Musings

Thanks For The Memories Terry Collins

Before the last game of the season, Terry Collins told us all what we were expecting.  He will not be returning as Mets manager.  While unnecessary, he was magnanimous in announcing he was stepping aside and taking himself out of consideration for the managerial position with his contract expiring.  The Mets rewarded him with how he’s handled himself in his seven years as manager and over these trying three days with a front office position.

In essence, Collins’ tenure with the Mets ended much in the way it started.  The Mets were bad and injured.  It was a circus around the team, and he was the face in front of the media left holding the bag.  What we saw in all of those moments was Collins was human, which is something we don’t always see in managers.

Part of being human is being emotional.  We’ve seen Collins run the gamut of emotions in those postgame press conferences.  And yes, we’ve seen him cry.  Perhaps none more so than when he had that gut wrenching decision to keep Johan Santana in the game and let him chase immortality.  In his most prescient moment as a manger, Collins knew he could’ve effectively ended a great players’ career, and yet, he couldn’t just sit there and rob his player of his glory.  In the end, that would be the defining characteristic in Collins’ tenure as manager.

He let Jose Reyes bunt for a single and take himself out of a game to claim the Mets first ever batting title.  He left Santana in for that no-hitter.  He initially let David Wright try to set his own schedule for when he could play until Wright all but forced Collins to be the adult.  Through and through, he would stick by and defer to his players, including but not limited to sending Matt Harvey to pitch the ninth.

Until the very end, Collins had an undying belief in his players, especially his veteran players.  It would be the source of much consternation among fans.  This was on more highlighted than his usage of Michael Conforto.  What was truly bizarre about Collins’ handling of Conforto wasn’t his not playing one of his most talented players, it was Collins had a penchant for developing players when he was interested.

In fact, that 2015 Mets team was full of players Collins developed.  You can give credit to Dan Warthen, but Collins deserves credit for helping that staff develop.  Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Jeurys Familia all developed into dominating pitchers under Collins guidance.

But it wasn’t just the heralded pitchers.  It may have taken some time, but Collins developed some other less heralded prospects into good Major League players.  Collins helped make Jon Niese, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, Juan Lagares, and Wilmer Flores into significant contributors to a pennant winner.  It wasn’t just those players.  Collins seemingly brought out the best in all of his players.

With the exception of Murphy, you’d be hard-pressed to find a player who performed better after leaving the Mets.  Ruben Tejada, Eric Young, Ike Davis, Josh Thole, R.A. Dickey, and Marlon Byrd regressed after leaving the Mets.  Really, you can pick you player, and the chances are those players were not the same after playing for a different manager.

Because of his managing, Mets fans saw things they never thought they’d see.  A knuckleball pitcher won 20 games and a Cy Young.  A Mets player won a batting title.  There was actually a Mets no-hitter.  Despite the Madoff scandal, the Mets got back to a World Series.

Through all of our collective hand wringing over his managing, we have all tended to lose sight of that.  Collins got the best out of his players.  It’s why we saw the rise of that team in a dream like 2015 season, and it’s why the Mets fought back so fiercely in 2016 to make consecutive postseasons.

And in those moments, Collins celebrated with his team . . . and the fans.  More than anyone who has ever been a part of the Mets, Collins treated the fans with respect.  He returned their affection.  That was no more apparent than that improbable run in 2015:

It was more than the celebrating.  Collins was there to console grieving widows and take time out for sick children who just had heart transplants.  At his core, Collins is a good and decent man.  It may be that part of his personality which allowed him to get the most out of his players. It helps you overlook some of his shortcomings.

Certainly, Collins has left behind many reliever careers in his wake.  Names like Tim Byrdak and Scott Rice are just footnotes in Mets history, and that is because Collins over used his relievers.  This was just one aspect of his poor managing.  There were many times where he left you scratching your head.  It was his managing that helped cost the Mets the 2015 World Series.

However, as noted, the Mets would not have gotten there if not for Collins.  To that end, we all owe him a bit of gratitude for that magical season.  We owe him gratitude and respect for how he has treated the fans.

