So, just how important is the ingredient of clubhouse chemistry to the relative success of a team? My feeling is that the degree of significance is in opposite proportion to the on-field success of the player involved. One former Met whose flinty personality rubbed people the wrong way everywhere he played was Jeff Kent, yet his undeniable offensive prowess (in more ways than one, I guess) led to a HOF-caliber career which included several seasons in the same lineup as Barry Bonds, no paragon of social niceties himself. In retrospect, the Mets trade of Kent for Carlos Baerga was a total clunker as Kent’s level of production exploded to All-Star level just as Baerga’s went into the tank. But at the time, Baerga was an All-Star who was younger than Kent and who carried none of the baggage associated with Kent, whose primary offense in a Met uniform was refusing to participate in a rookie ritual that involved wearing a ridiculous outfit for a team trip.

Team management saw the opportunity to swap a player they saw as having a somewhat negative effect on team harmony for a proven performer and they went for it. History has shown this to be one in a litany of bad trades that Met fans would just as soon forget, but you can’t argue with the logic at the time.  Add to this the fact that Indians management saw nothing wrong with spinning Kent off in the trade that landed him in San Francisco (where stardom followed) and you can’t really jump on poor Joe McIvaine’s case too hard. Once in Giant livery, Kent reeled off a string of tremendous seasons that culminated in arguably one of the greatest careers of any second baseman in MLB history. But he was still regarded as a major-league prick. I guess most teams would have put up with that aspect of his game as long as the rest of it was intact.

Another interesting chapter in the DSM of Metdom involved one Randall K. Myers and wunderkind batsman Gregg Jefferies. Jefferies, as you undoubtedly recall, was perhaps the most heralded Mets hitting prospect ever outside of Darryl Strawberry. Fans were regaled with tales of his incredible switch-hitting talents, honed through a variety of batting drills such as the semi-weird “swinging underwater in a pool” routine that the sports press of the time delighted in recounting. Upon his arrival, young Gregg looked to be the real thing, ripping off an impressive month at the end of the 1988 season and challenging the team to find a way to fit him into the same infield as Howard Johnson, the incumbent at Jefferies preferred position of third base.

After shifting the rookie across the diamond to second, the team received satisfactory offensive performance from him over the next two seasons, including a league leading 40 doubles in 1990. But prior to that campaign, the team had seen fit to trade Myers, a fireballing lefty reliever, to the Reds for his veteran counterpart and future Mets Hall-of-Famer John Franco. Not a terrible swap in retrospect, but at the time many wondered why the Mets would exchange a talent of Myers’ ilk for a player two years older who relied primarily on a deceptive change-up as an out pitch. The role of closer was one that most felt was better served by the blazer of young Randall K., and so inquiries as to the motivation of management with respect to the trade were made.

Revelations were forthcoming to the effect that the clubhouse friction between Myers and Jefferies was such that it was deemed best for all concerned to “keep ‘em separated,” to borrow a song lyric. Jefferies had been noted as being especially fussy about his bats and other equipment, and had garnered a reputation as a bit of a prima donna due to his helmet flinging episodes following strikeouts. Following reports that Myers had conspired with fellow bullpen denizen Roger McDowell to saw several of Jefferies bats in half and perhaps bring the youngster down a peg or two, it was made clear that the front office preferred to remove elements of controversy from the clubhouse. The element chosen was the self-styled cowabunga warrior Myers, a change that management hoped would help the more sensitive Jefferies flourish.  He did, ultimately, making the All-Star team and challenging for a batting title in 1993-for the St. Louis Cardinals. Prior to that, he had been part of the trade package put together to bring Bret Saberhagen to New York after his various peccadilloes had become less bearable in light of his merely competent level of production.

Another notorious bête noire of Met clubhouse history was former first-rounder Lastings Milledge whose escapades are still relatively fresh in the mind of the average Met fan. Now consigned to showing up opponents and teammates in Japan, the young Mr. Milledge arrived in 2006 with a reputation for trouble already established but with his talent still largely a promise of things to come. After two seasons in the Orange and Blue, he was sent packing to Washington for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider, worthy enough role players but lacking any star power of the type hinted at by some aspects of Milledge’s game.  When his potential for stardom failed to materialize after that, he drifted to Pittsburgh, then on to the south side of Chicago before opting for the Far East. Still only 28, he may have finally found himself as a player with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. One can only hope that he has overcome the habits that lead to the posting of the infamous “Know Your Place, Rook” sign in his locker by Met teammate Billy Wagner.

A more unusual aspect of the “player as clubhouse distraction” syndrome was noted during the 2004 and 2005 seasons when Anna Benson, the wife of the contrastingly low-key Met pitcher Kris Benson, arrived on the scene.  The combination of Mrs. Benson’s startlingly frank pronouncements on virtually everything with behavior such as appearing as a va-va-voom version of “Mrs. Claus” at the Met annual Christmas charity function combined to lead to a trade with Baltimore sending her husband out of town after a season and a half. That the male Benson’s apparent talent level was that of an eminently replaceable back-of-rotation starter probably contributed to his exit as well. Had he displayed more in the way of dominant pitching skills, the team’s tolerance for the more “colorful” aspects of his spouse’s persona might have been greater.

