A tune-up to the 2008 Grapefruit League slate saw the Mets play to a 4-4 tie with the University Of Michigan on Tuesday, with their closer taking particular umbrage at….having to come off the mound to field a bunt? From Newsday’s David Lennon :
Forget the Phillies. Billy Wagner (above) nearly started a beanball war with the University of Michigan after one overzealous Wolverine tried to bunt on him in the fourth inning. With a runner on second and one out, centerfielder Kevin Cislo pushed his bunt foul.
Wagner, clearly annoyed, shook his head a number of times, and Cislo wisely swung away, grounding out. Wagner said he couldn’t believe that Cislo, a junior, bunted.
“If he got that bunt down, I would have drilled the next guy,” Wagner said. “Play to win against Villanova.”
“He couldn’t bring himself to drill the kid,” Willie Randolph said. ” Nolan Ryan might have. Nolan or Roger [Clemens] may have done it, kid or not.”
The game ended in a 4-4 tie, but the big loser was Notre Dame alum Aaron Heilman, who has to sing the Michigan fight song in the clubhouse after allowing a run. “Hail to the Victors” was played over the stadium speaker in the first inning.
“I heard it and it made my stomach cringe,” Heilman said.
Mike Pelfrey tossed two innings of scoreless, one-hit ball in the Mets’ 4-2 loss to Detroit earlier today. Willie Collazo allowed all 4 Tigers runs in the 7th, including a two-run single to non-roster invitee Wilkin Ramirez. Magglio Ordonez left the game after being plunked by Pedro Feliciano in the 5th inning. Presumably, Mags wasn’t trying to bunt. But you never about these sneaky players representing the Great Lakes State.
Billy Wagner and all so-called sports experts who down graded Kevin Cislo’s effort to win a game are idiots……have you never had an opportunity to move a runner into scoring position. It’s baseball….anytime your between the white lines you give it your all, especially in college….the Michigan Wolverines are ranked #8 in the nation and they have a following of scouts at every practice and game. The scouts want to see them perform and the kids are trying to showcase their talents every chance they get.
Kevin is a great ball player and will get drafted within the next two years…the only way he knows how to play is WFO (wide f—-ing open). Billy Wagner needs to chill….if he wasn’t about to jump off the mound to field a bunt then let his third basemen field it…if the run and game truly meant nothing to him.
As a father of one of these players I along with every other dad that doesn’t want to see their son get injured….especially by some egotistic jerk making millions……would have been fit to be tied. Billy talks a mean talk to the media but instead of playing tough guy to college ballplayers maybe he should put his efforts into his pitching woes….he has plenty of them.
as a Met fan and someone who also only knows one way to play, WFO (wide f—-ing open), I commend your criticism of Billy Goat’s gruffness. By the way, I think WFO was a terrific Keel song, or maybe it was King Diamond.