Like Gary Sheffield or not, he knows baseball and has been around winners and losers. His view of this group of Mets? Losers.
When ask what the Mets need to get better, Sheff said the obvious but did not pull any other punches either.
“No. 1 is health — dedication and health,” he said. “You’re going to get out what you put in.”
You’re going to get out what you put in huh? So what are the Mets players and coaching staff putting in?
“This team needs to focus on its identity,” Sheffield said. “Anybody can get hurt. But the line has to keep moving, even when there are injuries. You can’t have a team built on, ‘If these guys don’t come through, we’re going to lose.’ ”
So who is Sheff calling out here? Is it Delgado? Is it Reyes? Manuel? Omar? the Wilpons? All of the above?
“If you do that, you’re focusing on the wrong things,” Sheffield said. “You focus on what you need to be successful. This team needs to focus on what’s the identity of this team.”
I want no part of Sheff next year, he will want much more than WE had to pay him this year. But hopefully we can learn from some of the comments that he has made. One thing that goes back into yesterday’s discussion on Wright as captain, we have to remember one of the main factors in Sheffield choosing the Mets was indeed his respect for David Wright. Hopefully the Mets can put this season behind them, but in order to do that they will have to decide to become professional baseball players which in fact I think is what Sheff is suggesting.
15 comments
Kingman 26
9/22/2009-10:16am at 10:16 am (UTC -4)
Wow, thanks for posting this TRS….Shef has been around a lot of good teams, that is for sure.
I have to agree with him, although I of course have zero idea of what goes on behind closed doors.
I saw a stat recently that we have something like 25% more days on the DL this year than the next closest team.
Whether it is laziness, horrible training, a mediocre medical staff, guys not working hard at rehabbing, or some combo of the above, it seems VERY unlikely that the unreal injury situation this year can solely be blamed on bad luck.
As I have said, the last two spring trainings were full of veterans who were nursing all kinds of injuries and clearly did not come to camp ready to play.
Some say that this issue–and the rancid fundamentals–are up to grown up, highly paid pro athletes to handle themselves.
But if they show they cannot get it done, don’t we need better leaders in the manager’s office or the front office to change the culture?
Great post TRS.
trs86
9/22/2009-10:24am at 10:24 am (UTC -4)
I am starting as a rational person to believe there HAS to be a reason for the injuries. It can’t all be just dumb luck as you say.
stickguy
9/22/2009-10:36am at 10:36 am (UTC -4)
Well, I obvoulsly want sheff gone next year. But, I really don’t understand exactly what he is saying (maybe just me being dense!) I think he is calling the leadership clueless and the team a bunch of pansies. The 1st part at least I agree with.
TRS, I think it is a combination of bad luck, and a systemic failure.
The luck part come sin because all the hurt guys seem to have different problems. So to some extent, that is random. Not like 8 guys all popped hammies.
Delgado was a chronic issue (matter of time). Beltran I still don’t understand how he got it, but a bone bruise does take a long time to heal. Reyes, tendon issue happen. Maine it just takes time to recover from shoulder surgery, putz was damaged goods, etc.
The systemic part seems to come in from how they treat these guys. Whether ignoring docotr advice and having them play vs. rest, delaying surgery and trying to play through it, rushing back before proper rehab, that goes back to a cultural and organizational philosophy.
So, my best guess wout be the rash of injuries was a combo of fluke, bad luck, and time bombs going off, but the severity and duration of some of them was increased based on the way the Mets handled things.
metsfan4decades
9/22/2009-10:38am at 10:38 am (UTC -4)
I saw this on another site earlier and my first thought was, what is he talking about? This line:
‘“This team needs to focus on its identity,†Sheffield said. “Anybody can get hurt. But the line has to keep moving, even when there are injuries. You can’t have a team built on, ‘If these guys don’t come through, we’re going to lose.’ ‒
While he may have somewhat of a point, there is no way this franchise could compensate for Delgado, Reyes, Beltran all going down before the break for just about the rest of the season. Not to mention at least 2 of the proposed starting 5 (Ollie, Maine) injured. Then add in the replacements injured, Niese and Nieve and that pretty much sewed up this season.