So, what of the Mets’ current bad boy? I expect that as long as whatever contributions he makes on the field outweigh the perceived negative effect of his extra-curricular antics, he will stick around. At this point, the team hasn’t done a lot to enhance his trade value anyway.  Considering the organization’s history though, I imagine that if circumstances conspire to raise his baseball value in the estimation of any general manager not named Alderson, he could be on his way somewhere in the relatively near future. Maybe someone will be enticed to take him for a “’Spin?”

While it is conjecture Wright might have done something to aggravate his condition, the question can’t help be asked. Seriously, is winning a game in April worth losing Wright for a period of time? That’s the perception today and considering the Mets’ history in handling injuries, it is warranted.

The Mets played fast and loose with injuries to Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church, Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana and Wright in the past several times only to have it come back to bite them. Perhaps I am being an alarmist, but following the Mets does that to a person.

“I would say it’s better now than it was when I woke up this morning, which is a good thing,’’ Wright told reporters in Miami after the Mets’ 15-inning loss to the Marlins. “So I think the treatment that I got on it during the day helped and was beneficial. I’ll wake up tomorrow and see how it feels. I’d like to play as soon as possible, so we’ll see.’’

That the Mets used Wright when they didn’t have to only indicates the panic mode the team – and manager Terry Collins? – must be in with their losing streak now at five.

The Mets’ heretofore lousy bullpen blew two leads last night. Sure, it is semantics to say Shaun Marcum is a reliever, but he was used in that role. First Bobby Parnell, who had been the Mets’ only reliable reliever, and then Marcum.

Blame the pen if you want, but the Mets went 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position and stranded 26 runners.

Compounding matters, the Mets not only wasted numerous opportunities to win the game, but squandered a Matt Harvey outing, one in which he threw 121 pitches to boot.

The Mets can’t afford to waste games pitched by Harvey and Jon Niese, but that’s what they’ve done the last two times through the rotation with them, winning only Harvey’s no-decision last Wednesday against the Dodgers.

While not as bad as it was for a month stretch last summer, the Mets’ offense is in tatters.

* Ike Davis struck out three more times last night and is on pace to fan 196 times this season. That’s more than once a game. He has more strikeouts (29) than walks (12) and hits (13) combined, and there are no signs of him breaking out of his funk.

* Speaking of funks, after hitting over .300 for most of April, Daniel Murphy is on a 5-for-31 slide (.161 average with only one walk in that span).

* Wright’s on-base percentage is up, but needs to produce more than two homers and 19 RBI.

* Overall, the Mets have scored just ten runs in their last five games, and on the season have scored four or fewer runs in 13 of 25 games. They are averaging 8.5 strikeouts per game.

Thoughts from Joe D.

I guess a five game losing streak is a great time to clear the air. If not now, then when? Is it too early? Sure it’s early. but what does that have to do with some of the bad decisions we’ve been getting recently from Terry Collins? Is there a stat that shows Collins is a better strategist in July than he is in April? Do managers have slumps like players? Or are they just good or God Awful? Excuse me for going with the latter in Terry’s case. Sorry, Skip…

To begin, I think the concept of of bringing in a defensive replacement is lost on him. He substituted Collin Cowgill for Juan Lagares on Sunday and then got burned when Cowgill got a late break, a bad read, and watched a Ryan Howard shot sail over his head for a two-run double. He went with Cowgill again last night against the Marlins and left the better defender Lagares on the bench. On cue, Cowgill misplayed another flyball that translated into a Marlins win come-from-behind win.

And what’s the fascination with career utility outfielder Mike Baxter who has now made defensive miscues in three consecutive games?

Does he know that that the goal of a defensive replacement is to put in the player best equipped to bump your defense and not one who does the complete opposite?

Is someone telling him he HAS to play Cowgill and Baxter? Is it a clause written into their contracts? Because I don’t quite get the fascination – especially for Cowgill. He should be the next outfielder the team cuts and has no use to this team at all - offensively and defensively.

Yesterday, I blasted Collins for how he mishandles the bullpen, is too quick with the hook on starting pitching and then has the nerve to complain about them not going deep during his press conference. Both Jon Niese and Shaun Marcum admitted they wanted to stay in the game and had plenty left in the tank.

This is what happens when you’re a lame duck manager. It’s like trying to get work done while your boss looks over your shoulder. You make more mistakes, you slip up in areas you were once good at, you lose focus. Collins used to have a defender in me, but he looks like a dead man walking to me now.

A sheet of notebook paper, with the words, “Know your place, Rook … signed, your teammates,” was taped over Lastings Milledge’s locker in the Mets’ clubhouse in old RFK Stadium. This, in the late summer in 2006.

The Mets were en route to the playoffs and a veteran laden team was rubbed the wrong way by Milledge’s brashness and arrogance. Then-manager Willie Randolph – who reprimanded Milledge several times that summer – ripped down the sign, but knew he hadn’t ripped away the problem.

The Mets labeled it a misunderstanding, and Randolph called Lastings Milledge “a good kid,’’ but this clearly was not a misunderstanding with a teammate. It was the accumulation of several incidents that rankled several teammates.

This one-time cant-miss prospect was seeing his stock go down and his odds of scratching out a major league career was now just a game of chance like playing online slots.

