Tartans

With the upcomeing draft the Pirates and it's new regime try a new approach.

In their never ending, I mean this present cycle of Pirates rebuilding, management’s efforts to construct a winning team have largely focused on one area: pitching. The thinking is that solid arms are the most valuable commodity in the game, and that a surplus of talent in that area can yield high returns to fill in holes in other areas.

Despite picking eight pitchers in ten years in the first round of the amateur draft, and a focus on obtaining young hurlers in trades all the Pirates have to show for their work is a pitching staff for whom mediocre is a compliment. Well, that and fifteen consecutive losing seasons. Although the offense hasn’t exactly been stellar during that time period either. But you get the idea.

A big reason for the Pirates dearth of pitching prospects (aside from management’s general inability to identify, you know, talent) is arm injuries. Of those eight first round picks, five missed most of a season in the minor leagues with shoulder or elbow problems, and many weren’t the same players even after coming back. Amazingly, that stat doesn’t even include Kris Benson, once the crown jewel of the Pirates farm system, who missed a year with Tommy John surgery after making it to the big leagues.

Apparently though, the new Pirates regime has seen enough of these scenarios, and they're taking drastic measures to prevent them; very drastic.

On April 23, last year’s top pick, Daniel Moskos was pitching for Class A Lynchburg. With one out to go in the fifth inning, he was two pitches under his limit for the day. Free-swinging Willy Cabrera was up, and the Hillcats’ staff wanted Moskos to get through the inning so he would be eligible for the win. Unfortunately, Cabrera worked a long at-bat then ended up reaching on an error, at which point Moskos was lifted. Given the circumstances, you would think the story would end there. It didn’t.

Lynchburg manager Jeff Branson and pitching coach Bob Milacki were each docked three days pay for allowing Moskos to exceed his pitch count. Although Pirates GM Neal Huntington did not delve into the issue, he did confirm their is a new organization-wide influence on keeping strict limitations on young arms. GM Neal Huntington's take:

"If a pitcher gets close to that area of his limit, the staff can make a decision as to whether to let him face another batter or not,” Huntington said. “But, once he reaches that ceiling, there’s no decision to be made. He’s out. We all need to pull in the same direction. Is it going to happen overnight? No, unfortunately, it’s not. We’re trying to draw the thought process from our staff. But, once we reach a decision, we do need everybody to be compliant. The pitcher extending himself at that level exposes himself to significant injury, and that’s not something we’re willing to risk."

Ever pine for the days of yore, when contract deals were made with a handshake? Lifelong baseball man Emil Joseph "Buzzie" Bavasi (father of current Mariners GM  Bill Bavasi )  passed away a few weeks ago (May 1, 2008), and he left behind a long and storied legacy. Perhaps his most famous moment was dealing with one of the first instances of concerted collective bargaining in baseball: the Koufax/Drysdale holdout of 1966.

Back then, you see, the reserve clause was still in effect, meaning players were under team control more or less in perpetuity. (It wouldn’t be until 1975, with the watershed Seitz decision, that free agency would become a possibility.) Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drydale had other ideas, however. They decided, just after the 1965 season, that they could have some actual leverage if they made a pact: either both of them were satisfied by the terms of the contract, or neither of them would sign. This leverage wasn’t just imaginary.

In a piece written at the beginning of the 1967 season in Sports Illustrated Buzzie Bavasi details exactly what happened between the Dodgers and their two star pitchers. Be sure to check out the entire piece. It makes for some great reading.

