Joel Sherman of the New York Post, pops the question and defends Collins, saying:

“It is relatively easy to argue his second-year team had worse talent than his first and this, his third team, has worse talent than his second…That is why I have no idea if Collins is a good manager or not. Showalter would lose big with this team, and so would Tony La Russa and Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel. Or some cloned combo of all of them.”

Sherman draws a comparison between what Collins has been given to work with as compared to the last Mets manager to succeed, Willie Randolph.

“He was given Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Billy Wagner to team with the young Jose Reyes and David Wright and the still-succeeding Tom Glavine. Collins has had the opposite, pretty much — the removal of anything approaching veteran talent from this roster and a bunch of booby prizes put in their place.”

This is about lack of talent, not Collins, he goes onto write. And as I’ve been maintaining since the offseason, Collins will indeed be the sacrificial lamb – that much was true when he was allowed to go into this season as a lame duck manager.

But as Sherman concludes, no Mets manager ever will get a truly fair judgment if Sandy Alderson never figures out how to enrich the talent level of the 25-man roster.

Last week, I wrote how the most frustrating thing about Alderson’s first three years as the Mets’ GM, is that there is not one keeper he brought in on the MLB squad – not one major league player in three seasons.

While we hope the farm is as good and improved as we think it is, ultimately those determinations are only made in the major leagues and not from a prospect ranking list. That’s how it’s always been in the ol’ ball game…

His recent comments where he dismissed the fans view on his handling of the Jordany-gate, although brusque, were not off base. Most fans, bloggers and some members of the media struggle to understand what it takes to manage people, much less lead 25 athletes from diverse backgrounds in the biggest city in the world. From a big picture standpoint calling out the fans gets you nowhere. Why fight a battle that doesn’t help you in the long-run?  The bigger concern isn’t the comments, but the fact that he never sticks to a conviction. I am not in the clubhouse, but my view from the outside is one of a placeholder manager that seems to struggle with his leadership role. You get the feeling the Anaheim mutiny is still in the back of his head. That mindset is not going to move this team forward and create the kind of culture necessary for a sustained winning environment.

For as little talent as ownership (notice I said ownership, not the front office) has provided Collins the last two plus years, you can’t forget how his teams have collapsed under his stewardship. The 2011 team was probably the best of the bunch and they were going south when Alderson pulled the trigger on the Beltran-Wheeler deal. Last June, you couldn’t ask for better karma after the Johan Santana no-hitter and R.A. Dickey’s string of zeros. How did they leverage that? With .280 baseball in July. That was the end of the 2012 Mets who, up to that point, were a feel-good story.

Again, lack of depth on the big league roster and in the minors is largely to blame. None of that is Collins’ fault.What he is accountable for is a failure to live up to anything he says for a sustained period of time. A perfect example is last September after the Phillies drubbed the Mets 16-1 at Citi Field.  Asked after the game if he was embarrassed, Collins said, “I am.” Asked if he thought his team quit, he responded, “You have to ask them.”

One of the biggest issues with the organization has been lack of accountability and a culture of failure. One of the main reasons Collins was hired was to purge that stench from the locker room. If there was ever a defining moment in his tenure it was that night. What did he do with that opportunity? He backtracked the next day after the players took exception to the comments. This leads me to believe that he doesn’t have conviction, control or autonomy. The media can be a useful tool to send messages to a ballclub. Collins did exactly what any skipper should do when their club doesn’t compete; especially when it was their ninth straight loss.

Truthfully, all I need for a manager to succeed in this town is to manage a bullpen, run a clean clubhouse and keep the media appeased so there aren’t any peripheral distractions.  Collins is not a long-term solution at a time where the organization needs to sell the future. Also, if Collins was truly in the plans for 2014 and beyond, why wait to extend his contract at the end of the year? The players know he is dead man walking.

So do you sit back and make this get ugly? That’s where it’s headed after a sixth straight loss last night. If bringing up Zack Wheeler and others is necessary to make the future better, why not do the same with the manager? I believe it’s time to do what should have been done in 2010: Hire Wally Backman.

I believe Backman is the kind of manager that could achieve the aforementioned three criteria that I believe makes for a successful manager. He could be the Mets version of Ron Gardenhire or Mike Scioscia: a manager who defines their current club as much as the uniform. We haven’t seen that type of scenario since Davey Johnson came onboard in 1984. In a lot of ways Backman could have a similar impact.

Backman is known to be a great motivator and teacher. He won’t wave a magic wand and make this 4-A squad a contender, but I guarantee the players will maximize their potential- whatever that may be. He can manage a bullpen, and certainly will run a clean clubhouse. He will demand respect and a winning attitude.  The Mets may not win under Backman, at least not right away, but they will compete. This is not what I can say has been the case 100% of Terry Collins’ tenure.

So why wait? Yesterday Collins again flip-flopped during his weekly WFAN segment with Mike Francesa. After calling out the fans for their criticism of how he handled Valdespin, he retracted and couched his comments in a softer manner. People show their true colors when under pressure. The comments that Collins made a day earlier was how he really feels. I would have respected him more if he stood by it instead of playing politics after the fact – just like he did last September.

Does the team really have a choice? When Francesa asked why he thinks things will get better Collins’ responded by saying the “clubhouse is in great shape.” I am glad to hear that everyone is happy and comfortable with the prospects of a fifth straight losing season.

If hope and dreams is the Terry Collins solution then why don’t we just sign up for magic beans and pixie dust? That isn’t going to help Tejada, Davis, Duda or Niese out of their malaise.  It’s time for something real and sustainable. It’s time for the Wally Backman era to start now.

Where would this team be without Matt Harvey?

Is it safe to say that as of this moment, the only proven and legit core player under the age of 30 this team has is The Dark Knight of Gotham?

I like Jon Niese a lot, but is he a core player? Or just an number three pitcher who plays the role of an ace on a very bad team?

I quickly threw some numbers into a spreadsheet and I can’t believe how appalling the numbers are once you take Harvey out of the equation.

Two of our top three starters have ERA’s of 5.93 for Jon Niese and 6.13 for Dillon Gee. Our number four starter, Jeremy Hefner has got them both beat with a 4.28 ERA. You may recall me saying back in January that he would be a sleeper and best choice for fifth starter? (Hey Alex68, remember this? Underrated????? SMH!!!)

Then you have the pitcher who was supposed to help replace R.A. Dickey‘s innings in Shaun Marcum. The Mets gave marcum a guaranteed $4 million dollars and in return he’s already missed one month and since his debut is averaging 4.1 innings in three starts and has a team worst 8.31 ERA.

Mets pitchers are now officially the worst in the National League and second worst in the Major Leagues. And that’s with Matt Harvey who is in the top five in over a half dozen pitching categories.

That’s kind of embarrassing, wouldn’t you say?

Gee has been the latest starter to deliver an abysmal performance after allowing six runs and nine hits against the Cardinals last night in 4.0 innings.