Milledge burst upon the Mets, hitting over .300, was dazzling on the bases and showed a strong arm. He was going to be the next “fill in the blank.’’ Willie Mays? Roberto Clemente?

However, things quickly cooled after his first career homer, when on his way to the outfield he high-fived fans down the right field line in Shea Stadium. Randolph sensed how the Giants seethed in their dugout, especially since he saw some of his own players do the same.

Randolph reprimanded Milledge on the unwritten laws in baseball, but it didn’t take. There were ground balls he didn’t run out and times he didn’t hustle in the outfield. He was flash with the jewelry swinging wildly on the field, but in the clubhouse he often sat buried in his locker wearing headphones or playing a video game.

He came off as sullen and angry and clearly couldn’t be bothered by getting to know his teammates. Or, a baseball legend for that matter. During spring training then-GM Omar Minaya brought Milledge to the Nationals dugout to meet Frank Robinson, but Milledge was came off as being in-different.

Finally, he arrived in the clubhouse in Philadelphia an hour before a day game. Although it was early, the veterans made it in on time. David Wright had enough when Milledge strolled in with sunglasses and an iPod as if he owned the place and told him this wasn’t acceptable.

Wright wouldn’t belabor the issue Opening Day, only managing to say “seniority is big in this game,’’ which is the politically-correct translation for Milledge hadn’t earned his stripes.

Milledge popped into my consciousness today when I learned it was his 28^th birthday, an age when he should be in the prime of his career. Instead, Milledge is one of hundreds of baseball prospects given the label of “can’t miss, but eventually did.’’

Seven years ago – the career lifetime of a select few – the Mets had three prized outfield prospects in Milledge, Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. One by one they arrived, fizzled to the point of exasperation and were traded. Not one of them hustled like journeyman outfielder Collin Cowgill.

After turning down several proposals for Manny Ramirez, the Mets eventually traded Milledge to Washington as part of a trade that brought Ryan Church – he of the concussion fiasco – and catcher Brian Schneider. Milledge had his coffee to go with Washington, then Pittsburgh and finally the White Sox before heading to Japan. Milledge had his head-scratching moments in each place, but basically stopped hitting.

At 28, Milledge is still young. It’s about discipline in Japan and if Milledge comes back with a changed attitude perhaps he’ll get another chance. It’s a long way to Japan, and perhaps an even longer route back to the major leagues.

So sometimes I feel disconnected and rely on friends or my dad to fill me in on things.  I also noticed that anyone outside of New York thinks of the Yankees first and the Mets as an after-thought.  I realize it’s been this way for decades, but I don’t think I realized it as much until I left New York.

Lately, too, it’s been worse than ever.  Since the Mets’ two collapses in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and since the injury plague of 2009, it’s almost like the Mets have become a joke to everyone else’s fans.

I remember going to my gym here in Nashville last year, and my trainer introducing me to another member and former Cincinnati Reds pitcher.  At that point it was like May and the Mets were not looking good (before all the injuries hit).  So I asked this guy if he could tell me what was wrong with the Mets.  Instead of offering an answer, he just kind of chuckled.  I don’t know if that’s because he didn’t know the answer, or because, well, the Mets have become the Phillies’ and Yankees’ punching bag.

This week I was e-mailing with a fellow colleague in the music business, and we were talking about the NL East.  I’m a Mets fan, he’s a Braves fan.  But the first thing he says when I tell him I’m a Mets fan is this…”Ha, Jeff Francouer.”  That’s right, “ha.” Of course, I can counter with “Ha, Ryan Church.”

On the other hand, another music writer I know who is an avid baseball fan said he thinks the Mets have a “scary” lineup, and he meant that in a positive way.

Still, the Mets seem to get no love in the national press, and with the Yankees winning it all and the Phillies winning it all the year before, we continue to wallow in red-headed-step-child-edness.  Or something.  Boy, do we ever need to start winning again and reverse this trend.  I hope it’s before my two year old boy starts rooting for the team with me.

Church, 31, hit .273 with four home runs and 40 RBI’s while splitting time as a member of both the Mets and Braves last season.

This news is somewhat surprising as it was rumored for weeks that the Pirates were looking to sign another free agent outfielder by the name of Rick Ankiel.

However, as Kovacevic notes that Ankiel’s agent, Scott Boras, is still touting his client as a starting outfielder.

Last season, Ankiel hit for a dismal .231 average and hit only 11 home runs, which is nearly half the amount he hit in 2008 (25).

While Ankiel may have a more powerful bat, the Pirates do not want to put themselves in a position of having to block one of their top prospects, Jose Tabata, when he gets called up from the minor leagues.

I think Ryan Church would be a solid pickup for any team, especially for the role of a reserve outfielder. He brings to the table a strong arm for the outfield and a bat that could potentially hit 20 home runs.

Moments ago in a press conference, Mets general manager Omar Minaya announced that they have traded rightfielder Ryan Church to the Atlanta Braves for rightfielder Jeff Francoeur.

It was no secret that Church was on the outs as I have frequently pointed out this season, so this shouldn’t come as a big surprise to readers of this blog.

It’s interesting to note that Francoeur was in the same kind of situation in Atlanta, and was frequently in Bobby Cox’s dog house.