I want to draw your attention to a few specifics, though. Of the barrel Koufax and Drysdale had him over, Bavasi notes:  "To tell the truth, I wasn’t too successful in the famous Koufax-Drysdale double holdout in 1966. I mean, when the smoke had cleared they stood together on the battlefield with $235,000 between them, and I stood there With a blood-stained cashbox. Well, they had a gimmick and it worked; I’m not denying it. They said that one wouldn’t sign unless the other signed. Since one of the two was the greatest pitcher I’ve ever seen (and possibly the greatest anybody has ever seen), the gimmick worked. But be sure to stick around for the fun the next time somebody tries that gimmick. I don’t care if the whole infield comes in as a package; the next year the whole infield will be wondering what it is doing playing for the Nankai Hawks"

Now, in fairness to Mr. Drysdale, he was no slouch on the mound, however, in Bavasi’s eyes, it was Sandy Koufax he couldn’t afford to lose. In retrospect, he was absolutely right, at least for 1966. That season, which would prove to be Koufax’s last, was a spectacular one (323 IP, 241 H, 317 K, 77 BB, 1.73 ERA, 27-9 record). At the end of the ‘66 season, Koufax would win the Cy Young for the second straight year, but narrowly lose the MVP to Roberto Clemente, despite receiving more first place votes (9-8). Drysdale, on the other hand, actually had an ERA worse than league average that year (for just the second time in his career), though he was coming off a season in 1965 when he had finished fifth overall in the Cy Young voting (which Koufax had won).

What is most striking to me about this trip down memory lane is Bavasi’s reaction to long-term deals. When asked by Drysdale and Koufax for a combined $1 million for three years, Bavasi scoffed:  "As I recall, I said something like, “You’re both athletes, and what you’re selling is your physical ability, and how can you guarantee your physical ability three years in advance? If you guarantee me that you will both be healthy and strong and still winning 20 games each in 1968, I’ll give you a three-year contract.” Since not even Cassius Clay could make a guarantee like that, the meeting broke up."

Wise words. Either things have changed a great deal in baseball since 1966, or sometimes the apple really does fall far the tree. Some bits of baseball wisdom just don’t travel well down through the years, I guess.

I will admit that so far in 2008, the Chicago White Sox have been better than I had them pegged to be, thanks to some very surprisingly effective pitching. And I should give the guy some credit for this. So Kenny, I underestimated you and your club.

upon hearing the news that A’s prospect Fautino De Los Santos had undergone Tommy John surgery this week, it reminded me of something.

You see, De Los Santos is a 22-year old pitcher who was traded by the Chicago White Sox to Oakland along with Gio Gonzalez and Ryan Sweeney in exchange for Nick Swisher during the winter. It was believed at the time that, while raw, his potential upside was higher than any of the other players involved in the deal. But the A’s shut him down in early May due to a sore elbow. And now it’s Tommy John, meaning that he’ll most certainly be out for the rest of the year, and may miss all of 2009 as well.

But this was reminiscent of another trade that the White Sox made back in 2001, when Mike Sirotka was sent packing as part of a deal that netted Kenny Williams David Wells from the Toronto Blue Jays. But Sirotka never threw a single pitch in a Toronto uniform, because his shoulder had been injured (torn labrum) before the deal ever happened. Kenny Williams (as first year GM) argued that Toronto was given all the medical reports they needed, and the Jays cried foul, claiming that vital information was withheld from them. The whole issue turned into a bit of a fiasco with the Jays appealing to Bud Selig to overturn the deal as a result.

Selig upheld the deal. essentially stating that while Chicago was very well aware of the poor state of Sirotka’s shoulder, that Toronto should have done their homework, which isn’t all that unreasonable, I suppose. As I understand it, the Jays front office did not make the trade pending a physical. It was only conducted after the trade was consummated. Oddly enough however, the first physical given by Toronto showed nothing irregular. It was only when they went for a second opinion to Dr. James Andrews that the problem was discovered. But Sirotka himself put it very nicely:

Sirotka said he was examined by White Sox doctors in early January and given a cortisone shot. He was told to let team doctors know if there was any discomfort after 10 days, but was traded.

“At the time I was getting examined, I didn’t think there was much to worry about because they didn’t seem too concerned,” Sirotka told the Sun-Times. “But one of my first reactions after being traded was I must really be hurt because I didn’t think the trade made much sense.”