If we had guys good enough to step up to the plate to replace those guys for half a season or better, they already would have been starters.
Replacing regulars for a 15 day DL stint is one thing. Replacing them for half a year is another.
There is no way Sheff should be back on this team next year. And not b/c of the comments. B/c he can’t play the OF anymore and I don’t have any confidence he stays healthy enough for any kind of offensive contribution.
darknova306
9/22/2009-10:39am at 10:39 am (UTC -4)
Very nice post, TRS. I hadn’t heard these statments, but I respect Sheff even more now that I have.
You’d think that The Collapse would have given these guys motivation and determination more than ever, but they looked listless frequently last year and haven’t really looked any better this year. And that’s just what I see on the field, Sheff is probably referring to even more stuff going on behind closed doors (though, that’s just speculation). If these ‘professionals’ need to be called out like this in a championship veteran’s eyes… we may be in more trouble than even I have been thinking.
fongy2
9/22/2009-10:48am at 10:48 am (UTC -4)
While Sheff is right, it would carry more weight if Sheff hadn’t spent his career
throwing games, taking ‘roids, constantly demanding new contracts and generally wearing
out his welcome with about a third of the teams in the majors.
Kingman 26
9/22/2009-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
Hard to argue with any of that my friend!
darknova306
9/22/2009-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
Good point. It’s too bad, cause these guys need a kick in the pants that even an epic collapse couldn’t handle.
wannybackstra
9/22/2009-11:06am at 11:06 am (UTC -4)
The only thing that could kick this team in the pants is a complete front office and field management housecleaning.
Then the players will know they are next… they won’t have the GM who is responsible for them or the manager who has been allowing them to continue their stupidity like not knowing how many outs there are and bunting a left handed hitter with a runner on 2nd and no one out.
fongy2
9/22/2009-11:13am at 11:13 am (UTC -4)
Thank you Wanny! I Agree completely!
darknova306
9/22/2009-12:00pm at 12:00 pm (UTC -4)
Well played, Wanny. I agree with that 100%.
trs86
9/22/2009-12:03pm at 12:03 pm (UTC -4)
You say the players are next? It’s not that easy. You can fire managers, coaches, GM’s etc, you can cut lower players but you can’t really just say ok Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Santana, Krod you guys are on notice.
wannybackstra
9/22/2009-4:46pm at 4:46 pm (UTC -4)
Another GM might be more willing to trade one of them to some city without a Latin dance club for Jose to party in while rehabbing, without a hollywood/entertainment industry from which David Wright can choose his women, or without enough visibility for Johan Santana to earn extra money doing exceedingly poorly acted Subway commercials.
ceetar
9/22/2009-3:52pm at 3:52 pm (UTC -4)
Sheffield is a joke. I only lost respect for him this year, as if I had any.
Keep the line moving? i.e. when guys get injured and washed up veteran’s such as Sheffield are pressed into service, they have to come through? Is he speaking of himself? (no, of course not, he’s a hypocrite as usual)
Sounds like an indictment of management to me. After all, if was Manuel who first said he didn’t think this group could get it done if the injured players didn’t return. He was the one that kept talking about tredding water and not losing too much ground.
What he’s saying about the identify of the team is spot on. The Mets aren’t, weren’t, and shouldn’t be a power team. They aren’t about trying to blast every ball out of the park. And they don’t need to be to win. the problem is Manuel has always managed to the way he thinks his players should be, not how they are. He played guys like Tatis and Sheffield, even half-injured, because he had some odd thoughts about them being able to hit more home runs than the other guys who would get on base, run faster, advance more, play better defense, stay out of more double plays, etc. The ‘identity’ of this team isn’t the bronx bombers and we need a manager that will recognize that, and will also properly prepare his team.
trs86
9/22/2009-3:55pm at 3:55 pm (UTC -4)
I think it called out players and coaches myself. Coaches for not giving the team what it needed and help them prepare as well as those stupid comments by Jerry. Players from not coming into ST in shape.