I Should Have Gone to Sleep

Well I managed to stay awake for the whole game last night, but I should have gone to bed. It was the same old tired act. No hitting, shoddy defense, and wasted pitching. So the Braves swept the Mets to the trash and Willie's days in NY come closer to an end.

Yesterday before the game I watched the different SNY shows that come on starting at 5 p.m. They had some different takes on the state of the Mets, but everyone seemed to agree that Willie's days were numbered. People like to mention that Willie is only playing the hand he's been dealt, but it's how you play those cards that makes the difference. All too often the Mets players seem too comfortable with their jobs and their place on the team. Willie seems unable or unwilling to shake them up and make them worry about playing time. Somehow I doubt the new manager will have the same problems. Here are few examples of what I think could be done to shake them out of their naps.

Castillo rides the pine for a week or more. Until he can start earning his pay of the field, he might as well earn his pay on the bench. In the last 2 games, he's cost the Mets 4 runs because of his bone headed plays in the field. Last night, with men on base and 2 outs he makes a diving grab in the hole. Instead of throwing to Santana covering 1st base to get the last out, he throws home while sitting on his butt. Teixiera scores and the Mets start their slide. In Wednesday's game he was lazy in his play of a ball into the hole, and didn't get the ball to 1st in time for the last out. That allowed the Braves to score 3 runs in that inning when Big Pelf should have been out of the inning.

Schneider needs a seat on the pine too. For someone who has the reputation as a great defensive catcher, he sucks. Every time Santana pitches, Schneider screws the pooch. He couldn't make a routine play on a cropper in front of the plate, and can't catch any pitch unless it's right at him. If the pitch is not where he's expecting it, the pitch goes to the backstop. The Mets have 22 wild pitches so far this year, and I bet half of them should have been caught by Schneider. I can't believe all the talking heads extolling his talents behind the plate. Haven't they been watching the same games as me? For all of Lo Duca's faults, he never had so many pitches get past him when he played for the Mets. Now that Casanova is back with the team, he should start and Brian should see how a real catcher goes about his job.

Delgado needs to be platooned. With Tatis and Easley on the team, they should be getting playing time against left handed pitchers. Delgado hasn't done anything this year to deserve a full time spot in the line-up. He's hitting .220 and strikes out all too often. He needs to know that just because he's making $16 Million and has 400+ homeruns in his career, that he's not going to play every day. Maybe it's time to bring Carp up and have him show Carlos what a 1st baseman's job is all about. All Mets fans have to do is watch Teixiera play, and you'll know what the Mets are missing in Carlos. Speed, range in the field, ability to hit, and hustle 100% of the time.

Reyes needs some time off too. His play has gotten better, but I think he can use a day off here and there. Call it a mental health day. He needs to be able to sit down and relax once in awhile and not see it as punishment. I think he puts too much pressure on himself at times and that causes his focus to drift and his bat to disappear. If the Mets can't find a way to get Valentin to NY as a coach or assistant to Reyes, they need someone to fill that role. And the Carlos brothers don't make the grade as leaders or mentors.

David Wright also needs a day off here and there. He's carrying the weight of this team on his shoulders and could use a break from the rigors of the game. Maybe Ryan can help him with bearing the mantel of leadership, but he's so new to the team that he may not want to step into the spotlight and take on that responsibility. David can't do it alone, and Ryan has proven to be the hard nosed hustling player the Mets need more of. Last night the SNY booth was talking about leadership on the team and they all said David is too young for that role. For some reason they think someone think Delgado should be the leader. Why is a lazy, overpaid, mouse of a person the one to lead? Just because he is 36 and has over 440 home runs doesn't make him a leader. What someone does on and off the field is what makes him a leader. The only leading done by Carlos is being the first one out of the club house and in his car after a game.

Another thing that could be done is institute a system for rewarding or penalizing players based on their efforts and results on the field. Collect money thru fines for lousy play or lazy play, and then use that pot of cash to reward the players who excel and hustle the most at the end of each week. And make the fines have some hurt to them. I say half a game check should be about right, or at least 25% of a game check. The young players who don't make alot of money would get a chance to fatten their wallets, and the old lazy players would lighten theirs if they play like fools. It probably isn't possible, but it would definitely shake them awake when they start losing $100,000 for playing with their heads up you know where.


What do you all think? Should a reward/penalty plan be drawn up? Should certain players get a seat on the bench for awhile or a game? Lets hear your suggestions.