I’ve told
you this a number of times… I don’t read most of the other Mets sites
(exceptions being Mets360 and ‘Two Guys Talking…”). None of those two, or
Mack’s Mets, are known for young readers so I do not have a good grip on hos
the kiddies feel about Terry Collins being the
manager.
I do know
how all the readers here that take the time to send a comment feel and I also
don’t see the Mets doing anything to bring their fans back. The team continues
to have a limit amount of major league talent, the ownership will not raise the
salary level for the team, and the General Manager will not sign anyone for
more than two years.
As for
Collins, I can’t criticize or defend him. At this point, he doesn’t seem to
have any answers. The team seems to always be tied 2-2 at the end of four
innings and this latest extended majority of loses will be their downfall for
the season.
What’s wrong
with a fixed lineup, even if it isn’t strong? What happened to the days of
‘Gilliam, Reese, Snider, Hodges, Furillo, etc…”
Baseball
taught me to know who hits before you and who comes next. I usually followed Jimmy
Armet, who had less hits than Bartolo Colon, but
I also knew that my speed would become an asset if I could get on the base
before Tommy Leecock (our best pure hitter) came up next. Why would any manager not make the choice to
stay with a lineup that each hitter was comfortable knowing where they were in
the lineup? What exactly is the benefit of making grown men run to the wall of
the dugout to see what is posted, if they are playing, and where they are
batting?
I’m a
believer that there needs to be a lot of change involving this team; however,
I’m a realist and I know I can only expect a little to come my way this year. I
no longer can support keeping Collins, but I also don’t see Wally Backman being a solution. He’s always been a
hand grenade to me, waiting for his pin to be pulled.
I’d like to
see two ‘interim’ moves made for the rest of the season… Tim Teufel as Manager and Frank
Viola as Pitching Coach. Teufel has been the quiet guy through all this
mess, but he is equally respected by the players. Viola is, well… Viola. He has ‘raised’
most of the pitchers that are coming of age for the Mets and I can’t think of a
better man for the job.
The only
problem that might develop here could be if the Mets decide to find their
permanent manager from outside the system. Teufel will have to accept a ‘demotion’
back to third base coach, something he (or the new manager) may find
uncomfortable. I would hate to see him lost.
The team
needs a shot in the arm and, if it’s not going to come via new ballplayers,
maybe naming a few new leaders could help.
13 comments:
I think Backman put his quality time in the organization and should have a shot. I just hate when you see these former big league stars stomp their feet when they aren't just handed big league manager jobs. How about managing a little league game first you pampered little pricks?
Agree with you on Viola but I still think that Backman would bring fans to the stadium unlike Teufel and if you're running a business, you would want the fans coming back.
There are a lot of things wrong with the Mets besides Collins and it has to do with the front office. What kind of Stooges leave a ML team without a shortstop backup in order to carry 6 outfielders?
4 years going and you still cannot define what the true direction is.
Analysis paralysis by the 3 GM Trifecta. What's the point of all this pitching if you never trade any of it for needed position players?
And to top it off, a manager who is senile because he will say one thing today and do another tomorrow, illogical because he can't back up his lineup theories with real performance numbers and simply bad for morale and as a mentor to younger players.
Lagares proves that he is the best choice in CF, Collins platoons him.
Flores drives 6 runs in a game, (something that I don't think any other Mets have done this season), goes 0-4 the next day and then sits for the sub 200 hitting Tejada at that time.
Brown comes up, hits an hr, wins the game, sits.
Capt. Kirk, the same
All that so that the great CY and EY play on an almost daily basis.
After being a fan for over 40 years, I find myself not caring anymore. They have beaten me into submission. I no longer get mad if the Mets lose because I expect them to lose. The Mets have become irrelevant and a source if misery that I can do without.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Fire Collins. Slap the interim tag on Wally and test drive him for the second half of the season. If he doesn't combust, then remove the interim label. If he does or if he can't motivate the players, cut him loose and try Plan C be it Teufel or an outsider. This approach lets you see if the Billy Martin type of approach is what this team needs or if it is counterproductive. The Art Howe approach of Terry Collins surely isn't working.
Anonymous - Nicely put. Like you, I've been beaten into submission, or think I have. Then, I find myself venting on Mack's Mets and realize I'm too damned irritated to be submissive!
Mack - I'll say it again: maybe what the Mets need is a hand grenade.
Outside of making mistake of tuning in around the 7th inning of recent game when they blew 3-1 lead, I've actually stopped watching this team play since last weeks win I saw LIVE at marlins park......its simply easier to stare at espn gamecast every half hour and notice how they score first, and later are losing. .less stress.
I hear Jerry Manuel is available...I thought I just heard Terry Collins mimic Sugar Ray Richardson and say the "ship be sinkin', and we be on it."
Teufel or Backman, this team needs a jolt. Whether it helps or not is another story.
Do they have Banner Day this year? We can all go and wave white flags.
I don't think we'll see Wally in Queens as long as Sandy's here, just because Wally's not going to listen to Sandy if it is an issue of winning or losing. Teufel seems to be a little more diplomatic with the front office, but I don't know what experience he has managing. But, if Sandy wants to put butts in the seats, he needs to promote Wally, as interim manager or to be Teufel's bench coach/replacement-in-waiting. Even as TC's bench coach, Wally will draw crowds. Hell, I'd fly to NYC just to see the fireworks!
Anonymous,
I don'tthink the paralysis comes from the three GM's. I think its coming from Sandy's boss, Jeffy Wilpon, boy genius and Baseball Mogul. In fact, I hear he's been playing the game Baseball Mogul to learn how to run a team.
Mack, are you seriously saying that the PITCHING is the problem? Wow!
It's the OFFENSE that's killing us. Has anyone noticed the vast improvement since we fired Hudgens? Obviously changing a coach is the answer for this lame horse.
Metsiac -
when did I say that pitching is the problem?
Al Tamkus ·
I think we could use the fire of Wally, to get some players .To start being productive players.His past teams AA and AAA seem to respond to his style.
Al Tamkus -
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