If you’ve had a chance to listen to Terry Collins’ press conferences in the past few days, he’s been a happy man and it’s not hard to understand why. After playing with numerous starters on the DL, Collins’ guys have been returning to action and the team has put together one of their best streaks of the year, having won six of their last seven games. While they’re still looking up to several teams in the Wild Card chase, the Mets seemingly have momentum on their side in their quest to return to the playoffs.
But what kills me is how this is happening, how Collins recognizes how it’s happening yet still doesn’t connect the dots. Yoenis Cespedes and Asdrubal Cabrera – and to a lesser extent Neil Walker – have been raking after having some time off from the game. Cespedes and Cabrera after DL stints and Walker after paternity leave have come back with renewed energy.
If guys play well after some time off, would it kill you to give them some time off during the year?
From May 2 to July 26, Walker put up a .205/.294/.319 line in 262 PA. Yet he played in 67 of the 72 games in this stretch and only sat out that many because he was banged up and physically unable to play in a few of them. If Collins had given him four days in a row off, as if he were on paternity leave, would he have returned to being a quality hitter sooner? Impossible to say for sure. Yet how much worse would it have been to play a reserve to find out?
After the Mets acquired Jay Bruce, Collins played him in 21 straight games. In that time period, he put up a .169/.256/.286 line. In his nearly three full seasons with the Mets, Curtis Granderson has put up extended streaks of poor hitting, yet he continues to play nearly every day. From July 18 to August 16 he put up a .168/.229/.253 line while playing 25 of 28 games. James Loney in his last 44 games has a .584 OPS in 164 PA. Now, he’s fallen into a platoon role, so he’s gotten time off that the others haven’t. But still, in his role in the big side of the platoon, Loney plays every day.
No player hits within a few points of his season average for an entire year. It’s the nature of the beast to go through both hot and cold streaks during the 162-game season. The idea that you can eliminate cold streaks is ludicrous. But what’s not so crazy is the idea that days off, especially in the middle of extended slumps, is a strong option in the managerial tool box.
At age 35, Granderson should not be playing in 150+ games. In his first two years with the Mets, he played in 155 and 157 games. He’s not going to reach quite that many this year. But whatever his final total is, he probably should have played a dozen fewer games. And this is coming from a Granderson fan.
While recognizing that it was not an ideal fit, my take on the Bruce acquisition was that it was a good move for the team. But playing him 21 straight games – and batting him in the middle of the order – when he was stinking up the joint was hard to watch. You can’t play favorites in this game.
Unlike the first two, my reaction to acquiring Loney was not a positive one. But then he had a two-week stretch where he hit like the best player in baseball and he certainly earned additional playing time. But now? Unless there’s a pitcher on the mound that he owns, like Adam Wainwright a few days ago, he should not be in the starting lineup. He’s a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement if they start a glove-challenged guy.
So, how do you know when a guy’s in a downward spiral and needs multiple days off? There’s no magic formula and it’s likely different for each individual on the team. Maybe an older guy like Granderson it’s seven days where he barely makes contact and a younger guy it’s two weeks. Actually, it seems more like a “feel” situation than one you can distill with a rigid equation.
But one of the frustrating things is that Collins, one of the oldest guys in the dugout – if not the oldest – and someone who’s been around professional baseball for over 40 years, seemingly has zero feel. Maybe that’s not fair. But at the very least, it seems a valid criticism that despite his many years in the game, Collins hasn’t perfected the idea that during the season, often you have to take a long-term approach, even if multiple guys are on the DL or the talk radio crowd is calling a June game a must-win contest.
Bruce has sat two of the last three games (and got the Golden Sombrero in the other), Loney’s in a full-blown platoon and Granderson seems headed that way. So perhaps that’s progress. But just because it’s these three guys now that are scuffling doesn’t mean it won’t be some other players two weeks from now. And if that’s the case, how will our manager react? If on September 10, Jose Reyes is mired in a 3-30 and Walker is 5-40, will Collins give them back-to-back days off? Would he even give them a single day off?
