Is there anyone the gangsta won't throw under the bus to prop up his job security? His former boss, his current boss, his players?
Turns out Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports noticed just the same thing:
Manuel, in baseball parlance, "throws guys under the bus." His candor appeals to fans who are tired of hearing excuses for overpaid, underperforming players. But such an approach rarely works long-term.
Rosenthal gives several examples of it:
Mid-February. Manuel informs the media of his plan to bat leadoff man Jose Reyes third without first informing Reyes. The experiment, predictably, never gains traction.
Late March. Manuel announces that Daniel Murphy will be his everyday left fielder, saying he is a better hitter than Ryan Church, a more established player.
"I don't want him to get strictly into a platoon situation," Manuel says of Murphy. "I think he's a little better player than that."
Murphy, whom some in the organization view as the Mets' answer to Paul O'Neill, is now platooning with Fernando Tatis at first base.
April 29. Manuel removes backup catcher Ramon Castro by summoning Omir Santos from the bullpen to pinch-hit with the bases loaded, two outs in the ninth inning and the Mets trailing the Marlins, 4-3.
Castro already has two hits in the game, but Manuel says afterward that he preferred Santos' shorter swing against Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom, disregarding that Castro also hits fastballs well.
Santos pops up for the final out. A month later, the Mets trade Castro to the White Sox.
May 18. Church again. Manuel refuses to address him by name after the outfielder misses third base and the Dodgers successfully appeal in the 11th inning of a game the Mets lose, 3-2.
"A guy missed third base," Manuel says. "That's unbelievable. I can't explain, why, how or anything."
The next day, Manuel denies a rift with Church.
May 29. Manuel uses the "A" word — anxiety — to explain why he is resting one of the Mets' best players, third baseman David Wright, for a home game.
"I think anxiety has something to do with it, wanting to do so well in front of the home crowd, those type of things," Manuel says, citing Wright's better road statistics. "I believe he'll eventually turn that around, get comfortable here in these surroundings."
Wright disagrees, saying, "I just think it's two months of a game that is already tough to be consistent at. I don't feel any different playing here than I do on the road."
June 4. Manuel criticizes right-hander Mike Pelfrey for getting rocked by the Pirates while pitching on an extra day's rest.
"I was a little discouraged at Mike being where he was today after getting a day off, and kind of knowing what we needed and just not having it," Manuel says. "That was kind of disheartening, because we really needed this game today."
And there's more.
Manuel has upset some veterans by declining to give them advance notice of days off. He even sounded as if he was sending a subtle message to Mets general manager Omar Minaya when, referring to his injury-depleted roster, he said, "I have to deal with what I have."
1 comment:
As far as I'm concerned, you can take Manuel, Omar and the Wilpons and get rid of them. That is our only shot at a legitimate team.
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