I have to comment on this, I just have to.  Saturday, we went out to lunch and the Mets game was on the T.V.  The sound was down (good) but I was able to interprete everything.  Here it is in a nutshell:

It’s a complete one-sided game with the Mets winning.  Milledge hits two HRs.  After his second HR, he goes back to the dugout with the most “in your face” celebration dance that would make most NFL wide receivers jealous.  He totally showed up the Marlins in a game that was like 9-0 already.  

The Marlins pitcher decides to send a message and throws at Luis Castillo twice (never hits him but the message is clear.  Castillo walks out to the mound and gives him the “what for?”  Both dugouts empty, bullpens clear out.  10 minutes of pushing around. 

Same inning.  Reyes is on third.  The Marlins make a pitching change.  While the Marlins pitcher is being taken out and walking off the mound, Reyes starts yelling at him (no doubt for throwing at his double play partner).  Marlins Catcher Olivio immediately runs over to Reyes and is going to punch his lights out, if it were not for Sandy Alomar, Sr (who must be pushing 70 now).  Dugouts empty, bullpens clear.  

First of all the team has lost like 11 of 16.  Can we dispense with the HR dances, please?  Anyone who knows baseball, knows most of the time when you get fights is in the lopsided game, when tempers flare, etc.  Can Milledge and Reyes just calm the heck down?  What’s more important, your machismo, or winning?  And for everyone critical of Willie, after the inning – Willie went over to Reyes to reprimand him and it had no effect, no effect.  Willie was just shaking his head.  He was probably explaining to Reyes, just play the game you can’t say stuff like that, it doesn’t help the team.

And Tom Glavine after yesterday’s game.  I have always liked Tom Glavine but what he said in the post game was not what a Met fan wants to hear.  “it’s dissapointing, but I’m not devastated.  You got to keep things in perspective there are other things to be devastated.”  Tom is right, this stuff is not life and death.  But comments like that give the appearance of minimizing fans’ emotions.  News for Tom: If fans don’t care, you don’t make $12 million.  Everyone makes money in baseball because fans care: they buy tickets, they watch the games, they buy newspapers, they go online, they buy jerseys, etc, etc.  If fans don’t care – then there’s no revenue.  So, yeah, it’s only a game, no one got cancer but fans don’t want it shrugged off like that. 

These players don’t listen to Willie.  I don’t know if that’s Willie’s fault.  He was not allowed to pick his coaches.  At some point you have to consider getting rid of the players or the manager, it’s a bad mix.  In my mind – Reyes doesn’t even understand the wealth of knowledge and experience that is Willie Randolph.  Willie was one of the best baserunners in his day, but this team makes one bad baserunning play after another.  Willie was an example of plate discipline, this team has none.  Willie is looking around him going: “Gee, this is not a very professional organization.”  I don’t think the Mets are going to make a managerial change, but if they did it might be a blessing in disguise. Â