read my post entitled, “This Team Is Fractured”. It has even more insights in it that will help you realize what’s going on.

One thing though, your closing comment, “I really hope this goes away.”

Sitting on one’s hands and saying ten Hail Mary’s is not going to make this go away. It’s Terry Collins who should go away and I believe you know the reason why.

Aren’t you the one who always says, “hope is not a strategy”?

It would be great if we could wish this into the cornfield, but a fractured clubhouse is not just going to go away all by itself. This is not the first time we’ve seen Collins divide a major league clubhouse…

Do you really believe that Valdespin was showing up the Pirates and not Terry Collins when he hit that homer? Watch it again… What do you see…

Do you think Collins didn’t know that bat flip was intended for him and not the Pirates?

Weren’t you right there at the post game?

“I know he’s trying to make a statement because he hasn’t been in the lineup. I know he’s trying to make a statement to everybody what he can do. If he keeps hitting homers, he can stand at home plate all he wants, I guess. As long as they start coming up at the right time.”

Collins sent Valdespin up there to get his just desserts as one of our readers pointed out.

It’s not as unbelievable as it sounds, it’s human nature to want to get even.

Luckily he wasn’t seriously injured.

That said, Valdespin needs some reprimanding, some friendship, some understanding, and some baseball etiquette. That much is also clear.

Original Post May 13, 12:00 PM

They say that the cream always rises to the top. Except of course when you don’t use it and just let it sit around and spoil.

That’s what continues to happen with Jordany Valdespin.

In the latest chapter of the New York soap opera titled “El Dramático,” Valdespin was intentionally hit by a pitch by Pirates reliever Bryan Morris. This stemmed from Valdespin’s prolonged admiration of his 426-foot moonshot into the Pepsi Porch in the latter innings of Friday’s lopsided loss.

It isn’t troubling that Valdespin basked in his bomb on Friday or that he even got hit by a pitch Saturday. What’s troubling is the lack of support from his teammates and the coaching staff.

In the often glorified unwritten rules of baseball, it states that a team is informally granted permission to peg a player if he showboats after a home run. I get that. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but it’s something I’ve learned to accept as a baseball fan.

What bothers me is that no one is there to have his back when it happens. David Wright went on the record after Saturday’s loss and offered a somewhat head-scratching statement about the incident.

“You’ve got guys that support Valdespin, and guys obviously are trying to help him,” Wright said. ”I think toning down some of his flair might be appropriate.”

So what he said is that guys support him, but he should tone it down? I don’t see how publicly concurring with the over-the-top perception of Valdespin is showing support. Wright was dubbed as the team’s captain to begin the season, but I’ve seen little in the way of upholding that title. Sure, he’s produced on the field this season, but as long as Valdespin wears that orange and blue uniform, he deserves the support of every player on that roster. It’s a captain’s job to ensure that.

That leads me to Terry Collins’ management. If there was any speculation as to Collins’ disdain for the Mets’ productive bench player, it seemed to be dispelled Saturday night. With the Mets down 10-1 in the 7th inning, Collins forced Valdespin into the game to receive what he thought Valdespin had coming to him. Sure enough, Valdespin was drilled in the right forearm.

“They threw at him,” Collins said. “I knew they might. It’s part of the game.”

Collins’ rationale was that he didn’t want to burn two bench players by using Mike Baxter. So at the expense of wasting an additional bench player in a bigger blowout than the night before, he threw Valdespin into the fray. The brief moment was a microcosm of the prodigious disconnects between Valdespin and the Mets.

Valdespin went on to “throw a fit” in the dugout after the inning ended according to SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt, who was very boisterous about the incident over Twitter and showed his lack of support for the Mets utility man.

All the tweets to me saying the Mets need to protect Valdespin are lost. All he has to do is take the HBP, move to 1B, and move on (cont)..

— Kevin Burkhardt (@KBurkhardtSNY) May 11, 2013

Throwing a fit in the dugout just shows his lack of understanding of the game….

