Could it Be?

by LEFTY120491 on Apr 30, 2009 11:29 AM EDT

Guy it sucks being a Met fan right now. Having the bats disintegrate against guys like Joel Piniero isn't very promising, and seeing a bullpen we paid quite a bit for perform the way they've been performing definitely makes me cringe. But have you ever thought that it could be that these falters have been one day things for these guys? I mean we know J.J. isn't what he was yesterday, walking two guys in a row to start an inning isn't J.J.'s game.

And Sean Green throwing that pitch to Jorge Cantu, well, there's really no excuse for it. It was a bad pitch and he knew it.

Ok so those are two games we may have won if the bullpen didn't blow them. I think we as fans need to take a breath here and look at the game and the team as a whole here. There is a clear need for some leadership outside of Johan Santana, and I think that's obvious. Right now, however, it's important to put the last two years and the memory of them behind us. This is a different team, and people in this community still refuse to believe that.

So give it time, fans.

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by meigs1414 on Apr 30, 2009 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

Please explain:

There is a clear need for some leadership outside of Johan Santana, and I think that’s obvious.

I’m not trying to be an asshole (yet), but how or what exactly do you mean? On the field? Off the field? What is this leadership that are you looking for? I’ve heard this more than a few times lately, that Santana is the only leader on the team, and I still don’t know what it means. He’s not really any more vocal in the media than any other player on the team, he’s just been the best player on the team by miles. Other than improving performance from guys like Wright, Reyes and Delgado, how are you looking at “leadership” here?

'Oh yes, I know all about that duty-of-a-citizen stuff. It doesn't go. There are exceptions to every rule, and this was one of them. When a man risks his liberty to come and root at a ball-game, you've got to hand it to him. He isn't a crook. He's a fan.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Apr 30, 2009 11:38 AM EDT reply actions

Apparently

Johan does a fair amount of coaching with the rest of the pitching staff, so advice could be construed as leadership in that context, I think.

by deadspy3 on Apr 30, 2009 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

well, I mean

other than Johan, is there anyone else you would want to be coaching the pitching staff? fuck leadership, I don’t want Ollie Perez trying to help JJ Putz with his control problems.

by JoshNY on Apr 30, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes!

“Come on J.J., anything less than 9.0 BB/9 means you have no cojones”

by deadspy3 on May 1, 2009 5:10 AM EDT up reply actions

we need more

leadership on the field. your right, johan isn’t a presence in the locker room or with the media but on the field hes dominant and right now no one else is playing that way. we need a guy that plays every day to step up and i think david wright is very close to that. i know you guys think thats crazy with his lack of clutch play and miscues in the field yesterday but its one day.

by LEFTY120491 on Apr 30, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Not being a jerk

but please define “leadership on the field.” If you mean “better performance on the field”, then fine.

by James Kannengieser on Apr 30, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't think it's crazy.

He’s only 26. And this is why I don’t like these “leadership” convos- for all we know, he IS leading the team. I mean, we don’t know! We’re not on the field!

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Apr 30, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

OK gotcha, sort of

as James says, if you are equating leadership to performance, then I totally get what you are saying.

And, honestly, I think you’d find just about everyone on this site agrees with you about Wright. His defense has been mostly stellar all season so far and, in spite of his high K rate, it shouldn’t take too much to get him going at the plate. I like to think we try to be an island of sanity in the sea of bad columnists, overreactive blogs and WFAN hosts and callers, and we’re not throwing Wright away quite yet.

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Apr 30, 2009 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

right thats exactly what i meant about wright

and doesn’t he always have slow starts?

by LEFTY120491 on Apr 30, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions

pretty much

It seems like an annual ritual by now.

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Apr 30, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Leadership on the field

It seems to me like Delgado and Reyes do a pretty good of trying to be leaders on the field. They are the two guys I see most often going to try and settle down a pitcher after a bad outcome. Likewise, Reyes seems to try to keep things loose on the bench, and he is always trying to be a rah-rah guy. All he gets for doing this is the reputation of being immature.

I get the feeling that what people want when the talk about “leadership” is someone to act like Paul O’Neill and put on their frowny face every time they make an out.

Like the rest, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I just never understand how “leadership” gets defined.

by Reg Dunlop on Apr 30, 2009 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Good to see some perspective.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Apr 30, 2009 11:47 AM EDT reply actions

thank you

The series of sub-WFAN fanposts we’ve been getting is really starting to annoy me, so it’s nice to see a reasonable one. Welcome to the community, Lefty.

2009 Mets: maybe its the Phillies turn to have a terrible bullpen?

by Greenpoint Ian on Apr 30, 2009 12:00 PM EDT reply actions

thanks ian

what do u mean by sub-WFAN posts? because i do listen to the fan all the time but im not sure how that plays into my views on the mets. i know angry fans call up all the time about the mets and i think the message they need to be given is the one i wrote.

by LEFTY120491 on Apr 30, 2009 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

That's basically what he meant.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Apr 30, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Me personally I think its pretty clear that Johan is showing leadership…just by playing amazingly well every time he steps out there.
Thats what I define leadership as…he is clearly the ace and on a massive contract and he just goes out there and shows why…thats leadership.
I completely agree on the whole Paul O’neill thing of getting all upset when you make an out(I mean its not a bad thing…its not a good thing its just whatever) thats not leadership.

So yeah I’d agree on the whole someone else needs to step up and lead…IE Wright going out there and playing like he should(Which he most likely will pretty soon)…but the major problem is the rotation…not leadership.

by Ohpityme on May 2, 2009 6:27 AM EDT reply actions