It looks like an even swap on the surface as both are strong defenders but I would argue that the Mets clearly got themselves a potential star in Jeff Francoeur.

I don’t know if this qualifies as a shakeup as they are tooting on SNY, but it’s quite a nice haul for the Mets and hopefully Francoeur can fit right in and provide some pop out of rightfield.

Francoeur was batting .250 with 5 homeruns and 35 RBIs. He has a very underwhelming .634 OPS. That said, he is just 25 years old so there might be some upside. Francoeur is expected to be in the lineup on Saturday.

The trade seems like a swap of similar type players in desperate need of a change of scenery. But the Mets are getting a ton of potential in Francoeur who is young, plays gold glove defense, and has tremendous offensive potential. Since his major league debut on July 7, 2005, Francoeur has recorded 65 assists, the most in the majors during that time frame.

Francoeur hit .293 with 19 homers and 105 RBIs in 2007, but slumped badly last year and was sent to the minors, a move that he found embarrassing. Francoeur recently was benched for three games by Atlanta manager Bobby Cox.

This may not really change the complexion of the team on the surface, but it’s a subtle change that could have a great ripple effect in the Mets clubhouse as we finally get that fiery type player we haven’t had since we parted ways with Paul Lo Duca. Hopefully, his presence will recharge the team and have a positive effect on David Wright who is being crushed by the pressure of having to carry this team on his own.

Francoeur is also a grinder who will play everyday and is never hurt. Haven’t we been crying for a player like this for over two years now?

I understand that the Mets are still basically in the same situation as they were this morning, but maybe this is the start of something big and a precursor for more moves.

Does this move open up the idea of including F-Mart in another deal?

You heard it here first…

Welcome to New York Jeff Francoeur!

]]> http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/07/jeff-francoeur-is-a-met-are-more-moves-coming.html/feed 54 http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/07/mets-move-church-but-was-this-what-fans-prayed-for.html http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/07/mets-move-church-but-was-this-what-fans-prayed-for.html#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:13:06 +0000 Former Writers http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=8408 Quick and to the point:

I don’t understand the trade. We didn’t gain anything better than what we gave away. The Braves may have needed a center fielder, which Church can be, but the Mets certainly didn’t need a right fielder, which Church was.

As Gary Cohen put it,

“A one-on-one deal, an outfielder for an outfielder, in the same division …”

If you ask me, both organizations got rid of guys their managers didn’t like. This deal wasn’t necessarily about either team benefitting or gaining anything on the field. Francoeur may be younger than Church, but other than that, I see no big “wow” factor here.

Fans will certainly miss Ryan Church, but I’m sure they would have been willing to give him up if the deal made sense. To me, this was an even swap.

Best of luck to Ryan Church in Atlanta … welcome to New York Jeff Francoeur.

]]> http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/07/mets-move-church-but-was-this-what-fans-prayed-for.html/feed 15 http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/07/ghosts-of-pnc-park-exorcised-mets-win-9-8.html http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/07/ghosts-of-pnc-park-exorcised-mets-win-9-8.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:52:22 +0000 Ed Leyro http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=7866

The last time the Mets were in Pittsburgh, I wrote a piece about PNC Park having similar effects to the Mets as Atlanta’s Turner Field once had, and to an effect, still has.  Over the past few years, PNC Park had become a house of horrors for the Mets.  They failed to clinch the division title there in 2006, they suffered repeated late-inning setbacks there and earlier this season, the Pirates won all three games played there, with a fourth game being rained out and made up today.

Before today’s game, the Mets were 6-10 in Pittsburgh since 2005.  Early on, today’s game appeared to be the latest in a long string of losses at PNC Park, as the Mets fell behind 5-0 after three innings of play.  Tim Redding was ineffective, being charged with all five runs in only 2 1/3 innings of work, raising his ERA to a bloated 6.99.  The final blow came when Pirates catcher Robinzon Diaz launched a double off the left field wall in the deepest part of the ballpark.  Pat Misch was called in to relieve Redding and all seemed lost for the Mets.  But then, the Ghostbusters were called in.  Although they hadn’t done so in quite a while, the Mets players crossed streams with their bats and put together a rally.  They scored eight runs over the next three innings to take an 8-5 lead and the day appeared to be saved.  Unfortunately, not even Frankie could make them relax today.

The Pirates had chipped away at the Mets’ lead by scoring a run in the seventh inning to make the score 8-6.  That was still the score when Frankie Rodriguez entered the game in the ninth inning.  An infield hit by pinch hitter Freddy Sanchez brought up the tying run to the plate in the form of Adam LaRoche.  He proceeded to tie the game with a long bomb to right field, sliming Frankie and the Mets and appearing to perpetuate the notion that the Mets were cursed at PNC Park.  After two more hits put the winning run 90 feet away, Frankie settled down and retired Brandon Moss on a liner to Luis Castillo.

In came the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in the form of Matt Capps.  He was looking tough, throwing strikes and retiring the first two batters.  He had two strikes on a member of the Three Fernandos (Tatis) before drilling him near his left kidney. (Ouchie!)  Tatis shook away the pain and stole second base, setting up another RBI situation for Ryan Church.  As he was supposed to do, Church defeated the demons of PNC Park by lining a base hit to center field, scoring Tatis when the ball was overthrown by centerfielder Andrew McCutchen.

