The Mets Police

Joe Girardi chose #27 as a reminder that the mission of the Yankees is to win their 27th championship.

I'd like Jerry Manuel to switch to #3.  Is three an absurdly low number?  Yes it is, and that's the point.

The goal should not be meaningful games in September, the goal should be meaningful games in November (thanks Bud).





Main Mets Police page
Follow us on twitter @metspolice
Facebook page
send ideas/guest columns to shannon at metspolice.com

Sorry Jerry.

I don't like anything I'm about to write, but fans of the Mets Police know I call them as I see them.

I've enjoyed Jerry Manuel's time as Mets manager, and I in no way blame him for any of the disasters the 2009 have faced. (I am looking in to the rumor I started that Citi Field was built over ancient Indian burial grounds).

I don't think anybody could have coaxed 90+ wins out of the "Nieve/Berroa/what was the name of that guy who was the SS for a week" Mets.

This was a season in which somehow Gary Sheffield and Livan Hernandez became really important.  That was never anyone's plan.

Think back to March.   I had the Mets going to the playoffs.  You had the Mets going to the playoffs.   Look at SI's baseball preview.   Look where they picked the Mets.  Even at my most cynical I had the Mets finishing second.  Don't act like you knew this team would be a disaster.  You didn't.   Nobody was talking about depth at Buffalo in April.

So to sit back now and suggest that Omar Minaya put together a lousy team is unfair.

However, Ownership won't be able to market 2010 as "Everyone's Back!"   Telling us that the crew that was here for the biggest collapse of all time, the worst stadium closing in history, and the all-time injury bug just isn't enough for the fans.

You can't break up the core because you will get diminished value for all four.   Nobody is sure how healthy Delgado, Beltran and Reyes are - and do you think trading David Wright when he has 8 home runs is going to get you back what if might have a year ago (not to mention the Seaveresque riots that would follow)?   Plus pesky things like no-trade clauses and such.

So you have to sell change.   That change, unfairly, is going to come from the managers chair.

Who will it be.   Mazzilli, Backman, LaRussa or Manny Acta?  None of those guys for reasons we can talk about in the days to come.

There is one man for this job.

The job is about more than managing ballplayers.   It's more than trying to coax a performance out of players (which is a Buck Showalter type job; he too won't be the choice).

The job in 2010 is about distraction.

Appease as many fans as you can, give the sportswriters something to write about other than lack of pitching depth, and give the haters an enemy.

A fallen hero will return.

Distract the fans.

Casey Stengel is dead.  So is Billy Martin.  That leaves one man.

This is going to pain me to type, because I think the name I am about to write might take the team to second place, but his teams start slow, and the fact is he just hasn't won the big one.

That being said, I know who the next manager of the New York Mets will be, and he will be the distracting face of the team for 2010 and 2011 while this organization gets its act together.

The next manager of the New York Mets will be.....

Bobby Valentine.

Main Mets Police page
Follow us on twitter @metspolice
Facebook page
send ideas/guest columns to shannon at metspolice.com

As Mets Police picks up more and more followers, I don't want anyone to think I'm schizo - so just for clarity, although 95% of the things on here are posted by me (Shannon) there's a few other guys who write.  Lately it has been Vegas Rich who has been stirring things up with his calls to fire Jerry Manuel (scroll down).

I don't agree with Rich.  I don't care who is managing - you can't manage against walking the pitcher, or falling down, or having to start your 4th string shortstop for a week.   I don't think the Mets problems have anything to do with arguing about use of the bullpen, or a failed double-switch, or even a tendency for awful starts (see Bobby Valentine).   Bringing in Buck Showalter, Don Mattingly or Bobby V part two right now would just be a back page distraction - and bringing in an ex-Met (we know Carter wants the job, or maybe Backman, or I am known to have a Mazzilli crush) will just wind up in the fans turning on an old friend (see Buddy Harrelson's 20 year exile).

This team deserves to be 10 games back.  They aren't.  Everyone remain calm, and don't freak out about today's lineup.  

Mr. Met has left a new comment on your post "Are the New York Mets Stupid or Liars?":

Agree that it's not Jerry's fault, but I think it most certainly is Omar's fault. He did NOTHING in the offseason once the bullpen was addressed and there were at least 3 positions he needed to shore up, not to mention the leadership vacuum on the team that everyone was complaining about after Collapse 2008: The Sequel.

