Newsday’s Wallace Matthews (above) brags that a Thanksgiving 2006 column blasting the Mets set a record for “most negative responses ever”, and with such lofty journalistic goals in mind, alleges the Metropolitans “have enjoyed more free rides this offseason than a serial turnstile-jumper circa 1977.”
Heart transplants are not available. Character can’t be bought even for A-Rod type numbers. As far as we know, not even BALCO has figured out how to bottle killer instinct.
So instead, they settle for Johnny Estrada, an average hitter at best and a below-average catcher. How far below average? Well, the numbers say he couldn’t throw out David Wells running with a refrigerator on his back. I’m willing to bet he can, but not by much.
Estrada looks to be just another part-time player on a roster that is chock full of same. Aside from David Wright at third, Jose Reyes at short and Carlos Beltran in center, the Mets don’t have one everyday player who looks capable of playing a full season.
Estrada, assuming he stays a Met and is not used as a pawn in another trade, will split time with Ramon Castro. As a man who has suffered from an arthritic lower back, the same ailment that afflicts Castro, I have three words of advice: Lose. The. Gut.
Then there are the corner outfielders: Moises Alou, who is a good half-player, or half of a good player, managing to appear in 87 games last season; Endy Chavez, who made it into 71 games, Lastings Milledge, who showed improvement but was lucky to make it through the year with his head still attached to his shoulders, Marlon Anderson, Ben Johnson and Carlos Gomez. Help.
This is basically the same team that won 88 games last year, but not one when it really needed to. Judging by what’s out there in the free-agent market, it is not going to get appreciably better between now and Opening Day.
True to form, there’s not much in the way of constructive suggestions from Wally. Would he have prefered to seen the Mets commit $300 million to Alex Rodriguez while they already have an MVP caliber player at that position? Perhaps unload one or more of the team’s current All-Stars to acquire Johan Santana – unsigned past 2008 and having allowed a career high 33 HR’s last season? Is not a full season of Luis Castillo an improvement over half a season with the same?
Matthews isn’t totally out to lunch, but we’ve not seen a winter during Omar Minaya’s tenure where the general manager stood pat. Doesn’t November 22 seem a tad early to presume the Met have already written off their final season at Shea? When and if Minaya has successfully traded for Joe Blanton, Dontrelle Willis or A.J. Burnett, I fully expect Wally to castigate the Mets for overpaying and/or failing to include Lastings Milledge in the deal.
Those who can…do. Those who cannot…teach. Those who are too stupid to teach…write critical articles of everyone else who can or teaches.
Matthews is a typical journalistic hack who feels that a) a typical sense of New York entitlement that somehow he deserves better than everyone else because of the abundance of cash, and b) was most likely ignored as a child which shows his pathetic need to destroy everything else around him.
Somehow journalists feel that they are not doing their job unless they are critical so they really special ones are basically destructive. Guess he couldn’t find any squirrels to run over or or Spiders to pull of their legs today.
Happy Thanksgiving Wallace, I hope you enjoy your day with yourself, your ego and your great sense of entitlement. Hope you have enough Turkey to feed the lot.
Wallace? I guess that explains a lot in itself…
No mention of Shawn Green, is he gone? Or just not considered a real baseball player anymore?
Apparently he hasn’t gotten the Memo. The memo to say who cares what he thinks must just be another Met hater or Yankee ban wagon jumper. Or are you a Red Sox fan today. I admit to my flaws what do you admit too. That you too stupid to realize its only 22nd Nov. and its just begining only two teams have even made noise so far Angels who will now beat those sorry Yankkes (Arod). Minaya isnt done. Milledge has a head he’s what 22 and in the majors some peoples’ lifestyle or charachter is different from others Milledge will come around and be a 3o homer guy he just needs more time than others. Oh and by the way your Mug shot makes you look like a convicted fellon. Happy Turkey Day. Oh by the way you dont have a vote on mvp team do you?
Michael,
the club has $10 million option for Green next season. Safe to say they won’t be exercising it.
Ben,
I’d suggest you write to Newsday. But if they’re smart, they won’t print your letter, either.
I’ve had great times and bad times being a Met fan since ’62. The way the Mets played toward the end of the 2007 season would not have gotten them to the next round of the playoffs even if they clinched. In that vain, I’m OK with them not making it. Willie and the Mets will not be resting on their laurels. With the way they ended the season, no false sense of security exists with the players. It stings not winning and I hope it sits in their craw all winter so they’re hungry and eager to beat up on the National League next year like I know they can. They just have to want it. Simple as that. Most writers like this guy are not players, not athletes, just people who like to hear themselves complain and try to sell newspapers. They also ask stupid questions during interviews. I’m surprised more players don’t take a poke at them. Mets forever!
“Most writers like this guy are not players, not athletes, just people who like to hear themselves complain and try to sell newspapers.”
For all the hand wringing over the death of print media, we finally have some solutions for the Tribune Company. Either get some jocks to write a story or see if Wally Matthews is up for more complaining. Cha-ching!
“They also ask stupid questions during interviews. I’m surprised more players don’t take a poke at them.”
Said poking occurs rarely, probably because a) nobody wants to be the next Kenny Rogers or Bobby Bonilla and b) that would be pretty fucking retarded (my apologies if you or your loved ones are fucking retards).
I’m gonna guess that Matthews’ visits to the Mets clubhouse are about as frequent as your appearances at the public library.
True to form, there’s not much in the way of constructive suggestions from Wally. Would he have prefered to seen the Mets commit $300 million to Alex Rodriguez while they already have an MVP caliber player at that position?
“Wallace” devoted an entire freaking column last season urging the Mets to sign Soriano citing his “Postseason Success” ignoring his legendary 0-for-5 with each of them being a strikeout perfromance against Florida in Game 5 of the ’03 World Series.
Why the hell is this guy even employed?