Amazin' Stories

Jets Night rescheduled

J.P. here again, and here's an item that has special interest for me as The Record's Jets' beat writer. Here's the press release:

The New York Mets and New York Jets today announced the rescheduling of Jets Night at Shea to Tuesday, July 8 before the Mets host the San Francisco Giants. Jets Night at Shea – originally scheduled for Monday, April 28 – was postponed due to inclement weather. Fans holding tickets from the April 28 game wishing to attend the July 8 Jets Night at Shea should follow standard rain-check ticket exchange policy on Mets.com. Tickets for the April 28 game will not be valid for the July 8 game. 

Former Jets Pro Bowlers Joe Klecko, Wesley Walker, Jets linebacker legend Greg Buttle, and Super Bowl III champions Emerson Boozer, Randy Beverly, and John Schmitt will return to Shea Stadium.  These players and others will appear at a 5:30 p.m. pre-game fundraiser in Shea’s Picnic Area to benefit area charities through the Mets Foundation and New York Jets Foundation.  A limited number of tickets to the Picnic Area Meet and Greet are $20 and are on sale now at Mets.com

The Mets will salute their former Shea housemates – both teams won world championships in 1969 –during an on-field, pre-game ceremony including the first pitch and the Shea Countdown of games to be played at Shea in its final season; in-game video programming; and the opportunity for fans to have their photos taken with both the Mets’ and Jets’ 1969 world championship trophies.  The New York Jets Flight Crew will be on hand with the Jets’ traveling, interactive Generation JetsFest adjacent to Shea and join Mr. Met and the Pepsi Party Patrol for various promotions and giveaways throughout the game.

The Jets, then the New York Titans, and Mets played at the Polo Grounds – the former home of the New York Giants baseball team before they left for San Francisco – for their first two seasons before moving into Shea Stadium in 1964.  The Jets last played at Shea in 1983 before moving to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J.  Both the Mets and Jets are constructing new facilities.  Citi Field, the new Mets home, will open in 2009; the New Meadowlands Stadium is scheduled to open in 2010.

***

While I certainly watched a lot of Jets' games at Shea on TV, I never saw them play here at Shea in person. It's hard to imagine what the football configuration might have looked like.

Those crazy (and not-so-crazy) lefties

J.P. here again today. Willie Randolph was talking before the game about today's starter, Oliver Perez, and indicated that Perez will sometimes get his mechanics messed up during a game because he's 'like a jazz player improvising. He tries sometimes to invent things.'

When asked why Perez would do that, Randolph laughed and said, 'He's a lefty. He does things differently.'

Of course, the Mets' ace, Johan Santana, also is left-handed, and he always talks about NOT wanting to do anything crazy out there. As he said Saturday, 'you're not trying to rush anything or trying to go crazy or trying to do anything different.'

So I suppose that's why Santana hasn't considered using 'Let's Go Crazy' by Prince to warm up to at the start of the game. BTW, I write and bat left-handed but I throw right-handed, so I don't know if that makes me a crazy southpaw or not.

Too bad I don't have a pink pen today to honor my Mom on Mother's Day. MLB players are again using pink bats and pink wristbands to help raise awareness and money for breast cancer research.

Changing on the fly

J.P. again at the end of a long day at Shea. When you're covering a doubleheader, it's a fluid situation, as Eric Mangini might say. If the double-dip gets split, you have to adjust. With that in mind, here's a peek at the story I originally wrote about the doubleheader, focusing on the first game. This was done just prior to us being granted access to the clubhouse after the game, and my story in Sunday's Record will reflect the post-game from the nightcap as well. In the meantime, here's my 'first draft':

By J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

     NEW YORK - There are several ways to look at the fact that Carlos Delgado batted seventh in the Mets' lineup in the first game of their day-night doubleheader Saturday against Cincinnati.

     There's manager Willie Randolph's explanation, that he did it to avoid having three straight lefty hitters in the lineup against a Reds' team that has two southpaws in its bullpen. Or the fact that at age 35, Delgado is on the back end of his career and may be hitting seventh more often.

