Bob Raissman of the Daily News is reporting that Daryl Strawberry was in the Mets dugout over the weekend and apparently he may have ticked off two prominent current players. "He was saying you're better than last place. He told them it was 'rough' watching them play, but you're better than what you showed," a Mets insider said. After the little pep talk the two players went to the management and demanded that Straw not be allowed in the dugout anymore. However, management feels that Straw is and always will be welcome.
This is a bit of head scratcher. We all know about Daryl's past and the jury is still out on whether he has turned his life around. Maybe we wouldn't feel comfortable having him hang out our youth, but this is for certain - he was an amazing player, he loves the Mets and he was part of that 1986 team. That means that he gets special treatment by the organization. From a fans perspective, it's great to have Keith, Ron, and Ojeda around the organization. They help us remember the good times and give us hope that there winning mentality may be able to rub off on the current squad. Current players need to be aware of the Mets history and be able to embrace these guys being around the team. We're not the Yankees. We don't have 20 hall of famers. But we do have some guys who deserve respect. I'm talking Tom Seaver, Daryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza and John Franco. For the players to be upset at what Straw said clearly shows their lack of self-awareness. This team is painful to watch. Sure there are some moments when you see what this team could be, but overall they are a sub-.500 team. It may be acceptable in Seattle, but not in NY. If you don't like what Straw said, don't go to management and complain. Instead come out with a chip on your shoulder and bust some people up. Knock over a catcher next time he blocks the plate. Brush back A-Rod next time he is crowding the plate. Piss people off with your celebrations. Bottom line - get back that old Mets attitude.
I imagine that speculation will run wild as to who the players were that were offended by Straw's comments. After taking a few minutes to think about it myself, I have to wonder if one of Wright, Reyes or Santana were in the guilty party. I think Reyes is the obvious choice because he appears to be so fragile both physically and mentally. Wright is an interesting one. At first I didn't think there was any way because of how much he cares, but you know, he has been beaten down by everyone so much lately that maybe he did take it personally. I really hope the names don't come out. Let the organization deal with this matter behind closed doors and don't let it become a mess like so many other situations.
[Update: According to Mike Francesa on WFAN, Straw talked to Wright, Reyes, Bay and Franceour and it was Bay and Franceour that didn't take it too well. My apologies for throwing Reyes under the bus and for even suggesting that it could have been my boy Wright]
I, for one, would have never guessed that Frenchy and Bay would be the guys with the issue. Those guys play hard. I wonder if it has to do with them being relatively new members of the Mets, without the understanding and appreciation of former teams and players.
ReplyDeleteThat 1986 team is near and dear to the hearts of Mets fans who were around at that time. But to non-NYers
The other issue I have is with the story itself. It seems like everything in NY is magnified to be 100x larger than what it really was. I have a hard time believing that Darryl came off like such a hard ass (he's always been considered pretty easy going), and I have a hard time believing that players on the team would be so sensitive.