Cliff Floyd Deathwatch

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

His achilles has flared up again and like 04, thinks he'll need surgery after the year "if I play next year," according to Noble.

[Guest cooby]

Ya just beat me Johnny.
From Mets.com, sigh...


NEW YORK -- Cliff Floyd has been back with the Mets less than a week, and already things don't look promising.
After returning from the 15-day disabled list on Saturday and playing against the Astros on Saturday and Sunday, he says his left Achilles has flared up again.

"After the season ends, I'll probably have to have surgery if I want to play next season," Floyd said on Tuesday before the game against the Braves was rained out.

The 33-year-old outfielder missed Monday's game with the Braves due to the sore Achilles, which acted up after the Mets' 2-1 loss against the Astros in Houston. In that game, Floyd went 0-for-4, with two strikeouts.

Floyd hadn't been scheduled for Tuesday's starting lineup, which may be a sign of things to come.

Manager Willie Randolph would only say that Floyd is "day to day," but from the sounds of it, that may stretch into longer absences.

[metirish]

I feel for Cliff, a good Met in the bad days and now when the team is great he is not,from what I have read he wants back but knows that's not reality.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

As suspected, further justifies getting Green.

Shame Lastings isn't quite ready.

[metirish]

Yeah very true but I would love to see Floyd in the post-season getting big hits.....not saying he deserves it but it would be cool.

[Frayed Knot]

Willie implied that Lastings is somewhat of "a longshot" to get a spot on the post-season roster (although he may have just been playing things a bit coy).
But with Green already on the hook for next year, I suspect that he, Milledge & Beltran are the early favorites for next season's outfield.

[metsmarathon]

cliff makes me look injury-resistant.

[Guest Edgy DC]

There's too much deathwatching going around.

I guess maybe we've got our fearsome lefty power bat off the bench.

[Gwreck]

Cliff is still my favorite Met. I'm pulling hard for him.

I could see him as a backup outfielder with Milledge, Beltran and Green as the starters next year.

[Guest old original jb]

Gwreck wrote: Cliff is still my favorite Met. I'm pulling hard for him.

Mine too. I'd like to see him share in a winning season. He does nothing but give 100% year after year; problem is, at this point with the injuries, it is 100% of a shadow of his former self.

[Frayed Knot]

Gwreck wrote: I could see him as a backup outfielder with Milledge, Beltran and Green as the starters next year.

Don't think you'll get Cliff to agree to that though.
Unless he comes out of the off-season half crippled, some team is going to not only offer him a starting job but probably at least a 2-year deal.
He's not turning that down to be a part-timer just so he can train Milledge to tote his luggage around.

[Guest cooby]

old original jb wrote: ="Gwreck"]Cliff is still my favorite Met. I'm pulling hard for him. Mine too. I'd like to see him share in a winning season. He does nothing but give 100% year after year; problem is, at this point with the injuries, it is 100% of a shadow of his former self.

That makes three of us

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

How can you not like Cliff?

[seawolf17]

I love Cliff. But ultimately, I love this team more. And knowing that Cliff has a rather ugly history of injury, I wondered openly last winter if it wasn't worth trading him, in this, the last year of his contract, before he got hurt again. Yes, he was outstanding last year. But it seemed like folks 'round these parts were inking him in for a 30 HR/90 RBI season this year, and I didn't think there was any reasonable way to expect that, and while he had value, I thought he was worth dealing.

I have no idea of Cliff's clubhouse value; and that's probably a factor in dealing. (Of course, it didn't stop them from dealing Cameron, but there were other positional factors at play there.) He seems to be one of the team's spiritual leaders, and that is probably a factor.

I also have no idea if there was any interest from any other teams in Cliff. His salary is reasonable, but if I'm aware of his injury history, the other 29 GMs probably are too. So they might have been just as wary, and I'm not saying that Omar should have dealt him just to deal him; there was a possibility that he would have been able to repeat his 2005.

Of course, it hasn't mattered, at least during the regular season, so this whole point is moot.

[Guest SwitchHitter]

I said on Saturday that he should've taken a couple more days before coming back. I dunno if that would've helped or not.

[stevejrogers]

Have we seen the last of Cornelius?

Bumping this for updates, last I heard was he strained the achillies.

At this point, I'd probably just give him the time off during the LCS for him to rest in case of the WS

Not to sound callous but he has a ring, he's done the whole LCS/WS thing before

1999 97-66 2nd NL East, NL Wild Card Winner, Participated in NLCS

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't think whether or not he has a ring is relevant to the decision-making.

It's not like he doesn't get a ring if he's not on the roster.

[Zvon]

I hope Cliffys back in a weeks time, the Mets make it to the series, and he see's some action.
Im sentimental like that.
I know it dont look good for him.
As far as next year--I kinda expected him to retire after this season if the Mets made the big show anyways. Esp if his nagging heel acted up again.

Anyone whos a Met fan, even cleon, knows how much Cliff wanted to contribute and be part of this.
It be nice if he had the chance to cap off his career in such a fashion.

[MFS62]

Rockin' Doc wrote: How can you not like Cliff?

