The one benefit to having your manager manage the All Star Game is knowing that you have a manager who wants to get you in the game. That’s the case except when Terry Collins is your manager. 

Collins made sure to get each and every player from the other National League teams appeared in the game. He went so far as to have Cardinals rookie Aledyms Diaz pinch hit to strike out in the biggest at bat in the game. He inserted Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen for one batter in the eighth. He made sure all the representatives from the National League East teams made their way into the game. However, not one Met made their way into the game. 

Sure, Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes knew they weren’t playing as they were injured. Collins had already informed Bartolo Colon most likely wasn’t going to pitch as the Mets needed him to pitch on Sunday. However, first time All Star, Jeurys Familia, was told he was going to pitch. He was slated to be the closer. 

Except he didn’t pitch. Collins didn’t even attempt to get him into a game that seemed like the National League wasn’t going to win. With that, the Mets were the only team not represented in the All Star Game. The end result was an angry Mets All Star contingent. 

First, the normally affable and media friendly Familia declined to be interviewed as he had nothing to say as he didn’t pitch in the game.  It was the same story for Syndergaard. None of the Mets were willing to give interviews. Next thing you know, every media outlet is reporting about how upset each and every Mets All Star was:

https://twitter.com/jareddiamond/status/753078019506446337

The All Star Game is supposed to be a great moment for the fans and players. It wasn’t for Mets fans who didn’t get to see their guys play. It certainly wasn’t for the Mets players who were clearly upset over not playing in the game. This is a very real issue the Mets will have to address. In what was supposed to be a fun event, the Mets players were angry to a man. It became such an issue that Familia had to later track down the media to try to dispel the notion that either he or anyone player was upset with their manager. 

Managing the clubhouse is supposedly Collins’ strength. He failed at that today by failing his players. He needs to fix this immediately if it isn’t already a problem beyond repair. 

Editor’s Note: this was also published on metsmerizedonline.com