He did that more than anyone too because he ends his career as the longest tenured manager in Mets history.  When he was hired no one expected him to last that long.  Yet, it happened, and despite all of his faults, the Mets were better off for his tenure.  In the end, I respected him as a man, and I appreciated what he did for this franchise.

I wish him the best of luck, and I’ll miss him.  My hope is that whoever replaces him is able to capture the best of the man.  Those are certainly huge shoes that are not easily filled.  Mostly, I hope he’s at peace at what was a good run with the Mets, and I wish him the best of luck in his new role.

Mets Final Game An Allegory For The Season

Even though the Mets were well out of it, and there was literally nothing to play for in that final game of the season, there was some buzz to the final game of the season.  The reason why was Noah Syndergaard got the start.  He was great:

Syndergaard lasted just two innings striking out two while allowing no hits.  He would then leave the game.  This wasn’t his April 30th start against the Nationals.  No, this was planned.  Still, like this season once Syndergaard departed the pitchers who followed weren’t up to par, and the Mets chances of winning took a real hit.

Specifically, Chris Flexen and Rafael Montero imploded.  Flexen allowed five runs on six hits in just 1.1 innings.  Things would have been worse for him, but Kevin McGowan bailed him out striking out the final two batters of the inning.

It was then Montero’s turn to implode in the eighth with him allowing five runs on two hits and hit walks.  The low light was a Nick Williams inside-the-park homer.

In many ways, it was quite fitting the worst ERA in team history was clinched on an inside-the-park homer in a bandbox like Citizen’s Bank Park.

Those 11 Phillies runs would go unchallenged as the Mets could only muster two hits on the day.  One of them was by Gavin Cecchini, who was the only Mets player who had a decent day at the plate going 1-3 with a walk.  In many ways, that is a fitting end to the season.  Cecchini, a guy the Mets never gave much of a chance, performed well while the Mets favored players didn’t.

Like all of us, Terry Collins was ready for it all to end, and he just wanted to get out of there:

Game Notes: In what could be the last game of his career as a Met, Jose Reyes did not enter the game.

One Positive Aspect Of The Mets Season

The one thing we never got to see with Generation K was Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher, and Paul Wilson in the same rotation.  In fact, we have never seen them all in the same pitching staff.  That never happened because of all the injuries they suffered.  Then we saw Isringhausen and Wilson traded in successive years to help the Mets chances of winning a World Series instead of them pitching the Mets to the World Series.

Whatever you want to call the group of Mets young starters (most seemed to like the Five Aces), they never appeared in the same rotation.  The closest we got was seeing Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz in the same rotation in 2015.  Coincidentally, that was also the year the Mets went to the World Series on the strength of their pitching.

The reason Zack Wheeler was not a part of that group that went to the postseason was because he suffered an injury in Spring Training.  In fact, Wheeler would be gone for two years rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.  For a moment, it seemed as fait accompli the group would never pitch in the same rotation because Wheeler was almost traded to the Brewers with Wilmer Flores for Carlos Gomez.  In fact, if not for Gomez’s hip, the dream would have died there.

Still to this day, we have never seen the five in the same rotation.  However, we have seen them all pitch in the same season in the rotation.  It may not seem like much, but it’s something.  It’s also a step closer to seeing them all in the same rotation.  It may finally happen next year.

Matz should be ready for Opening Day after the surgery to repair his ulnar nerve.  This was the same surgery deGrom had last season, and he was able to last the entire season injury free.  Both Harvey and Syndergaard were able to return and pitch before the season was over.  Like in 2015 and 2016, the only question is Wheeler.

In the end, the Mets are a step closer to having all five of their proverbial aces in the rotation.  At a minimum, they are a step closer to seeing them all on the same pitching staff.  If it does happen, one of the open wounds Mets fans have suffered will close a bit.  Howeve,r that wound will not fully heal until we see this group pitch the Mets to a World Series title.

