(Fred and Tony watch as the club’s private clubhouse screening of “Kit Kittredge : An American Girl” errupts in violence)
In the aftermath of Manny Ramirez’ alleged assault on a 64 year old Red Sox employee (an infraction so egregious, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal suggests Boston would be better off without the left fielder — is Hank Steinbrenner ghostwriting Ken’s columns?), Metsradamus wonders “when is that New York Mets clubhouse brawl coming?”
It may start with something small … like Carlos Delgado reminding John Maine how to execute the perfect pickoff throw. Or Maine politely telling Luis Castillo that he shouldn’t get his fielding fundamentals from the Ron Hextall Defensive Drills tape.
Or it might start with Snoop Manuel going “gangster” and actually cutting Jose Reyes. Or Reyes throwing his glove at Carlos Delgado’s head. Or Tony Bernazard invading a players only meeting with numchuks, wondering why nobody can hit Kyle Lohse (who it bears mentioning is 10 and freakin’ 2). But when it happens, it’s going to be huge. And make no mistake, when you pour an underachieving team into a pot and mix it with a bitter fan base and let a relentless media horde turn up the heat to about 450, it’s going to happen. Only question is when. Maybe after this Cardinals series, which … with Tony Armas Jr. starting tomorrow, and the unhittable albatross from last September Joel Piniero … is already shaping up to be a disaster.
No chance of Billy Wagner threatening to show Bob Klapsich southwestern Virginia? While we’re on the subject of clubhouse harmony, how many of those baseball etiquette experts bemoaning Jose Reyes’ Sunday afternoon glove-tossing mini tantrum were as quick to criticize Tom Glavine for showing up the defensively challenged Roger Cedeno a few years ago? For weeks we’ve heard the Mets’ TV and radio crews disparage Carlos Delgado’s glovework ; presumably, these mature professionals need no assistance from the likes of Reyes.
New Orleans and Oklahoma are tied at 1 after an inning tonight, as the former attempt to halt a nine game skid. You can’t deny a ballclub the services of Fernando Tatis for so long without expecting some ramifications.