It all rests squarely on Omar's shoulders.

They haven't handled injuries well for years. Their MO is to downplay every injury, no matter how serious, and not put a guy on the DL until a week or 2 later, suffering with the abbreviated roster in the process during that time. Sure, you can retroactively DL a guy, but that doesn't change the fact that you played with less than a full roster for those days in between. It's like clockwork, and you could make book that that's how it goes down every single time a guy gets hurt.

I share your angst that the freefall has begun and there won't be a lot of excitement around New Shea come August and September. The silver lining (Mr. Met always smiles because he always sees a silver lining) is that tickets will be that much more affordable as the summer goes on.

Sparks has left a new comment on your post "Are the New York Mets Stupid or Liars?":

I am a board certified and licensed athletic trainer, and once worked under an orthopaedic MD who did a fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery, which included his covering Mets games. As much as it pains me to criticize other professionals, the Mets' medical team looks more and more clueless with every occurrence. Granted, it is *entirely* possible that they've just run into a series of strange injuries that are tough to diagnose and/or haven't responded as they should have--those things happen, and weird stuff tends to come in streaks in this profession--but there do seem to be an AWFUL lot of surprises and trial-and-error going on involving guys who are supposedly getting some of the most expert care available.

I will say very bluntly that I completely disagreed with the handling of Church's concussion from the start, even as it was taking place. Putting him on a plane to Denver the same night as he was knocked nearly (if not completely) unconscious was both an awful and dangerous decision. As a matter of treatment, he should have been allowed to rest in Atlanta for a couple of days, and as a matter of safety, what were they going to do if his condition had suddenly deteriorated 20,000 feet over Nebraska?


DyHrdMET has left a new comment on your post "Are the New York Mets Stupid or Liars?":

there's a lot of blame to go around. jerry and omar aren't responsible for the injuries, save for one or two players that omar acquired that may have been damaged goods (in a general sense, not a specific known case). the medical staff and communication (not necessarily lying in EVERY case) around injuries is an absolute joke. they can't be blamed for EVERY injury, but i have a feeling that they can be blamed for SOME injuries. the WBC for sure is to blame for a lot.

it's almost a perfect storm (the WBC's cause, the medical staff and bad communication around the injuries, and just some bad luck) to be a joke.

I welcome new writers to join the Mets Police, so if you're interested (even for a one-off guest column) just drop me a note at shannon@metspolice.com    I've actually never met Vegas Rich!  

Also appreciated are any pictures from Citi Field or any stadium, the quirkier the better.

www.metspolice.com
Follow us on twitter  @metspolice

Some late night writing over at examiner.com:
One year after Willie Mets can't get rolling



Posted using ShareThis

I've written about this before, but it's nice that Jerry sees things the same way I do.

The 2009 Mets need to win it all.

Not a division (or a lousy Wild Card).  Not a pennant.  Not lose Game 7 of the World Series to the Red Sox.

Win the World Series.

That's it.  Anything else and I lump this team in with 2006, 2007, 2008 and even that really forgettable 2000 team that everybody but me likes for some reason.

Jerry said, "That's why we're here, to win it all.  That's why everybody's here."  I guess the Wilpons weren't in that room because they obviously don't want big TV ratings or a big left fielder.  

When did it become "The Wilpons" anyway?   It used to be Fred, now it's "The Wilpons" which reminds me of "The Dolans" in many ways, none of them good.

Wallace Matthews in Newsday has a gem of a paragraph.

The Wilpons have made it quite clear that they are enamored of Omar Minaya, their Teflon general manager, who probably can survive six more collapses before things start to heat up in his office.

Omar does get a free pass doesn't he?






www.metspolice.com

I was down at the Daytona 500 all weekend, so thanks to fellow Mets Policeman "Cyclones Fan" for minding the store.

Did Jerry really say he wants to bat OverReyes third?  Jerry that's the kind of thing that will get me back on the Lee Mazzilli for manager kick.

Anyways as I catch up on all thing Mets, my "Tom Seaver" google tracker caught this one.  I know links are lame but I bet most of you didn't read the Seattle Times  over the weekend.

When Tom Seaver returned to the Mets in December 1982, he was treated like returning royalty.

Yet Seaver, acquired in a trade for three players, was coming off a dismal season for the Reds in which he had gone 5-13 with a 5.50 earned-run average.

No one knew quite what the Mets were getting — the greatest player in club history, or a vague facsimile.

