Much as we’re all inspired by Jason Giambi’s dramatic return to hitting form the past two days, surely I’m not the only person wondering if Jason knows he’ll be tested again this year.
Mets manager Willie Randolph spoke with some bitterness recently of the Yankees offering him a job managing a lowly minor league affiliate. Noting the disparity in salaries, Randolph expressed amazement that anyone in their right mind would consider such a thing. Well, there’s something to be said for managing in the bushes (as Ron Davies will surely tell you). For one thing, when you make a mistake in the minors (like for instance, having Brian Daubach, .086 against RHP, hit against Chad Cordero with two out in the ninth and the tying run on third, rather than stick with Chris Woodward, .380 versus RHP) and Karl Ravetch won’t be all over your ass on basic cable.
From David Lennon’s coverage of the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Nationals last night :
“Mike Piazza is 2-for-22 without an RBI in his last six games, and is mired in an 0-for-13 skid. But when Randolph was asked after the game about dropping Piazza in the order, he grew defiant.
Then who do I bat fourth?” Randolph said. “Mike’s going to the All-Star Game. He knows how to hit. That’s why I have him in the fourth spot.”
It’s nice that Willie has Piazza’s back, but if a fan referendum carries that much weight, how about letting ’em vote on the Mets’ batting order?
Speaking of dopes who took managing jobs in the minor leagues, how about former Trenton Thunder skipper Ken Macha and the insanely hot A’s? Oakland beat Toronto, 10-7 on Tuesday night, their 10th win in their last 11 games. The A’s are now 24-9 over their last 35 games.
I didn’t get that PH choice, either: I didn’t know the numbers on the two, but Daubach has done such a sterling David Roth imitation with the bat in his hands this season that the lefty-righty jiggering did seem pretty useless — even before BD swung through two fastballs out over the plate.
And the A’s… well, sometimes all it takes to start a huge winning streak is facing the Mets. If the Mets did nothing else in their West Coast swing — and to be real about it, they didn’t — they at least saved Joe Blanton’s young career.