     Or there's the way it looked Saturday afternoon. With Delgado going 3-for-4 with a homer and a double from the seventh spot, the Mets pounded out 12 hits in a 12-6 win over Cincinnati in the first game. It was the second straight game in which the Mets have scored 12 runs.

     That prosperity didn't last long, however, as the Mets slipped back into their offensive funk in the nightcap. Bronson Arroyo (2-4) allowed four hits and struck out nine over eight innings as the Reds earned a split with a 7-1 victory in a game in which several Mets' regulars rested. Mike Pelfrey (2-3) allowed eight hits and two runs over six innings.

     The Mets hope the opener is more indicative of what their offense can do.

     "When you've got Carlos Delgado batting seventh," David Wright said, "that says something about your lineup."

     That batting order spoke quite forcefully Saturday afternoon.

     "We got some contributions from everybody," manager Willie Randolph said, adding, "We're a much better club than we've shown and we've played. And we know that."

     Delgado, who raised his average from .216 to .233, wasn't the only one who got in on the fun. Carlos Beltran went from .218 to .230 with a 2-for-3, five-RBI performance, and David Wright went 2-for-3 with three runs scored as he broke out of a 1-for-13 slide.

     Delgado, who said hitting seventh doesn't bother him, had an RBI double in the sixth and a solo homer in the seventh.

     "These last few days, I've been feeling pretty good at the plate," he said, adding that on the home run, "I was able to keep my hands back and make good contact."

     "I've seen this coming for a week and a half," Randolph said of Delgado's resurgence.

     Beltran had an RBI single in the third and a sacrifice fly in the fifth off Matt Belisle (1-3), and his three-run triple off reliever Mike Lincoln in the sixth gave the Mets a 10-3 lead.

     "Two weeks ago," Beltran said, "I would've pulled that ball foul. It was a good feeling that I was able to keep my hands inside. I feel good at the plate. I didn't think about anything."

     Beltran meant that while he worked on mechanics in the batting cage before the game, he didn't consider any of that stuff during the game.

     "I just looked for the ball," he said.

     The Mets' offensive outburst was especially helpful on a day that ace Johan Santana (4-2) didn't have his best stuff. He tied a career-high by allowing 10 hits in six innings. But the Reds only managed three runs off him. He struck out Corey Patterson with two runners on to end the sixth inning, just after Randolph visited him on the mound. Santana threw 116 pitches in his outing.

     "When I looked him in the eyes," the manager said, "I felt he was ready for the challenge."

     "It wasn't the best stuff I could have," Santana said, "but it was good enough to win this game."

     Santana struggled with allergies during the game, but didn't blame that factor.

     "Allergies have been bothering me, but it's no excuse," Santana said. "I battled through and we were able to win."

   

Good and bad by Willie

J.P. here again from the day-night [ugh] doubleheader. And it turns out, Willie Randolph is a kindred spirit of mine in his dislike of day-nighters.

Before the opener, he said, 'What about the old-fashioned, straight-up doubleheader? How about doing that? Get it in, get it over with.'

He also noted, when asked, how the players don't like them, either. 'It's just unnatural,' he said, noting how it's not easy to play one game, sit around for several hours, and then play another.

Of course, separate admissions make the beancounters happy. But not Willie and me, that's for sure.

While I agree with Randolph on that one, I didn't agree with his second-inning strategy in the first game. With runners at first and third and one out in the second, he had Johan Santana bunting. Santana entered the AB 4-for-16 with three doubles, so it's obvious he knows how to handle a bat. He bunted and missed at two pitches and later struck out swinging, but the Mets scored because the third strike from Matt Belisle got past David Ross for a wild pitch. Still, a bad move by Randolph.

Let's play none

This is J.P. Pelzman, pinch-hitting for Steve this weekend. It turned out there was no 'window' in the rain over Flushing tonight, so the Reds-Mets game was postponed and will be part of a day-night doubleheader Saturday. That's because the single-admission doubleheader at Shea, as in many places in the major leagues [the Bronx, too], is just about extinct. Sigh.