“I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t even know what to say, really. I didn’t feel all that bad tonight”, said Gee after the game. “Physically I feel great. There’s nothing going on there. I don’t know. I’m kind of lost.”

You don’t say?

Gee and Co. is partly why the Mets bullpen has been as abysmal as it has. They are burning through arms at an unprecedented rate. Six weeks in and already eight transactions related to the bullpen alone. And it’s not as if it was a great bullpen to begin with. It was put together with sticks and Krazy Glue.

So while everyone is piling on when it comes to the Mets offense, the truth of the matter is that this team is quite atrocious on all fronts. Take a look at the evidence:

METS PITCHING RANKINGS

METS HITTING RANKINGS

That stinks to high heaven. It’s a shock to the system to even look at those awful, awful numbers.

I can tell you right now that Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud alone are not going to fix that. In fact I think it’s a sin that those two are being setup for an unfair amount of undue pressure, as if trying to stick in the majors wasn’t already challenging enough.

On Wednesday, Sandy Alderson seemed concerned that Wheeler is being looked upon as some sort of savior and he admitted to Mike Francesa that he wasn’t. But the fact that both he and d’Arnaud will be walking into this disaster is going to be something to behold and I don’t mean that in a good way. I wonder how they will handle it, and God forbid if they don’t produce immediate results and hit the ground running.

The other day on Twitter I tossed out the suggestion of just letting both of them stay at Triple-A and don’t bring them up unless this team turns it around. Losing is contagious. I know you all know that. If this is what those two kids are going to walk into, I’d rather wait and call them up in September.

At least in September they can come up without the pressure of having to carry a team that was poorly constructed. It’s bad enough that Matt Harvey has had to deal with this. I totally feel sorry for that kid. On any other team, but the Mets, Harvey would probably be 8-0 right now.

I don’t know if this is rock bottom, but heaven help us if it isn’t and it continues to get worse.

I only was in the car long enough to hear his opening monologue, but you know what? He was dead on.

Look, Valdespin is a jerk – he’s an immature bench player who constantly finds himself on the wrong side of the headlines. But he’s our immature bench player.

It’s not about race, it’s not about having it out for a kid who doesn’t deserve it – it’s about the entire team being an utter disaster. If somebody wants to inject race into this issue, they are missing the point and doing a disservice to anybody who has ever dealt with real race issues.

You know, everybody wants to pin the failure on Sandy. That’s fine, everybody who hates him will always hate him. But the truth is, Sandy Alderson cannot magically turn Ike Davis, Jon Niese and Lucas Duda into the players we all thought they’d be. He cannot turn Ruben Tejada into a kid who can handle big league pitching when pre-Jose Reyes, Tejada was pegged as the future 2B. So you cannot even use the Reyes dismissal as an excuse. The players have to perform.

I’m sorry but guys like them mean more to the failure of the Mets than guys like Collin Cowgill or Anthony Recker.

The “plan” was that next year could be a big turning point, but that can’t be true when the guys you are counting on are playing in various level of mediocrity. Ike Davis is an embarrassment. He’s not a star 1B, he’s barely a big league 1B and that changes everything. Spare me this idea that come June he’s going to show up again. Too little too late.

Jon Niese is proving he’s a #2 on a bad team, #3 on a good one – and Duda is proving he truly is one dimensional.

You pair that with the fact Terry Collins who I do like mind you, is more of a minor league instructor than a big league manager. His handling of Valdespin was a “teaching moment.” At this level, the education should be complete. The best example of this is – when David Wright would have gotten beaned last year, Collins wouldn’t let him go out there. He said he knew he’d get hit and so he took him out. He did the reverse with Valdespin. Not because Valdespin is Dominican – because he thinks its his job in the major leagues to educate Valdespin and he forgot that this is a big league club and not a collection of kids.

I think Valdespin is an over hyped bench player, but it’s my job as a fan to think that and shake my head at his antics. It’s not the Manager’s or his teammates job.

Who is the most liked Met player in the clubhouse? I truly don’t know – but lets just say it’s Justin Turner. What if the Pirates decided rather than plunk Valdespin, they were going to hit Turner? What would the Mets players have done? Turn and wag a finger at Valdespin or react to the Pirates? In the major leagues when you want to get your point across to a player, you bench him and talk to him. You don’t air your dirty laundry and you certainly don’t send him out to get beaned.

The screams are becoming louder than Wally Backman needs to be the Manager. I love Wally Backman – he’s my favorite all time player because he was my first favorite player. But he is not the guy for this team. The Mets need an outsider. They need somebody who hasn’t been here, who hasn’t been a part of this dark cloud that has hung over the franchise for the last 7 years. I do not know who that is yet. Part of me is hoping that Mike Scioscia is the guy, and the other has me imagining what would happen if Don Mattingly became available.

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.”

An enthusiastic high-five and an ecstatic dugout after Valdespin homers. (Gordon Donovan)

This is getting utterly ridiculous…

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Mets Manager Terry Collins said that he could see the Pirates retaliating against Jordany Valdespin for his admiration of his ninth-inning homer on Friday night, but added that he doesn’t think Pittsburgh would go after David Wright.

“I think every situation is different. I don’t think you retaliate on David Wright,” Collins said.

“You don’t take it out on David Wright. Now will they throw at Valdespin? I have no idea. Fifteen years ago the answer would have been yes. I can’t say that’s going to happen in today’s game. They won the game. I’m sure it’s over with. But, you know, a lot of teams have long memories.”

What is the matter with this guy? Is his brain going soft?

Why even raise the spectre of Wright being beaned in retaliation for Valdespin’s dramatics in the first place?

Still don’t think there’s some kind of agenda here? Every day they only add another log onto the bonfire…

Let’s get the fans to turn on Valdespin by projecting the image of fan favorite David Wright getting beaned because of him…

Great idea…

Of course we all remember how often Gary Carter got beaned when Darryl Strawberry and Lenny Dykstra would do the same thing. Remember all those life-threatening beanballs?

As I wrote in last night’s recap, Valdespin clouted a ninth-inning homer into the second deck in right center and then stared defiantly into the dugout, flipped his bat, and took a quick glance at his blast before trotting around the bases. Good for him…

“When you hit the ball, you got to enjoy your hit,” he said. “Every time I hit the ball, homer or something, I enjoy that. Every hit, I’m enjoying, my family’s enjoying, my friends enjoying.”

During the post-game last night, Collins sighed, grimaced and paused for 30 seconds when asked about Jordany’s home run.

“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 of what he can do. If he keeps homers, he can stand at home plate all he wants, I guess, as long as they keep coming at the right time.”

Regarding his flair, Collins added, “Do I like it? I don’t know if it really matters. I can’t change the game.”

We don’t need to change the game, because this has been going on for over a hundred years. But we do need to change the manager.

“Personally, I think if he has a couple of more starts like his last start he’ll be headed to the big leagues, and rightfully so,” Backman told Las Vegas’ ESPN radio affiliate.