Mets Smearing Collins Continues Horrible Pattern

Is anyone surprised the Mets decided to smear Terry Collins before parting ways with him this offseason?  Well, you shouldn’t be because  it follows a pattern from this organization since the Wilpons have taken control of the team.  While full ownership did not fully transfer until 2002, the Wilpons had gradually gained control throughout the years and were really front in center with an already hands-off Doubleday suffering health issues.

Coming off the heels of the 2000 World Series, Alex Rodriguez made it well known he wanted to play for the Mets, the team he’s always loved.  Instead of the team letting themselves get outbid, they declared him to be a 24 and one player.

Instead of thanking managers like Bobby Valentine and Art Howe for their service, they talked about how their teams quit on them, which is as damning a statement you can make against a manager.  Things went further for Howe calling him soft, weak, boring, and out of touch.

As poorly as Howe was treated on the way out, it pales in comparison to how Willie Randolph was treated.  This went beyond the accusations he was out of touch and couldn’t get through to his players.  No, they had to fly him out to California and fire him at 3:00 A.M. after a win!  They then replaced him with Jerry Manuel, who was the person bad mouthing Randolph behind his back with, you guessed it, Jeff Wilpon.

It wasn’t just managers that received this treatment.  Remember what happened with Yoenis Cespedes in the 2015 offseason?  When the team made it clear they had wanted to pass on re-signing him?  First, he was a round peg in a square hole that couldn’t handle center.  It wasn’t just that, we heard whispers about whether a team could trust Cespedes on a long-term deal.

Now, the Mets have turned their attention to Collins.  Reading Marc Carig’s Newsday article on the subject, the team couldn’t help but tear him down before parting ways with him this offseason.  Reading the column, you can see the Mets have gotten much better at this detailing all of his faults:

  1. Constant tactical blunders;
  2. Resisted input;
  3. Poor relationship with players;
  4. Shielded by Fred Wilpon from firing;
  5. Front office had no confidence in him;
  6. Abused relief pitchers;
  7. No interest in playing young guys;
  8. Played players like Jeurys Familia into injuries;
  9. Inmates ran the asylum; and
  10. Team was miserable.

Any Mets fans who has paid attention to the team could tell you any of the above was true.  We saw Collins staple Michael Conforto to the bench for under-performing veterans.  He pressured Steven Matz to pitch through the pain.  There was the drama surrounding Asdrubal Cabrera‘s position switch.  There have been a wake of injured relievers during his career.  All of the above has proven to be true.

Through all of it, the Mets kept Collins.  They dismissed these concerns and even put forth the illusion he was great handling the clubhouse.  However, now that Collins is on his way out, those positive narratives are gone; replaced by the truth or something close to it.

The sad part is this is completely unnecessary.  Collins dutifully serves this organization since 2010 and managed them since 2011.  He led the team to consecutive postseasons and delivered a pennant.  Despite all of this, we all knew this was the end, and really, there was no one asking for him to return to the Mets.  Most agreed it was time for the Mets to select a new manager, a new direction.

For some reason, the Mets couldn’t leave well enough alone.  They had to tear the guy down on his way out.  Sadly, this is not a new low for the organization because you can’t get any lower than how they treated Randolph.  Rather, the team has become better and more efficient at doing it.

With the way Collins has been treated it makes you question what type of manager would be willing to accept a job from the Mets considering how they are treated and smeared on their way out the door.

Trivia Friday – Consecutive Postseasons In Two Wild Card Era

With the Minnesota Twins clinching on Wednesday, the field for the 2017 Postseason has been set.  As you’ll notice, there are some repeat teams that do not include the Mets.  Can you name all of the teams that have made multiple postseasons since the inception of the second Wild Card?  Good luck!


