The Terry Temperature

[TransMonk]

So, after 55 games, the Mets are 25-30. Terry got all red-faced after the game last night and per Metsblog gave the following rant:

�I don�t know how to describe (the 7th inning). I�m sick of trying to describe 7th innings. � I�ll tell you what, Andrew McCutchen plays the game right. That son of a bitch runs down there 3.9, 4 flat, and you better catch it and execute it. He gets a ground ball to third base and beats it out. That�s how you play, and that�s how we�ve got to start playing. � I�m running out of ideas here. You know, do we play hard? Absolutely. That�s not the issue. The issue is not effort. It�s about execution. We need to add on points when we get the lead. I�m not looking for home runs. I�m looking for quality at bats. We can�t make careless mistakes, but we do. We give up at bats. We can�t do that. We don�t have that kind of team. � Make no mistake about it, I truly believe in the players we have. I don�t care where they started the season. I don�t care. I don�t care who were All Stars, who weren�t All Stars, this is a team thing; it�s not one guy, it�s not two guys; it�s a team thing. I sit up here every night trying to figure out what can we do to get us over the top. Should we hit and run more? Well, who do you have up there? You have guys up there you shouldn�t hit and run with. Should we bunt more? Well, if we don�t get bunts down, then you�re putting them in situations to fail. Guys are pitching good, but we get in situations where when guys need to make a pitch they don�t make the pitch. I don�t have the answers. I�m searching. I�m ringing the rag dry, coming in here, having to look at you guys looking at me like I�m a stinking fool. I told these guys, �We�re good enough, but we have to play the game right.� We just can�t continue to make foolish mistakes. � They�re big-league players. They should be able to do it. They should be able to do it. I don�t know if it�s not anticipating the play. I�m not in their minds. But, it�s how you play the game. This is a team thing. And, I�m not just pointing the finger at the players. I told the coaches, �We�ve got to do a better job, we�ve got to take responsibility for this.� I�m the manager. It comes back on my shoulders. � In that 7th inning, those were my players I put out there, who I believe in. So, therefore, maybe I need to make some adjustments. And, by God, they�ll be made. I don�t know it comes with finding different players. But, they�ll be made. Something�s going to be changing.�

So where do Cranepoolers stand on Terry Collins through the first 1/3 of his debut season managing the Mets? What do you like? What don't you like?

[Guest Edgy DC]

He ain't talking about 2014. I'm OK with that.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

It's a small miracle they're not getting killed every night, much less winning a few here and there. Most teams have more talent and fewer problems.

I think Terry's doing fine, his job is to make sure they don't completely surrender when these hard times come, and they will. We've had a few strategic disagreements, but I feel like I had more with Jerry Manuel over the course of a single game than with Terry in a week.

[TransMonk]

I like him. I'm with JCL that I don't find myself exasperated several times a night like I did with Jerry.

25-30 is about what I expected out of this team...and that would have been without losing Davis and Wright to DL stints. I think he's rotating the young guys in well, he's mixing up the lineup to see what works and I really like that he hasn't been babying Beltran and is letting him play.

I'm still not sure what his bullpen strategy is...and this bullpen has been really good at times and downright awful at times, so it is still seems ot be a work in progress.

IMO, he's doing pretty well with the talent that he has to work with on a nightly basis. He's had a couple of head scratchers, but overall, I'm not consistently cursing his moves as he's making him, which is a nice change of pace. I also like his moxy.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's probably a good idea not to get too crazy over the bullpen in these situations. If you find yourself failing to protect 2-1 leads in the seventh, you may get further trying to get more out of your second- and third-best hitters than out of your ninth- and tenth-best pitchers.

[metirish]

Agree with above posts , to be even competitive with the players he's putting out there nightly is doing good I think.

I�m running out of ideas here.

probably not the best ting to say.

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: Agree with above posts , to be even competitive with the players he's putting out there nightly is doing good I think. I�m running out of ideas here. probably not the best ting to say.

nah, I like that he's been willing to admit that he doesn't have all the answers, and that he's done things wrong in the past. He also said he's going to make changes. [crossout]And then he cracked a joke and laughed maniacally.[/crossout]

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I like that he cares.

I'm concerned-- and I anticipate-- that'll be his eventual undoing.

[TransMonk]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I like that he cares. I'm concerned-- and I anticipate-- that'll be his eventual undoing.

Do you mean that we'll see more rants like the one above and that he'll consistently be blowing a gasket when things don't go right?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ceetar wrote: metirish wrote: Agree with above posts , to be even competitive with the players he's putting out there nightly is doing good I think. I�m running out of ideas here. probably not the best ting to say. nah, I like that he's been willing to admit that he doesn't have all the answers, and that he's done things wrong in the past. He also said he's going to make changes. [crossout]And then he cracked a joke and laughed maniacally.[/crossout]

This is where I thought he was borderline between Lasorda and Elia --- that his tirade may break down from the exasperated to the bizzarre. I got the idea that with just one push, he'd say something like, "I don't know --- maybe I'll send Murphy out there with no shoes! See how he likes that! There's this cute girl selling ice cream on the concourse and I'm thinking of batting her cleanup! She wears this little half-shirt and... what's that? NO, I'M NOT GONNA CALM DOWN! This son of a bitch asked me a QUESTION! Maybe we rub some fuckin' pine tar in Jason Bay's JOCKSTRAP and he might get an extra base HIT! I'm thinking of trying that. These are some of my GENIUS! FUCKING! IDEAS!"

I actually got nervous and scared for him waiting to see if the crazy was going to come out last night.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I like that he cares. I'm concerned-- and I anticipate-- that'll be his eventual undoing.

Yabbut, "eventual" meaning at the end of his (2-years?) contract at the earliest.