— Kevin Burkhardt (@KBurkhardtSNY) May 11, 2013

For the most part, I enjoy Burkhardt, but I think he’s the one who’s a little lost. I find it sort of unprofessional to go on the Internet and talk about a Major League baseball player’s lack of understanding. I mean, he did make it to the Major Leagues after all. I’d venture to say he has a pretty firm grasp on the game Kev-o, but thanks for your insight. It’ll be interesting to see Burkhardt’s postgame interview after Valdespin’s next walkoff.

Valdespin refused to address the media about the incident after the game.

If you don’t like the guy, trade him. If you can’t stand a guy for outwardly expressing his emotions on the field, tell him behind closed doors. Don’t make a mockery of him by having him walk the plank on national television and then telling the media he should tone it down. With teammates like that, who needs opponents?

I seem to recall a championship team in 1986 that had copious amounts of player tension. The Mets were also loathed for their frequent curtain calls and arrogant attitudes. That was their identity. Now their identity is the evident lack thereof.

The media circus that has surrounded this team is getting out of hand. I dislike having to spend the first half of the season contributing to this debacle. There are more disconcerting issues on this team.

Jonathon Niese’s consistent struggles are putting more pressure on Matt Harvey to perform. If Harvey doesn’t continue his unimaginable season, the fan base will alienate themselves further from the team. If Harvey does continue and the Mets don’t figure things out offensively, he could grow old of this team and be gone for good. I don’t know how many times you can expect a guy to throw nine innings of one-hit baseball without giving up a run and settle for a no decision. It’s those kinds of games that will make a guy lose interest.

Daniel Murphy is mired in a horrific 9-for-61 slump. He’s been a solid hitter for the Mets and they’re going to need his bat if they want things to get better.

Ike Davis has been so bad that he’s been seeing bench time. When he is playing, he still can’t get it together. Fellow MMO writer John Delcos expressed his feelings on the first baseman’s future:

“Davis’ slow start should definitely cause the Mets to resist the temptation of signing him to a multi-year extension. Davis is hitting a paltry .170 with a .270 on-base percentage. He already has 35 strikeouts with just 17 hits and 13 walks. He has four homers and eight RBI.”

I’ve gone on a little longer than I normally do. I haven’t been a Mets fan as long as many of you who go back to the sixties and seventies, but I can safely say this is the worst state I’ve ever seen this franchise in. What happened in that game ranks up there with Tom Glavine‘s meltdown in 2007 in the way it felt. A real punch in the gut.

It’s hard to tell where the Mets go from here. In all probability, this will be swept under the front office’s Persian rugs instead of being used as a way to band together. The only silver lining is a morbid one. Things can’t get any worse.

With Twitter, Facebook and blogs – both mainstream and otherwise – available throughout the 24/7/365 news cycle, it’s impossible to not transfer that meme to those that cover and watch sports.  On Saturday, Jordany Valdespin took one to the forearm a day after he embarrassingly celebrated a home run during a Pirates blowout win.  What resulted was talk about the validity of Pittsburgh’s Bryan Morris‘ actions, and how the Valdespin’s teammates reacted. Instead of continuing this news “filler,” let me set everyone straight as to what the deal is with Valdespin.

First, Jordany Valdespin is nothing more than a backup player. He isn’t the future, nor is he a clone of Jose Reyes, the answer in the outfield or infield, or some sort of energizer for a slumping offense. He possesses poor plate discipline and is an average defender, at best, at any position. His career MILB on-base percentage was .330. In the big leagues he’s shown even less of a penchant to get on-base with his .287 clip. Even worse, he doesn’t come across as a hard worker or someone that possesses a big league baseball IQ. There is nothing with Valdespin’s process that screams big league starter, much less star. I have my doubts he will stick around since he seems unable to endear himself to any clubhouse throughout his career.

This is not about race. The players dislike Valdespin because of who he is. Think it’s just his current teammates? After a game-winning grand-slam against the Dodgers, former B-Mets reliever Erik Turgeon took to Twitter and shared these nuggets:

“Valdespin with a walk off home run. If you need me I will be in the bathroom throwing up! I have Zero respect for that piece of s***”

“If your shocked that, then you don’t kno bout all that! Happy for the mets wish someone deserving got the hit like Lagares!”