It should also be noted that another player that went to Toronto in that deal, pitcher Mike Williams, was also injured before arriving in Canada, but Chicago argued ignorance on that one.

Believe it or not, there’s more. Back in 2006, the Philadelphia Phillies also received a pitcher that was injured prior to a trade. And yes, he came from Chicago’s South Side.

The acquisition of Freddy Garcia was initially considered a pretty good move for the Phils, who was in need of an “innings-eater”. And Garcia certainly fit the bill, making Philadelphia contenders going into 2007. But right at the onset of spring training, something was apparently wrong. By mid-March, there was talk of him starting the year on the disabled list.  Of course, the Phillies went on to win the NL East last year, but none of the credit went to Garcia, who made 11 starts, compiled a 5.90 ERA, and won 1 game. He made his final start on June 8th and underwent season ending surgery in August. It would come to light that Garcia had been receiving cortisone shots in his shoulder, although the pitcher denied this despite his own agent admitting it's veracity.

Again, it was a case of a team (this time, the Phillies) not doing their homework. They had relied on the White Sox’ own medical reports to inform them before pulling the trigger on the deal. It was really only after the injury became apparent that people inside the game talked openly about how Garcia’s fastball had lost velocity before the trade even happened. I’m not sure where these opinions were before his shoulder exploded as a Phil, but they were loud and clear by June of ‘07. Sure, in retrospect, the numbers posed a bunch of red flags, especially his strikeout rates in ‘05 and ‘06. But I can’t find one instance where a columnist or analyst pointed this out to be problematic at the time the deal went down. Either way, it was yet another situation where the Chicago White Sox were able to unload a pitcher with a pre-existing injury.

This is not to say that Fautino De Los Santos was damaged goods before he was traded. I have no idea if this was the case and am not making an accusation. But this is now the fourth incident in Kenny Williams’ tenure that something like this has happened. So you have to wonder - will front offices become far more hesitant to even deal with Kenny Williams? And why aren’t they taking more precautions than they do?

Exactly one year ago today, New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes seemed unstoppable. At the time, Reyes was a 24-year old who appeared ready to break out and announce his presence with authority. He had won NL Player of the Month Award in April with an incredible .356/.442/.596 line to go along with 17 stolen bases. But perhaps the most encouraging stat Reyes accumulated that month was the 16 free trips to first base.

As a point of comparison, back in 2005, Reyes walked 27 times. All year. In 161 games. The following season, things looked to be on the up-and-up, as he nearly doubled those numbers with 53. And in April of 2007, I believed that he was tapping into a potential that even I had not imagined him capable of.

And so it was, that as of May 23, 2007, I thought that my Mets had the best shortstop in Major League Baseball - and he was only 24 years old.

But it hasn’t worked out that way. Since that day, his line has been a far less impressive .268/.338/.407. Journalists, bloggers, sports radio, pretty much anyone with a voice, pen, keyboard or even a talking wheelchair put much of the blame on Reyes for the team’s failure to clinch a playoff spot in September. It’s absolutely true that Jose had a terrible month to close the 2007 season. The man batted .205. His OBP was .279. His god-given talent was no where to be found at a time when everyone was looking for someone to blame.

At the beginning of the 2008 season, it was believed that one of the keys to the Mets success was to get Reyes back on track. But right now, I’m just wondering - what does that mean?

So is Jose Reyes the blame of the Mets issues, and if not then Who? Well, a lot of things.