With only Bobby Parnell available to him, Jerry Manuel opted to stay with Frankie Rodriguez to pitch the tenth inning.  His confidence in his closer was rewarded when Frankie pitched a 1-2-3 tenth inning, giving the Mets a thrilling 9-8 victory before trekking across the state of Pennsylvania to Philadelphia for their crucial three-game series with the Phillies this holiday weekend.  Coupled with the Phillies’ 5-2 loss to the Braves tonight, the Mets now find themselves only one game behind the first place Phillies and Marlins, who are tied atop the National League East.

The Ghostbusters were able to save the day today.  The bats came alive and although he suffered a small setback in the ninth inning, Frankie recovered quickly and made short work of the Pirates in the tenth.  The PNC Park Poltergeists were vanquished for today.  All good movies end up with sequels made.  Let’s hope this sequel involves exorcising the Phillies next.

Before you start throwing things at me, hear me out.  I know we’re only a few games out of first place in a suddenly mediocre division, but it’s almost looking like we WILL have to win the division to make the playoffs, because in the wild card race, the Mets are looking up at the Marlins, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants and Rockies.  And let’s face it, we are not better than the Phillies.  Two September collapses have given way to a season that’s a few losses away from being a complete disaster; K-Rod and Putz being the only real moves Omar Minaya made this past winter.  What I’m saying is, it doesn’t look like this group is going to get it done, no matter who we have coming off the disabled list. 

This Mets team is getting old, and we’re getting old waiting for them to bring us another championship, or even playoff appearance. 

Is it really all that extreme to start thinking like those Marlins teams that had fire sales?  What kind of prospects can we get for Santana, Wright, Beltran, Reyes, Church, Castillo, Sheffield, Putz and even K-Rod?  How much worse can we do by trotting out Martinez, Murphy, Evans and Santos every day? 

I’m just sick of the overpriced and underachieving product this team puts on the field.  Injuries are a fact of life, but little league blunders night after night by a major league team shouldn’t be.

Omar Minaya did an awesome job rebuilding the bullpen by adding JJ Putz and Frankie Rodriguez. The Mets offense had no problems hanging crooked numbers on the scoreboard. This was going to be our year. Then the injury plague came.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought Reyes, Delgado and Beltran would all be on the DL at the same time! Even the most optimistic fan has got to admit the Mets have a lot of problems here. Sure there are still about 100 games to go, and sure its way to early to toss in towel. What this entry deals with are what I think are some of the interesting story lines we have to follow this season.

Firstly we should be concerned about how well the players who are currently on the DL perform when they come back.

Will Reyes injured leg bother him all season?

Will Delgado be able to hit the way he did before he went down?

How will Maine and Ollie do?

Does Ollie go to the pen when he comes back?

Of the currently healthy guys there are also some interesting stories. Will the legend of Omir Santos continue to grow?

Is Daniel Murphy going to be the first baseman of the future? Will Murphy start hitting again?

Will David Wright become the first Met ever to win the NL batting crown?

What about left field? Who is going to be the “regular” left fielder? Will Fernando Martinez make the most of this great chance he’s been given? What about Ryan Church? Can he stay healthy? Will he return to being the doubles machine he was with the Nationals?

Besides K-Rod, who will emerge as a force from the bullpen?

These are just a few things Met fans need to consider while we wait for the team to get healthy again.

I’m not ready to give up on the 2009 season, but it also doesn’t hurt to look toward the future.

Carlos Beltran is a real gamer (I proposed trading him a month ago because the returning bounty would fill several holes, but I agree with a post who called me “insane” ). He’s hurting right now. (scheduled for a MRI Monday). His knee barks loud when he has to put on the breaks. His diving catch yesterday, that saved two runs, is probably less painful than pulling up in the outfield or on the base paths.

With the team treading water, and the rash of injuries, Jerry Manuel can’t afford to rest Beltran. But, he may have no choice, or risk losing him for an extended period.

When I used to interview players in the clubhouse at Shea, because of the close proximity of the lockers, eavesdropping players would often chime in with a woof that added color to my stories. However, with the vastness of the new digs, a conversation becomes a very private affair. Moreover, with the off-limits section of the clubhouse, replete with pool table, and spa-like hot tubs, etc, many players are no where to be found before or after games.

Great, another obstacle to overcome to garner quotes. Fans want to hear from the players, but how can the reporters gather their precious quotes when the players are not accessible? Add the Jay Horowitz factor (Mets longtime PR man), whose favorite word is the same as Jim Carrey’s “NO,” and you have to be creative and dig to get the word out to the fans.

Nevertheless, we all have our burdens, and when you talk to a guy like Omir Santos, it makes it all worthwhile. He appreciates every minute he dresses in a major league clubhouse. His eyes light up when he talks about being a Met. Add Fernando Tatis to the list of players who “get it.” Both take nothing for granted about the game and life.

On the other end of the spectrum is Ryan Church. He could use a puppy because he has no friends in the Mets clubhouse. He sits alone, mopes alone, and leaves the park alone. Maybe because his body language screams, “get me out of here.” He reminds me of Dave Kingman, who was a fierce loner, that rarely interacted with his teammates or the writers ( unless he was delivering a put-down or a dead rodent).