Joe Mauer Making The Postseason Is Great But A Sad Reminder For Mets Fans

After last night’s Mets game, I flipped to MLB Network to watch some West Coast baseball.  As it was the most important baseball game being played at the moment, the end of the Angels-White Sox game was being aired.  MLB Network did a tremendous job of a split screen between the game and the Twins clubhouse.  As Nick Delmonico hit a walk off home run, the Twins clubhouse erupted:

It was not too long ago we saw the Mets clubhouse that exuberant.  It’s always exciting to see, and there are more than one or two humorous moments.  Who can forget Jay Bruce wandering around the Mets clubhouse last year after the team clinched a Wild Card spot:

But it’s not just the funny moments like this.  It’s the moments of pure joy you see from the players.  Typically, you see them with the older players who either thought they were never going to get to this point, or they were never going to get there again.  For the Twins that was Joe Mauer.

The player who grew up a Twins fan became a great Twin.  More than that, Mauer was on a Hall of Fame path.  The 2009 AL MVP had made six All Star teams, won five Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves.

Even with the Twins having budgetary issues, they were able to find money to sign the fan favorite to a contract extension.  Not too long after that, the injuries started piling up.  Specifically with Mauer, it was concussions.  The concussions forced him out behind the plate.  More than that, it led to questions over whether he could be the same player.  Moreover, many said Mauer’s contract and status with the team was holding them back.

With the Twins turnaround, the first person on that team you felt happy for was Mauer.  He certainly looked thrilled during the interview.  For a moment, I was happy for him.

I then began to become a bit melancholy.  Seeing Mauer’s joy reminded me of David Wright during the 2015 postseason run.  At the time, whether we wanted to admit it or not, it looked like the it was going to be his last chance to win with the Mets.  With the way things have progressed, that increasingly becomes the case.

It is a shame because for a while Wright and Mauer had parallel careers.  Wright was playing for the team he rooted for as a child.  He was the MVP caliber player that chose to stay with the franchise who drafted him rather than testing the free agent waters and cashing in.  That contract is similarly seen as an albatross.  And yet, he’s still a beloved player.

We’ll never know if Wright will get another opportunity much in the way Mauer got his.  Hopefully, Mauer will not only have a long run this offseason, but he will get another chance in the future years.  Hopefully, his loyalty to the Twins is rewarded with a World Series.  We should all hope that for Mauer.

We also hope that for Wright, but unfortunately, it seems less likely he will get the chance Mauer seems to have in front of him.

Mets Didn’t Give Terry Collins A Proper Send-Off

When Sandy Alderson took over as General Manager of the New York Mets, he would hire Terry Collins as manager. Seven years later, Collins remains as the Mets manager. 

It’s been quite the ride for Collins and the Mets. Whenever he officially leaves, he leaves as the longest tenured Mets manager.  It should come as little surprise that he’d have the most wins and losses in Mets history. 

During his tenure, he joined Davey Johnson and Bobby Valentine as the only Mets managers to go to two different postseasons. Like Valentine, he would go to consecutive postseasons. 
Clearly, the highlight of his tenure was leading the Mets to the 2015 World Series. 

It was a challenging season where he had to handle a number of injuries and a roster with many AAAA players. Collins kept things together long enough for those players to get healthy, and for Sandy to go get reinforcements. 

While there were many heroes during that 2015 season, Collins role keeping things together should never be overlooked. He was a big part of that team, and he deserved to enjoy that ride. Enjoy it, he did:

He celebrated each step of the way to the World Series with the fans. That’s one area where Collins truly excelled. He was good to the fans. 

He would take his time to write a letter to a grieving widow to offer his condolences. He stopped practice, gathered his team, and organized a photo with a boy who recently underwent heart transplant surgery. Certainly, Collins has shown himself to be a good person who loves the fans. 

Love or hate him, each Mets fan owes him a debt of gratitude. They owe him for the recent good times and for how he’s treated them.  

With this rumored to be his last homestand of his Mets managerial career, now would have been a good time. There could have been “TER-RY!” or “THANK YOU COLLINS!” chants throughout Citi Field. As fans, that’s how you express gratitude. 

Except we’re not entirely sure he’s gone. He’s already saying he wants to remain in baseball not just next year, but the subsequent year. With these overtures, and with us knowing how the Wilpons once interceded when Alderson previously wanted to fire Collins, it’s not completely clear he’s definitively gone. 