1. We’re still in May. There’s a lot of baseball that is played in one year. We’re still at a small portion of that one year. Smaller the sample size, the more anomalies stick out.
2. Strength of Schedule. Here’s a part of that “sample size” thing. The 2008 Phillies have thus far played 49 games. 28 of which were played against the Giants(6), Padres(3), Nationals(6), Pirates(3), Astros(4), Rockies(2) and Reds(4), who are generally considered to be the worst teams in the NL. The Mets have played 45 games. Only 14 of them against the aforementioned  of underachievers. Now this is cherry-picking to the highest-degree, but the Mets haven’t exactly had it easy so far.
3. No Power. So I don’t let this team off that easily, consider this. Collectively, the Mets are slugging .391. That’s “good enough” for 12th place out the 16 NL teams. In 2007, the Mets slugged .432 (8th Place), which is not great by any means, but acceptable once you consider Park Factor. For these Mets, it hasn’t been a lack of “clutch hitting” as some have suggested. They just aren’t hitting period. If they can’t hit in any other situation, how can you expect them to hit in “clutch” situations?
4. Pitching. This is the area that concerns me most. It’s one thing to cite the lack of power in a Mets team that plays in a pitcher’s park. But if that holds true, then how do we describe the pitching as anything more than “not good”? Their ERA at the moment is a rather respectable 4.04. But what that doesn’t show is the fact that as a team, they’ve allowed (including unearned) 223 runs. That’s 4.7 runs per game. It’s a big difference.
5. Injuries. This is kind of a double-edged sword. Yes, the Mets have been without Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hernandez, and Moises Alou for most of the year. But can we really say that this was a surprise? Sure, even I, a bit of a pessimist, didn’t expect it to be this bad, but that’s kind of splitting hairs. If we were relying on these guys to lead this team, then brothers and sisters, it was a flawed strategy from the start.

Now before everyone gets the wrong idea, let me just state that I am nowhere near giving up on this team. It’s May. I’ve noticed some Mets fans already setting themselves on fire. It’s really embarrassing. Please stop it.

But despite the date on the calendar, there are things here that are worth mentioning. As expected, the Luis Castillo signing was a pretty bad move. That Pedro signing hasn’t worked out all that well either. And let’s be glad that Carlos Delgado’s contract is up at the end of the year. I’m not one of the people who are calling for Willie Randolph’s head on a platter, but his bullpen management is questionable at best. And I don’t know whose idea it was - Willie’s or GM Omar Minaya’s - to have a bench consisting of Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson, Endy Chavez, Angel Pagan, and Fernando Tatis, but there’s not one name there that I would like to see on my roster - especially to back up a starting nine that you know is going to get hurt badly and often.

I still expect these Mets to win the NL East. I just may need to drink a few more beers to get through the year than I had initially planned.

 

The following comments are in response to recent events surrounding the New York Mets and my frustration over the team. Sorry guys I have to Vent a little!

– Mike Pelfrey SUCKS. I don’t give a golden goddamn about his “stuff.” When you follow up a gem of a game by throwing batting practice to the Atlanta Braves, you suck and don’t deserve to continue starting on a team that’s supposed to compete.

Pelfrey needs Mapquest and a guide donkey to find the strike zone, and when he actually does, it’s with flat, lifeless fastballs that quickly find their way out of the park. Mets management — how many times do you have to get hit on the head before you realize it hurts? Mike Pelfrey is a middle reliever at best. Stop starting him, or prepare for weekly depression.

– Moises Alou SUCKS. I watched a ton of replay last night, and other than a stiff breeze blowing in from right, I have no idea what caused his calf to cramp up….again. I’ve seen corpses with more resilience. It would take a three-part House M.D. to figure out how one man can be so lame. Can we please just end this morbid science experiment and admit that Alou’s body is one bump away from paralysis and his own charity telethon?

– Aaron Heilman SUCKS. He doesn’t care. Neither should we. He wants to start games, but can’t seem to finish an inning. Management is now “shopping” Heilman to anyone who will listen, which is roughly equivalent to shopping long-term life insurance to the Kennedys. Though I called for fans to continue to support him, I now realize it’s a lost cause. Heilman possesses all the spirit of All-Bran, and with twice the crappy results. He’s the Chuck Knoblauch of middle relief, and it’s time for him to leave.