We’ll have our Las Vegas beat writer Rob Silverman on hand Saturday when Wheeler takes the mound against his former teammate Aaron Laffey – now with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes.

In his last two starts, Wheeler has rebounded nicely after a rocky start to his season. In 12.2 innings pitched he’s limited opponents to just one run on eight hits and two walks while striking out twelve.

Overall, the Mets’ top pitching prospect has a 4.00 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in seven starts, and the league is batting .246 against him.

Wheeler believes his turnaround was due to an adjustment he made to his delivery. “I was keeping my shoulder square to the plate, which allows me to have a bit better command,” he told MLB.com. “Before, the command was off, and the mechanics allow me to hit spots a little bitter, sharpens up my pitches.”

Kevin Burkhardt of SNY has been calling for Wheeler’s promotion since the season began and last night he said that if he pitches two more starts like his last two, he will be here. Darling and Cohen both agreed with him and spend about 5-10 minutes of every broadcast this season talking up Wheeler with little to no concern about triggering the extra year of arbitration eligibility for Wheeler.

I actually asked one of SNY’s producers about that last month, to which he said “Wheeler is all most Met fans want to hear about regarding the minors. That’s all they care about.”

It’s been widely reported that June 4th is the cutoff this season for avoiding Super Two eligibility for Wheeler.

A team source told Mike Puma of the NY Post, that “it’s highly unlikely” that Wheeler will be a candidate for promotion to the Mets regardless of the results in his next start.

We’ll be looking forward to speaking with both Backman and Wheeler on Saturday, and as usual we will quickly post a full accounting of his performance when his night is done. We’re all hoping for another solid start as he inches closer and closer to joining Matt Harvey in the Mets rotation.

However, fairness is irrelevant in sports. A manager’s job security always becomes an issue when he has lame duck contractual status and his team has lost six straight games.Losing streaks get everybody edgy, with questions directed to management, in this case, GM Sandy Alderson, who was asked the inevitable by The New York Post.

“That’s not something that has entered my mind or any mind within the organization,’’ Alderson said. “Has it entered the minds of others in the media or what have you? Yes.’’

Well, of course it has. It’s been on the back burner since pitchers-and-catchers in February. And, I don’t think for a second it hasn’t crossed Alderson’s mind, either.

Walter Alston used to work on one-year contracts, but he was Walter Alston and his Dodgers teams were perennial winners. They were an organization that believed in consistency. They were the exception to the rule.

By contrast, Collins manages the Mets, a franchise that last went to the World Series in 2000. Thirteen years later, and they are on their fifth manager. That’s not even three years each, and that’s no stability. While this trend doesn’t suggest good things for Collins, it might work in his favor for at least this summer. If the Mets aren’t going anywhere, there’s no reason to make a change and have owner Fred Wilpon pay two managers.

Bobby Valentine managed that World Series team, but frequently clashed with then GM Steve Phillips – one of four since 2000 – and with his personality wore out his welcome. Art Howe was the polar opposite of Valentine, and that didn’t work, either. I thought Willie Randolph had a chance, but he was hamstrung from the beginning when he wasn’t given full reign to hire his coaches and had to deal with clubhouse spyTony Bernazard, who usurped his authority. Jerry Manuel was overmatched, but that’s what you get when you sack a manager after midnight.

Now there’s Collins, who was brought in by Alderson to clean up the mess. However, Alderson doesn’t have free economic authority to spend, and consequently Collins doesn’t have the pieces. He’s basically a custodian; here to keep things clean.

The pieces he’s been given don’t fit, but here’s the rub, Collins is judged on what he does with those pieces, much like on those cooking shows where the contestants have to make something out of a basket of random ingredients.

“He came into the season without a contract for next year and may not have one for next year through this season,’’ said Alderson, meaning don’t expect an in-season extension. “But as I’ve told him and said before: This isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about how we approach the game and fully taking into account what he has to work with.

“We talk from time to time and the [job status] subject comes up. I’m not trying to avoid the topic. It’s status quo. You go through a tough week and people like to immediately jump to conclusions and start discussing a doomsday scenario. A good first week isn’t necessarily any more of an indication than a bad fourth week.’’

So, there you have it: Collins is the care taker for 2013.

Alderson wants to know more if his roster can work and play nice with each other rather than if it has any talent. He’s telling us – again – that it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, but how you play the game.

Unfortunately, they keep score and results do matter. Major League Baseball isn’t new wave, liberal physical education where everybody gets a prize for showing up.

Winning does matter on this level. Teams pay big money to get players capable of winning and fans pay big money to watch those players.

If the losing continues, attendance will eventually drop as it has every year since Citi Field opened. But, the players will get their money. And, Collins could be out of a job. Not fair, but that’s how they play the game. It is also something Alderson needs to think about concerning his own job status.

Thoughts from Joe D.

While I don’t think any manager can get more out of this team than Terry Collins is — and that is mostly because he’s been dealt a rotten hand by GM Sandy Alderson — I see too many flaws in Collins for me to defend him.

As an in-game strategist I disagree with more than half of the decisions he makes. No manager is perfect, but Collins makes too many bad decisions, many of which have negatively impacted the results of a game.

I thought it was a bad idea to let Collins play this season out as a lame-duck manager. Any of my regular readers know that. I wasn’t worried as much about his status becoming a distraction as much as I was concerned over the impact it would have on Collins as the manager and his decision-making process.

He’s making far too many bad decisions now than at any other time since taking over for Jerry Manuel. I think it’s a result of managing with a monkey on your back or your boss constantly hovering over your shoulder.

I don’t believe Sandy Alderson wants Terry back and that’s fine by me. But it should have been delineated that way before the season began. They could have handled it differently and just announce that this would be Terry’s last season as manager before assuming a new role in the front office. That would have made more sense, avoided all the constant questions, and let Tery and the players breathe a little easier throughout the season.

I got the sense from something David Wright said last week, that he and the team need to perform well because they like Terry and don’t want to let him down. ERRRRRRGGGHHHH. Wrong answer.

Collins has had to manage a team that is unworthy of being called a big market team and attendance has never been worse than this recent three-year run. As bad as the results have been, I doubt Gil Hodges or Davey Johnson could have done better with the same bad outfield, bullpen and backend of the rotation. This isn’t Terry’s mess, it’s Sandy’s mess – and he should be the one responsible for any of the bad results as well as cleaning it up.

Kristie Ackert of the Daily News had a nice piece yesterday about Bobby Parnell and his being the closer of the 2013 New York Mets.

Parnell was called in to close out the ninth on Monday in the series opener against the Marlins and failed to shut the door, leading to a 15-inning affair and an eventual loss. Due to the fact that the Mets young closer threw two innings and 35 pitches, Terry Collins opted for Brandon Lyon to try to stop the bleeding following Jeremy Hefner’s terrific outing. Wednesday, Parnell was out there to slam the door and hand the Mets a hard-fought victory.