I would like a Model -T.
But that doesn't mean it would hold up over the course of a 162 mile drive.

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I guess the next step is to see how he's feeling on Wednesday morning. If he looks like he's ready, or a day away, put him on the NLCS roster. If not, replace him with Lastings.

I don't think the Mets have the roster flexibility to keep Floyd, add Lastings as an extra backup outfielder, and remove Ring. I'd like that option. If Floyd's on the roster and it turns out he can't play, the Mets depth in the outfield won't be all that deep. They'd be okay with Endy starting each game, but they'd only have Tucker and, I guess, Woodward in reserve.

[Guest Rotblatt]

I'd like to see him work off the bench, but I agree that Milledge should definitely be on the roster.

I'm bummed. Nice article about Cliff sitting alone in the clubhouse during the celebration last night and everyone coming down to spray him with chmpagne.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

But can Milledge and Floyd be on the roster together? I think the only way that that can happen is if another non-pitcher gets injured, since Lasty was at Norfolk on August 31.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Cliff Says He'll Just Rub Some Champagne On It

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Here it is, for posterity:

="Cliff Floyd"] I'll be all right ... I hope When I got to third base while scoring on Shawn Green's double in the third inning, my Achilles tendon went. You know people sometimes say they hear something. I didn�t hear anything, but I felt it -- like an ice pick in my calf. I want to play, and I don�t know what to think. I wanted to score that run. It�s the postseason. You don�t hold back. We wanted that run, and now my leg might hold me back. My Achilles betrayed me. First, they said I�d stretched it. But then they said I strained it. What I say is I hurt it. Damn. I�m just glad I made it to the plate. I don�t remember what I was thinking as I ran or limped or whatever I did. I have mixed emotions -- happy that I scored, and very ticked because I pulled it. The good news is that I�ve got Monday and Tuesday to get treatment before we play again. And I've already started treatment with ice. I�ll be wearing one of those boots again. I don't know, maybe it�ll get better in two days. If it doesn�t, I�ll deal with it. Someone already suggested to me that I could be the DH if we get into the World Series. I�ll take that, I guess, but I want to play in the next series -- every day hopefully -- if we get to the World Series. You know, Endy Chavez got me good with the champagne after the game. Just his way of saying thank you for getting him in the game. I left the game in good hands. So I�m not too worried. We�ll be OK. Look what we did after we lost Pedro Martinez and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. I�ll just rub some champagne on it and see, or I�ll have a few beers. Maybe a few more, and by the time I get to Wednesday, I�ll be good to go.

[Guest ABG]

="Yancy Street Gang"]But can Milledge and Floyd be on the roster together? I think the only way that that can happen is if another non-pitcher gets injured, since Lasty was at Norfolk on August 31.

DeFelice will likely come down with an injury.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

They can ask him to play with a glass in his hotel room.

[Elster88]

="Yancy Street Gang"]Here it is, for posterity: ="Cliff Floyd"] I'll be all right ... I hope When I got to third base while scoring on Shawn Green's double in the third inning, my Achilles tendon went. You know people sometimes say they hear something. I didn�t hear anything, but I felt it -- like an ice pick in my calf. I want to play, and I don�t know what to think. I wanted to score that run. It�s the postseason. You don�t hold back. We wanted that run, and now my leg might hold me back. My Achilles betrayed me. First, they said I�d stretched it. But then they said I strained it. What I say is I hurt it. Damn. I�m just glad I made it to the plate. I don�t remember what I was thinking as I ran or limped or whatever I did. I have mixed emotions -- happy that I scored, and very ticked because I pulled it. The good news is that I�ve got Monday and Tuesday to get treatment before we play again. And I've already started treatment with ice. I�ll be wearing one of those boots again. I don't know, maybe it�ll get better in two days. If it doesn�t, I�ll deal with it. Someone already suggested to me that I could be the DH if we get into the World Series. I�ll take that, I guess, but I want to play in the next series -- every day hopefully -- if we get to the World Series. You know, Endy Chavez got me good with the champagne after the game. Just his way of saying thank you for getting him in the game. I left the game in good hands. So I�m not too worried. We�ll be OK. Look what we did after we lost Pedro Martinez and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. I�ll just rub some champagne on it and see, or I�ll have a few beers. Maybe a few more, and by the time I get to Wednesday, I�ll be good to go.

What did he do, post this during the champagne party?

[Guest Rotblatt]

We're supposed to hear about Cliff after today's workout.

When's that end?

That they're even considering adding Ledee to the roster instead of Milledge makes me feel a teeny bit angry.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Rotblatt wrote: That they're even considering adding Ledee to the roster instead of Milledge makes me feel a teeny bit angry.

I wouldn't like that one little bit.

Too bad we traded Victor Diaz, huh?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ledee is so freaking Tucker-redundant, don't you think?

Milledge, for all his rookie lack of polish, brings a new dimension to the team, has Bondsian bat speed, and would presumably benefit long-term from the post-season exposure.

The idea that the Mets think that Ledee offers more as a 25th man than Millidege does puts a seed into my mind that there maybe is something to the notion that Lastings is a cultural negative, or that the Mets consider him one.