– Endy Chavez SUCKS. I hate to say this, because we used to love the little guy. But he can barely carry that bat now, much less swing it. Watching him hit reminds me of that one kid on every little league team that plays because the league requires it. Because his bat has become so weak, his fielding has atrophied as well. Endy went from an exciting option to a last resort — a resort the Mets continue to visit because Moises Alou sucks worse.

– Willie Randolph SUCKS. How do I say you suck, without you alleging that I’m a racist? You have all the enthusiasm of a death row inmate, and a less hopeful outlook. Just days after saying that you want to keep all team business internal, you go and make a flaming a$$ of yourself by calling out broadcasters. It’s hypocritical and embarrassing. If you can’t manage this team to a .675 winning percentage, then you obviously don’t know what you’re doing. Congratulations on making this job seem harder than it is, and also for making Joe Torre look like a genius by comparison. Also, congrats on your inevitable return to the Yankees organization. I’m starting to wonder if that’s where you wanted to be all along.

– Omar Minaya SUCKS. You rode into town like a champion, then proceeded to coast along on the merits of a handful of good transactions. We turned the other way when you signed crap players, simply because their names ended in “-ez”. We pretended that the Pedro signing was still a good move, three years after his last meaningful Mets start. Hell, we even tried to support the idea that El Dookie and Alookie had plenty to give despite the fact that their combined age equals a good credit score. But we can’t support you anymore. You’ve developed a community college team for an Ivy League price tag, and have absolutely nothing to show for it but years of bad debts. Yeah, we got Johan, but something tells me he’s wishing he went elsewhere. It’s time to boogie and leave some other poor souls to clean up this mess.

I bet you’re thinking I’m going to say the Mets suck. But I won’t.

And I can’t.

This team still has the ability to rule this division, despite all of the dead weight listed above. However, after watching this team lose three in a row to the Braves, showing zero signs of ability in the process, they’re getting awfully f–k!ng close.

I’ll calm down once they start winning again, but for now, I’ll say this: Being a Mets fan in 2008 SUCKS.

I’m not exactly sure what is appropriate to say in this instance. Here, we have indisputably the greatest hitter to have ever worn a New York Mets uniform, arguably the greatest hitting catcher of all-time, and a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer.

On the other, we have a guy whose body broke down and who, to the best of my knowledge, couldn’t get an offer to play one more year, which bothered me for some bizarre reason. I have a tendency to write about a lot of stats on this site - mostly because it’s a way for me to see things as plainly as possible and without sentimentality.

But being a fan is all about sentiment. And I was a Mike Piazza fan.

I remember when I first found out that Piazza was coming to New York. To fully understand what this meant at that moment, consider that the Mets began that year (1998) with a “heart-of-the-order” consisting of Bernard Gilkey, John Olerud, Carlos Baerga, and Butch Huskey. Not exactly Murderer’s Row. And now, Mike Piazza was going to take over behind the plate from Alberto Castillo. It’s a big difference.

For the next few seasons, there was very little doubt who the most valuable player on the roster was. Piazza was that guy. He was the one we knew would represent us well in the All-Star Games. Even in those years where the team was horrendous, he was a point of pride.

In the fifth and deciding game of the 2000 World Series, Mike came up to bat with two outs in the bottom of ninth, down 4-2, facing Mariano Rivera with a runner on third. Piazza was the tying run. Then he swung. And my initial reaction to seeing Piazza connect on that pitch was one of celebration. It just looked like a rocket coming off his bat. Of course, this was my mind playing tricks on me. It turned out to be a flyball that Bernie Williams caught with plenty of room to spare. It was hard to believe that Piazza couldn’t come through in a spot like that.