"I don't know what the public will remember or expect," Seaver said at a crowded news conference at Shea Stadium. "I'm not going to go out next season with a sign saying, 'It's 1983 and I'm 38 years old.' "

"When I pitch, I still have to get Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt out. ... They want me to come back here and be Tom Seaver."

Full story here.  It's an article about Griffey Junior returning home to Seattle...and brings up these not so great comebacks...remember these?

Other major stars who returned to their initial team for one last fling, albeit with less panache than the Babe, included Tony Perez and Pete Rose to the Reds (1984 for both, a dalliance that would not end well for Rose, brought in to be a player-manager with an unanticipated sidelight as a gambler); Reggie Jackson to the A's (1987); Phil Niekro to the Braves (for one ceremonial start in 1987); Don Sutton to the Dodgers (1988); Gary Carter to the Expos (1992); Eddie Murray to the Orioles (1996, for a stint that included his 500th home run); Rickey Henderson to the A's (the last time in 1998); and Tom Glavine to the Braves (2008).

Man that 1983 return was awesome.  Doesn't the SI cover just warm your heart?  If only it had lasted.   Imagine Tom on that 1984 team (my favorite Mets team of all time) - or would that have meant Gooden wouldn't have made the team....and in retrospect maybe not hitting fame and fortune at 19 might have led a more mature Dwight Gooden not to let his demons get to him?




www.metspolice.com

Multiple reports out yesterday say that Jerry Manuel is thinking about batting Jose Reyes third.

WHAT??????

I came to like Jerry last year, but even the thought of doing this makes absolutely no sense. Reyes (or as my Mets Police colleage calls him Over-Reyes) does not have eitther the discipline or the tempermant for that slot. Plus, why would you put your fastest player in the three hole? Can anyone show me where that has happened before?

If this is the type of decision Jerry's going to be making in 2009, I really fear for this season.

www.metspolice.com

Jerry Manuel:

I'm like the fans: If we get him, cool. If not, we'll deal with it. We have a pretty good team.

"If you've got a guy who performs on the field, you can handle the rest of that stuff. I don't think it's an issue. I don't have a problem with the clubhouse. I've got an office that's about so big.  The clubhouse, I let them do what they do."

The ever so wise Jerry on the silly World Baseball "Classic":

Of course, my first spring training, you'd love to say no distractions, no WBC. That'd be good for me. 

And my Jerry love-fest continues as he asks Over-Reyes to take responsibility!

That's the next thing for him, to add some responsibilities.   Taking control defensively, as far as where guys are positioned, different defensive plays. I want him to be responsible for the whole infield. That, to me, is maturation.

Jerry was helping out at a soup kitchen.   Mets Police for all our negativity like to applaud good deeds.  I'd share the video buy NY1 hasn't heard of embedding technology so click here.

You know, other than winning a championship for the city, it's probably one of the more rewarding things that we could do as athletes and coaches and people to lift the spirits of those that are less fortunate.

Hooray for Jerry.   He just told the world he can handle Manny, now let him do it.

In other news:

The Yankees say they have sold the equivalent of 39,393 season tickets so far.   They haven't even gotten to the folks with the 15 game plans (never mind single games) and they're going to draw 3.1 million!   The Mets also say they are selling well according to this article in the Canadian Press .

Quote of the day goes to Dwight Gooden who had this to say about Kirk Radomski's claims that he took a urine test for Gooden back in the day:

"I’ve made mistakes through the years, and I’ve admitted them, but that never happened. And the way the tests were administered, it couldn’t have happened. I’ve done enough wrong on my own, I don’t want to get blamed for something I didn’t do.”

I always feel sad when I read about Doc, but that's a pretty mature quote.   Before we all throw stones at Gooden, be honest with yourself - if you were 19 years old in the big city and making a few million dollars, trouble may have found you too.



www.metspolice.com

Prior to last night's action:
METS           48-27           .640
ANGELS      46-28           .622
TAMPA        46-28           .622
ASTROS       47-29           .618

Interim manager, not signed for next year.   Jerry you can buy lunch this winter.

(Thanks to CyclonesFan for working this out but being too lazy to post it himself).