“Tough for me to get Valdespin out when I’m on the same team as him don’t ya think?”

“Evidence ask your favorite guy in the organization who there least favorite guy is”

Who cares what a retired minor league reliever says, right? What about his current teammates, none who seemed upset or enraged that he was plunked on Saturday. There was furor about how John Buck conducted the pie celebration after that very same grand slam. When I asked Buck about it last week his response with a coy smile was telling: “A big walk-off home run deserves a big pie to the face.”

Read from that what you will, but contrite, at least in my opinion, is not the word to use when describing Buck’s comments. Remember, this is the same guy that was suspended in the minors for an undisclosed incident (some speculation is that it was for a Ruben Rivera-type action, read into that what you will), and again this past offseason during winter ball. There is too much smoke around Valdespin’s fire.

On a good team Valdespin provides speed and power off the bench. Those are characteristics that do make him valuable. His clownish behavior is probably overshadowing that right now, making the story more about him than the team. This will be tolerated when someone like R.A. Dickey is winning Cy Young Awards, but rarely so with a borderline big league player. Valdespin embarrassed the Mets this weekend. Take those blue and orange sunglasses off and see what the opponents do to another bad team celebrating a meaningless home run. It reminds me of how the Nationals used to be when they had Anderson Hernandez, Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes: Bad attitude, clownish behavior and, worst of all, a lot of losses.

The shame of it all is Valdespin does have some raw talent. If he took the time to learn from those around him, and put the effort into improving, perhaps there would be hope for better days ahead. Right now, you can’t even get him to take extra batting practice. He consistently never shows up to such events, which is almost sacrilegious on a team that is hitting so poorly; even more damning for a wet behind the ears rookie.

If I were the Mets I would move on from Valdespin ASAP. You probably don’t want to release him as he is too good to be put on the waiver wire. Perhaps there is a minor deal that Alderson can spring for an outfielder. Not a starter or star, but someone that is a bench player, but is a starter on this team due to circumstances. Maybe another team looks at Valdespin’s talent and thinks they can “steal” a future contributor. You never know what you can get if you ask.

Sandy Alderson needs to set the tone and show the club that professionalism and behavior matters to this organization. Ridding the clubhouse of Valdespin won’t turnaround this lost season, but it will be addition by subtraction. You are not losing anything on the field as those late-game home runs are bound to run dry as he makes his way around the league.

I am sure this opinion will stir up debate, however I doubt it’s worth the time.

Those that contribute the least spray the most champagne; they also take up the most space when it comes to the news.

We have the teamwork, to make the dream work?

Jordany Valdespin has his flaws and it has nothing to do with his race. He could be Caucasian, African American, Pacific Islander, doesn’t matter … he’s had trouble with insubordination in virtually every stop on his way to the majors. He picked a fight with Ike Davis and Justin Turner for a prank they had absolutely nothing to do with, he took a silly picture wearing a Marlins cap and put it up on twitter, he is ridiculously full of himself and the fact of the matter is that in no baseball universe is it acceptable to celebrate the way he did when your team is six runs down in the ninth. It just looks bad and makes your teammates look bad.

That Jordany is universally disliked is a given. Word is Teufel can’t stand him and Collins isn’t far behind … Valdespin is stubborn and difficult and he’s been suspended numerous times for his belligerence, most recently in the winter leagues where he ran afoul of his coaching staff …

So lets stop acting like this is some sort of racially motivated conspiracy against a Latino player, or that this somehow reflects a lack of tolerance for his ethnic or cultural predilections. Lagares, Tejada and Familia seem to be doing just fine, as did Reyes who in many ways was far more animated … But Reyes was likeable, and his intent was to have fun and fire up his team. Jose never celebrated a homerun when his team was down a half dozen runs.

