Mike Jacobs and Pedro

[Elster88]

I've been thinking about Pedro's lobby to keep Mike Jacobs on the team. I think I've decided that I don't like it. How is this statement, whether it had any impact or not (and according to Willie it didn't), any different than the alleged influence that Franco and Leiter had with the Mets' brass? Of course, no one will complain about this because of Jacobs' performance.

Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather have Jacobs start at first instead of Woody, Offerman, Anderson, Cairo, etc. I'd rather have him play there instead of Minky too, unless his hitting performance goes to a sub-Minky level.

But I'm a little surprised that no one has complained in the media that Pedro should keep his opinions to himself on who should and should not be on the roster. (Actually, I'm not surprised, they won't nitpick over things like that unless he is pitching poorly.) To be completely honest, I don't think Pedro should in any way be making statements such as he did. His job is to pitch and act silly in the dugout.

For the record, I don't think it's a big deal. In the grand scheme of things, it's one little innocent statement, and Pedro's known and praised for speaking his mind. But I've been thinking about baseball nonstop for this entire week, and it bothers me just enough that I felt like posting about it.

[Guest sharpie]

I can't imagine any players keep their opinions to themselves. There's probably a whole host of players who bend the ear of coaches, managers, gms, whoever to lobby for their buddies. The difference here is that Pedro seemed to be advocating for someone who he couldn't have really known, a rookie who'd been with the club for a few days (not even a Latin player), rather than trying to assemble a cabal of his buddies.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

It doesn't bother me. Nor did it bother me when Franco and Leiter expressed their opinions.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I think there is a perception that Pedro was more public about voicing his opinions to management, while Leiter and Franco acted in a less open manner.

[Guest Rotblatt]

What Petey allegedly did was tell Willie, after hearing that Jacobs was being sent back, that he wasn't happy about the decision.

Now, players are going to be affected by roster moves, and frankly, I'd rather have our guys voicing their concerns to Willie than acting all sullen and disgruntled.

If Petey was actively lobbying for Jacobs, maybe he crossed a line, but if that's the case, it's Willie's job to put him in his place.

I don't blame Pedro at all. Now, if Pedro, instead of talking to Willie, had just gone straight to the press, THAT would have been inappropriate, IMO. Ditto if they'd sent Jacobs down and Petey went to the press anyway.

[MFS62]

Petey lobbying to Omar to keep Jacobs with the team is better than Tom Glavine lobbying to Duquette to add Mike Glavine to the roster.
At least Jake (the nickname he likes, and has tattooed on his back * ) might be the future, not a mediocrity like Glavine's brother.

Later

*= from a story in today's Daily News early edition.

[Guest old original jb]

How is it different?

One: Petey is lobbying for a promising rookie whom he feels deserves a shot, not a relative or a buddy .

Two: He is lobbying FOR someone based on being impressed at his poise, performance, and determination. Not AGAINST someone for mysterious reasons. (Bad fit?)

Three: This has more the feeling of expressing his opinion to the manager rather than acting as one of a group of unpaid senior consultants or the admissions committee of a private club.

I realize I don't have all the facts about Franco/Leiter/Glavine and their alleged influence on personnel decisions, but my gut tells me that they treated the team more like an old boys club while Petey just wants a fiery rookie in the lineup so that maybe he'll be able to convert a few more of his shutouts into W's.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I think too much is made of players voicing their opinions: They all have one, so do you and I and Willie and Omar.

The thing is, fans tend to point this out as a problem only when the opinions of the players somehow clash with theirs. For all the crap Leiter took for alledged assistant-GMing (not in this room for the most part) the accusers casually overlooked every situation where Leiter's input may have been a positive thing, or when the suggestions he made were ignored by the front office.

One example I recall is the offseason when he remarked: "If it were up to me, the Mets payroll would be $200 million"

[MFS62]

jb, thank you for very clearly explaining why this was different.
I agree with each of your points.

And as Rotblatt said, he did it the right way - to Willie directly instead of to the press.

Later

[Guest rpackrat]

]At least Jake (the nickname he likes, and has tattooed on his back * ) might be the future, not a mediocrity like Glavine's brother.

I think Glavine gets way too much crap for this. I really had no problem with Mike Glavine being the 40th man on the expanded September roster in a season that was going nowhere. The Mets wanted Tom Glavine and, as an inducement, offered to give his brother -- a legitimate professional baseball player, though not a major league quality player -- the opportunity to become a major leaguer for a month. Not a big deal.

[Guest ABG]

Peeps read waaaaay too much into this stuff.

[Frayed Knot]

I agree, much ado about nothing.

First of all, I don't know that Pedro ever went to mgmt asking that the kid be kept. The version I read was more along the lines of him just loudly voicing his opinion in the locker room, something that may or may now have been overheard by anyone who mattered.
And, while I have nothing against players making their opinion known, I kinda hope they're basing their decisions on something a little more substantial than a fellow player's "insight" of one AB. I'm not sure that players will always make the best scouts.

[Valadius]

Many players do become scouts.

But that's beside the point.

The point is, Pedro is a leader on this ballclub, and he has the right to speak his mind within the organization. Here's the difference between Pedro and a guy like, say, Kobe Bryant: Pedro brings people closer to him. Kobe et. al. push people away.

[Frayed Knot]

Of course he has the right to speak his mind.
I just don't think what he said had anything to do with why Jacobs stayed.

Nor should mgmt get in the habit of basing all their moves on player requests, no matter how well intentioned.

[Theoldmole]

I think Rotty nailed it.