That’s true even with the Mets leaking a number of names which they will consider to replace Collins. 

As is the nature with fans, they don’t want to do a send-off unless there is a reason to do it. We still don’t know if he’s definitively gone.  Accordingly, the fans have been subdued when cheering anyone or anything at the park. 

Overall, Collins has done all the Mets have asked him to do. With that being the case, the team had an obligation to be upfront and inform him of their decision. In turn, this would let him know the fans appreciated him. 

Except the Mets won’t do that leaving the 68 year old manager to wait a decade or so to get those cheers he should have been receiving this homestand. For some odd reason, they have either not made up their minds, or they don’t want Collins to receive the attention he’s due. 

With Collins future in limbo, the fans who do attend tonight’s game should let him know how much we all appreciate him. Serenade him much in the same way Wilmer Flores was by the fans after the trade fell through. Regardless of what you ghithhg of him as a manager, let him know that through it all, we appreciated him. 

Robin Ventura As Mets Manager: Grand Slam Or Single?

With the Mets moving on from Terry Collins, the Mets will begin their managerial search, and according to reports, the Mets will consider Robin Ventura.  Certainly, there is a reason why Mets fans would be pleased with the decision:

Ventura was a fan favorite, who was part of the greatest defensive infield of all time.  There is a certain level of buzz and excitement his hiring would create with fans.  However, that is not the sole basis to hire a manager.  Thankfully, we know the current front office will not be swayed as such.  Otherwise, Wally Backman would have been hired as the manager in 2010.

Therefore, we know the Mets will only hire Ventura only if he’s the right manager for the job.  The question is whether hiring him would be a grand slam or a single.

On the one hand, Ventura once finished third in the 2012 American League Manager of the Year voting.  That season, Ventura’s White Sox surprised many with an 85-77 record.  One of the reasons why that team was so successful was because Ventura effectively managed Chris Sale‘s first season as a starter.  Sale wasn’t his only young pitcher.  He also managed Jose Quintana and old friend Addison Reed in their rookie seasons.

While those pitchers may not have reached their full potential immediately, they had a solid foundation from Ventura’s years as their manager.  Now, much credit there goes to Pitching Coach Don Cooper, Ventura was still the manager, and he deserves a portion of the credit.

One of the reasons why he deserves credit is because Ventura actually rated well in bullpen management using the stat Bullpen Management Above Random (BMAR).  Without getting into the nitty-gritty, the stat “assess[es] how closely each manager lined up his best relievers with his team’s highest-leverage relief opportunities.”  (Grantland).  Among active managers, Ventura would rank fifth in voting.

Certainly, the Mets could use a manager who works well with pitchers and handles a pitching staff well.  That goes double when you consider the Mets will have to handle all the injured pitchers coming back next year and the development of Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith

The rest of Ventura’s stint as White Sox manager was a bit of a mixed bag.  While he effectively managed they young pitchers, Adam Eaton, and Jose Abreu when he came to the United States, he never quite developed either Alexei Ramirez or Gordon Beckham.

After that surprising first season as the White Sox manager, Ventura’s teams failed to contend, or for that matter, finish over .500.  What was troubling there was the White Sox heavily invested in their 2015 and 2016 teams.  Whether it was Ventura or the mix of players brought to the White Sox remains to be seen.

That 2016 season was a difficult one for the White Sox.  Kenny Williams had instructed Adam LaRoche he couldn’t bring his son to the clubhouse as frequently leaving the player to retire leaving behind angry players.  This was just the first incident.  While he didn’t lose the clubhouse then, he might have later in the season.

Later, Sale would infamously cut up all of the throwback jerseys because they were uncomfortable.  Upon learning of Sale’s actions, Ventura would scratch him, and the team would suspend him.  This led to a Sale tirade with him attacking Ventura saying, “”Robin is the one who has to fight for us in that department.  If the players don’t feel comfortable 100 percent about what we are doing to win the game, and we have an easy fix — it was as easy as hanging up another jersey and everyone was fine. For them to put business first over winning, that’s when I lost it.”  (MLB.com).