Yes Valdespin has a ton of talent, yes he’s probably the best outfield option on the team, yes he’s probably come a long way from his days of getting suspended in the minors, and no this isn’t about his ethnicity or his culture. This is all about Valdespin being Valdespin, a guy who in all likelihood would have a hard time fitting into any major league clubhouse.

As I write this, Valdespin comes up with the Mets down by nine runs and promptly gets plunked … not entirely surprising, still I felt bad for the kid. What was surprising was the reaction on the Mets bench. No support, not even a raised eyebrow. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like that. Most teams have one or two players who are disliked, the 86 Mets had a few, every team has them … but I can’t imagine anyone on the 86 team getting plunked without someone on the Met bench going ballistic. Could still happen here with Valdespin, but I doubt it.

Apparently Valdespin is so disliked that his own teammates don’t seem to mind when the opposing team hits him. As Gary Cohen pointed out, what does that do for team chemistry?

Greg Jeffries had enemies on the Mets but I can’t imagine him getting plunked without some response from the Met bench. I’ll say this, if I were on a team where one of my teammates got hit and there wasn’t so much as a whimper from my dugout I wouldn’t like it. I’d trust my teammates a little bit less for not coming to Valdespin’s support regardless of how unsavory a character he might be. I might even wonder if these same teammates would come to my support.

When I began this piece I intended to conclude on a hopeful note by pointing out that Valdespin has too much talent, that he might benefit from some sort of structured intervention to help him adjust, that he’s still a Met and I hope he can succeed.

People fail to adjust for any number of reasons, anything from difficulty with social pragmatics to personality disorders to actual adjustment issues, but when a single person is so polarizing that an entire team turns it’s back when that person is assaulted — by the opposition no less — you know it’s time to make a change. No one wants to be on a team that betrays it’s own, a team that turns a blind eye when its players are plunked. As much as I may understand how difficult Valdespin might be, I question the entire team a little bit more after today’s pathetic showing.

Maybe Collins needs to go, maybe Valdespin needs to be traded … but there is no way you can have this sort of atmosphere bubbling under the surface of a clubhouse and expect to have teammates who can work together, lift each other up, and help each other succeed.

Personally I think the Pirates wouldn’t have even cared if Collins and the New York Media hadn’t brought the whole thing up the night before … but in the end Valdespin gets plunked and the Mets end up looking like a bunch of cold-hearted pansies who either hate each other so much they don’t care, or don’t care enough to defend their own. Either way it’s bad, really bad.

If I’m Sandy I’m on the phone after this game and I’m seriously evaluating my managerial and coaching alternatives.

The fact that Collins went crying to the press after Friday’s game was shameful. Tackle the problem face to face with the player and today you tell your pitcher to drill the next Pirate batter who comes to the plate.

You don’t admit your player acted poorly and allow your guys to be assaulted and potentially injured because of a bat flip, and because you’re glad it wasn’t David Wright, that’s just stupid. And, if there’s a guy in your clubhouse that inspires that much hatred? Well maybe it’s time to trade him or demote him, or better yet put a manager in place who can actually manage the personalities on his team.

Following the game, “They threw at him. I knew they might.” – TC

And you did nothing Terry? You let your kid get hit, because, he deserved it? That’s some leadership right there.

“I would have been bothered had it been somewhere up in the neck area,” manager Terry Collins said. “If nothing else, he grew by it, and that’s the most beneficial thing that could happen.” – TC.

Yes! Please throw at our players because we don’t have the temerity to teach them how to play the game ourselves … just not at the neck if you don’t mind. See, what’s really important here is that we not show up the other team … we don’t want to upset them while they’re clobbering us and we understand that if we get out of line they’re just doing us a favor when they bean us … it teaches us a lesson … we “grow by it.” So, thank you Pirates.

Unbelievable.

Terry quite probably precipitated the events on Saturday afternoon by bringing attention to the bat flip in the first place, then he did nothing after the kid got drilled in the forearm, didn’t even send a trainer out … mind blowing really. I don’t see anyone on this team running through any walls for this manager any time soon and today’s events certainly won’t help.