From the Rays side, there were more clubhouse attendants roaming inside than media. There was an intimate gathering inside Joe Maddon’s office pregame, and speaking to him you realize how sharp this guy is. By the way, Maddon had a stack of printouts on his desk, seemingly for every situation available. Makes me think Davey Johnson was ahead of his time.

Steve Henderson, the hitting coach, and former Mets outfielder, was lamenting about Shea’s demise. He did remark that Citi Field is a “sweet park,” and still fondly recalls his Mets career. “I will never forget how the fans treated me, and the opportunity that the (Seaver) trade gave me. To this day, I still call him, ‘Mr Seaver,’ because if it wasn’t for him I might have never made it to the big leagues.”

Something tells me Hendu would have made it regardless. However, at the time of the infamous “Deadline Massacre” of June 1977 he was toiling in the minors at Indianapolis, teammates with Dan Norman, who also came over from the Reds (and Doug Flynn and Pat Zachry).

(If anyone wants to know what became of Norman, just ask and I’ll tell you. Just seeing if anyone is out there!) Henderson hit one of the most dramatic home runs in Mets history-in 1980, a two out three run walk-off against the Giants’ Allen Ripley, believe it or not. The ball landed in the Mets pen and I watched the majestic flight from the right-field boxes. My voice box never recovered!

Anyone remember it?

Talking to Ben Zobrist, the Ray’s utility man, who only four years ago was a Troy, NY Valley Cat of the NY Penn league, was a pleasure. A highly religious young man whose enthusiasm is infectious has come into his own this season with 15 home runs and leads the AL in slugging %. He blasted an insurance homer off Sean Green for good measure in the 9th. On Friday night he hit several shots that were run down by Beltran and he laughed at the prospect of playing 81 games in the cavernous park.

Speaking of home runs that required a tape measure, or more aptly, a GPS, Carlos Pena’s home run Saturday is still in orbit. I told him they were “able to show a double feature on that flight,” and he smiled in appreciation.

If the Phillies keep losing this could turn out to be 1973 all over again (Mets won it one game over .500).

Ouch!

That’s right, sacrifice an out, and leave it up to the next guy. Maybe that is why you won’t see him and Jerry Manuel having breakfast on the road together. Finally, he has the propensity of committing the bonehead play, ie., dropping a fly ball or sidestepping a bag. His career has already peaked and the Mets would dump him in a New York minute if only they could receive that coveted bag of balls in exchange.

The point here, my friends, is the Mets are not only battling injuries that have crippled the offense, but the supporting cast has hardly put forth the performances to warrant Academy Award nominations. However, they do rank high on the blooper reels (see Church and Luis Castillo).

Church’s production has been anemic this year along with catcher Brien Schneider’s.

Moreover, why does Schneider always get a pass when the woes of the offense are probed? Maybe because he was hired to handle a young pitching staff and be a stellar defender, but can’t outhit Alyssa Milano. His receiving skills may be the most overrated aspect of his putrid game. Call him “Teflon” Brian.

You include the offensively challenged “Schneid” to a lineup that has Church, a couple of banjo hitters (Cora and Castillo) and the pitcher, thus the automatic out wheel is spinning off it’s axis.

(I’d add Daniel Murphy to the burgeoning list of incompetence but patience is a virtue with young players. Nevertheless, the shaky first baseman is bucking for a seat on the Number 7 Out-Express).

Basically, there are two and a half guys hitting on this ballclub: David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Castillo (1/2 and ever so softly).

Gary Sheffield just has to flash his AARP card and he’s exonerated (but he does provide the long ball). Alex Cora a fill-in, Fernando Tatis resting on his laurels of Comeback Player of the Year honors (but now eligible for Un-Comeback Player of the Year), and Omir Santos, playing with the house’s money.

Fernando Martinez needs to be sent down-he’s overmatched, and there you have your 2009 NY Mets.

I don’t have the energy to delve into the rising pitching woes. All I can add is this: Johan Santana is our last line of defense from the Washington Nationals.

Quite frankly, the next month of games is going to make or break this Mets’ team, and show us all what they are made of.  I like how it started last night, with Johan absolutely fierce despite not having his best stuff.  Wright, Beltran and Church delivered homers when there had been a power drought.  And as for Johan, he ignored a bunt sign and drove in the tying run with a double down the right field line, and he also made a stunning catch of a wicked liner off the bat of Shane Victorino, doubling Eric Bruntlett off first to end the Phillies’ half of the 7^th.  He was pissed when Jerry Manuel yanked him in the 8^th—he was saying “I’m a Man!” and I could also make this out: “I’ll give you the ball, but I don’t agree with you.”  Good for him….who would want our ace to have any other attitude?

There was also a horrible call in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Church hit a rocket that was fielded by Ryan Howard as Fernando Tatis broke for the plate (with no outs, mind you) and Howard threw him out at the plate.  But wait…..umpire Lance Barksdale blew that call about as bad as you can blow a call.  Tatis slid under the tag of catcher Carlos Ruiz, but not only that, Ruiz was bobbling the ball!  I have no idea why Tatis, nor Jerry Manuel, didn’t get in Barksdale’s face.  Even David Wright could be seen in the dugout trying to convince Manuel to do that.  Luckily, that was the same inning Santana doubled home the tying run, so it didn’t decide the game.  But still…..I’m pissed about that call, and the Mets and their fans should be too.

