Jayded Perspective 

When it rains it pours… 

On a day filled with negative headlines and “what if’s” for the Mets they get hit with more bad press.  Not from another New York sports columnist or radio host, but from one of their own.   

In this week’s issue of New York magazine, there’s an article called The Closer.  The writer, Chris Smith, featured Mets closer Billy Wagner for the piece.  While it is an excellent article and it shines some light on the life of Wagner, it also features some quotes from Wagner taking shots at Mets fans and management. 

“If I walk in after a save and this fan’s up there yelling, ‘We love you!’—yeah, you love me today. I blow a save, ‘We hate you!’ Well, you hate me today .”

Since when did Billy Wagner become the most sensitive guy in the league?  In order to pitch in a city like New York, you need to have thick skin.  This is nothing new.  Unless your last name is Jeter, you’re only as good as your last at-bat or last appearance.  This being Wagner’s second year in Flushing, he’s well aware of this.  He shouldn’t be surprised if a blown save turns into a sea full of boo’s. 

On to the management:

“We’ve been throwing four innings a night—for months!” he says. “Our pitching coach [Rick Peterson] has no experience talking to a bullpen. He can help you mechanically, but he can’t tell you the emotions. He has no idea what it feels like. And neither does Willie [Randolph]. They’re not a lot of help, put it that way.”

Again with the sensitivity… 

Rick Peterson is a pitching coach, not a sports psychologist, Billy does know this, right?  If he has issues with his emotions, Peterson or Randolph aren’t the people he should be talking to.  The Mets have a sports psychologist on staff, and that’s the guy Wagner should visit.  To say Willie Randolph doesn’t know what a 162 game season does to you emotionally is silly.  Randolph had a successful eighteen-year career where he played day-in and day-out.  It’s obvious Wagner is frustrated, but if you have issues with management, it’s best not to address it through the media. 

Wagner, like a lot of players on the Mets roster, is immature and has the inability to take responsibility for his actions.  To even hint he was overused would be nothing but a cop out for his own ineffectiveness.  Wagner’s appearances and innings pitched in 2007 were his lowest since an injury-shortened 2004 season.

Add Billy Wagner to the long list of athletes who talk to the press before they think.  Wagner is under contract for another two seasons (excluding a team option for 2010), and Mets fans don’t forget.  He shouldn’t be surprised when the fans don’t give him a standing ovation to start the season next year.