When does Jerry Manuel lose the word "interim" from his title?   He's playing some guys named Evans and Murphy in left.   He never had Willie's MVP Church until this weekend.   Willie's best pitcher John Maine is hurt.   The All-Star closer is gone.   Yet there they are in first place.   He's managed to make up all that ground - what was it, 7.5? - then tack on 1.5 more with guys named Tatis and Argenis.   Plus, it's now a team of guys you can root for and like, and hate to break it to everyone, it wasn't that way around Flushing for quite some time, even when in the playoffs.   Scrappy and homegrown and some castoffs, and not an A-Rod in sight.   Sure they are beating on bad teams but they don't make the schedule, and nobody minded when the Yankees beat up on the Devil Rays.   Give Jerry the keys to the office will ya.

Memo to Luis Castilo:  you aren't part of this team.   Take your time.

I'm still out of my mind about those horribly insulting "Los Mets" jerseys they wore Friday.  Who is that supposed to make feel good about themselves?   Do they really think that attracts even one more fan?  Was it my imagination or was there less or maybe even no black on those?

Meanwhile, Cuba had nice jerseys.  No name on the back.   I guess that only people from Flushing are too stupid to know the names of the guys on the team.

I don't know much about Cuba but I imagine if you are a baseball player and your team wins the gold that your life goes a lot better.  Unfortunately for them they only won the silver.

Pretty sure I saw Carl Pavano pitching yesterday.  I was out walking my unicorn during the total eclipse and thought I caught a glimpse of him on TV.

Will it surprise anyone if tomorrow's paper has some sort of Pavano injury story?

I'm still with ya Rays.   Nice job keeping it together after the injuries.  I do hope the NYY's catch Boston though because it keeps my TV watching more interesting.

Congrats to J.T. O'Sullivan who follows Montana, Young and even Garcia in the long line of great 49ers starting QBs.   Nice to see another Irish guy out there, although having Irish guys never really worked out for the Jets - but what does.

Did anyone have a worse week of reviews than Mike Francesca?   I didn't hear a lick but he got killed in the papers.  Best letter is in today's news that said it was like Bud Abbott without Costello.  Yeah, probably is - but it's not like we've never heard Mike solo before.

It's time for the U.S. Open.   I hate the U.S. Open.    Somehow planes absolutely must flight a certain path (over Shea) all year long, but when some rich snobs want to watch tennis suddenly the FAA can change the landing patterns?  How does that work?

Dinkins gave them a steal on land and a 99 year parking concession.  Why?  Do we really care if the U.S. Open moves to Oklahoma City?

My favorite part of the Open is watching the richies look out the window of the 7 train every two seconds to see if they are there yet.  They think Flushing Meadows is right over the river.   Interesting too that the MTA can create extra service for these folks but not the regular commuter.  

Every year when the Open happens the papers write an article about how expensive the food is.  I just read one.  Interestingly, prices at Shea and Yankee are so high now that I thought the Open was cheap.  $7.50 for a beer, ok!  $4 for a soda, ok!   

Finally, only 50 of you lazy bastards could be bothered to show up at the PSL rally last night.   If you can't be bothered to walk across the parking lot you deserve to write a $20,000 check.   It was a Jets home game, maybe if the organizer can be bothered to try it again the fans of the Evil Money Grubbing Giants will be more motivated.   Stop The PSL's!

Jets PSL's loom this week.  I will not feel bad for most of you now.  Enjoy your QB from GB.

I couldn't be the Mets Police last night because I was being The Police Police so I have zero to say about Monday's game - but on the way home I got thinking:


How Interim is interim manager Jerry Manuel?

Obviously if he wins he stays, but what if the current AAA Mets wind up three games out?   Does he stay?   Do they hire Tommy Dodgers Lasorda?  Do you want him back?

I like what I've seen from Jerry and hope he stays.

Major props to Jerry for being invisible when this was Willie's team.  This guy was around for years and I had no idea how feisty he was - he never undercut or overshadowed his manager.  

So I can't kill the Yankees for resigning Posada after the year he had in 2007, but I think it goes to show yet again that in the history of baseball from Berra to Bench to Mike Dodgers Piazza that catchers break down after 35.    Jorge may have some great years left, but they won't be behind the plate.  Mets Police know a little about shoulder injuries and these take a long time to heal.

I wonder if the NYY's will outdraw the Mets tonight - both teams are home.  Since we've established we can't truse paid attendance, I will use television technology to eyeball the crowds.   I was at the Stadium last night and it wasn't filled, but it was probably 49,000 or so.