But that’s the role that Mike Piazza played for the Mets in those years. He never was a much of a “clubhouse guy”. He was a pretty dull quote. But those Mets were his team. And it’s a bit odd for me to reminisce like this, seeing as it really wasn’t that long ago. But as his injuries piled up starting in 2003, we saw Mike less and less.  And despite the fact that he was still on the roster until 2006, the dominant catcher was gone after the 2002 season. By the time he became a Padre, he was a league-average catcher who could no longer move behind the plate. And it really did bother me a bit seeing his name on the free agent list this year as the season began.

So I guess I’m glad that Mike has made this decision. Now, the only thing left for me to do at this moment is to have an argument with Dodger fans about whether or not Piazza’s going to Cooperstown wearing a Mets hat or a Dodgers hat.

He finished with a .308 career average, 427 home runs and 1,335 RBI for the Dodgers (1992-98), Florida (1998), New York Mets (1998-05), San Diego (2006) and Oakland (2007). His 396 homers are easily the most as a catcher, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Carlton Fisk is second with 351, followed by Johnny Bench (327) and Yogi Berra (306).

From Mike Piazza's statement:

"Last but certainly not least, I can’t say goodbye without thanking the fans. I can’t recall a time in my career where I didn’t feel embraced by all of you. Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and Miami - whether it was at home or on the road, you were all so supportive over the years. But I have to say that my time with the Mets wouldn’t have been the same without the greatest fans in the world. One of the hardest moments of my career, was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye. My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career and for that, I will always be grateful." Mike Piazza through his agent Dan Lozano

When Tim Hudson was traded to the Braves prior to the 2005 season, he wasn’t joining the staff to be the ace. Hudson had impressive numbers, sure — a 92-39 record and two All-Star berths in six years with Oakland — but John Smoltz was ‘The One’™. Returning from a three-year stint anchoring the Atlanta bullpen and an established team leader for more than a decade, Smoltz was unquestionably the head hurling honcho. Hudson willingly played the role of sidekick — Robin to Smoltz’ Batman.

For three full years, Hudson took the ball every fifth day, a slot or two behind Smoltz, and quietly did his job. For his part, Smoltz ably maintained the role of staff ace, even as he approached, reached, and passed the age of forty. During their three seasons together, here are the numbers compiled by Smoltz and Hudson as the Braves’ 1-2 punch:

Smoltz: 100 starts, 44-24 record, 660+ IP, 577 Ks, 3.23 ERA, 1.17 WHIP

Hudson: 98 starts, 43-31 record, 630+ IP, 388 Ks, 3.92 ERA, 1.34 WHIP

1-A and 1-B. Hudson’s been quite valuable over the past three years, but Smoltz is the straw that stirs the drink.

At least, he was. But the aging Smoltz is on the shelf right now, and the word is that when he returns, it will be to the closer’s role rather than the staff ace. With Smoltz sidelined, Hudson has had the opportunity to step out of the old man’s shadow and claim his spot at the top of the rotation, to finally become ‘The One’™. So, has Hudson stepped up?

You bet your rabbit hole he has.

Hudson’s stats from the first six weeks of the season are impressive enough. Through nine starts, he’s 6-2 with a 2.54 ERA and a 35/10 K/BB ratio. Hudson has a complete game shutout under his belt, has surrendered only one home run in 56 innings and change, and leads the Braves’ staff in starts, wins and innings pitched. But more important, Hudson has mastered the deadliest weapon in the ace’s arsenal: being the stopper.

The stopper is the guy on the pitching staff — if a team is lucky enough to have one — who can single-armedly turn the team’s fortunes around. His job is to stop a losing streak — or, put another way, to start a winning streak — and ensure that a bad game or series doesn’t spiral the team into a slump. It’s one thing to win games, but it takes a true ace to win the games that really matter, whether those contests are played in May or October, at home or away, or in daytime or under the lights. For the majority of Hudson’s tenure with the team, John Smoltz was that stopper. As of 2008, the torch has been passed. Tim Hudson is now ‘The One’.

