We are fans. That’s all. No matter how often we put a “we” – as opposed to a “they” — after a result, we are not, after all, officially a part of the organization. Most of us who are reading this are not under the employ of the New York Mets, in any kind of capacity. Most of us are not in the front office, in the clubhouse, in the dugout or a peanut vendor. Most of us do not know what goes on behind closed doors, what’s said in a meeting or how the strategy for building a winner has been mapped out. We are not the General Manager.
That being said, some of the fun derived out of being a fan in the first place is the opportunity to play armchair GM. We all think we “know” the answer, and in some cases, we actually do. To wit: Bobby Abreu was designated for assignment — DFAd, in classic talk-radio style of turning an action into a past-tense verb — yesterday and Kirk Nieuwenhuis was recalled from Las Vegas. There were requests from fans on various social media outlets calling for this move as far back as the All-Star break. While many will hail this news as finally a step in the right direction, many others can only wonder what took so long. Why was Abreu clogging up roster space with his .667 OPS and 4/36 performance as a pinch-hitter — that’s a .111 batting average, if you’re scoring at home? Why was a 40-year-old, slew-footed outfielder — out of baseball altogether for a year, mind you — rewarded with an appearance in the Show, when far worthier and far younger players like Nieuwenhuis and Matt den Dekker are toiling away in the bushes?
Terry Collins fills out the lineup card every day. And every day, fans wonder why the entry “Chris Young – LF” appears on it. Chris Young has done nothing to warrant playing time, although we all know there are $7.5 million reasons he continues to get it. After all this time, the Wilpons still do not grasp the concept of a sunk cost. Young is going to get his money whether he’s playing or not and whenever he is playing, he adds nothing to the roster and very rarely does he do anything that helps this team win. In fact sometimes, he’s a detriment: yesterday afternoon, he leapt for a line-drive and ticked it away from centerfielder Juan Lagares – a far superior defensive outfielder – who had it in his sights all the way. That one went for a Hunter Pence triple and set up the tying run in the top of the seventh. As for his offense, the less said the better. It’s gotten to the point where if he comes up with men on base, you can just about count on the rally-killing double play or requisite strikeout. As soon as he strides to the plate, your intrepid columnist reflexively asks “OK, what’s it gonna be? Swinging or looking?” Even the MSM has begun to notice. All the while den Dekker is blasting balls all over the Pacific Coast League and cannot get a recall because, as Terry Collins says without a trace of irony, “He has to cut down on his strikeouts.” Chris Young needs to be DFAd and den Dekker brought up.
Which brings us to Ruben Tejada. This management team refuses to acknowledge that the experiment is a failure. Tejada was force-fed to us as the ultimate, bright future when Jose Reyes was allowed to take his considerable talents to Miami, based on a couple of productive weeks in 2011. Tejada has proven time and again that he is not a worthwhile replacement. Whether it’s his work ethic that’s questioned, or his defense or his speed, Tejada is just not…it. I won’t even mention his hitting, because it is nearly non-existent. Collins, however, continues to trot him out there between second and third every day, while Wilmer Flores rots on the bench. Flores can hit rings around Tejada and his defense at short would be no worse than passable – similar to how Daniel Murphy has been at second base, in one man’s opinion. But Collins continues to insist that Tejada has been hot, even though he’s gone 15/78 — .192 – since July 1. Terry Collins must have a different definition of “hot.” Flores should start and Tejada should find his butt nailed to the bench.
Is this management team really that blind, or are they just unwilling to make these “obvious” moves? Of course, they’ll tell us they know more about the inner workings than we do, that they know things we don’t.
It makes you wonder what team they’re looking at.
Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley.
We get what Collins was saying: “I’ve had a lot of old managers tell me very flat out: ‘Be very careful playing young players because they’re going to make just enough mistakes to get beat.’ Some of the best managers in the game have told me that.”
The unsaid corollary is that young players get managers fired.
