Inside Baseball
Mets send signal no one’s safe in Buffalo
The New York Mets have been a marketing hit and on-field disaster for the Bisons this year. But count this corner impressed by the way the Amazins keep trying to fix the nightmare that is the 2009 Herd. Players are coming and going between Buffalo and Double-A Binghamton, the Mets aren’t shy about bringing in free agents, and the latest and probably most overdue move was Wednesday’s sacking of hitting coach Luis Natera.
You can’t judge things on one day, such as Thursday’s 13-5 win over Durham, but it’s clear new hitting coach Bill Masse is the kind of vocal, upbeat guy who can kick some life back into this entire team.
Mets VP Tony Bernazard is a huge Natera supporter, as evidenced by the fact this was just a demotion to Double-A and not the out-and-out firing Natera deserved. But Bernazard understands you can't develop players in a losing atmosphere.
And you can't expect the Buffalo front office to think about keeping the Mets around come 2011 if you don't show you care a little about winning.
Just since May 1, look at the list of guys who've arrived from outside via free agency or trade: Wily Mo Pena, Mike Lamb, Emil Brown, Chip Ambres (a former International League all-star acquired Wednesday), former No. 1 pick Lance Broadway and Pat Misch. Luis Rivera came up from Class A St. Lucie and hit .381 in his first seven games. Fernando Nieve came up from Binghamtonto go 3-0 and is already in New York.
"We know we're better than this," manager Ken Oberkfell said. "I had actually forgotten about 2-17 but we know these guys have more to bring us. We've been better lately but we're still looking for that big run where you win eight out of 10, 10 out of 12. That would really change the feeling."
The coaching change is a big step. Natera didn't seem to get through to this team and he was known for often pleading with official scorers after games to have errors changed to base hits, an unsavory thing too many coaches do. Was he fighting for his guys or just fighting to make himself look better?
"At this level, guys need to hold themselves a little more accountable instead of a coaching staff holding us accountable," outfielder Cory Sullivan said. "Everybody has to realize where they're short on their own."
"I felt there would be personnel changes in terms of players but I never thought Luis would be the guy to take the heat," added outfielder Jason Cooper. "Ultimately, it's on us. Luis did everything he possibly could. He's very, very good at what he does. It's a shame."
Masse is much more of a rah-rah type than Natera, exactly what's needed for a team with no sense of urgency.
"I'm very aggressive, very positive and I like to have fun, man," Masse said. "There's nothing 'funner' in the world than hitting a ball as hard as you can."
The Mets said they wouldn't send struggling prospect Nick Evans back to Double-A. And they did. Bernazard told me in late April that Natera was deserving of his job in Triple-A and wouldn't lose it. He did. Oberkfell is widely respected in the Mets organization and has a great record as a manager. But he wasn't invited back to Jerry Manuel's major-league staff after last season (former Bison tormenter and Manuel confidante Razor Shines was added).
Bernazard steadfastly supported Oberkfell earlier in the year. But what if the Bisons keep floundering? Would there be a change to help save face with the front office in Buffalo?
Never say never. And especially now with Masse in the house, clearly available as a manager in waiting with more than 600 wins as a minor-league skipper.
Masse said it was his choice to go back to being a hitting coach after working in the Padres chain for a season but added he plans on managing again.
"This has been a nice change for me," Masse said. "I get to wear the good white hat. The manager wears the black one. I'm the guy that can always be positive. [Oberkfell] can be like, "What the hell is going on?" and I'm the guy that can be, "Here we go, guys, we're all right.' I'm the guy that can be positive. It's kind of nice to be that guy. I used to be the guy that said, "What the hell are you doing?' "
Oberkfell is a good guy who's had a good career in the minor leagues. He didn’t suddenly forget how to manage. It’s not his fault Evans went 7 for 75 or alleged top pitching prospect Jonathon Niese hit June with no wins. But even in Triple-A, results do matter. Maybe parent clubs don’t worry about making the minor league playoffs but they surely don’t want to be a running joke either. Especially in their first year in a new town.
The Mets put everybody on notice in the Buffalo clubhouse with Wednesday’s move. Everybody. Good for them.
Ibanez infuriated
Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez, who broke the Mets’ hearts with his three-run homer in the 10th inning Thursday, was hopping mad last week when a Midwest blog started a firestorm by speculating that Ibanez’s breakout season could be the result of performance-enhancing drugs. Never mind that Ibanez switched from spacious Safeco Field to cozy Citizens Bank Park.
“I’ll come after people who defame or slander me,” Ibanez told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s pathetic and disgusting. There should be some accountability for people who put that out there. You can have my urine, my hair . . . anything you can test. I’ll give you back every dime I’ve ever made [if the test is positive].
“I’ll put that up against the jobs of anyone who writes this stuff. Make them accountable. There should be more credibility than some 42-year-old blogger typing in his mother’s basement.”
I’m with Ibanez on this one. Completely irresponsible on the part of this blog, which I’m not going to dignify with a mention. I’m a big blog booster but, at the same time, it’s shenanigans like this that cast all bloggers in a bad light.
Griffs shine
Big week for the Canisius College program, which had not had a player drafted since pitcher Joe Mammott was taken in 1994 but had two taken on back-to-back days this year.
Kevin Mahoney went to the Yankees in the 23rd round and Kevin Mailloux went to the Mariners in the 45th round. And current Golden Griffins Benson Merritt (Reds) and Nathan Linseman( Tigers) were selected as high schoolers in 2008.
After years of futility, things are quickly rising at Canisius under Mike McRae. The Griffs advanced to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game for the first time in their history and their 36-22 record gave them back-to-back 35-win seasons.
They said it
• Rays manager Joe Maddon on the new Yankee Stadium: “I hated the smell of the old place. . . . I don’t know if that odor was the remnants of the ghosts walking around, but they always had a home-court advantage in that yard.
“I’m not saying they can’t develop it here, but they had an advantage just based on the smell of the place. They could have put that in a bottle, sprayed it on somebody and you’d say, ‘Oh, Yankee Stadium.’ ”
• MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds on No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg’s 195 strikeouts and 19 walks at San Diego State: “That’s pretty good in Wiffle Ball.”
• White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on his struggling club: “Good teams win games. Horsebleep teams have meetings. Well, I think we’re to the point of having a lot of meetings.”
• Indians DH Ryan Garko on the invasion of sea gulls at Progressive Field: “We look like we’re a bunch of little kids playing on an abandoned lot. There has to be a way to get rid of the sea gulls. It’s kind of funny but kind of not funny.”
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