Y’know, I was never crazy about David Lennon, but at least he didn’t choke to death on his own puke.
Even with the Mets (33-36) 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Nationals, their fate has yet to be decided. But manager Willie Randolph had an interesting take on his team’s struggles over the weekend in Seattle, describing the $107-million Mets as a transitional team trying to combine a group of veterans in the twilight of their careers with mistake-prone youngsters.
No one could blame Randolph, the proud owner of six World Series rings with the Yankees, for being frustrated by the Mets’ state of affairs. The manager watched Victor Diaz, Jose Reyes and David Wright commit costly mental mistakes in three losses to Seattle, and the void left by injuries to Mike Cameron and Miguel Cairo has been impossible to ignore.
When Randolph was asked if the Mets can win consistently while enduring the blunders of young players such as Reyes, Diaz and Wright, it didn’t take long for him to answer.
“No. No, you can’t,” Randolph said. “You have to play the game and minimize your mistakes, not give teams outs and stuff like that. Young organizations, whether you’re the Twins or the A’s when they first started coming up, everyone has to go through growing pains to get to where they are.”
Randolph included Kaz Matsui among his group of four “young” players, meaning players who still are learning the game at the major-league level. Diaz is likely headed back to Triple-A Norfolk because of his struggles, but Reyes and Wright are the future of these Mets and Matsui’s salary is too costly to move at the moment.
Let’s not forget about first-year managers who give the ball to the likes of Mike DeJean far too often. Seems a bit unseemly to be talking about youthful indiscretions the same week the Mets sign Benito Santiago and call up Gerald Williams. Perhaps the problem isn’t so much the lack of expertise but rather the inability to teach?
The Mets’ continued Gerald Williams problem is puzzling to me. I don’t think I’m alone in preferring to watch young guys make mistakes over witnessing a 38 year old Ice Williams half-assing it around the outfield in tight pants. I think the Benito Santiago move is pretty blameless — who wouldn’t want to have Edward James Olmos working with the staff a few games a week? — but calling up Ice (or employing the likes of him and Jose Offerman at all) when there are younger players who could use some reps doesn’t seem smart. My people at Faith and Fear In Flushing ascribe calling Ice up/his continued presence on baseball fields to the “almost Taliban-level conservatism” of baseball front offices. I think, sadly, that their recent picking-over of the remaining members of the ’99 AL All Star team is just the Mets being the Mets. Give away some outs, for all I care: just don’t give away at-bats that should belong to a developing player. Top organizational options at this point are probably Eric Valent, Prentice Redman, The Beloved Jeff Duncan or Ron Calloway — Wayne Lydon, a better prospect at AA, is supposed to be a ways away and isn’t hitting. I can’t make a case for any of those guys, really. But Gerald Williams is a living, free-swinging case against himself. That type of steady veteran play we don’t need.
Completely agreed re: free-swinging case against himself.
I was in love with Wayne Lydon’s game last year, but he struggled so hard early this year that it’s very doubtful he’ll be this year’s Melvin Mora/Timo Perez/Jason Tyner/Preston Wilson/Gregg Jeffries/Kevin Mitchell later season sparkplug. But I sure do hope so…
Re: Lennon busting the stones of the Mets’ rookies – I’d think Glavine’s pisspoor start against the M’s qualifies as a mental AND physical mistake. Also, the fact that Miguel Cairo’s injury leaves a void to be filled doesn’t account for the simple fact that MC can be very void-like.
I’m reading everywhere about what a great influence Williams is in the clubhouse, how positive and funny and nice a man he is. Apparently he’s been talking to Reyes about baserunning and Mientkiewicz about breaking out of slumps and so on and so forth. He has supported his 13 brothers and 28 nieces and nephews on his salary and has been called “saintly” by no less an authority than Alex “Frosty” Rodriguez. This is all nice to hear. But it begs another question: why does he have to be on the active roster? Why can’t the Mets just make him a bench coach and call up someone who can actually still play? If the answer to that is, as I suspect, “because Jose Offerman isn’t ready yet,” then this shit is going to get ugly.
is the answer really “because Benji Gill is an asshole?”
I think some perspective would come in handy here, and since I can’t see shit from these shits, I’ll volunteer.
Unless somebody gets seriously hurt, Williams isn’t gonna get a ton of playing time and should really be looked at as a less accomplished Lenny Harris in this instance. If he costs Jeff Duncan the odd pinch hit appearance and/or some pro-rated major league service time, that’s unfortunate but not really a war crime on the part of management.
there are some good teams with completely useless 25th men on their roster. Or at least their were until the Cards sent Roger Cedeno down to Memphis.
thank you, I’ll be here all week.
gerald williams – tight pants comment by david roth is good stuff.