Troups Fall In!

Jerry Manuel hasn't wasted a moment in firing his first plan of action as MANAGER of THE NEW YORK METS. It feels good to have a direction after having that “interim” prefix to his title removed.

Jerry is planning on some “serious training” in Spring Training in February 2009. His intention is to have players change their philosophy; he demands unselfish play. He wants not only his players, but the organization to stop worrying about personal statistics, and play selfless baseball, emphasizing smart situational baseball, “flawless fundamentals”, and stellar defense.

Manuel said, “What has been done in the past is that you get so many statistical people together — they put so many stats on paper — and they say, ‘Well, if you do this and you score this many runs, you do this that many times, you’ll be in the playoffs,’ “That’s not really how it works. And that’s what we have to get away from.”

Manuel went on to say that he believes strongly in the “core” of his team, but is in agreement with upper management, namely Minaya and COO Jeff Wilpon, that the Mets lack that “intangible” element.

The Mets core players consist mainly of David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltran.

Manuel intelligently went on to say, “You don’t see a lot of guys that have statistical numbers play well in these championship series. What you see is usually the little second baseman or somebody like that carries off the M.V.P. trophy that nobody expected him to do. That’s because he’s comfortable in playing that form of baseball, so therefore when the stage comes, it’s not a struggle for him.”

Manuel and Minaya will have talks on how to improve their inadequate bullpen, and deciding which coaches might be kept, and which might be pursued.

Manuel went on to say he doesn't have a problem with his contract, stating, “I would rather the emphasis, when the team struggles, be on me, and on them when we’re playing well. I don’t have a problem with where we are right now. It gives me an opportunity to prove myself over a period of time.”

I love Jerry's ideas, and if the upper management of the Mets can buy into his plan, we might see better results next September. I have held true that the Mets don't need an over-haul, just a change in philosophy. I agree with Jerry's philosophy, and if you look at teams like the Angels, this is the kind of baseball they play, and although they aren't doing particularly well at the moment (down 2-0 to Boston), they are playing while the Mets are approaching the 16th hole.

For more on this, please read Ben Shpigel - NY Times