Category: Management

Carlos Beltran and Oliver Perez – Same Injury, Same Agent

Jun. 08, 2010 - Washington, DC, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - epa02192870 Sports agent Scott Boras chats on the phone prior to his client Washington Nationals' pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg making his Major League Baseball debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park, in Washington, DC, USA, 08 June 2010. Boras helped Strasburg sign a record 15 million US dollar contract as the Nationals' top draft choice a year ago, and Boras is also the agent for the Nationals' top choice this year, 17-year-old Bryce Harper.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.jsOne of the comments on my last post inspired me to write this one so keep the comments coming:

Carlos Beltran and Oliver Perez share the same agent and have the same injuries. Here are some interesting facts:

Back in 2000, injuries limited Carlos to only 98 games while with the Kansas City Royals and he lost the starting centerfield job to Johnny Damon, another Scott Boras client. Yes, you guessed it! The injury was a “bruised knee”. In July of that year Carlos refused a rehab assignment in Florida on the advice of Scott Boras. Kansas City management then suspended Carlos for almost a month and when he came back he ended up rehabbing in the minors anyway.

I know this was 10 years ago and should be ancient history but is it?

Back then Carlos’ desire to play for the Royals was questioned by teammates and management alike. These same questions could now be asked again of Beltran and of Perez.

Fast forward to 2009 where Boras has advised Beltran to have surgery on the same knee without consulting the Mets and now another of his clients, Perez, is also out with a similar mysterious right knee injury. Continue reading “Carlos Beltran and Oliver Perez – Same Injury, Same Agent”

Mets’ Oliver Perez Should Refuse Minors

New York Mets starting pitcher Oliver Perez reacts after being pulled from the game at Citi Field in New York

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.jsIt’s probably safe to say at this point that we’re all tired of Oliver Perez and his lack of focus, free-wheeling side-arming, and general lack of any semblance of pitching ability. Now, we’re hearing from the NY Post that some anonymous Mets players want him off the roster. I’m not so sure I believe that story from the Post. But it’s coming to a point soon when the Mets will have to do something about Perez.

John Fitzgerald of Mets Today wrote a good post today summarizing the different storylines surrounding Perez and the Mets attempts to get him to agree to go to the minors. The organization is continuing to try to convince him and his agent, Scott Boras, that it’s in his best interest to work out his problems in Port St. Nowhere or Buffalo.

I’m going to reiterate what I wrote two weeks ago. If you look at the situation from Perez’ perspective, he should refuse an assignment to the minors. Page 63 of the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement for 2007-2011 is very specific about assignment of contracts. Perez falls in the category of a player that has the right to approve assignment to a minor league team. Continue reading “Mets’ Oliver Perez Should Refuse Minors”

Jerry Manuel Career Death Watch Part 1

New York Mets Jerry Manuel walks with his head down to the dugout against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field in New York

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.jsThe death watch on Jerry Manuel’s managerial career is in full swing this week. I fully expect Manuel to be history if the Mets don’t have a good showing against the Yankees and Phillies over the next week. I’ve always thought that the Mets would give him until the end of May and this week is close enough to that time line to make a judgment.

Of course, the Mets problems aren’t all Manuel’s fault. It never is completely a manager’s fault. But when things are going bad, and they certainly are for the Mets, someone has to go. And you can’t fire all of the players. So Manuel will take the blame. Some say is should be Omar Minaya. Maybe it should.

Ken Rosenthal writes that this week could be pivotal for Manuel. Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports put Manuel on his list of “Barely Managing“. Later this week, Rosenthal wrote about the inside scoop on which Mets coaches will survive Manuel’s firing. Mike Lupica wrote that if the Mets are going the wrong way, Minaya should go, not just Manuel. But Mike Vaccaro writes that the Mets should fire Manuel.

It’s hard to argue against someone getting fired soon. I won’t even get into what happened over the last two collapses seasons. Right here and right now this is a last place team with the fifth highest payroll in baseball and third highest in the National League with vastly declining attendance figures.

At this point, I’m on board with a shake up that results in Manuel being out. I agree with NY Sports Dog that Wally Backman is the right man for the job. I also agree with Clayton Caldwell that HoJo has to go too. It’s time for a change.

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Mets Fan To Yankees – Please Sweep Us!

President Obama welcomes the New York Yankees baseball team to the White House

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.jsFor the first time in the history of the Subway Series I think to myself ‘Could the New York Yankees please put us out of our misery and sweep us?’

A sweep by the Yankees would go a long way towards putting the final nail in the coffin of the Omar Minaya era. Jerry Manuel can stay.

Will the Yankees help us? Can the Yankees actually hurt us by losing these games and leaving Omar’s job intact for the time being? That being said, the Yankees have already won this series before it even starts.

If the Mets sweep, we still lose because Omar will still be employed. If the Yankees sweep, we lose. If the Yankees win 2 out of 3, we lose. I just don’t see any winning scenarios here. Continue reading “Mets Fan To Yankees – Please Sweep Us!”

Video: John Maine Angry After Being Pulled

John Maine was very upset hours after being removed from last night’s game after facing one batter on five pitches. Clearly, he and Jerry Manuel have a major difference of opinion on this.

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

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John Maine Situation Leaves Rotation A Mess

NEW YORK - APRIL 26: John Maine #33 of the New...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The mystery injury to John Maine last night leaves the Mets starting rotation in a bigger mess than we thought it was already. And it couldn’t come at a worse time for Jerry Manuel. Many of us already have a death watch on his managerial career. Of course, injuries aren’t his fault but he needs some good things to happen soon.

R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi are already in the rotation. That’s something we never would have thought before the season. With Maine appearing to be out for some period of time, we might be looking at another call-up from Triple-A Buffalo. Fortunately, Pat Misch and Dillon Gee have been pitching pretty well. But at this rate there won’t be anybody left in Buffalo.

To be left with Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey before the end of May is just a nightmare. I think with Jon Niese injured and Maine possibly hurt, we may need to re-visit the issue of the Mets medical and training staff. It doesn’t seem possible that this many players could be hurt within two seasons. The Mets chose not to change the medical and training staff after the 2009 “season of the injury” and we may be headed down that road again.

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Mets’ Howard Johnson Should Go

New York Mets first base coach Howard Johnson ...
Image via Wikipedia

With the team struggling, Jerry Manuel is on the hot seat, and rightfully so! Manuel and Mets management had a 90 minute meeting before Monday’s game at Atlanta. Manuel’s job insecurity is one that is expected. One thing that hasn’t been looked at is the hitting coach position. Howard Johnson should be on the hot seat at well and many of the teams struggles should be placed on him.

Yet the offense as a whole has been struggling, especially with runners in scoring position. Coming into Thursday’s game against the Florida Marlins the Mets are batting a dismal .247 as a team which ranks 23rd in the majors. Over the offseason they brought in Jason Bay who is hitting a whopping .277 with one homer and just 16 RBI’s so far in 2010. It seems for the last few seasons the Mets have been lacking the “big hit.” The fans and the media have been quick to blame the players, yet I think the philosophy at the plate with RISP is the problem. That problem is placed on the shoulders of Howard Johnson the New York Mets hitting coach. Has Howard Johnson worn out his welcome as New York Mets hitting coach?

I understand Johnson was an outstanding player in his hay day and Omar Minaya has stated that having Johnson around is a link to Mets history. Yet the offense has been down this season. Is it time to replace Howard Johnson as the hitting coach? I think it’s a legitimate argument!

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