August 19, 2009, New York Mets evaluation story for Metro NY Newspaper
Manuel, Mets begin evaluations
Mets 9, Braves 4
Church bells
Former Mets OF Ryan Church, now with the Braves, spoke out against Jerry Manuel, who implied he was not as tough as David Wright, who like Church, had a concussion. “The stuff [Wright] was having was nothing compared to what I was going through.”
MLB.
The mission statement has changed.
The playoffs are no longer the Mets’ goal. Rather, baseball operations will spend the season’s final six weeks determining which on-field personnel will return in 2010.
“I think player evaluation is part of the process of where we are at this point,” manager Jerry Manuel said before last night’s 9-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. “I think we have to be careful in those evaluation. It’s a good opportunity for some players who haven’t had the opportunity to play regularly. It’s a tremendous opportunity for them.”
Even with last night’s win, the 2009 campaign has been one of the most humiliating in franchise history. At 56-63, the Mets are 12 ½ games back in the N.L. East race and 10 games back in the N.L wild card race with 42 games remaining. For a team that opened an $800 million ballpark and has the second highest payroll in the game, the evaluation period comes too early.
Without having to spend time scouting playoff opponents, the baseball operations staff will have the chance to use the final six weeks to assess what’s left of the major league roster and the minor league system. While the chance to observe is, at first glance, a benefit for an organization that hasn’t had many positives this season, Manuel noted that there is a caveat.
“I think player evaluation is part of the process of where we are at this point. I think we have to be careful in those evaluation. It’s a good opportunity for some players who haven’t had the opportunity to play regularly. It’s a tremendous opportunity for them,” said Manuel.
“We as evaluators, we have to be really careful. You really want to play well. If you play well above .500, then you don’t think you’re evaluating mediocrity. If you’re below .500 and you’re looking for something to hang onto, then you might fall into the trap of falling in love with mediocrity.”
The Mets have had to make do with mediocrity—at best—for most of the season due to the almost unfathomable rash of injuries the team has suffered, including being without leadoff hitter Jose Reyes and slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado since May. The Mets have also lost Carlos Beltran, John Maine, J.J. Putz and, most recently, David Wright to the disabled list.
Not having his key components in uniform has forced Manuel to oftentimes field patchwork lineups. Players such as Alex Cora and Gary Sheffield, who were signed to provide depth, were forced into the everyday lineup.
Manuel theorized that next spring, without having to concern himself with his best players having World Baseball Classic duties, he will have a better idea if the players are listening. The manager also wondered aloud if the players ever heeded his edict.
“That is something that I’m definitely going to wrestle with. When did the message become clear? What will have to happen for me, going into spring training, now that you have everybody—you don’t have the WBC—you have the chance to preach that message from day one and then to act it out in those spring training games. But that’s the one thing that you’re not sure of, if it got through,” Manuel said.
NOTES:
The Mets placed Alex Cora on the 15-day DL yesterday and called up Wilson Valdez from Triple-A Buffalo. Valdez was in uniform last night.
*
The organization announced that they signed their first pick in the 2009 First Year Player Draft, Steven Matz. Matz, who was 6-1 with an 0.47 ERA in seven starts as a senior and Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, Long Island, will be sent to the rookie league’s Gulf Coast Mets.
Denis Gorman
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 4:56 PM
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