Parnell “wasn’t happy” about the decision to not be called in to close on Tuesday but “understood”.

“He’s protecting me and I understand that,” Parnell said.

Collins decided it would be best to err on the side of caution rather than calling on him Tuesday after throwing so many pitches the day prior.

“I am just not gonna blow this guy out,” Collins said. “He had some elbow (issues), nothing serious, but a year ago we did this and his elbow came up sore for a while. It’s just too early.

I completely agree with Collins on his decision not to push it too far with Parnell. It is also nice to see that Parnell understands the fact that his manager is looking out for him long term. Bobby Parnell is the future of this organization out of the ‘pen and there is no reason to overwork him, especially so early in the season.

Hard throwing pitchers such as Parnell put so much force into every pitch, that if overused can cause serious damage. Just look at Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers, who is still recovering from Tommy John surgery. The ability to throw 100+ takes a great deal of energy, and can take a toll on the body. The craft is rare–granted, becoming less rare–and should be used by a manager properly as Collins has, and not abused.

It is good to see that Terry Collins is thinking long-term and not just in this single season. It’s difficult for a manger to not use his best tool out of the bullpen in a key situation like what occurred Tuesday, but what is most important is the future and the longevity of the younger players like Parnell, and I am glad Collins recognizes that.

The study took a considerable sampling of data and integrated a comprehensive review of previous research. It focussed on whether or not replacement managers were able to generate increased output from individual players.

I’d read some reviews of the study prior to actually reading the study itself (waiting for adobe to update), and most of the secondary commentary seemed to take the study’s abstract conclusions and run with them without bothering to look into the text, which appeared, (at least to this reader) to be speckled with disclaimers and reservations. To be fair, numerous readers took issue with the fact that by looking strictly at individual performance the study neglected the ultimate benchmark — winning — which is potentially problematic because winning and individual performance don’t always correlate. By looking strictly at performance, however, you eliminate strength of schedule as a factor, not to mention the impact of injuries, trades, changes in batting order and so on.

The author estimated the impact of managers on player performance using a sample of major-league baseball players from 1980 to 2009, available from Baseball-Databank.org. He estimated Equation 1 using the Baltagi and Wu (1999) random-effects method, which corrects for detected first-order serial correlation.

(1) Performanceiy = γ Manageriy+ β1 League Performancey + β2 Career Performancei + β3 Ageiy + β4 Ageiy2 + θ Parkiy + νi+ εiy

Performance is the individual performance of player i in year y. Manager is a vector of individual manager dummy variables. For hitters, performance is measured using on-base-plus-slugging (OPS), which is a simple metric for measuring how effective a hitter is at producing runs. For pitchers, performance is measured using earned run average (ERA). The coefficients for the dummy variables in vector γ should reflect the impact that individual managers have on player output. League Performance is the league average OPS for hitters and league average ERA for pitchers. The league average controls for fluctuations in run scoring in the leagues may cause deviations in performance across leagues and over time. Career Performance measures the quality of the observed players by averaging the performance of each player over his entire career, which normally spans several managers.

Of the 134 managers in the sample, the estimates for 25 managers are statistically significant at the ten-percent level for hitters. 21 managers are associated with improvement and four managers are associated with a decline. For pitchers, the estimates for 24 managers are statistically significant at the ten-percent level. 15 managers are associated with player improvement and nine managers are associated with a performance decline. Five managers are associated with improvement and decline for both groups; however, in all cases, the managers are associated with the opposite effect for the two groups of players. Thus, no manager is associated with improving performance for both offense and defense.
The results indicate that if managers have some influence on player performance, the impact is small and difficult to identify.

Baseball Between the Numbers, analyst James Click also tried to tease some signs of managerial impact out of statistical record but came up empty. After examining the measurable effect of in-game strategies (bunting, stolen bases, intentional walks), wins and losses relative to run differential, playing time distribution, in-game substitutions (pinch-hitters, relief pitchers, and defensive replacements), and direct impact on player performance (coaching), Click was unable to find evidence of a repeatable skill in any one of those five areas for any of the 456 managers he studied. That is to say that, much like clutch hitting, individual performances varied so much from season to season that the results appeared to be as much the result of chance as anything else.

There was also the 2006 study by James Cliff in which he stated:

“Only six times in thirty-three years has any manager used sacrifice attempts, stolen base attempts, and intentional walks to increase his team’s win expectation over an entire season. Even the best managers cost their team more than a game per season by employing these tactics. At worst they can cost a team three games per season.”

Finally, Chris Jaffe wrote a definitive and comprehensive analysis of Manager competency and effect in his book, Evaluating Baseball’s Managers. A History and Analysis of Performance in the Major Leagues, 1876-2008. (highly recommended). In it he more or less shows that good managers don’t have much of an effect, and even bad managers don’t do as much harm as you might think.

Independent of whatever considerable support the argument that managers don’t matter may have, I still have my reservations. In the first study above, OPS doesn’t correlate with winning as much as several other statistics, namely runs scored, but even more troublesome is one very problematic variable – the unearned run.

Unearned runs are not like other runs, they are the neglected stepchildren of baseball, they are the runt of the litter that nobody wants, they are the ugly babies that the Spartans would throw off a cliff. The problem with unearned runs is that outside of an error here or there, no one is truly accountable for them. Defensive metrics being what they are, a study that looks at changes in offensive output and ERA doesn’t control for runs that cross the plate that are unearned. The unearned run can be a death knell in the late innings. It can also be an indication that defensive alignment isn’t what it should be, fundamental defensive practices may not be in place, and players may simply not be well coached.

Defense appeared to be lumped together as one of many variables affecting ERA. Compounding this problem is the fact that the unearned run may be a direct result of poor defense. This omission renders  an entire competitive dimension (team defense) inconsequential, when any fan can tell you it is not.

You can make a strong argument that while a player can rise to the major leagues on a given set of abilities such as hitting and throwing, defense, perhaps more so than any other aspect of the game, may be a reflection of focus, preparation, and most importantly (for purposes of this argument), effort … These traits are inexorably linked to good coaching. Bear in mind it was defense (among other things) that let the Mets down in the late innings of the series vs. the Marlins. Defense may in fact be the greatest litmus for a manager’s overall effectiveness, but in the end how do you measure a leader’s ability to get his players to “run through walls” for him?

There are countless anecdotal narratives that run contrary to the claim that managers don’t matter — there have been numerous cases where a change has resulted in a dramatic turn-around. Buck Schowalter of the Orioles as recently as 2011 changed his team’s fortunes almost upon his arrival. Could it be that given a manager’s already marginal impact on the field of play (as shown in multiple studies) it takes a really tremendous manager to actually effect a turn-around? Well, if this is true, and it may be, it would undermine the broader argument that manager’s don’t make much of a difference no matter how good (or bad) they may be because it would imply that while most managers are mediocre (which is why broad based studies show a negligible effect) the exceptional ones do make a difference.