The lesson here is somewhere in the fact that this article started out as a critique of Valdespin and was originally going to end with a call for some sort of intervention (because the kid is talented) … then Jordany got drilled and the article turned into something far worse, an indictment of a team that will do nothing when one of it’s young players gets hit.

The problem is that in spite of all of Jordany’s flaws no one deserves to get plunked for flipping a bat — no matter what the player’s shortcomings might be. He’s still a team member, he wears the same colors and you come to his support if the opposition goes after him, I’ve known that since the third grade. So there is something far worse going on here, something missing in the character and resolve and cohesion of this team, something possibly irreparable without some dramatic changes.

Now that I’ve had some time to cool off, I was wondering how the rest of the Mets blogosphere was reacting to Spin-Gate and was surprised to find little to nothing about it on MetsBlog or anywhere else for that matter. Could it be I’m just overreacting? It wouldn’t be the first time…

However I did learn the Mets are recalling reliever Greg Burke because the Mets bullpen is overworked. It’s only May 11th, and already the Mets have made eight different bullpen transactions. I haven’t check other teams, but that sounds like a lot of moves this early in the season. That’s never a good sign.

Meanwhile, the Mets beat writers and columnists are weighing in on the fractured Mets clubhouse.

David Lennon of Newsday writes:.

Jordany Valdespin acted just like everyone expected he would Saturday when Pirates reliever Bryan Morris drilled him on the right forearm with a retaliatory 94-mph fastball.

He carried the bat with him halfway down the first-base line, which always makes for some anxious moments, before flipping it, end over end, toward the Mets dugout. When the seventh inning was over, Valdespin walked down the stairs and angrily rifled his helmet at the rack, a startling display from the volatile utility man.

The Mets’ response afterward was just as predictable.

To say his own teammates and manager were happy about the Pirates using Valdespin as a piñata would be unfair. Instead, let’s put it this way: They certainly didn’t sound upset.

“I would have been bothered had it been somewhere up in the neck area,” manager Terry Collins said. “If nothing else, he grew by it, and that’s the most beneficial thing that could happen.”

It was nice to see such genuine concern from the Mets manager about one of his player’s well-being.

I believe that Terry Collins has lost control of this team and anarchy is quickly setting in. So much so that slumping first baseman Ike Davis also decided to let it all out today and blamed the Mets hitting philosophy for his woes at the plate.

John Harper of the Daily News reported about Davis’ frustration and said that he has openly questioned the Mets’ hitting philosophy of taking pitches and working counts. Davis said, “It’s time to start swinging at first pitch fastballs.”

As I’ve said before, a one size fits all philosophy doesn’t work. To effectively get the most out of your players, one needs to consider each player’s unique skill sets, weaknesses and strengths.

What might work for some, may not always work with others. Ike Davis is a perfect example of that. The former Mets first rounder was very successful long before Dave Hudgens showed up. Clearly, something is amiss.

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York caught up with David Wright and I was waiting all night to see what Wright had to say about this Valdespin situation. Wright was on the on-deck circle when his teammate got thrown at and stood there motionless with a blank stare. After Valdespin jogged to first, Wright struck out to end the inning and the look on his face was priceless as Valdespin rushed ahead of him and slammed his helmet in the dugout and headed down the tunnel to the clubhouse.

“He’s young. He has a lot of flair about him. That’s his personality. And he doesn’t need to change the person that he is. I think toning some of it down might be appropriate. But he gets excited. He hits a home run and it’s exciting. Sometimes your natural reaction is to be excited about that.”

“You have guys that care about Valdy and are always pulling him aside. And he will pull guys aside and ask questions and things. I think he gets somewhat of a bad rap, sometimes unfairly. He’s obviously made some mistakes in the past.”

I didn’t see a lot of guys that cared about him after he got hit, did you?

I had a beer during the game so my judgement could have been clouded. There could have been a lot of care that I simply missed because of my one-beer drunken stupor.

Valdespin, by the way, declined through a team spokesman to speak about today’s drama afterward.