Consider this: four of Hudson’s six wins this season have followed Braves’ losses, snapping one-game, three-game, four-game and three-game losing streaks. Two of those, including his gem in Pittsburgh on May 12th, have come on the road. Only once, against the Marlins in Florida on April 16th, has Hudson failed to win a game in which he could play the stopper. As a direct result, the Braves are the proud owners this season of a five-game and six-game winning streak (Hudson won the 5th game of each, incidentally), but have yet to suffer as many as five losses in a row. Tim ‘The One’ Hudson simply extends his pitching arm and says, ‘no‘.

I find it ridiculous that a man who not only has spent the majority of his career in NYC, but also played under the magnifying glass known as the 1970s-80s Yankees, seems to have trouble with the pressure.

This is a man who once sympathized with fans, saying he knows what it’s like to try and support a losing team. This is a man who came here riding the coattails of another manager who endured endless fan and media scrutiny.

This is a man who said he was up to the challenge. Which is why his statements about hostile Shea fans are, again, absolutely ridiculous.

The New York Post had the following to say:

"Willie Randolph doesn’t think it was an accident that the Mets looked so relaxed while taking two of three from the Diamondbacks in Arizona over the weekend. Randolph admitted yesterday that the constant negativity from the fans at Shea Stadium so far this year - an obvious carryover from last September’s epic collapse - has turned the road into a welcome refuge"

Okay, let’s analyze. First off, constant negativity? Last time I checked, this was one of the top paid teams in the league. Yet, the team has shown little fire, and currently holds a record that has largely been bested by organizations like Oakland and Florida. Though I don't agree with Booing, I think we’ve earned the right to boo a little. And even if it does get a little much at times, well, suck it up, son.

But of course, tender-skinned Willie doesn’t agree:

“In our mind, we moved on,” Randolph said of last season’s historic meltdown. “Obviously, the fans are having a tough time moving past that.”

By a show of hands, how many Mets fans are still thinking about 2007? IS the Booing from a 2007 carryover or from a lack of production that’s going down in 2008?

Maybe a little of both, but as another Met fan pointed out to me... We’re booing a lack of run support for Johan, who has pitched his a$$ off. We’re booing a bullpen that can’t seem to keep runners from doing jogs around the bases. We’re booing a lineup that has more holes than the Playboy Mansion, with stars that aren’t doing a drop of what they’re paid to.

We’re booing the apathetic crybaby attitude that seems to have pervaded this team.

The Post continues:

"Randolph is convinced the atmosphere back in New York will improve, perhaps as soon as this weekend against the Reds, if the Mets can win their current series here in L.A."

“When we start to play well, you’ll see a change in that,” Randolph said of the fan reaction at Shea. “We don’t talk about it or concern ourselves with it. We just hope that they eventually get behind this team, because I think we’re going to make them real proud before the year is over.”

Why are you always talking about some indeterminate time in the future? In Spring Training, we heard about erasing the memories of 2007. When the team got off to a slow start, you looked forward to the warmer weather. What’s wrong with winning now? I can name a bunch of other teams that don’t seem to have any problems with the chill in the air, and they certainly don’t seem to be struggling with their fans.

The bottom line is this: Willie, you know your job’s on the line. And while I’ve been one of your more avid supporters, I can’t stomach this sad clown routine you’re throwing at the media. Instead of tossing blame around, maybe you should try and inspire your team to play as a unit, maybe run a little harder, and stop worrying so much about fans throwing a few boos your way. We’ll let you know if and when you’ve earned the cheers.

Just ask Delgado.

But, if you insist on turning your poor management job into a “fan problem” then my advice is for you to pack your belongings, and try and find a job with the gestapo across town. We’ve had enough, and we’re letting you know it. There are plenty of other people who could manage this team to a few wins, without obsessing about the behavior of the fans. Be a professional, and more importantly, be a leader.

Otherwise, just leave. Seriously, Willie. If you don’t like it, go.