The Survival Of HoJo

Howard Johnson, the Mets hitting coach, was on the hot seat last year, and he knew it. His job was spared when former Manager Willie Randolph and Pitching coach Rick Peterson weren't.

Players look up to Johnson not only because he was a player, but he relates to slumps, poor at-bats, and strike outs in key situations. He isn't so far removed from being a player that he has forgotten the approach and the heartache batting slumps can create.

Carlos DelGado credits Johnson in helping him resolve and break out of his dreaded slump the first half of 2008. Many of us believe that Willie Randolph's departure helped DelGado to break-out, but DelGado has never blamed Randolph. He cites Johnson's work with him as the key, stating, "I think he's done a great job. I spent a lot more time with him than I wanted to. Nothing against anyone else, but you've got to respect a guy who's been there and done that. He's played the game and he was successful at it.”

Johnson has his own take on his role, "My view of a hitting coach, or pitching coach, is they're like a new car; they're great, you kind of drive them for a while, and then you go look for a new model. There's a familiarity the players get with you and you always have to be fresh. My personality is laid-back and I think that works for our guys. It works for our market."

David Wright offers this about Johnson, "He takes it personally when we lose. He's like having an extra player out there. He goes through the ups and downs with us. That's why a lot of players are connected with him and have the relationship they have with him.

"A lot of coaches forget what it's like when they played. When they become coaches, it's 'Why didn't you swing at that pitch?' or "Why didn't you do this?' He remembers what it was like to play and how tough the game was. He's got a great link because he doesn't forget what it was like to play and uses that experience."

Johnson, the Mets management and players must work on better situational hitting, and Jerry Manuel has been forcing players to hit the opposite way during spring training; to have them use a selfless approach for the sake of team. The 2008 Mets scored a lot of runs, but failed miserably in key situations, especially down the stretch. Hopefully with the extra work Johnson has put in, his players and the team will benefit.

Johnson finishes up by saying, "It's not how much do I know compared to somebody else. There's always going to be some guy who knows everything about hitting but he's not going to be a very good coach. I know this: I'd rather have a guy going in the box confident that he can get the job done and not whether he's technically perfect. Sometimes they go hand in hand. A lot of times it doesn't."

Source: David Lennon - Newsday