A Kink in the Armour

I read a blurb by Mike Puma over at the New York Post  about the current situation with the Mets and Jose Reyes:

...one Mets player told The Post there is a prevailing feeling in the clubhouse that the shortstop is being “babied” because the organization fears a potential public relations hit should the shortstop reinjure his hamstring. The player said Reyes belongs in the starting lineup for Monday’s season-opener against the Marlins. “It’s kind of silly,” the player said. “You play the game. You can get hurt as easily playing [a minor league exhibition] as playing on Opening Day.”

This isn't good, especially just before you're going to break camp.

Look, I have stood in that locker room and I can tell you first hand that Mets ballplayers don't go running over to beat reporters to say shit about their fellow players.

Moreover, they basically don't go off the record about anyone anymore because of all the negative press that has been written about their team.

Jose Reyes has sort of been an unwritten topic for many years. No one writes about how everyone kisses his tush all the time. No one officially talks about his suposed shutting down in September a few years ago after alledgedly demanding that his buddy Carlos Gomez play every day during the pennant drive that failed. And no one asks him the hard questions when they interview him.

The official version on why Reyes plays like crap in September is that he's burned out from going at 120% all year. I'm part of the minority that has always felt that the conversation of energy by Reyes could be well planned by the player himself.

Never has this theory stood out more than the recovery that never happened at the end of last year's season. Do you truly believe that Jose wouldn't have been back in the lineup if the Mets went to the World Series?

I wish I was there this morning to see the reaction on the faces of some of the players when Puma walks in the locker room. Mike is a stand up guy and is well respected by the management and players of the Mets and I'm sure what was said, was said.

Who was it?  I got a good guess, but I'll keep that to myself.

March 31, 2005.  Remember that day. The kink appeared.