My take is that Terry's here to serve a specific role as part of the turnaround management team. He's a specialist in advocating "playing the game right" as a means to acceptable play in the near term while the long-term financial and operational changes get made. Emotional outbursts when things get unacceptable is probably expected and I am sure forgiven.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Yeah, but I think, given a few more moments like these, that the crazy will leak out, all over the front pages. And then he'll be a red-faced joke. And I don't know how "eventual" that eventuality is.

[Ceetar]

hey, Guillen had a nice rant on Sunday and they went out and swept the other Sox. Look out Braves!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Do people really think he's crazy? The shitshow this team has put on recently deserves a far worse lashing than he gives.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Don't get me wrong. I don't think he's crazy. But I think he's vulnerable to going over the edge. I think teams in this state can push an intense guy like him to the tipping point. Art Howe would never be undone by a team like this. Billy Martin, on the other hand, would've killed a guy by now. Killed him, driven him out to the desert, buried him, and been back in time for a day-night doubleheader the next day.

[TransMonk]

My underlying concern with Terry is the stories of the clubhouse that he lost in Anaheim. Granted, that was a long time ago, and I'm hoping and guessing that he has learned from whatever mistakes he may have made.

I like the fire he showed after the game last night, and let's face it, the team deserved it. I'm thinking he needs to make sure this type of ranting only happens every once in a while at the lowest of lows. Otherwise, people may stop listening everytime he goes off.

[metirish]

If it means anything the players laud him for his communication with them , how longs that lasts?, fuck the players I say.

[Guest themetfairy]

Like, but not love. It's not like he's Bobby....

[ashie62]

I like him. I will be interested to see how he holds up during the dog days.

[Vic Sage]

Terry the ****bunter is just another in the recent string of smallballers filling out our lineup card and i'm so sick of it, i can't even READ about a game (much less watch one) without getting pissed off at something he does or doesn't do. I'm not saying he's worse than Willie or Jerry in this regard, but the cumulative effect has worn me down to the nub. And when he brings in FRod to finish games, even in NON-SAVE SITUATIONS, while scrupulously avoiding him in the high-leverage late-game situations when the game is really on the line, i want to rip my teeth out of my head.

In terms of his disposition, i've got no problem with it so far. If he can manage this entire season without actually punching one of these **********s in the face, i'll say he will have shown incredible restraint. I would like him a whole lot better if he pulled a reverse Lenny Randle and actually tried to choke willie harris to death.

[metirish]

Vic Sage wrote: Terry the ****bunter is just another in the recent string of smallballers filling out our lineup card and i'm so sick of it, i can't even READ about a game (much less watch one) without getting pissed off at something he does or doesn't do. I'm not saying he's worse than Willie or Jerry in this regard, but the cumulative effect has worn me down to the nub. And when he brings in FRod to finish games, even in NON-SAVE SITUATIONS, while scrupulously avoiding him in the high-leverage late-game situations when the game is really on the line, i want to rip my teeth out of my head. In terms of his disposition, i've got no problem with it so far. If he can manage this entire season without actually punching one of these **********s in the face, i'll say he will have shown incredible restraint. I would like him a whole lot better if he pulled a reverse Lenny Randle and actually tried to choke willie harris to death.

you're on fire today...maybe Collins can reach in and rip Dunst's larynx out.

[Vic Sage]

you're on fire today...maybe Collins can reach in and rip Dunst's larynx out

i was at the game last night, and it is still fueling my fury.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Vic Sage wrote: Terry the ****bunter is just another in the recent string of smallballers filling out our lineup card and i'm so sick of it, i can't even READ about a game (much less watch one) without getting pissed off at something he does or doesn't do. I'm not saying he's worse than Willie or Jerry in this regard, but the cumulative effect has worn me down to the nub. And when he brings in FRod to finish games, even in NON-SAVE SITUATIONS, while scrupulously avoiding him in the high-leverage late-game situations when the game is really on the line, i want to rip my teeth out of my head. In terms of his disposition, i've got no problem with it so far. If he can manage this entire season without actually punching one of these **********s in the face, i'll say he will have shown incredible restraint. I would like him a whole lot better if he pulled a reverse Lenny Randle and actually tried to choke willie harris to death.

I'm leaning with Vic. I don't get all the Terry love. Because he's better than Randolph? Talk about having your expectations lowered.

Re: K-Rod: I wonder if the FO hasn't specifically spelled it out for Terry for fear that should the issue ever be arbitrated at a grievance hearing, the Mets had to consider the possibility that Collins might not be a Met by then, and that Collins might testify against the Mets.

[TransMonk]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I'm leaning with Vic. I don't get all the Terry love. Because he's better than Randolph? Talk about having your expectations lowered.

Check the poll above. I see zero "love".

Vic's underwhelmed even with the shittiest of expectations, so I'm not sure about that one either.

[Guest Edgy DC]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I don't get all the Terry love. Because he's better than Randolph?

"I love Terry" has zero votes so far.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: I don't get all the Terry love. Because he's better than Randolph? "I love Terry" has zero votes so far.

When was the last time you loved a manager? I wouldn't haved picked that one for any of the managers I've seen.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Are you too young to remember Mike Cubbage?

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Are you too young to remember Mike Cubbage?

yes.

I'd say my first 'real' manager is Valentine. I was too young to really pay much attention to the manager before that. He doesn't hit after all. (And definitely too young for Torre)

[seawolf17]

Ceetar wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Are you too young to remember Mike Cubbage? yes. I'd say my first 'real' manager is Valentine. I was too young to really pay much attention to the manager before that. He doesn't hit after all. (And definitely too young for Torre)

I loved Davey Johnson.

[bmfc1]

I think that Terry is going to have a big smile during today's presser. And he should. Good for him.