Overall, when looking at Ventura’s tenure as the White Sox manager, it’s a mixed bag.  He’s been able to develop some players while not getting through to others.  He’s largely kept control of his clubhouse, but in the end, he eventually lost his star player.  Of course, this happens to even the best managers, and it’s easy to over-analyze the final days of his White Sox tenure.

The one thing we do know is Ventura always handled himself well with the media throughout these issues.  It is not too dissimilar for how well he handled himself as a player while with the Mets and the Yankees. Considering he played with the Mets in difficult times (9/11, decline as a player, team under-performing), it is easy to believe he could handle the press well as a Mets manager.

Taking everything into consideration, Ventura merits consideration and an interview for the Mets managerial opening.  If the Mets wind up hiring him, they will have a manager whose strengths might just coincide with what the team needs.  If he’s better for his experience with the White Sox all together.  In the end, Ventura would be a fine choice as manager.

On Kneeling And Trying To Stick To Sports

If you’ve been a Mets fan long enough, you’ll remember one of the issues with the Mets obtaining Carlos Delgado was his refusal to stand for “God Bless America.”  There were a number of reasons why from the United States use of the Vieques for bombing runs to the the war in Iraq.  As a Puerto Rican, and as a man, Delgado felt compelled to sit out the singing of “God Bless America.”

With 9/11 still so raw for many New Yorkers, and “God Bless America” being a de facto anthem adopted in the ensuing days, this was a sore point for some Mets fans.  However, it never became an issue because the Mets had a policy their players were to stand for “God Bless America,” and Delgado complied with the policy.

As Delgado put it, “The Mets have a policy that everybody should stand for ‘God Bless America’ and I will be there. I will not cause any distractions to the ballclub…. Just call me Employee Number 21.”  (The Nation).

From that point forward, Delgado would go on to become one of the most beloved Mets to ever wear the uniform.  It wasn’t just his home run hitting ability.  It was the fact he was an actual human being that was fun to root for.  In that first season with the Mets he won the Roberto Clemente Award for his work in helping children’s hospitals.

Reflecting on his time in New York, you wonder what impact his sitting out “God Bless America” would have had on his legacy as a Met and as a ballplayer.  We don’t know because he wasn’t given that opportunity.

I was reminded of the Delgado situation when Terry Collins spoke about how his entire team stood for the National Anthem before the Mets game yesterday:

I’ve got to tell you, I’m not a big political guy, not by any stretch of the imagination.  But I respect — I have been blessed enough to travel the world — and I respect our country immensely. We do have rights here, which other places don’t. I respect that, also.

But I’m proud of my guys that they go line up every night, stand and face the flag. Everybody’s allowed to have their own thoughts and certainly I don’t criticize anybody, I don’t do that stuff. But I’m happy that our guys do what they do.

Given the history with the Mets and Delgado, you have to wonder if the Mets players stand for the National Anthem out of national pride, a sense of civic duty, or because they were ordered by the team.

This is normally something we would not have to ponder, but this has become something more and more players have done across the sports world.  It first came to baseball with Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell becoming the first Major League player to kneel for the anthem.  It became an issue with some tweets from President Trump over the weekend:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911654184918880260

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911655987857281024

Reading those tweets, you knew it was going to cause people to react.  Many teams and players operated in many different ways.  Some knelt.  Others stood and locked arms.  Then there was the Pittsburgh Steelers who ordered their players to stay in the locker room.  All but one player would heed the order:

Former Army Ranger and Iraq War veteran Alejandro Villanueva was the lone Steeler to take the field during the National Anthem.  In many circles, the man was lauded.  Really, you’d be hard-pressed to find any detractors for his action, but there was a significant one – his head coach.

Mike Tomlin set forth a direct order to his players, and Villanueva disregarded the order, and instead chose to stand for the National Anthem.  Where many people saw a hero, Tomlin saw a disobedient player.

And you know what?  Tomlin is as right for telling Villanueva to not stand as the Wilpons were in telling Delgado not to sit.

