Archive for June 1st, 2009

HoJo reminds me of the failure that was the Willie Randolph regime.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

As a player, Howard Johnson was a very valuable commodity. He hit homers, was pretty clutch and he was a good leader in the clubhouse. But, this story is not about Howard Johnson the player. It is about Howard Johnson the hitting coach. He just isn’t cutting it, and I think it is about time for the Mets to go a different direction.

One of the biggest examples of a guy that Johnson has done a terrible job with is David Wright. We all remember a couple of years ago when Wright had two strikes on him. Gary Cohen would say that the at-bat was just beginning. Now we are seeing Wright with a terrible loop in his swing, and his strikeout numbers have risen drastically. He also doesn’t go the other way nearly as often as he used to, and Howard Johnson doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it.

With Wright, Johnson has been a mentor since David was in the minor leagues, but there is no excuse for David to be as out of flux as he is right now. When the cameras go to HoJo in the dugout after one of the many Wright strikeouts, his face is expressionless, and he doesn’t even walk over to Wright to discuss the flaws in his approach. The term coaching implies some teaching and Johnson doesn’t seem to do much of that.

Another guy who seems lost at the plate is Jose Reyes. He swings at way too many first pitches and he doesn’t work the count. We all know about Reyes’ immaturity, and he needs somebody to sit next to him and talk to him. Johnson seems content with chewing on his sun flower seeds as Reyes continues to waste at-bat after at-bat. Jose is always extremely off balance, and he needs to be more patient. I believe that I could be doing much more than HoJo does, and that is when you know that we have a problem.

The third guy who can certainly use some more tutelage is Daniel Murphy. For Murphy, he is in an extremely big rut right now, and he has lost the patience that made him such a dangerous hitter. For Murph, I think it would be useful for him to take more of a Luis Castillo sort of approach. He should zone in on one pitch and work the count. He has a bit of pop, but I have a feeling that his long term potential is being a solid doubles hitter. He just needs to stay within himself and wait for a pitch that he can drive.

In this article, I have done more coaching than Howard Johnson. The Mets should do some research and find out who’s available. I know many people are going to blame the lack of production on injuries, but patience hasn’t been exercised and somebody needs to take the fall.

For the record, I asked Ken Davidoff of Newsday, and he said, “Good Lord. David Wright has a 140 OPS+, and Reyes has been hurt for a few weeks. No, HoJo is not in any jeopardy.”

Alex Cora is a valuable commodity to have on the bench, but the Mets need him at short right now.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The recent rash of injuries has been getting completely out of hand, to the point where many of us are wondering whether or not the training staff is properly doing its job. Today, we have some positive news on the injury front. Jose Reyes has been sent to Single A to play some rehab games, and the Mets hope to have him back on Friday, and almost as important, Alex Cora will return tomorrow from the disabled list. But that leaves a question. Who is going to go?

I can think of several guys who could be potential options. First, let’s talk pitching. Ken Takahashi has been alright in his brief stay with the Mets, but I think that his success is a bit overblown. The guy is 40-years old, and while he has been effective, people will eventually figure him out, leading to him being much more disposable in the long run.

Another guy who might be a casualty is Ramon Martinez. Martinez has not hit a lick since he was called up from Triple A, and it would shock me to see anyone claim him if the Mets attempt to send him back to Buffalo. Martinez’s defense hasn’t been admirable either, and he doesn’t belong in the major leagues. Wilson Valdez has proven to me that he is a more valuable commodity just based on the defense that he provides. He is a pretty good bunter too. I don’t think he’ll be gone tomorrow, but he may go when Reyes is activated.

I also wonder about the status of Tim Redding. I think the Mets are exploring other options, and his time in the big leagues probably won’t last much longer.

If I had my vote, Ramon Martinez would go in favor of Cora, and Ken Takahashi would go in favor of Reyes.