So Game 1 goes to the Mets, and it brought them to within two games of the Phillies.  We need at least one more win in the series to make a statement, but wouldn’t a sweep really be nice?  I won’t get greedy, and I’m just excited for more playoff-style baseball for the next month.  Let’s go Mets!

Last night, baseballs were flying out of Citi Field like nobody’s business as the Phillies and Mets combined to hit seven homeruns to set a new single game record and smashing the previous high of five at Citi Field.

And while all the homeruns were no doubters, none was bigger and badder than that of Ryan Church whose blast ended up being a game winner for the Mets. But even more than that was the interesting flight that the baseball took as it sailed right into the black concrete well that houses the new homerun apple!

I can almost hear the words in my head of how Bob Murphy would have called it…

“Ryan Church hits a towering flyball… it’s way back there… deep toward the centerfield wall… and there it goes… a homerun! Ryan Church hits his second homer of the season right off of the homerun apple, and he hit it so hard he nearly broke the damn thing!”

We still miss you Murph…

The Associated Press is reporting that the Mets have acquired outfielder Emil Brown from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later.

Brown is 34-years old, and was currently playing for Triple-A Portland. He was hitting .260 with four homeruns and 22 RBI’s in 146 at-bats.

Could this signal another possible move regarding Ryan Church?

Being that Brown essentially replaces Fernando Martinez in Buffalo, does this mean a permanent stay for F-Mart?

Regarding Ryan Church, the hits just keep on coming…

• Yesterday, while a guest on WFAN, Omar Minaya denied that there was any problems between Ryan Church and Jerry Manuel, but he could understand the perception because of how harshly he is treated by Jerry Manuel. Huh? What? Throw that past me again…
• Before being placed on the DL on Monday, Church was reported to be day to day and that he would miss 2-3 games at most. A day later Church was placed on the DL and replaced by Fernando Martinez, the Mets rightfielder of the future, and for now the present.
• Before Church got hurt, his playing time diminished after getting off to a hot start in April. Soon after, his performance suffered dramatically, prompting Jerry Manuel to bat him eight in the lineup for a few games before benching him altogether. This is the same player who a year ago was in the midst of an MVP type season before a concussion wiped out any chance of that.
• Before spring training began, Jerry Manuel went on record saying that the Church we saw last April was not the real Ryan Church, and that the real Church was the player who struggled in August and September.
• After pitchers and catchers reported, Manuel dropped the bombshell that Daniel Murphy would be playing leftfield everyday and that Church would be platooning with Fernando Tatis.

It just seems like it’s one thing after another regarding Church. They can deny it all they want, but clearly Church is on the outs. I don’t have a problem with that, but I do have a problem with how Church has been singled out and mistreated in my opinion.

I just can’t see the Mets pulling any of the above with Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright or Jose Reyes.

This year in Spring Training there were conflicting reports on Johan Santana’s elbow from the manager, pitching coach and GM.  Thankfully for us and the Mets nothing was seriously wrong and Santana’s on fire.  Carlos Delgado’s hip injury was horribly mishandled.  For about 2 weeks he was sitting on the bench and playing while in pain.  He was running bases as hard as he could even though he had an injury that required surgery on the hip.  Just think about that for a moment.  The Mets put Delgado on the disabled list two weeks earlier, he get the surgery on the hip and he returns sooner.  Right now he’s slated to return in August but I don’t have much faith in what the Mets say about injuries.  If Delgado does return this year it most likely won’t be until September.  August might have been possible if the Mets had done the right and sensible thing in the first place and put Delgado on the DL.

Jose Reyes’ injury was mishandled this past 2 weeks as well.  The Mets said it would be a 2 day injury.  They tried to rush Jose back during the Dodgers series but he was out of the one game he played by the 3rd inning.  He hasn’t played since.  Reyes himself has said he’s felt no improvement in the calf after running for the last week but the Mets until about 4:30PM today (Tuesday) finally put Reyes on the DL.

What I don’t understand is why this team refuses to admit guys are hurt and the severity of their injuries?  I also am befuddled by the Mets not wanting to put their players on the DL and have them go out and injure themselves more.  We saw that with Church last year, Delgado this year and it looks like Jose Reyes as well.  All these guys who are injured and not going to the DL also limits your bench.  It does not make any sense to me.  I don’t know if it’s the training staff or Omar Minaya who refuses to be upfront about these injuries, but this does need to change.

Mets.com reports,

Though Church said he should be ready to play again on Saturday, manager Jerry Manuel said that he is unlikely to do so.

“My hammy’s been bugging me lately,” Church said. “It’s actually caused my torso on my right side to get out of whack. I just finally had enough.”

Church, 30, was batting .272 with one home run and eight RBIs, splitting playing time with Gary Sheffield in right field. After flying out to lead off the top of the fourth inning, he jogged out to his position to warm up in the bottom of the inning, then returned to the dugout at Manuel’s request.

Angel Pagan replaced him in right field.

“It was limiting me [from] going out there and giving everything I’ve got,” Church said.