Delgado was a member of the Mets, and Villanueva is a member of the Steelers.  When they take the field, they represent not just themselves, but an entire organization.  Just like you or I when we go to work, we have to listen to our employers when it comes to voicing our politics or protest.  We may not to like it, but ultimately, if we choose to be employed, we have to adhere to the guidelines set forth.  It’s a fact of life.

As for their specific actions?  Well, honestly, that is for each and every single one of us to decide.

Personally, I don’t like it when I see players kneel.  I’ve had relatives fight for this country, and I’ve actually had friends die defending this country.  I have family who are police officers who rushed down to Ground Zero when 9/11 happened.  While standing and removing my cap was something that was once rote for me, something instilled in my by my father, it is actually now a conscious decision.

At the same time, I refuse to condemn those who kneel . . . at least not until hearing them out.

If you’re Delgado, and you grew up with the United States effectively destroying part of your beloved Puerto Rico, you are sure to have a different reaction to the National Anthem and God Bless American than I will.  Same goes for some of the players who have chosen to take a knee during the National Anthem.

Personally, I want to hear from everyone who kneels why they are doing it.  More than that, I want to know how they choose to be a part of the solution.  You’re kneeling to get our attention, and you have it.  Frankly, it’s not enough.  You need to actually do something with it.  You need to let us know why, and what we all can do to try to help you or the people you care enough about to kneel.

Even if these players don’t know exactly why they’re kneeling or what is a real solution, I will still defend their right to kneel.  It’s an exercise of the First Amendment.  If you are of the belief, kneeling disrespects our military and our democratic institutions, you’re wanting to take away an exercise of the First Amendment is equally as a disrespectful . . . perhaps more so.

In the end, instead of the useless shouting back and forth, it’s time for an honest discussion to take place.

That discussion is not for this space.  As was always my goal, this blog was always intended to discuss the Mets and raising little Mets fans.  For the most part, politics really plays no part here.  However, this is a time where sports and politics are converging instead of diverging.  When you have Mets figures like Collins offering statements on the matter, the issue certainly comes within the purview of any Mets related website.  Accordingly, I figured it was long since time I offered by thoughts on the matter.  It is my sincerest intention this will be the last.

Tomorrow, I will get back to the Mets and explaining how the team is mismanaging it’s development of Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith, and Amed Rosario.  We can all get back to discussing how to handle David Wright.  Mostly, we can all focus on how to fix this team so they can get back to the team that was in the World Series instead of an injured and broken down team fighting for a top five draft pick.

Brandon Nimmo Should Be Hitting Lead-Off

Since Brandon Nimmo was called-up on July 30th and became an everyday player, he has shown patience and a good eye at the plate.  In fact, he has led all Mets players in walks (25), and he is second on the team in OBP (.392).  These are the numbers you would like in a lead-off hitter, especially one that was a successful lead-off hitter in Triple-A.

However, the Mets don’t want Nimmo as their lead-off hitter right now.  They would rather have Nori Aoki hit lead-off.  For that matter, they would rather have Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera hit behind him.  Surprisingly, the Mets have no room for Nimmo in the top half of their lineup.

Instead, they would have Aoki lead-off.  Now, it’s quite understandable why the Mets would play Aoki.  There’s really no third Major League caliber otufielder on the team, and the Mets want to get a closer look at him with the team having a possible opening for a fourth or fifth outfielder on the 2018 roster.  Still, that does not mean he should be hitting lead-off.

We already know what he is as a lead-off hitter.  He has been fine in that role hitting .286/.354/.388 in his six year career.  He’s been successful enough in that role that he has played a vast majority of his games as a lead-off hitter.  Overall, it’s been well established he is a capable lead-off hitter.

The same cannot be said for Nimmo.  While we know he’s a great lead-off hitter in Triple-A, we don’t know that he is in the majors.  Sure, September is a small sample size, but it is still an opportunity.  It’s a wasted opportunity with the way the Mets are wasting.  It should be a surprise to no one as the team has wasted most of this season.