Tom Brennan - FREE ADVICE TO METS' PLAYERS

Tom Brennan - FREE ADVICE TO METS' PLAYERS

People who feel like they can give other people unsolicited advice often fall into the category of horses' arses.  

I hope I will not be that here - my wife knows I am a jackass, so let's leave it there.


GENERAL ADVICE: Players, unless I am delusional, just got hurt less when I used to watch most Mets' games in the 1960's and 1970's as a young, loyal fan.  

My advice?  Do not work out modern-style, especially pitchers...find out what Seaver, Koosman, Ryan, Kaat, Maddox and others did, and try to copy them.


SPECIFIC ADVICE:


Michael Conforto - relax and keep driving the ball...you're doing great.


Rene Rivera - hitting .324?  Keep hitting .324, that is my advice.


TJ Rivera - stay hot to avoid bench rot.  You are getting closer to Terry Collins' official Veterans Status by the day, when you will be allowed to start, no matter what.


Yoenis Cespedes - you can't be All World in the trainer's room.  If you are hurt, don't avoid the 10 Day DL, lest you find yourself on the 60 day DL.  Come back soon, hit many homers.


Jay Bruce - keep hitting homers.  Dont waste early homers in games that about to rain out before becoming official.


Asdrubel Cabrera - when you are hurt, don't resist the need to take time to recover.  You are too valuable to play hurt.


Neil Walker - hitting .352/.417/.630 in May... so tell everyone you know to tell you, when you ask them what month it is, to say it's MAY, all season long.  "Is this Labor Day weekend?" "No, it's May, keep hitting, bro."


Wilmer Flores - stop hitting just .217 vs. righties and .353 vs Lefties, and you'll play more.  To increase speed, borrow Champ Stuart's legs.


Lucas Duda - limit batting practice to 1,000 swings to preserve back health.  Be more aggressive early in counts to preserve batting average, currently at .218, a number not conducive to lucrative free agent contracts.


Juan Lagares - acrobats aget hurt a lot, stay healthy by being more cautious, then get hot, and force Granderson to the bench.


Travis d'Arnaud - consider bubble-wrapping fragile objects like yourself.


Kevin Plawecki - think "college" when you are at the plate. You hit so well in college, but not in the majors.


Jose Reyes - get, and keep, the batting average (now .186) over .200.


Curtis Granderson - hit your weight and not .148 by utilizing the left side of the infield, too.  Bunt to keep them honest.  Or take a seat and cheer on those who can in fact hit.


Matt Reynolds - as with Danny Muno and Eric Campbell, there are only so many chances.  Going 1 for 10 with 5 strikeouts does not, as the Beatles once said, pass the audition.


STARTING PITCHERS


Jake deGrom - my favorite Mets starter...the 67 Ks in 49 IP are awesome, except on this team, we desperately need you to reduce your pitch count to get yourself deeper into games to avoid a combustible bullpen.


Zach Wheeler - so happy you are healthy and pitching well.  Please see advice to Jake.  If you want to win, have Terry go the pen sparingly when you pitch.


Matt Harvey - stay focused, the stuff will return, and you will get nasty on the mound again.  Plus, same advice as to Jake.


Noah Syndergaard and Steve Matz - too much weight work is hazardous to your innings count.  Get healthy and proceed with care.


Rob Gsellman - having the same ERA as a jetliner (7.07) is not something that fosters job longevity, Pitch like September 2016.  If all else fails, try a crew cut.


Seth Lugo - learn that the pitcher's arm is mighty fragile and no one cares about WBC results in May, so only give max effort as needed and when ready.


Tommy Milone - give us 6 innings a start like your first 5 innings as a Met and you'll make everyone happy.


BULLPEN

Jeurys Familia - get well soon.  Make sure they spread the workload when you return...in the championship years of 1969 and 1986, two guys closed and split the burden.


Jerry Blevins, Josh Edgin, Addison Reed, Fernando Salas - get a pool together and offer the starters $1,000 each time they go 7, $2,000 every time they go 8, and $3,000 every time they go 9.  It likely won't cost you much, and it might keep you from burning out before July.  Don't become the next overworked Pedro Feliciano.
.

Paul Sewald - excellent in May, just keep it up.  You are almost a trusted member of the pen whom Collins will put into tight situations.  Soon.

Hansel Robles - too many fat pitch homers....belt high down the middle is not a safe place.  Your stuff is good enough to avoid that.


Josh Smoker, Rafael Montero - never easier to pitch for the Mets, but you both are pitching like merde, as they say in France...so don't screw up 2017 for yourself by continuing to pitch like garbage.


Neil Ramirez - welcome.  You've had two 6 run innings already this year.  Please avoid a Trifecta.  And don't get hurt on your way to joining the team.