Ceetar

the thing is, the question wasn't about pitching lefty. It was actually about pitching, period. The left-handed stuff was merely exaggeration. Maine was talking about working towards his next start, and that he wants to pitch, whenever and whereever that is. (implying the bullpen would be my guess) So Manuel actually, when asked (unless the media decided to only relay the silly the part..but that's another story) about Maine's comments, ignored the part about Maine really just wanting to pitch, and answered the silly exaggerated part and avoiding the meat of the question and issue.

metirish wrote: Was he mocking him or just having some fun?, I would really like to see the video but I would guess Jerry wasn't mocking him. I've long since grown tired of Jerry avoiding questions by making silly jokes, whether it's at his pitcher (who he might not even be communicating with, isn't on good terms with, etc) 's expense, or Hanley Ramirez (and I'm always good to make fun of him in general). Whether or not it's "all in good fun" doesn't really mean much to me. He's making jokes about something that needs to be fixed. making problems funny doesn't make them less of a problem. And it doesn't mean the question, if it was worth being asked, doesn't deserve a legitimate answer. He's a clown, he's always been a clown. Maybe Mr. Met needs a helper.

Regardless, is it really okay to mock your players as a manager? Maine swore he burned to pitch so badly he would "throw left-handed" if he had to. Informed of this claim, Manuel replied: "That's out of the question. But he might have more stuff lefty, I don't know. I might try that." Are we basically not going to see Maine again because Manuel doesn't want to? That's hardly a fair way to judge pitchers, let's just cut them, no chance he'll ever figure it out right? That's never turned out badly before..

For those of you scanning for the crowd for some internet guy you've never met and don't know what he looks like, I'll be in the front couple of rows of section 508.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Seems like he's either (a) already hit the beer, ( been crying or is on the verge, or (c) both. http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5206146 Burkhardt or Maine? You guys see glassy-eyed Kev behind Jerry? He looked like I felt when I woke up this morning after last night's little bender. He's got a toddler at home doesn't he? I've heard those things are tiring.

StevePopper tweets: Maine is here - not in sight - and has not seen a doctor. #mets

Well, Jeter's shown his greed before with his contract. It'll probably be some game of chicken with his Ego versus his desire to only play for the Yankees.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: And Jeter is not going anywhere. He's worth far less to any other team. I suspect Jeter will force the Yankees to lock him in to a too-long, too-much contract. 5/100? No way he doesn't demand his contract last at least as long as A-Rods.

Edgy DC wrote: Can somebody tell me how Jerry showed him up on the mound? I was entering the park at the time. He walked out there with everone else, said "you're out" or whatever, turned around and walked off. No interaction, conversation, or practice pitch. Didn't ask him what was hurting, didn't walk off with him (something Ron Darling harped on)

Fine, I'm not dismissing that Manuel very well may have diagnosed Maine correctly, as it pertained to the game last night. But how about going forward? What's the plan? What's the actual injury that you work to correct, or are they just going to take him out back and put him down? Manuel long ago lost the benefit of the doubt with me. Give me (and Maine) your reasoning and the plan going forward. Yeah, the best managers can do things like that. (Manuel's not even a good manager) but good managers can also do two things at once, can get a report from the trainer, and can whisper to Maine that maybe they should sit down and talk to each other before the press. I don't care who's at fault, I just want to know what's happening to fix it.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Ceetar wrote: ..but the guy works hard, and tries his best to compete. Am I really going to criticize that? Especially only 10-12 starts post-injury? Is that enough to say a guy's done? If you're asking me, I'd say that you'll begin by concluding that whatever it is, it's Jerry's fault, and then come up with something, anything, to support your conclusion. Jerry's a pissy whiny manager, who should stop sniping his players to the media and tell them to their faces like a respectible adult, not storm off the mound muttering to himself and only responding when the pitcher yells at you in the dugout and then not talk to him for 4 hours before letting everyone run wild and say whatever they want to the media. But that's Jerry, and it hasn't gotten him fired yet apparently, and it doesn't change the fact that Maine was..something. Tell me this though, what hurts? back? shoulder? elbow? left pinky toe? Do these doctors that Maine is supposedly seeing know? Did they tell Maine which doctor to go to? Or is he gonna go get his arm checked out when they wanted him to look at his knee? Neither of them did any to help their point. Maine bent over in supposed pain, mentioned a slow bullpen, didn't necessarily suggest he was perfectly fine. Warthen and Manuel never addressed a specific injury. Did Maine go to the trainer after he left? the media circus following that was a mess. "He didn't look right, wasn't throwing hard." is not a diagnosis...where does this leave us? Was it even a one day thing and could he go tonight?