Marc Hermann, Newsday, 8/3/14
Why did Alderson build a farm system if TC is not going to play the young players when they are called up? Sandy needs to reevaluate TC. Sandy has already stated that the team should be winning more based on the run differential. I infer that Sandy is not satisfied with TC’s record.Davey Johnson believed in his young players and fought to get them promoted. Every passing day, I feel stronger and stronger that Backman and his staff would be better suited to lead this young and upcoming team. TdA is just one example of a player going to Wallyworld and coming back better.
One “old manager” I remember was Leo Durocher, who continued to play rookie Willie Mays, even though he began his stint with the New York Giants in 1951 with a 0-for-22 performance! Not only did he wind up with 20 homers that year, but he won the Rookie of the Year Award, and the Giants won the N.L. pennant.
Now, Wilmer Flores is no Willie Mays, but he deserves to play over the anemic Ruben Tejada.
Give me a Durocher or a Wally Backman as manager, who will play the best young players and give them a chance, any day.
Agree 100%…. bench Tehada play Flores…cut CY..and bring up den decker..period
There are a lot of things that a normal logical person has to question when it comes to the Mets.
1. If you trying to win games, why don’t you play your best players?
2. How can you justify bringing young players up to not play them? Flores, Campbell.
3. How do you talk about accountability and have CY on the team?
4. How do you basically have a different lineup every day?
5. How do you play the game without any creativity? no hit and run, no bunts for base hits.
Charley, there are very good questions. And it does make me wonder.
But I hold Sandy responsible for playing time, not TC. Very clearly, TC works for Sandy.
James,
I think TC carries the banner for Sandy Alderson. You seem certain, however. I am curious as to why.
TC does not enter the language of SA. I only “think” he holds the line, so I am curious as to why you are certain. Thanks, Peter
Sandy the “Genius in his own mind” and Collins “The Imbecile” are just two old man who the game of baseball has passed by.
Collins tries to defend lineups that include both Tejada and CY while trying to tell you that he is going by the numbers which clearly points to doing the opposite.
Sandy who is a lawyer, and therefore, a professional lair will try to tell you why he didn’t make any trades, why CY is still on the team and until recently Abreu. It is one thing to not give up the pitching prospects but another to still have Colon and probably Murphy.
Now lets see if they even bother to claim any players from waivers since they been telling us for 3 years how they will add salary if necessary.
I don’t think they will.
Charlie,
What I find most frustrating is my belief that the squad is actually better than the record.
We do not have to play Chris Young, as I believe Kirk N or M Den D could produce better offense, while providing significantly better defense. Same with Bobby A.
We do not have to play Reuben Tejada, while we have both Flores and even Matt Reynolds (.350 in AAA) who could give a shot.
We do, however, have to listen to Terry Collins say that he cannot play Flores or the others because “we have to win now”, which is something we are not doing.
If the team had over-reached its talent, it is understandable that our record is well below .500, but given that we have some terrific young arms, a bull pen that has stabilized nicely, the top hitter in the NL at 2nd, potentially 30 Home Runs at 1st base, and a slugger behind the plate who must forget about trying to go deeper into counts to satisfy Sandy Alderson and just slug doubles to right field and give us 15 HRs, we could be something special.
Add Matt Harvey and Noah S to the roster next year.
Heck, give Dilson Herrerra a shot now. He is electrifying to watch. There used to be AA promotions to the big leagues once upon a time.
Sorry for the rant. My therapist recommended it.
Peter, I agree with you on every point. Rant away…
I especially like the Tejada “hot” reference. It’s one thing if we don’t agree with the managers moves all the time. As you said perfectly, we aren’t on the payroll. But Collins inane double-talk is getting absurd. What ever happened to speak softly and carry a big stick? Not, babble incoherently and create circular logic around dumb choices.