It seems likely we’ll find out.
I feel exactly the same way. Remarking on Cabrera’s streak, he said [sic]:
“It’s not rocket science. They play better when they are rested.”
And yet I’ve been begging him to rest Cabrera all season long, he won’t do it.
Bobby Valentine was very smart about resting players regularly.
Terry waits until they are clearly gassed, rather than BV’s method which was to keep them fresh and productive.
Just another case where TC proves he’s not top shelf. (Not that I think Bud Black would be any better.)
I’d like to trade Grandy and Bruce in the offseason.
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I don’t think we should trade them. I think we should give them away for free.
This article is spot on. Even after doing minimal travel for work, after a few days I a really tired. I never respected the toll of a 162 game grind.
I bet Cal Ripken would have posted much higher numbers if he took time off.
Have you heard the saying, “Only fools and dead men don’t change their minds. Fools won’t and dead men can’t”?
Great article wasted on an idiot.
Brian – Nice article on a topic that is under-appreciated – resting players. The team took a step in the right direction by placing deGrom on rest & making do without him for one start. And I agree, that when a player is gassed, he needs time off. Somehow, the game’s rhythm bypasses Collins. Davey Johnson understood the value of resting his players, platooning, l/r line-ups, etc…
Coupled with his inability to recognize situations where his players can manufacture runs, Collins management of the team often runs the offense dry.
There are three sure things in life: taxes, death, and TC running a player into the ground.
Good point about Bobby V, Jimmy P. And spot on Tommy2Cat about Davey.
Instead of TC’s motto of ” you gotta get them going” it should be ” rest them before they drop.”
That’s not going to happen though and let’s not even go there concerning the relief pitching.
Good article Brian.
He managed his lineup with tight shoes from the get go. The MLB schedule really indicated the need for planned rest stops. Between constant play and some of the dings, he had a struggling lineup.
The other big benefit would have been some consistent play and ab’s by bench guys—principally deAza and Flores. They started out in funks….and they played on a very scattered schedule. The early season playing rotation needs to address the needs and production of the bench guys, even when the schedule is spread out and starters aren’t “tired”.
Yes, TC helped extend and worsen those early-season slumps.
On the plus side, I think playing Rivera has been good for Travis. Catchers wear down most of all.
I am also starting to hear the drums beating that maybe it is time for Collins to go.
I believe Collins will and should be back. I take him for eveything he is, warts and all.
As long as Sandy is GM, I don’t think it very much matters who is manager, because he will clearly be of a “type.” Art Howe, Bud Black, Terry Collins. Bland middle managers with experience and a standard degree of competence. He’s not hiring Mavericks.
When you get on the “Fire Collins!” Bandwagon, it’s important to contemplate the identity of the next manager. Bob Geren sits by the phone, waiting for the call.
Is anything going to change? I doubt it.
Jimmy, I get your point but I believe at this point we have learned that Collins’ feel for a game and his judgment are severally lacking and handicap this team.
Collins makes a mistake pulling a starter at least twice a month. His lineups are considered a popularity contest. His bullpen usage screams of “Save the Relievers”. And all this depends on whether he remembers to challenge a play at the end of a game. There’s only 30 of these jobs in the world and Collins doesn’t deserve one. Every owner always knew this except for Fred Wilpon. Lucky us.
I believe Collins has a strong competency in “Managing Men”…and he does a decent job of keeping things sane in a very intense Media Environment. The Clubhouse has been “clean” and Bought-In.
His baseball decisions are largely guided by an incredibly narrow roster….. he makes the same number of strange moves as anyone. I’d prefer his lineups include a better rotation of subs to keep his bench and his starters fresh.
If Collins doesn’t figure out how to properly create a lineup and manage his players, he’ll have plenty of time to rest at home after this disappointing season.