Wagging His Tongue

So Wags wants to "stir the pot", eh? Those are his words, by the way.

Going public on the radio to trash a teammate--not his results, mind you, but his effort--is bound to stir the pot and roil the clubhouse.

Billy Wagner expanded on his blunt criticism of Oliver Perez Thursday during his weekly radio spot, saying the Mets will go nowhere this year if the enigmatic lefthander doesn't learn how to battle through his own troubles.

In his weekly interview with Michael Kay on 1050 ESPN Radio, Wagner said Perez has to hold himself accountable for lasting only 12/3 innings Wednesday when the team desperately needed length. "You have to be able to look at yourself and say, 'Is that the best I can do?"' he said.

Speaking before the Mets' chartered flight to Arizona, Wagner said he and others approached Perez before Wednesday's game and told him they needed length.

But what Wagner saw was a pitcher who didn't have his best stuff and didn't fight his way through it. "If he goes out there and battles and comes up short, you know what, we're not going to have a problem with that," he said. "But you have to battle. You have to go out there and find a way."

Wagner's statements may not have helped his clubhouse reputation as a talker -- "I'm probably the least favorite guy in the clubhouse," he said -- but he is not worried about any ramifications. He expected Mets manager Willie Randolph to request a private meeting before the flight, and he seemed more than willing to express the same sentiments to him.

"I want to win and I know everyone in that clubhouse wants to win," Wagner said, "but sometimes you've got to say something. You might have to stir the pot."

Now this is where I expect Willie to have very little flexibility. This kind of stuff is unacceptable. Wags can say whatever he wants to Perez, but keep it behind closed doors. Start a media circus and we'll get four months of the Flushing Zoo.