On Abreu: I agree he had to be cut, because he ended up failing in his role. I don’t have a problem with the Mets’ having held onto him until now, though. Abreu was a pinch-hitter and occasional starter. That’s not an ideal role for younger players like Nieuwenhuis or Den Dekker.
CY should be released. It’s his role that should go to some combination of Nieuwenhuis and den Dekker and Campbell. I can only assume that the Mets have been playing CY in a desperate attempt to raise a little trade value for him. It hasn’t worked, though, so it’s time to cut bait.
I’m not quite as outraged as some that CY hasn’t been released yet, because Nieuwenhuis and den Dekker haven’t been that stellar in their previous opportunities. Its not like CY is holding back Oscar Taveras or Gregory Polanco.
And he gets another shot at it tonight: CY in RF, Campbell in left, Granderson on the bench…
Well, to be fair, they’re facing a tough lefty — when CY starts over Kirk against a RH pitcher, I’ll definitely be upset.
Mets have a better future than the Yankees do, this coming from a Yankee fan. I think there is value in aging veterans on low cost contracts when you’re trying to construct a “re-building” team. Abreu was the Mets best hitter most of the early season, while Colon was the same on the pitching end. Now, you’re seeing Wheeler finally turning a corner, Jacob DeGrom has quickly become my favorite Met, Murphy establishing himself as a top flight 2B in the league, Lucas Duda is a legitimate 1B, D’Arnaud has even managed to make contact with the baseball. While I’m sure Mets fans hate hearing “next year,” in 2015 (see what I did there?) the team will field a solid rotation (especially if Thor is ready), have an All-Star at 3rd and 2nd, have some sluggers in Duda and Curtis Granderson… I just have absolutely zero defense for the Chris Young signing. But I think the Mets will be the best team in NY next year, and it doesn’t even really pain me to say that because the Mets are far more enjoyable to watch, the resurgence in Citi Field has been great, and I give Terry Collins a lot of credit for having this team play playoff-level baseball the last month or two after they were left for dead early on in the season.
Editor’s Note – Please do not capitalize words in your post, as that is a violation of our Comment Policy.
Abreu and Colon were the Mets two oldest players- and their two best- for the first two months of the season. I think there is some value to having veterans hold back youngsters from getting PT, especially if these guys are watching the geezers and saying to themselves “Holy hell, this guy can still play, I have to work even harder if I’m going to play.” The demise of Abreu and Colon was inevitable as the wear-and-tear of the season went on, and now you have some youngsters stepping their game up as of late. The future is extremely bright for a guy like Jacob deGrom, Wheeler is finally turning the corner, Duda is a legit middle of the lineup guy now and, with Granderson hitting better as of late as well, you have a middle lineup of Wright-Murphy-Grandy-Duda (in no order) with D’Arnaud showing flashes at the dish to go along with a rotation that will feature Harvey, the aforementioned Wheeler and deGrom, Syndergaard, Gee, Niese… I mean, as a Yankee fan, I’m almost certain that Queens will be the capital of baseball in NY as opposed to the Bronx in 2015. And that doesn’t really bother me at all, because this young team is so fun to watch and has come together in the clubhouse lately. You can see it when they celebrate a HR and do that towel wave thing, you can hear it in the crowd with fans being so much more into it, you can see them doing little things to help win that they weren’t doing before. While they might not have a winning record, they have a winning attitude and are playing winning baseball lately.
Having said all this, Chris Young is an abomination, it’s comical how the Mets rushed to get this guy while Nelson Cruz signed like three months later (and also they used the money they could have on Jose Abreu on Young), and he should be jettisoned into outer space ASAP.
Editor’s Note – Please do not capitalize words in your post, as that is a violation of our Comment Policy.
Excellent, excellent take, Johnny. I like how you think, kid…
[…] that once these guys get established and if a proven big hitter is acquired – one with a better pedigree than Chris Young, one would hope – then look out: the Mets will become a northeast version of the […]