The Mets may have lost yesterday, but fans should take solace in knowing the team fulfilled the objective of their general manager:
“St. Louis is always tough. If we can win two out of three, that will be outstanding. If we win one, I’ll take it. We’ve got Jose [Reyes] back, and once we get [Daniel] Murphy and [Carlos] Beltran back, we can compete with everyone else.” – Omar Minaya in Sports Illustrated
As a matter of fact, the ballclub has, with the exception of only a couple of games, “competed” this year. Unfortunately, a few unlucky plays and bad breaks put them at 3-7 instead of 7-3. The fans are going to be pretty angry with this team when they return home, but really they shouldn’t be.
Jerry Manuel talked about how Oliver Perez needed to “keep them in the game” last night which, of course, he did. I was tired of Willie Randolph towards the end of his tenure. He was stubborn with his team and dour with the press. The one thing he always emphasized was a focus on excellence. He talked about winning each series and making statements at certain times. The goal was to win a title and nothing less was acceptable. He would lose the team for other reasons, but never would encourage them to accept mediocrity.
This management team not only has given the club reasons to quit in the past (the whole we aren’t good enough mantra last June), they have provided aid and comfort for underachieving. If I played for the New York Mets there would be no reason to be upset with yesterdays result. I competed and still have a chance to take one game in this series. Think this sounds crazy? My general manager and field manager said it was ok.
Ask yourself this: in the long term is this right philosophy to have? Do you want young, impressionable players, like an Ike Davis, growing up with this type of environment? How much longer could stars like David Wright and Jose Reyes enjoy playing here? Remember, they will be free agents sooner, rather than later. Even if this team has money to spend will they turn down similar money elsewhere just to “compete in New York?”
Forget about making statements, winning series, or doing more with less. Those were for losers like Bobby Valentine and Willie Randolph. Heck, did you ever hear Steve Phillips say we should just compete?
Don’t get mad at this team because they have accomplished exactly what has been asked of them thus far this year.
Original Story:
http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=23737