In the end we are left with the possibility that a manager’s effect may not be measurable by any conventional analysis. How do you measure inspiration? How do you quantify cohesion? How do you control for that little bit of effort that could be the difference between a run saved and another loss?

As much as Bill James and Nate Silver and others have tried to quantify managerial performance, it is an elusive and ethereal component of the game that is far too complex to pin down with metrics.

I’ve always gotten the sense that Sandy Alderson ascribes to the premise that managers don’t really make much of a difference. Even great managers after all make about as much as a middle reliever. In a baseball landscape where value in wins has become a catchphrase, the numbers people will tell you that the difference between a truly extraordinary manager like a Herzog or a Cox or a Hodges, and an Art Howe is maybe 3 to 5 wins over the course of a season, if that …

My contention nevertheless resides primarily in all those intangible inspirational and interpersonal aspects of the game that numbers can’t speak to, warm fuzzies such as determination, camaraderie, and above all, hope. There is nothing like giving a band of dejected players immersed in patterns of learned helplessness the gift of believing in themselves and in each other. How do you measure that? And yes, that sounds like something only a select few exceptional leaders would be able to pull off.

It’s always been a glaring paradox to me how an organization that in practice may marginalize the role of the manager, will, with the same breath trumpet the importunate significance of a good development program. Your manager, and your development program, are in practice part of the same operational system. In the end, having seen exceptional coaches take rag tag assemblages of high school kids and transform them into champions, I can’t in good conscience ascribe to the notion that coaches, managers, and leaders, don’t play a role in that effort. They matter, but they matter in ways that relate more to the spirit than they do to numbers on the field.

As Vince Lombardi once said:

“The spirit, the will to win and the will to excel – these are the things that endure and these are the qualities that are so much more important than any of the events that occasion them.”

A robot would probably have put in Juan Lagares instead of Collin Cowgill in the late innings last night … That’s because robots are nothing if not logical. Robots don’t go on intuition or hunches, they don’t make bullpen decisions based on their gut … Their guts are wires and blinking lights and oil cans and stuff. Robots don’t have “favorites,” ever.

A robot would not have told Jeurys Familia to walk Solano on a 1 – 2 count. To a robot that would not compute, you’d probably start seeing smoke coming out of the robot’s ears and it’s head would start spinning around if it made a move like that.

A robot manager could also squirt Gatorade directly into players’ mouths and blast them  with super-cold frozen carbon dioxide vapor when it’s real hot out.

Another good thing about Robots is that they wouldn’t get snippy during the postgame press conference for being second guessed neither. A robot also wouldn’t snap at the guy from the New York Post for asking about the weird double switch. See sometimes you get the sense that Terry Collins pulls the double switch because he likes how it looks on a scorecard and makes people think he’s doing his job.

“Yeah, had to pull three double switches tonight, honey… Boy am I bushed.”

A robot would use the double switch only when there was a logical reason for one … like taking out Lucas Duda. A robot would never forget to take Lucas Duda out in the late innings, Lucas Duda’s defensive metrics would be hard wired into the robot’s circuitry, “no hard feelings Lucas … bmeep bmeep bmoop bmoop.” Also, a Robot wouldn’t refuse to play Valdespin because Valdespin is irritating and obnoxious. Robots don’t have feelings, a robot wouldn’t care if Valdespin beats his chest after a triple.

A robot manager could also wax the floor of the dugout during a game.

You could also train a gorilla to be manager. They’ve taught some gorillas to use hand signals you know, how hard could it be? You’d have to get him into a uniform of course … I’m sure a few of Dave Kingman’s old jerseys are still around somewhere. The gorilla could just signal for a bunt with David Wright up and no one on base … He wouldn’t even have to follow the game, you could teach the gorilla six or seven signs and have him randomly use them during the game. So he might call for a triple steal or pull his starter after only one inning. A gorilla also wouldn’t care if Valdespin beats his chest after a triple, he’d probably beat his chest in response. Not only would it be a big improvement over Terry Collins, it would be hugely entertaining, win-win! You might want to equip Hudgens with a deluxe pooper-scooper to take care of any “accidents,” if you go the gorilla route.

Or you could pay a fifth-grader to be the manager. They will often work for candy and gum, and they can be pretty smart, especially the ones who read books and stuff. If the kid yells at Tim McClelland because he fell asleep or maybe had a small stroke between pitches McClelland can’t eject him because the kid would be too young to go unsupervised. I know McClelland is slow to call balls and strikes but I swear there were times last night where he was waiting to see how the batter would react so he could call the opposite, just to screw with the hitters for being so unbelievably awful. I don’t blame him really.

A fifth-grader might even be able to get away with kicking the umpire in the shin. If a fifth grader were running things every baserunner would steal on every pitch. Hitters would swing at everything, the hit and run sign would always be on. Runners would steal home as soon as they got to third base, it would be pure chaos! (The awesome kind not the boring Ike Davis kind.) You could put Dan Warthen in charge of getting the kid cotton candy and hot dogs and bubble gum … the kid might need his own bullpen cart but it’s a small price really …

While history has taught us that the job security of a typical manager is often tenuous, I am genuinely puzzled with respect to this particular case. If the team’s consecutive 4th place finishes under Collins’ guidance are the primary focus of one’s judgment, it would be reasonable to point out that even Joe McCarthy would have had difficulty making trying to make Chicken Marsala out of the chicken feathers that comprised much of the Met roster over that period. When Alderson was brought aboard to reconstruct what had become a dysfunctional franchise, his choice of manager clearly signaled his recognition that a developmentally minded person would best serve his purpose. TC was a natural choice given his position as minor-league field coordinator for the organization as well as his wealth of experience.

Ah, but here lies the point of contention for some: as the organization seems poised to focus more intently on the immediate fortunes of the big league club, some would suggest that Collins’ skills might best be re-deployed. Let him focus on the farm again, and bring in an individual with a greater apparent “win now” approach to give the team the extra nudge it could have used during last year’s mediocre second half. Just how effective any particular managerial ploy would have proven for a team with the myriad weaknesses of last year’s squad is questionable, at best. For all the noise made this off-season regarding the team’s uncertain outfield, one has only to review the numbers of the 2012 corps to realize that outside of Scott Hairston, there was precious little evidence of quality. The same could be said of much of the bullpen and the catching corps, the latter evoking the old comparison to a box of Kleenex – they pop up one at a time, get it?

