Before last night's game I was amazed to see the line-up posted by Willie. It also surprised just about everyone in the SNY pregame show too. Could the Wilpon's have given him some lessons on being a manager in their 3 hour meeting?
A common complaint about Willie by his critics and myself is his lack of ingenuity, and his refusal to put the best team on the field everyday. Putting the best team on field means sitting Delgado against left-handed pitching, and sitting Schneider when he's slumping.
Earlier yesterday I had mentioned to the local sports talk radio program that Delgado should sit and Easley should play first base against left-handed pitchers. I'm starting to believe in miracles. I wouldn't necessarily play Evans at 1st base just because it's his normal postion. With Alou' being out for how knows how long, I think it's better to get Evans comfortable in the outfield. He knows his way around 1st base but needs to get familiar in left field. He sometimes looks awkward, but he's shown good range and a nose for the ball while playing in left field. He has enough to worry about at the plate, he doesn't need to keep moving back and forth between positions. besides, Carp and Murphy are heavy hitters at 1st base, so they may get a look sooner than later in NY.
Castro and Tatis had good games in Colorado, and they provided pop to the order last night. The righty hitting line-up should be used more often against left-handed pitching. Other mangers do it, so why not Willie? The strategy has proven it's value over the years, so it always amazed me that Willie would be so reluctant to do it. Castro when healthy has always been able to hit, and I do recall the Mets wanting him to catch more games this year. Schneider and Delgado should be platooned on a regular basis. Neither has proven the ability to be consistently effective against lefties. Maybe Willie is desperate to save his job, so he's willing to do things differently to get the team winning. With Marlon Anderson's hammy being torn, I don't see him back in NY for awhile so Tatis and Evans are here for awhile.
Reyes is the most troublesome. He doesn't seem to stay focused and seems to be another Ollie Perez type of mind-set. I think he's very weak mentally and has shown no ability to learn from his previous errors. One inning he's great, and the next he's got his head up his butt. I was in the minority last year when I said to trade Reyes straight up for Santana. With all the outfield issues, and the thin pitching reserves in the minors, can anyone say that that would have been a bad trade as of now? Considering the year Gomez is having and the continued regression of Jose', that trade makes even more sense now than during the winter. Pouting underachieving short stops are easy to replace. Until Reyes gets his head out of his a-s, that's all he'll be. An over hyped, underachieving, mentally weak, little baby.
It's amazing what a little fear for your job will do to your outlook in life. Willie is acting and doing things differently, and the Mets won a game. If this trend continues, the Mets fans may need to get used to the idea of Willie being around through the length of his contract. Why do I now have heartburn after saying that?
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3 comments:
Trading Reyes will be the worst, most idiotic trade in the history of MLB. Worst than the Dodgers' trade of Piazza to the Marlins and worse than the Babe Ruth trade from Boston to New York. Reyes simply needs some rest and a manager who understands him. Willie is not that manager.
I know you don't have SNY, but more and more people are think as I was this past winter. People who are near Jose' and see him everyday, are starting to wonder about his heart and drive to be the player he gave us a glimps of in '06. I don't think rest is the issue. He doesn't seem to be mentally tough. Just look at his pouting all last summer? Is that dazed and confussed look he had on his face the look of a fighter? Is it the look of someone who wants to get better and be the best in MLB at his position? That look is the same as Ollie's. It's the look of someone who's lost, weak, and inable to deal with the pressure of NYC.
I have SNY dan and nobody is suggesting that reyes be traded. yes there is a consensus that he hasn't been playing like the "most exciting player in baseball" they suggest that he work it out and that willie leave him the hell alone. trading him would be a very stupid, impulsive move. Ya know, wrights numbers are down also, maybe he can't handle New York?
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