Just before the game, the Mets had to shift Carlos Beltran from centerfield to DH because of a sore knee. It’s hard to believe how banged up the Mets are only a month and a half into the season.

The Mets are already playing without starting shortstop Jose Reyes, who is battling tendinitis in his right calf; first baseman Carlos Delgado, who is recovering from hip surgery; utility infielder Alex Cora with a broken thumb, and catcher Brian Schneider, who is on the disabled list with a strained back.

Daniel Murphy: Manuel pretty much said that the Daniel Murphy outfield experiment is dead and over with.  Murphy will have the next 4 games to prove himself a capable first baseman, otherwise Murph will not be an everyday player.  Also sounds like Murphy will not be getting a lot of at bats against lefties, which is somewhat confusing to me considering how well he hits lefties.

The Outfield: Besides Carlos Beltran the outfield will remain in a platoon situation, some games Sheff, Reed, Pagan and Tatis.

Ryan Church: Jerry said that there is no beef between Church and himself, that he’s thrown batting practice to Church and everything is good.

The Jerry Manuel Dog House:  There is no dog house, Castro, Church and Castillo are not in any dog house.

David Wright: With Delgado out, this is now Wright’s team.  That comes right out of the mouth of the gangsta.  He wants Wright to be a leader on the infield and the team.

Carlos Beltran: This one surprised me a lot but he says he’s been really hard on Beltran in private, didn’t go into specifics about that.

What really struck me about this interview was that Jerry Manuel came out and said that the New York Mets is David Wright’s team.  I think it’s been the worst kept secret for the last couple of years but now it’s officially out there.  David Wright is the leader of this team and he needs to step up now and be that leader.  This will not trip David up, in fact I think this might take some weight off him now as he can be the leader with the manager’s blessing.  I don’t expect David to be a “rah rah” type of leader but this has to make the job of leading this team easier with Jerry Manuel’s blessing.

I said last week that the errors were still happening but that awesome hitting, speed, run production and effective pitching were covering them up.  Now, as injuries to Carlos Delgado, Alex Cora and Jose Reyes have hurt the team offensively and defensively, the weaknesses are once again exposed, and they have also run into a very hot (though Manny-less) Dodgers’ team. 

I have no doubt that the Mets will regain the magic they showed in the first half of this month, but the ugly baseball being played is a very disturbing constant.  Pelfrey balks three times?  Church forgets to touch third base?  Those types of mistakes should never happen in the big leagues.  And the Mets, with their enormous payroll, should not rank third in the majors in errors (32, trailing only Washington and Seattle).

And I don’t want to harp on the negative, because there has been so much to be optimistic about as well, but the Mets currently rank tied for 27^th in baseball with just 26 home runs.  The Yankees, by contrast, have 61 homers even with A-Rod missing the first month and a half of the season.  The division-leading Phillies have 51, and do you want a telling statistic?  The Phillies have committed just 11 errors, lowest in the majors. 

Like I said, I really believe the Mets will turn it back around, and hopefully they do before facing the Red Sox this weekend.  But it’s not going to be a smooth ride.  So strap yourself in, Mets fans, and let’s hope we don’t all puke at the end of the ride. 

If you were dedicated (crazy) enough to last past 2:30 in the morning, you were treated to arguably the worse 11th inning in team history. First, Ryan Church misses third base on a Angel Pagan double and the go-ahead run is transformed into an excruciating out. Moreover, Jerry Manuel does not protect his player by contesting the call and then gives Church a “Michael Corleone,” and turns his back on the beleaguered outfielder when he returns to the dugout.

Then he refers to him as “the guy missed third base.” There was almost measureable snow amounts in the visiting clubhouse at Dodger Stadium after last night long game. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner had a more amiable relationship in “War of the Roses,” than Manuel and Church seem to enjoy.

After the game, Church called his contractor and hired him to build an extension in Manuel’s doghouse because he expects to be there awhile. That is if Church remains a Met much longer. You can be sure if they acquire a first baseman to replace Carlos Delgado (he will be out two months minimum) Church will be included (the Nats notwithstanding).

Manuel has no use for him. With Angel Pagan’s lumber, not leather coming alive, the former concussed outfielder could lose more at-bats. There is no denying that Church is not the player he once was before suffering two hard shots to the head.

The Mets wasted a nice debut by Tim Redding by committing five errors. Ramon Martinez arrived near game time and booted a pair. What does it say about the Mets farm system when the best they can promote is a 36-year old journeyman to fill in? And, what has happened to Jose Reyes? How did one or two games turn into five missed?

Ever year the medical staff and front office botches injuries leaving the manager in charge to steer the ship shorthanded. Last year it was Church, most recently flying Delgado cross-country and then DL’ing him (as if a five hour flight would be the panacea for his balky hip), now Reyes.

If sleepy Mets fans nearly went to bed after the top half of the 11th, they had no choice after the Dodgers accepted a gold-plated gift from New York (if the Mets lose the Eastern Division by one game circle May 18th on your calendar). Carlos Beltran calls for a routine fly ball in the gap, but Pagan does not yield until the last instance and the Dodgers have the winning run at third (and Beltran was charged with the error) with not outs. Finally, Jeremy Reed cannot execute a 45-foot throw to the plate for a potential inning ending twin-killing.

The final exclamation point was almost laughable.