I used to enjoy going to single-admission double-dips at Shea as a civilian, but I suppose the one I was at [as a paying customer] in July 2006 will be the last one I ever see here. [Mike Pelfrey made his debut in the second game and got the win that day.] I suspect they'll also be rare at Citi Field. Hey, I understand capitalism, but it would be nice to give people something for nothing once in awhile, just for the sake of good will. In the words of former Seton Hall [and former Mississippi and current Loyola of Chicago] guard Justin Cerasoli, 'Whatever.'

BTW, tickets for Friday's game are good for the Saturday night tilt.

Was a busy night, which is why it took me so long to get to this. Willie Randolph had some interesting comments about dealing with media scrutiny, which I wrote about for Saturday's Record. As for the news:

C Raul Casanova was DFAed [designated for assignment] so Ramon Castro could be activated from the DL. Castro and starting catcher Brian Schneider, among others, both wished him well before he left the clubhouse. Casanova was very classy about the move, and said he understood the Mets' situation. I hope somebody picks him up.

GM Omar Minaya said Pedro Martinez threw about 60 pitches in a bullpen session with live hitters in Florida Friday, but didn't speculate on what his timetable for returning might be. Minaya also said he didn't know when reliever Matt Wise might be activated. Wise is ready to go and was in the clubhouse Friday, but the Mets don't know what move they're going to make yet roster-wise.

The Sound in the Distance?

That faint sound I think I can hear if I'm really quiet here, 3,000 miles from New York? Could it be?

Booing?

The Mets will take the field here at Chavez Ravine one more time today, trying to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. It would be nice for the welcome back home if John Maine could outduel Brad Penny this afternoon, if the Mets bats could wake up - oh, and if nobody says anything too controversial.

Let's see, when they left in the wake of a 13-1 loss to the Pirates last week Billy Wagner was calling out Oliver Perez as if he was one of the angry fans, the angry fans were letting Carlos Delgado know that they don't like to be spurned and since the Mets have been out here a Willie Randolph comment was misconstrued in some place (and rehashed endlessly on sports talk radio) to say that the team likes to be on the road better.

Randolph didn't actually say that, but that won't matter if the Mets come back home having been swept by Joe Torre's team. We haven't seen the lineup yet, but figure that Moises Alou will get the day off after his wild ride around the bases Tuesday night and Brian Schneider likely will be given the day off, too.

So can a makeshift lineup get to Penny and turn things around? It would be nice.

Mets drop Another

By STEVE POPPER

STAFF WRITER

LOS ANGELES – Ryan Church raced back to the wall, braced himself and made a leap, reaching for the ball. So many times already this season, he has made these catches, finding the ball and on the mound a Mets pitcher will pump a fist, offer a wave of thanks and move on.

But this time, like in so many other ways on this night, the Mets and Church came up just a little bit short.

The ball eluded him, banging off the top of the fence for a two-run, inside-the-park home run by rookie Blake DeWitt, providing the margin in a 5-4 Dodgers win.

But before that ball ever was launched into the night the Mets had wasted so many opportunities that this near-miss was just another play in another frustrating night.

The Mets left runners scattered around the bases early on, letting the Dodgers stay in a game that they seemed to have little interest in even being a part of. And with the game still up for grabs, Nelson Figueroa could not close the door on the Dodgers, giving up five two-out runs.

“Way too many wasted opportunities,” Willie Randolph said. “You set yourself up for a fall when you waste opportunities like that.”

“This is a team that has been on a roll,” Figueroa said of the Dodgers, who have now won 10 of 11 games. “Facing a team like that, they’re having fun and they’re a team that all the good things seem to happen to them, it makes it tough.”

Handed leads of 3-0 and 4-1, Figueroa labored throughout his five-inning effort. He had gotten through four innings with 82 pitches and stayed on for the fifth with the lead down to 4-3. He got the first two outs, but then gave up a single to Russell Martin and then rookie DeWitt, who had hit his first major league home run Monday, added a new highlight with the inside-the-park homer.

Dazed at first as he crashed into the wall, Church got up and hustled to try to make the play, but it was just too late. He then went into the dugout and found Figueroa, apologizing.

“I tip my cap to him. He went all out. I appreciate the effort. He apologized to me for some reason, said, ‘I should have made that play.’ For him to even make a play on it, how often do you see something like that happen?”