So everyone likes Jerry because the Mets are winning, but would we like him if they were still playing .500?  I think yes.   He's fun to watch, feisty with umpires, seems to know how to use a bullpen, and knows how to use a bench.   If he can get inside OverReyes's head, watch out.    I didn't know much about him - I pay as much attention to the White Sox as I do the Phoenix Coyotes - and he was awfully quiet when Willie was around (except that one game Jerry got thrown out of)....but I like what I'm seeing.   As I stated when he was hired, I hope he runs off 15 straight championships before retiring and going to the Hall of Fame.   What will be great about that is some jerk wearing a "26 to 17" t-shirt.

I may not be a huge Billy Wagner fan, but I do like his willingness to talk bluntly. As reported by Jayson Stark on ESPN.com, Wagner has been very forthcoming on the difference between Willie and Jerry:

"I don't want to bash Willie, because I liked him," Billy Wagner said. "But before, it was more of The Yankee Way. It wasn't The Mets Way. There was no facial hair. You could never have music in the clubhouse. You couldn't have kids around. Believe it or not, some of us in here actually like kids."


Hm, I seem to remember a certain blog saying that the Mets didn't need a Yankee at the helm.

Another great quote.

"It's fertile ground for a team's growth and development. Sometimes fertile ground has fertilizer. Fertilizer is a good thing. It's a good thing. You get the greatest results, get the most beautiful plants, when you put it in that type of fertile soil."

Some people are saying he's giving the fans crap. I don't. I think he's just saying it's been a crappy year but there are some building blocks.

This team can go two ways. It's kind of old. However there are Wright, Maine and OverReyes, and maybe Pelfrey has figured it out...and maybe Perez resigns, and maybe there's enough to build around if Omar stops giving two year contracts to 44 year olds.

Thunderstorms tonight, and the Mariners come to Shea every 6 years so enjoy sitting there all night. Sure glad there's no dome at Citi Field.

Jerry forgot Pedro is a 4 inning pitcher. I like that Jerry has been letting the starters go loner but it was obvious that Pedro was gassed. J-Man took his sweet time getting him.

If you think the Mets look like idiots now, wait until Willie is in pinstripes at the All Star Game ceremonies. On Memorial Day Willie the most hated man in town (after his SNY comments) and now he's a folk hero. Unreal. Hurdle's even talking of letting him manage wearing a Yankee uniform.

"Only strippers get fired at 3am." Thanks to The Guardian for that line.

I wonder when the Mets are going to tell us how much tickets at Citi Field will cost. I guess this isn't the week to tell us they are jacking them up (again).

I love that MLB emails me to remind me to scalp tickets on stubhub. Organized scalping. Gotta love it.

Bill Madden has a Mazzilli factoid I did not know: Angelos and the team's attorneys drafted a statement of support for Palmeiro and asked Mazzilli to sign it. He refused, telling the lawyer he would have nothing to do with supporting a player who had lied to him, lied to his son and lied to Congress about taking steroids. Two days later, Mazzilli was fired. Also, by the way, in Anaheim.

Weekly NASCAR mention: Road courses suck. Stop with these. I'm not watching today.

Weekly Soccer mention: Go Spain! My adopted team takes on Italy today. I know you're watching.

Finally, I leave you with this link because it gets into the Giants-ignoring that the Wilpons do:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/30386-New-York-Mets-Have-Worst-Ownership-in-Baseball

When the Mets added black to their uniforms in the late '90s, Wilpon claimed that it was in honor of the old NY Giants, whose colors were orange and black. There might be some piece of the new facility dedicated to the Giants, perhaps a men's room or a closet in the upper deck. The old Giants fans, many of whom are now Mets fans, cannot believe the balls on Fred Wilpon. The New York Giants actually had a bigger fanbase than the Dodgers. They had more World Series wins and just as many Hall of Famers. But Fred doesn't want you to know about that. The Giants? @#$% the Giants!!

Has everyone else done the "Jerry's Kids" thing already? It's lame. I think I'll stick to knife jokes.

So far Jerry & The Gangsters look like they are running harder (except Beltran). They actually look faster. Am I just seeing what I want to see? Was that an actual rally there in the second? As I type, Chavez made one helluva catch - also running full out. Maybe nobody wants to get stabbed.

I keep thinking the Rockies are the Mets because they too have hideous black uniforms. The basic Rockies uniform is actually classy. Wear that.

Unless of course ESPN cancels it.