July 30, 2009, New York Mets player and manager reaction to Omar Minaya for Metro NY Newspaper

US – Thursday, July 30

Published 22:59, July the 29th, 2009

Jerry Manuel didn’t address the Omar Minaya drama with his team.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Brushing it off

Mets playing through off-the-field drama

MLB. Perhaps the most interesting aspect in the post-Omar Minaya meltdown was how it affected the Mets.

Or, more accurately, how it did not affect them.

“We kept ourselves out of the middle of that. We’re worried about the Colorado Rockies. Who’s pitching that day, pitchers are worried about the hitters. We really haven’t concerned ourselves with things we can’t control,” David Wright said.

For six weeks, the Mets’ focus was often on the multitude of injuries and their inability to generate offense.

Starting with last weekend’s series in Houston, the Mets have seemed to adopt Alfred E. Neuman’s “What, us worry?” attitude.

It has served them well in the fallout of Monday’s melodrama.

“I haven’t talked with any of them about that. That’s out of our power. We’re here to play on the field. We have to continue to stay focused on the field and get back in the race. It was probably interesting, but it did not have an effect on the team,” said Jerry Manuel.

During Minaya’s tenure as GM, he has fired former manager Willie Randolph, along with Tony Bernazard.

DENIS GORMAN