I think Lennon made a good point when he said that as long as Valdespin remains on the 25-man roster and is wearing a Mets uniform, his teammates have to at least pretend to stick up for him. Making fun of Valdespin or ripping him constantly to the media is no way to try to build a winning foundation in Flushing, which is what is supposed to be going on there. Whether Valdespin was in the wrong or not, why should the Mets care how the Pirates feel?

Maybe Valdespin should have never flipped his bat as he did, but as I wrote in my recap, I didn’t believe he was showing up the Pirates at all. I guess I was the only one who saw it and reported it, but Valdespin was glaring into the Mets dugout when he did that. In fact this is what I wrote Friday night:

Funny thing… Almost as if in a moment of defiance, Valdespin looked straight into the Mets dugout, flipped his bat, and rounded the bases with a swagger that screamed – You keep benching me and I’ll keep making you look like the clown prince.

I thought the message was for Terry Collins and NOT the Pirates.

I think Collins knew that and that’s why he “Spinned” the tables on him. You may remember before the game I took issue with Collins ranting about the Pirates potentially throwing at David Wright. He raged on about being on the lookout for Valdespin being retaliated against by the Pirates before the game. And wouldn’t you know it… That’s exactly what happened.

It may be time to get rid of Jordany Valdespin. He’s not wanted here and that has been obvious from when I first started sharing my conspiracy theory about that back in February. I’m not going to get all Andy Martino on you and say any of this has to do with race. It doesn’t.

As I said at the time, the winners in the Mets Spring Training battles wouldn’t be based on performance, but mostly on the fact that Alderson would rather have his guys play than the residue of the last era. That’s his right and his call as the general manager.

Otherwise, how else can you explain the best performer of the spring camp being relegated to the bench?

Unfortunately, they won’t get much for Valdespin if anything at all because the Mets have completely destroyed and demolished any trade value the kid might of had.

If this exciting prospect ever does fulfil his potential, it won’t be with the Mets, and most likely the team won’t have anything to show for him if and when that happens.

“We’ll be back next Sunday because if it’s Sunday, it’s Meet the Press.”

How long have you been coming to this site? Two years? Five years? Nine years?

The Mets lost to the Pirates today by the score of 11-2 and after nine years of writing recaps for this site and being the one responsible for doing so today, all I can do is offer you an apology instead.

I didn’t have a recap in me after this game. I was too angry… I was too disgusted… The team I love is broken…

Regarding the game, all I can tell you is the Mets lost, the game itself was ugly, Niese has had a string of poor starts now, and while there may have been a couple of highlights which I always look for no matter how bad the loss, I couldn’t find one because I was still so upset by what I saw.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Mets already down 10-1, Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Bryan Morris drilled pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin with his first pitch right in the ribs. The Mets knew this was coming because before the game, Mets manager Terry Collins red-flagged the possibility and even added that he feared they might go after David Wright too.

Why, you might ask?

Because the night before, Valdespin hit a deep home run (pictured above) and flipped his bat. By the time he rounded the bases there was an ice-cold high five waiting for him by Ike Davis, but neither were smiling and everyone else in the Mets dugout had their backs to the play almost as if in a group protest.

So what happened today after Valdespin was purposely drilled?

Nothing? The manager or trainer didn’t even come out to see if their player was injured and okay. There wasn’t one raised eyebrow from any of Valdespin’s teammates as he jogged to first base.

Even after the back page news and internet firestorm that Terry created with his comments before the game, not even the home plate umpire did anything like issuing a warning. There was nothing. Only silence. Nothing but that God-awful, disturbing and ghastly sound of silence.

After David Wright struck out to end the inning (pictured above), Valdespin returned to the dugout, he slammed his helmet in the corner, tore off his batting gloves, and everyone in the Mets dugout pretended that Valdespin was invisible. That includes the coaches, the manager and even the newly named captain of the team.

Meanwhile, over on the Pittsburgh side, Morris received a heroes welcome. He was cheered and received high-fives and fist bumps from all his teammates and most notable among them – his manager Clint Hurdle.

This team is fractured.

This team has no leadership.

This team is not a team.

There’s your recap.