SAFE AT THE PLATE, WITH TONY PLATE
NY Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen was very upset at his coaching
staff after the bullpen did not come through again in the Mets 7-2 loss to the
Philadelphia Phillies this past Friday night.
According to a source he threw a chair in the middle of a clubhouse meeting. He felt that it was a game the Mets should have won since deGrom pitched so brilliantly allowing two earned runs on three hits with ten strikeouts through seven innings and then in the ninth the bullpen unfortunately coughed up the game allowing five runs which caused anger in the general manager.
Van Wagenen wouldn’t confirm or deny the incident when asked about it the next day. After Friday’s game the Mets had lost 11 of their last 16 games and became 12.5 games out of first place and had the second-worst record in the National League.
Van Wagenen felt that the Mets would be the favorites in the division based on the changes to the bullpen and the additions to the depth. Nobody thought the Mets would be in this position especially with the starting rotation.
Manager Mickey Callaway would not discuss what occurred in the meeting. He feels that what they discuss during closed door meetings should remain private and stay behind those closed doors. It is unfortunate when an incident like this occurs. In baseball anything can happen. It’s a long season. There will be some tough losses and the pressure can get to a person.
There will be close calls that do not go your way or mistakes by players that lead to rallies by the other team that can really get to you which is part of baseball, but everyone still has to maintain composure. You just have to move on and put the previous game behind you and focus on the next game.
In other baseball news, Pete Alonso won the 2019 Home Run Derby and the prize of one million dollars. His strategy was to conserve his energy throughout the night so he would not be tired in the final round. The strategy paid off which enabled him to edge out Vladimir Guerrero Jr 23-22 in the final round for the win.
I'm guessing he was angry at the coaching staff for wasting the challenge earlier in the game. If they had the challenge later in the game, DeGrom would have still led by a run and probably could have gone another inning.
ReplyDeleteI said it a few days ago - deGrom won his first 2 starts in 2018 and in 2019. In his other 47 starts in 2018 and 2019, he has won 10 of 47.
ReplyDeleteWhich is impossible - except on the Mets.
With the Yanks, he'd have won 30-35 of his 51 starts in 2018 and 2019.
To be 4-0 in his first two starts each in 2018 and 2019, when the team started 11-1 and 9-4, and the abysmal win record of both deGrom and the Mets after that, it shows a weakness of will.
Sure, there were injuries, causing repeated dipping into the minors for subs, but the Yanks had to do that too this season, with greatly different results.
The Mets have to lack enough players who will accept nothing less than winning. They have too many for whom losing comes all too easily.
Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso are fighters, and winners.
All the more reason to think about trading Jake as his value is high now and considering the teams interested and the lack of pitching talent available in trade from what I've seen and as much as I would hate to lose him we MUST use this asset along with Wheeler and Frazier to build a team around Jeff and Pete.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember-possibly due to banging my head against the wall after bullpen implosions-a more auspicious time for a sell-off, with so many teams aggressively in it and coveting our dangling dead as desireables. Wheeler, Vargas, Frazier, Ramos, Rosario are all appetizing lures to the imaginings of flawed, competing teams. BMW must grease his hair, put on the leather gloves, and really work the steering wheel now! Crisis is an opportunity to change. We have huge opportunity right now! And sign Girardi in the off-season, as an homage to Willie's professionalism. Not Will Toffee.
ReplyDeleteSell, baby, sell
ReplyDeleteYes but will he do it? Stay tuned it's his mess to clean up.
ReplyDeleteLet's just hope he can pull more J.D. Davis successes and fewer (too numerous to list) failures out of his, ummm, hat.
ReplyDeleteThe Mets should make at least a couple of trades within the next 10 days
ReplyDelete