Things I Have Disgreed With Willie About

[Guest AG/DC]

They have no walks tonight, and they haven't walked enough on his watch.

[Guest mario25]

This last doubleheader against the Braves was a disgrace after the Yankees series. The team has stopped playing for Willie and his decisions are bad. Why would you play Schneider against the lefty in the first game and Castro against the righty the second game?? Why not sit Delgado against Glavine the first game? He can barely hit righties now and he is awful against lefties. They bunt too much and that really bugs me. I would pull the trigger today. He is done in my book.

[Benjamin Grimm]

mario25 wrote: Why would you play Schneider against the lefty in the first game and Castro against the righty the second game??

Maybe he was looking at his catchers as catchers, and not as hitters. (I don't know; just speculating.) Willie might have preferred Schneider with Maine and Castro with Vargas.

mario25 wrote: Why not sit Delgado against Glavine the first game? He can barely hit righties now and he is awful against lefties.

Delgado does have a good track record against Glavine, but of course, the last time Delgado faced Glavine he was still in his prime.

[bmfc1]

mario25 wrote:
Why would you play Schneider against the lefty in the first game and Castro against the righty the second game??

Benjamin Grimm wrote:
Maybe he was looking at his catchers as catchers, and not as hitters. (I don't know; just speculating.) Willie might have preferred Schneider with Maine and Castro with Vargas.
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I raised mario25's point to John Delcos after he posted the lineups. The response was as BG speculated. I don't agree but a manager would say that he has more information than the public when making a decision.

[Guest AG/DC]

Willie's just got be contrary, doesn't he?

[Guest AG/DC]

Willie has seemed to like a bench full of former starting middle infielders, seeming to think they can fill in anywhere. But it leaves him typically with an underpowerful bench. (Nothing personal, Damion.)

When an injury replacement gets him a raker on his bench --- Brian Daubach or Fernando Tatis, for instance --- he hasn't found plate appearances. (Tatis got one at-bat in 18 innings yesterday as the offense sputtered.) It took inappropriate (but necessary) interference by Pedro Martinez to give Mike Jacobs an opportunity.

In fact, I don't like his sub-Valentine ability to find spots for his players, no matter what their skill sets.

[Guest AG/DC]

I get Wagner up here and pitch him even if we don't get the lead.

Willie will save him for the save.

[Guest AG/DC]

I am DEAD wrong.

[Guest AG/DC]

Because, we're at home anyhow.

[metirish]

You're allowed to be wrong once in a while.

[Guest AG/DC]

Having trouble keeping two thoughts in my head.

The missus is showing me our potential future houses on the other computer. I'm unable to convince her that the Mets need me to help save their season. Priorities, baby.

[Guest themetfairy]

Is she officially your missus?

[Guest AG/DC]

Not yet.

She's studying up for the Baltimore Colts test.

[Guest themetfairy]

I am so telling her the Alan Ameche answer!

[Elster88]

="AG/DC"]Having trouble keeping two thoughts in my head. The missus is showing me our potential future houses on the other computer. I'm unable to convince her that the Mets need me to help save their season. Priorities, baby.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=1273732
11:09: Mark Grace gets his third hit of the game to start the ninth. Big hit. Dave Dellucci runs for Grace. Of course, the Sports Gal comes downstairs at this EXACT MOMENT, asking "Who won?" and telling me about tonight's Emmy's telecast.

Note: My buddy Gus calls this sequence "Pulling a Jackie," in honor of his wife, who has an uncanny knack for entering the room and starting up conversations during pivotal moments in any sporting event or video game, usually in the ninth innings or with two minutes to go in any third period or fourth quarter, and almost always with disastrous consequences.

(This phenomenon is right up there with the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster and Breckin Meyer's career -- I don't know anyone who can explain it, yet I have at least a dozen male friends with girlfriends/spouses who consistently keep "Pulling a Jackie." It's like some silent radar signal goes off -- important game happening, big moment, must inadvertently sabotage, must fluster my boyfriend ...)