Citing factors as diverse as the Home Run Derby, the Sports Illustrated cover jinx (certainly it managed to fuck with Captain Red Ass), Mets Geek’s Eric Simon suggests that in the season’s 2nd half, “David Wright forgot how to hit.”

What he really needs from Willie Randolph are some days off. He™s only 23, but he played in 160 games last year and has played in 126 of the Mets™ 128 games this season, and he also played in the All Star Game (as well as participated in the aforementioned homerun contest). Factor in all of the preparation time he spends in the cage, on the field and in the weight room, and all of these things add up to a tired ballplayer. I™d really like to see Wright get a couple of games off here and there to give the kid some rest. Given the Mets™ division lead as well as the firepower up and down their lineup, there™s really no reason why Chris Woodward isn™t getting more starts at third.

The Mets need to get Wright back on track before the postseason. They haven™t clinched anything yet, but Baseball Prospectus says they are 99.9920% likely to win the division and 99.99985% to make the playoffs, so they have the luxury ” like a football team who clinches early ” to rest some of their starters in anticipation of the playoffs. With the lead that they have, there is no excuse not to have everyone rested and ready to rock when October dawns.

I might also propose that in addition to the grind of playing every day, personal appearances, endorsements, etc. can really take a lot out of a guy, even a youngster like Wright.

In the bottom of the 3rd today against the Phillies, Wright was credited with one of those everyday, ground-rule, RBI singles off the 3rd base bag. I could try to explain the play to you, but my brain my explode. Carlos Beltran, as Gary Cohen pointed out, crossed home plate some 7 minutes after Wright hit the ball, and Charlie Manuel has been ejected for the 2nd time in the series. The Mets batted around in the 3rd against Jamie Moyer and lead Philadelphia, 6-0.