Yes, there was the shining glory that was R.A. Dickey’s season, David Wright’s tremendous first half and Ike Davis’ big second half, Bobby Parnell’s emergence as a consistent reliever, the remarkable debut of Matt Harvey and the pinch hitting heroics of Mike Baxter and Jordany Valdespin. Alas, these were but isolated positive parts in a generally mediocre whole.  But if one follows the logic of the Alderson plan, such seasons are necessary parts of an organizational transition. Place holders must be used while long term solutions are developed, and the results aren’t always pretty.  Couple this with the observation that the Mets as team played over their heads during the surprising first half and you need to give credit to the manager. No one has ever accused Collins of lacking intensity, but translating it into an effective battle plan on the field requires a broader range of skills. The fact that the team’s level of success fell off significantly after the All Star break should really be viewed as regression to the mean.  With four spots in the lineup taken up by Jason Bay, Andres Torres, one of last year’s catchers and a pitcher, this was never going to be an offense that would score consistently, and with a porous bullpen seemingly springing new leaks by the day, any lead was in constant jeopardy.

The criteria used in judging a manager’s performance goes beyond the team’s won/lost record, of course, but at some point, the focus ultimately comes down to that stat. What has tempered expectations in the past few seasons is the realistic view that a rebuild was necessitated by a confluence of events well beyond the scope of who was writing out the lineup card. Now that the Met organization appears to be emerging from its 4 year malaise, it would stand to reason that fans would begin to get itchy for any move that might hasten the progress toward full-fledged competitiveness.

However, rest assured, when the first stretch of losing play comes in 2013, there will be those who will label the team as “uninspired” or “underperforming” and begin clamoring for the installation of Wally Backman at the helm. While I have no doubt as to the scrappy pedigree of the current Las Vegas manager and sincerely hope he gets his shot at another big league position, I think that Collins is deserving of a chance to help bring the present Mets team he has helped nurture to the next level.

An extension is in order, in my opinion, and the sooner, the better. The fact that the Mets’ brass has chosen to allow TC to enter the season with lame duck status is somewhat understandable due to Sandy Alderson’s admitted concerns regarding last year’s second half fall-off, but as previously mentioned, any review of team statistics during that period could just as well point to culpability on the GM’s part.

I am looking forward to the season, as I do every Met season, but with real expectation of there being a “surprise” team in Flushing that steps up their game in the second half rather than fading.  Realistically, can we assert at this point that the Mets are poised to topple the Nats from their newly won perch atop the division? Probably not, but would an actual flirtation with the Wild Card be completely far-fetched? I don’t think so, at least for a good part of the season.

Given the horses, so to speak, I believe that Terry Collins can guide the ever-developing Mets to success. He has spoken of his own learning curve and development as a leader, and I believe that it is evident in the way he has conducted himself during the past two seasons. So, give him the horses, Sandy, and give him the opportunity to race them. He has earned it.

Howie is a tremendous resource of Mets information and nobody knows the history better than he does. Here is what he had to say on some hot Mets topics and again let me thank Vinny and Tim for participating and winning our Ask Howie contest last week.

Tim asks: Howie, you are a Mets immortal. It looks like Terry Collins won’t be back as a manager in 2014, but I’m sure they will keep him in the organization. Who would you like to see manage the Mets if it’s not Terry?

Thanks, Tim, but you’ve got the wrong guy. Chris Majkowski is the immortal one. I’m not so sure that if the Mets show some progress this year that Terry won’t be back. I hope he returns. He is a fabulous baseball man, so if he’s not back, I hope the Mets find a significant role for him in player development.

For the sake of your scenario, I’m not certain that Sandy Alderson sees Wally Backman as the Mets next manager, but that could change depending on how things go in Las Vegas.

I know this much, most of the guys who have played for Wally at any level really like him and consider him bonafide big league managing material. If it was up to me, I would right a wrong from 40 years ago and hire Whitey Herzog. Somehow, though, considering that he is 81 years old, I have a feeling that ship has sailed.

Vinny asks: If it were your decision, what other numbers should be on that blue wall at Citi Field next to 14, 37, 41 and 42? Thanks, Howie! You’re the best!

Thanks Vinny. I hear you’re pretty good, too. I have always felt that Keith Hernandez should have had his number 17 retired, and many of his former teammates feel the same way. There are  a variety of opinions, though, about whether he should be the first of the 1986 team to be so honored, and whether Dwight Gooden’s number 16 should go first, and then what about Darryl Strawberry’s number 18 and Gary Carter’s number 8? It is not as simple a project as it might seem, but then I have always thought that Jerry Koosman’s number 36 should receive strong consideration. Sooner or later, we might well see number 31 retired for Mike Piazza, but I have been on record since the 1990s supporting this honor for Keith.

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Can you tell us about 2-3 of your most memorable All-Time Mets calls or Mets Moments from your illustrious Mets broadcasting career?

Hi, bro. (I feel like Joe Benigno). Although I have had some memorable (at least to me) calls on television, whenever I think back  to personal broadcast highlights they invariably are from radio. On television you simply punctuate, embellish or narrate. Radio is where you describe and your creative and reportorial skills mesh. The night the Mets clinched the division in 2006 was fun because it was the Mets first division title in 18 years, and when Cliff Floyd caught the fly ball which ended the game, my mind immediately flashed back to Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy making their calls on TV and radio when the Mets clinched first place in 1969.

It’s really not perceptible to the listener, but my voice caught for a split second as the thought of Lindsey and Bob entered my mind and I realized that I had just enjoyed a similarly significant, and for me, emotional moment. Calling the final out of the NLDS against the Dodgers was similarly enjoyable and special, but for me, the final out of Johan Santana’s no hitter is among the small handful of all time personal broadcast highlights. Given the history, I never thought it was going to happen until strike three was securely nestled in Josh Thole’s glove. It will probably be topped by nothing less than a Mets pennant and World Series winning call when and if I am lucky enough to make them.

I always love your stories and was wondering about when you were working with with Bob Murphy. Do you have a memorable Bob Murphy moment that you can share with us?

I have several, a couple of which are outlined in the book. Here are two. In spring training, 1987, I was in a car going from St. Petersburg to Kissimmee during spring training and Bob was driving. I wasn’t paying much attention to the road, but suddenly a car came from the left lane, cut right in front of Murph who was driving in the center lane, and darted into the right lane. I was probably half asleep at the time, but all of a sudden Bob blurted out, “WHOOOAH, HO HO HO!” I half expected the next thing he said to be, “Oh, what a play by Buddy Harrelson.” That was  a surreal moment, considering I had heard him sound like that on the air for 25 years, but this was in his car!

Another was memorable for a different reason. I was never Bob’s regular partner, so I didn’t do all that many games with him. Murph had a tough veneer to crack. He was old school; a marine. You did your job, and you went home, and words of praise were rarely offered. One year, probably just a season or two before he retired, I was doing primarily TV with a sprinkling of radio games. Radio is a completely different art than television, and I was just not comfortable with my ability to do baseball well on the radio at that time. (It’s still very much a work in progress.) Between innings of a game on this day, however, I mumbled something about how unsatisfied I was with the job I was doing, and Murph, who was seated next to me, patted me on the leg and said with a reassuring smile, “You should feel good about your radio (work).”

Now that might not sound like much, but from someone who I had grown up watching and listening to, and who was not often given to complements, that meant the world to me. Those simple words gave me the confidence that I was on the right track.