That spoiled a lead the Mets had gotten – but also blew many opportunities to build upon. The Mets scored once in the first on a solo home run by Church and then added two runs in the second, but had a chance to put starter Hiroki Kuroda away early.

Angel Pagan led off with a bunt single and Brian Schneider followed with a single. Luis Castillo singled in one run. A sacrifice bunt attempt by Figueroa was fielded by Kuroda, who tried to get Pagan at third and threw high, loading the bases. Jose Reyes followed with a single to center, scoring one run and then Church came up, but grounded into a 1-2-3 doubleplay. Kuroda then struck out Wright to strand runners on second and third.

The Mets scratched out a run in the third with Moises Alou making an unlikely trek around the bases. Alou reached on an error to start the inning and then raced – maybe a very slow race – to third on a single by Carlos Delgado, sliding in head first when DeWitt bobbled the throw. After a fielders choice put Pagan on first, the Mets executed a double steal with Pagan heading to second and when Dodgers shortstop Chin-lung Hu double-clutched, Alou lumbered home, sliding head first.

It was the fourth steal of home for Alou, this one believed to make him the oldest player ever to accomplish that feat.

The Mets were shut down by the Dodgers bullpen as Hong-Chih Kuo came on first, pitching a dominating 3 2/3 innings, not allowing a hit and striking out eight. The only runners to reach were Castillo, hit by a fastball on the left knee followed by a walk to Figueroa. He then struck out Jose Reyes and Church in succession.

Fittingly, closer Takashi Saito ended the game by striking out Castillo. Now the Mets face Brad Penny Wednesday afternoon trying to avoid a sweep.

"It's no secret," Randolph said. "We've got to swing the bats better."

Beltran Out

Carlos Beltran was a last-minute scratch with flu-like symptoms, replaced in the lineup by Angel Pagan.

Beltran had played in all 30 games before tonight. He's been struggling at the plate, but before the game his agent, Scott Boras, noted that he thought Beltran was swinging better Monday than he had all season long.

Working on the West Coast

I t's an hour before the clubhouse opens here and a long time before batting practice is scheduled, but the Mets have a huge contingent of players here for early BP.

In the group are Luis Castillo, David Wright, Brian Schneider, Angel  Pagan and Marlon Anderson. But also joining them is Carlos Beltran, who  has endured an odd start to the 2008 season.

While he has reached base in almost every game, ranks among the leadue leaders in walks and doubles, he is also slogging along with a .205 batting average.

Can't hurt to see him - and the huge crew - out here early. Is there any work for Oliver Perez out here?

Perez gets battered again

By STEVE POPPER

STAFF WRITER

LOS ANGELES – At least Oliver Perez didn’t give up this time.

That might be all that you could say for the latest erratic outing by the talented, but mind-bogglingly inconsistent lefthander. Five days after being publicly criticized by Billy Wagner for giving in with a 1 2/3 inning performance, Perez started his night by giving up a home run to the first hitter he faced.

On an 0-2 pitch.

But if Perez wanted to walk away from that, he didn’t. And he stuck around when Jeff Kent slammed a line drive into his midsection three batters later. He didn’t give in when he served up a pair of home runs in the fifth inning.

That was the positive side to Perez’s outing. But the reality was another defeat, another confounding performance in which the results don’t come close to his ability as the Mets dropped a 5-1 decision to the Dodgers.

Perez lasted six innings, which may have been all that Wagner asked for last time, providing a respite for the bullpen. His line included six hits, five runs and three home runs – the leadoff blast by Furcal, a two-run shot by Matt Kemp and the first career homer to Blake DeWitt (a home run that drew a curtain call – asked for and delivered to much applause).

And still, Perez has not gone more than six innings in any of his seven starts this season. In a contract year with free agency looming at season’s end, Perez has displayed all of the worst tendencies of his persona – most notably an inability to maintain his arm slot or his wavering focus. Unhittable one moment, Perez is lost at others, something that he lets show all too clearly, circling the mound, losing the hop and enthusiasm that mark his best moments.

Since bowing out against the Pirates last Wednesday in the second inning with seven runs across (only two earned) he has endured the public critique by Wagner, a private meeting with manager Willie Randolph and plenty of questions of what could be expected the next time out.