metsmarathon wrote: i don't like playing the "let's read too much into things" game, but i can help but think that jerry has expressed so little confidence in his starters not named johan, and it may be affecting his relationship with those pitchers. at least with maine. who is probably smart enough to know that jerry's doghouse is an elusive threat. you may never know where it is, when it's coming, and how you got there, but once you're in, there's no escape until you make the transactions ledger. ultimately, its on john to be effective and figure things out, both how to stay healthy and how to pitch even if you're not. but i feel like jerry is not helping. Exactly. I'm pissed at Maine for seemingly being hurt and struggling again..but the guy works hard, and tries his best to compete. Am I really going to criticize that? Especially only 10-12 starts post-injury? Is that enough to say a guy's done? The past month Maine (and Perez) have seemingly been pitching each game like if they don't perform, they're done. That's a lot of pressure. Now Maine's going to go into his next start (presuming nothing is actually wrong, etc, whatever they decide to do) thinking every single batter could make or break his entire season. When he's got a 3-1 count on a batter in the second, is he going to think "Throw this for a strike, or the next pitch may be for Buffalo?" Pressure! Like this team isn't pressing enough?

Obviously this doesn't really mean anything, but Yanks are 5 out of first place, Mets are 6. The series' are always better when both teams are playing decently, but in this case, both playing badly works.

I'd do it too. Big deal. If it was the GM, or something, that's different. But the guy just writes the checks really, and while I guess players may feel like they have to 'perform' with the owner standing next to them, if he's actually out there, you have to assume the guys realize he's not out there trying to catch them slacking off, he's just having a good time. I'd take BP too.

If his career high is 21, that means 25 isn't out of the question this year, as that projects to 15 more. Maybe his fb% is so high because he's getting good swings and hitting home runs, but if it drops, taht doesn't means it won't convert to line drives and singles and doubles? Hitting the ball well over the fence is not a fluke. The porportions may be, and like any hot player it makes sense that they won't keep it up.

Gwreck wrote: Jerry did a lot of things wrong here, including sending Maine out to pitch when he was clearly unsure about whether that was a good idea and then showing Maine up when taking him out of the game. Those faults aside, I too have to side with Jerry here. The Mets need to win games and if Maine can't throw fastballs it's not as if he has great off-speed pitches to fall back on. It's not so much the decision as how it was made, when it was made, and the lack of communication and the yelling at each other throw the media. Why was his velocity suddenly 85? did he not warm up enough? Did he need to get looser? is his back hurting? blister? was it just first batter flukes? Inject water into the ball? and what's the game plan from here? Maine thinks he can still pitch. was it a one day sorta 'my backs real tight today' that he needed longer to warm up and didn't do it? is it a skip a start type thing? I can't help but wonder if he wakes up fine today that they shouldn't send him out there. Even if Maine only goes 5.2, let Takahashi finish up..or are they planning to let Ollie finish the game? There is an off day next week, do you skip Maine? too many questions, no answers, and the situation is a mess from both sides.

Wait, the game's on Fox? I saw 7pm start and assumed it wasn't. doh.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Ledger_NYMets Maine furious with Manuel for pulling him, insists he's not hurt. "There's no reason I should be seeing a (expletive) doctor tomorrow." Not knowing any of the facts and even having called for Jerry's furing today I'm still gonna side with the Gangsta on this one and wonder if he's not on some level forcing some drama to remind people who's boss again. It'd be a huge mark in his favor if he's as exasperated with Maine as I've been since last year. I don't see how any of this chaos is going to look good for Manuel who can't control a clubhouse apparently. This is the second time (the possible decision to pull Maine from the rotation a couple of weeks ago) that Maine's gotten news from the media, this time about going to the doctor tomorrow. He says Manuel didn't talk to him once after the confrontation we saw in the dugout. Warthen called Maine a habitual liar about his health. Maine says he thinks Manuel has no confidence in him. (True or not, we all, including Manuel, want Maine to do well. What does letting him think this accomplish?) Maine says he was never even asked if he was ok before being lifted and has no idea why he is going to the Dr. (I hope the doctors at least know what they're supposed to be looking at?) Something's fishy here for sure. This reflects well on no one.

Just a wee bit intense eh?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: We're no longer unanimous. Current totals are 17-1-0. Guess Jerry Manuel found the forums.