Howie, you get to see this team day in and day out and never miss a game. You’ve seen the ups and downs over your amazing career. What are you most excited to see in 2013?

I am most excited to see the various components to this organization that will be the foundation of a team that grows into perennial contention. The fastest way to get there, is by developing pitching, and this is where the Mets have their greatest organizational strength.

We’re not just talking about Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, but Rafael Montero could be up before long, and Cory Mazzoni might not be far off, and there’s Domingo Tapia and Jeurys Familia, and behind them Noah Syndergaard and others. Then of course, there’s catcher Travis d’Arnaud, with Wilmer Flores on the way to help offensively. They won’t all be here this year, but as a group, that’s something to feel good about.

Put It In The Book is a treasure trove, packed with all the richness of a half century of Mets baseball as told by the one who chronicled so much of it. When putting this book together, was there a particular recollection that made you smile and warmed your heart as you wrote about it? 

I’m sure it comes across, but anything which recalls 1969  gives me goosebumps to this day. The season was so magical, so unexpected, and to a 15 year old such a tremendous gift, that, as I explain in the book, it’s shaped my career and my life simultaneously. The Mets owned not only New York back then, but the entire baseball world. They were as beloved a champion as any team in any sport at any time. I can’t wait for the time when we can say that again about the New York Mets. The sooner, the better.

Joe D. – Thank you so much for your precious time, and I can’t wait to tune in and listen to you on April 1st.

Howie - My pleasure. I hope you enjoy the book.

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The Daily News summarized what was a series of Mets organizational moves and promotions that took place during the offseason. Most of these moves flew under the radar, but are certainly worth noting. Many of these moves were made without much fanfare or official announcement, but they are in fact completed.

Two and a half years in, and Sandy Alderson continues to structure his organization which is still sort of a hybrid of new people he brought in and holdovers from the Omar Minaya era. Here is how Andy Martino sorts them out:

• John Ricco, Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi remain at the top of Alderson’s chain of command; the recent promotions are for the positions directly underneath the four big cheeses. Here are the moves, courtesy of a major league source:
• Dick Scott, who worked with Ricciardi in Toronto and replaced Terry Collins as minor league field coordinator in late 2010, is now director of player development.
• Adam Fisher, a Minaya-era guy who has continued to have a voice in the Alderson regime, was promoted from manager of baseball operations to director of baseball operations.
• Jon Miller, formerly assistant director of minor league operations, was bumped up to director of minor league operations.  He essentially replaces Adam Wogan, once brought over from Montreal by Minaya, and let go last winter (Wogan is now a scout for the Red Sox).
• T.J. Barra was the minor league video coordinator, and was promoted to manager of minor league operations/baseball information.
• Ian Levin was promoted from coordinator of amateur scouting to manager of baseball analytics.

So there you have it, folks. Lets have a big hand for your 2013 New York Mets Team…

Behind the scenes team, that is.  :-)

Things just keep getting worse and not better on the Johan Santana front.

Andy Martino spoke to more than one team source and the consensus seems to be that Johan Santana will not be ready by Opening Day which totally wipes out Santana’s assertion that “he knows what he’s doing” and everything is okay. “I know the deal, spring training is for training okay!”.

The Mets’ private expectations for Johan Santana’s April 1 availability are even grimmer than their public line of “we’ll see.”  Really, there is almost no chance that Santana avoids the disabled list at the beginning of the season, leaving the Mets in need of at least one additional starting pitcher — especially with Shaun Marcum still waiting to make his second Grapefruit League start.

Despite that, team insiders say it is almost certain that Jeremy Hefner, and not one of the options available outside the organization, will begin the year in the rotation. Other internal choices include Collin McHugh and Jenrry Mejia, but Hefner seems to have the edge.

Will Johan Santana be ready to take the ball on Opening Day?

It certainly doesn’t look that way from my perspective, and Joe D. may be right after all about Hefner who he has said on a few occasions to me, “I bet Heff’s the team’s number five.”

It’s looking like that right now.

More from PSL around 1 PM….

Originally Posted on  3/4 at 11:00 PM

What we have here is a failure to communicate. Or worse, a desire not to communicate.

Apparently, unbeknownst to manager Terry Collins, his veteran left-hander Johan Santana threw off the mound Sunday when the Mets earlier indicated it could be at least ten days before he would do so.ESPN reported this dialogue:

Collins: “What did you get on the mound for?”

Santana: “Because I felt good.”

Collins: “The last thing I need is to have you wake up tomorrow stiff and then we take a huge step backward because you wanted to show everybody you’re OK. I understand what you’re doing, but once in a while you’ve just got to let stuff slide away. You’ve just got to let it roll off your back and move on and get yourself ready.”

From that exchange, Collins was in the dark when Santana took the mound. And, Santana apparently didn’t care enough to follow the rest plan or to tell his manager.

This was amazingly ridiculous on the part of both.

First, as manager, how in the hell did Collins not know? It is a manager’s job to know everything that is going on with his team on all fronts. Everything. Do you think Joe Torre wouldn’t know? Do you think Tony La Russa wouldn’t know?

Secondly, Santana was incredibly selfish and stupid for risking his health just to prove criticism wrong. Pride is one thing, but pride for the sake of proving a meaningless point is simply reckless. If it would do any good, he should be fined. But, there’s nothing the Mets could do on that front that would affect Santana.

Thirdly, where was pitching coach Dan Warthen during all of this? A pitching coach should know at all times the work schedules for his pitchers. Rick Peterson and former pitching coach Guy Conti had it down to how many pitches they threw in the bullpen.

What about bullpen coach Ricky Bones? Ooops, I almost forgot, he was packing for the World Baseball Classic.

The Mets have not yet ruled out Opening Day, which is absurd because Santana would be rushed through no more than four starts when he would normally get six. This is begging for trouble. I can almost hear it now.

Collins is a lame duck manager who didn’t win any points by being unaware of something so important to the Mets. As for Santana, I don’t want to hear anymore about what a pro he is or about being a competitor. A real pro wouldn’t risk his health.

Of course, the perception eventually comes down to is Santana will make $31 million this year, including a buyout, so why should he care?

There’s a reason why the Mets are called amazing, and often it is because of stuff like this.

As GM, Alderson’s job description entails building for the future, and while Collins has nothing guaranteed to him beyond this season, it doesn’t mean the two perspectives can’t co-exist.Collins’ extension will be assured if the Mets have a winning season, but even if they don’t – very possible considering their holes – he could be back in the dugout in 2014, when the spending is supposed to begin.

“Well I think there are two things upon which a manager is evaluated,’’ Alderson said. “One is wins and losses, and the other is the improvement of the players on the team. And regardless of whether you have a veteran-dominated team or a younger team, players have to improve.

“And more importantly, they have to be motivated to improve, and that’s really partly where the manager comes in. I think that Terry will be evaluated on both of those bases, with the understanding that the wins and losses are not an absolute – to some extent they are relative to the talent that we have.’’

And, that talent level is thin, with a patchwork bullpen, questions at all three outfield spots, a new catcher and questions throughout the rotation, including a heavy dependence on Matt Harvey, who has but ten starts in his career.

A lot has to happen for the Mets to surpass last year’s 74 victories. Several times Alderson has spoken on changing the Mets’ culture and it has evolved since the dark days of the Jerry Manuel-Omar Minaya era.

At one point last season the Mets were eight games over .500, but Alderson did nothing to upgrade the franchise at the trade deadline and the summer spiraled out of control as the offense collapsed in the second half.

Collins deserved some responsibility, but in fairness he had little to work with to turn the team around. Alderson takes some of the blame for that, and admits he waited too long.

Even so, Collins can’t afford to lose things this year. He has to maintain the teaching along with motivation.

“So part of this whole analysis is having a good feel for the talent level that we have and the success that we have and how those two correlate, as well as some of the other less tangible aspects of leading a team over 162 games,’’ Alderson said.

Those tangible aspects include keeping the Mets focused and motivated, regardless of how much they skid. If he does that, we’ll see Collins again next year.

On a side note, not too many GM’s are as open and forthcoming with the media as this one is. After our conference call, Joe D. said something to some of us who participated that nobody disagreed with.

“Say what you want about, Sandy,” Joe said. “But one thing I respect him for is that he always gives us a thoughtful, well-detailed and analytic response to our questions.”

Thinking back to the last three general managers the Mets have had before Alderson, Joe is right.

During an interview on WFAN with Mike Francesa, Terry Collins said that Jon Niese would get the Opening Day start if Johan Santana is not ready.

The manager still believes Santana has a chance to make the start, “It’s not doubtful,” Collins said. “If he’s not ready for Game 1, I think he’ll be ready for Game 4.”

Niese, 26, took a big step forward. He became reliable, proved to be durable, and most of all, he improved his performance significantly.

Hopefully Santana will be able to make that start, as we could use his veteran leadership. If not, we are in capable hands with Jonathan Niese.

Contract extensions will be all the buzz this offseason for the Mets.

The team’s only superstars, David Wright and R.A. Dickey, both are coming up on option years, so all the talk has been centered on them agreeing to contract extensions before making any other moves.

But there’s another potential extension that may be discussed this offseason: an extension for manager Terry Collins.

Collins signed a two-year contract in November, 2010 with a third-year option for 2013. Sure enough, even before the 2011 season was through, the Mets exercised Collins’s 2013 option.

Through two seasons in Flushing, Collins has a record of 151-173 with two mediocre-at-best teams. The team finished in fourth place in the NL East both seasons.

At least last year, the Mets had a little bit of firepower with Jose Reyes and a half-season of Carlos Beltran. This year, it was really a team of unproven players other than David Wright.

Maybe Collins’s two seasons didn’t end up so favorably, but there were times during each season that he had the Mets overachieving and playing great baseball. That’s really all you can ask from a manager on a cash-strapped team: getting the most out of his young talent.

Sometimes, the manager takes the blame for all of a team’s problems. Look at Bobby Valentine this year for the Red Sox. Granted, he didn’t always say the right things, but he wasn’t the one on the field underperforming.

But for the Mets, Collins so far has been considered more part of the solution than the problem. Many of the younger players gained a familiarity with him before he became manager, since he was the team’s minor league field coordinator in 2010.

The Mets should consider a multi-year contract extension for Collins, with reasons being two-fold.

First, Collins has earned this extension. Keeping a team of the Mets’ caliber in contention for as long as he did each season is certainly an accomplishment and should be rewarded with a vote of confidence.

Second, managers always seem to perform better when they are not on the hot seat. Rather than worrying about if his job is safe, Collins can focus on putting the 2013 Mets in the best position to win ballgames.

In all likelihood, 2013 will not be the second coming of 1986. But Collins has done enough in his time here to be a part of the next Mets’ playoff run, assuming that is sometime in the next five years when the team may actually have a bit more money to spend.

Once the manager is chosen, the Mets need to switch their focus to importing some talent that could help the ball club next season and beyond.

With Sandy Alderson, J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta, the Mets have put together a sound front office.

Some time early next week, the Mets will make their managerial selection so they can check that off the list.

The off-the-field talent is there, but now it’s time for them to explore ways of turning the Mets back into a winning team.

Let’s take a look at where this team needs improvement and some possible suggestions on how to fix those problems.

With Santana’s status up in the air, the Mets could use a quality starting pitcher. I’ve already made the case for Javier Vazquez, but Matt Cerrone on MetsBlog mentioned Kevin Millwood today. Now I know what you’re thinking: Millwood is even more washed up than Vazquez.

But Citi Field can work to his advantage. He’s a fly ball pitcher who got no run support in Baltimore. Maybe a change of scenery would do him well.

Jon Garland would be another option, but his price tag may be quite hefty after putting up solid numbers last season.

Alderson may have to roll the dice on this one. Former All-Stars Brandon Webb and Ben Sheets are available, but their recent string of injuries could scare him away.

Pelfrey, Dickey and Niese right now are the only definites to the rotation (barring any trades) so at least one if not two starting pitchers are needed.

Looking at the bullpen, Pedro Feliciano may be heading out the door. He’s been our most reliable reliever the last two seasons, and his presence would be missed. Raul Valdes had spurts of greatness last year, but he doesn’t appear to be the answer to the bullpen woes.

K-Rod will likely still close if he’s eligible. That leaves Parnell, Green, Igarashi, Acosta and possibly Pat Misch. Certainly an improvement or two would not hurt here.

Guys like Scott Downs and Brian Fuentes would be good options, but the Mets must be willing to fork up the cash. Trade candidates include Jonathan Papelbon and Jonathan Broxton, but they too will cost significantly.

Around the horn, second base still seems to be one of the only “holes” in the lineup, assuming everyone else is healthy and producing. Personally, I like the idea of a platoon of Daniel Murphy and Ruben Tejada, with Tejada also serving as a late-inning defensive replacement.

Orlando Hudson is available and could provide a spark both offensively and defensively. I’m not sure though if the Mets would pull the trigger on this one.

The team appears to have placed its confidence in Josh Thole behind the dish. However, if they could somehow make a play for Victor Martinez, maybe Thole could become expendable in a trade for a starting pitcher. Highly unlikely but interesting to consider.

If the Mets do trade Carlos Beltran, they would have a hole in right field, with Angel Pagan shifting to center. There are some aging sluggers available on the free agent market, but the Mets should stay away there.

For the bench, the team should consider re-signing Henry Blanco, and Chris Carter has earned his spot. Other than that the Mets need a complete overhaul here, and they may just rely on some of their youngsters (Lucas Duda, Nick Evans, etc.) to fill these spots.

So it looks like the Mets still have much work to do. They will have several months to accomplish at least some of these goals. Good luck Sandy!