“I understand the last game was all over the place,” Perez said afterward. “I try to find out how (I) can be better. I’m just trying to do my job, help the team when they give me the ball.”

Wagner wasn’t in a talking mood after another loss, but he good-naturedly said, “He battled. I’ll defend him all day.”

If Perez was expected to come out on fire, that hope was quickly extinguished. Furcal lashed the 0-2 pitch from Perez leading off bottom of the first into the bleachers in left-center field and Juan Pierre followed with a single. After he retired Kemp, Perez watched Pierre steal second and then Kent ripped a line drive back through the box, bouncing it off his stomach. Perez managed to pick the ball up and throw out Kent before Randolph and trainer Ray Ramirez came rushing out to check on him. Doubled over, he managed to stay in the game.

He got through the next three innings allowing just one hit, but again in the fifth trouble struck. DeWitt led off with a home run and after he struck out pitcher Chad Billingsley, Perez got Furcal on a pop to third. But he walked Pierre and Kemp homered, putting the Mets in a 5-0 hole.

Randolph was praising the mild progress from the last start afterward, but he did offer what seemed like a vote of confidence that wasn’t asked for, an odd unsolicited speech.

“He’s in my rotation right now,” Randolph said. “He’s fine. Ollie had a good year for us last year and I’m assuming he’s going to have a good one this year.”

He Loves L.A.?

Sunshine, palm trees, spotless Dodger Stadium and...

Joe Torre?

It still doesn't see right, but we'll get a feel for how Torre is enjoying life on the West Coast in a little while - and we'll have more about it on the website tonight.

As far as the Mets, they hope to secure the job of their own manager - Willie Randolph - who shrugged off the controversy left behind in Flushing with the Mets taking two of three from the N.L.-leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

A key to whatever success the Mets have had this season has come from Ryan Church and we detail his latest contributions in today's Record.  Church isn't a complete surprise. He did have a solid season last year for the Nationals. But who among us didn't think the Mets were dumping Lastings Milledge in a deal that was a dime on the dollar when they shipped him down I-95 for Church and Brian Schneider?

Church's offensive contributions may not be a surprise, and maybe long-term they won't match up to what Milledge can someday be. But what Church has already done in right field in a month might not be matched by Milledge in his career. Church has made a number of spectacular catches - at the wall or hustling in - and has a major-league leading four assists already.

Of course, the real fun tonight won't come from Torre or Church. The excitement will be the return to the mound by Oliver Perez. We'll let you know what Billy Wagner thinks.

Getting What You Paid For

It was decision time this past winter. The Mets knew that they had lost Tom Glavine and his steady innings, knew that Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez were nearing the end (although they probably didn't know just how close to the end they may have been on El Duque) and knew that the holes in their pitching staff were going to have to be filled with a long-term ace.

So the winter opened with three choices - Erik Bedard, Dan Haren and Johan Santana. While Santana was the first choice all along, the Mets were definitely interested in the other two. It wound up that Haren went first, heading to Oakland in a package that brought back six prospects. Bedard would eventually land in Seattle.

And the Mets got what they wanted, landing Santana and then signing him to a massive deal to secure the front end of the rotation for years to come.

And for days just like today.

The Mets are facing the Diamondbacks in the rubber game of the series and it's an important one - heading to Los Angeles next where the Dodgers have won eight games in a row. And the Mets would certainly like to come out of this test in Arizona with a winning series to erase the memories of the Pittsburgh debacle.

So they hand the ball to Santana - against Haren.

This is the sort of game you pay the big bucks for, especially when you saw what happened a day earlier when you put Mike Pelfrey on the mound against Brandon Webb as we detailed in today's Record. 
Pelfrey got a lead and had his all-too-often problems with control-slash-aggressiveness.

The Mets don't expect that from Santana.

Follow The Leader

A lot was made - in this space included - in recent days about leadership. From Billy Wagner's words to Willie Randolph's demeanor to David Wright's not-ready-for-prime-time captaincy, we searched for a leader to light a spark under the Mets.

But it seems that it's not words that matter nearly as much as the play of Jose Reyes.

Reyes goes. Mets go. Simple, right?

Moises Alou made his return to the lineup and that certainly stabilized a struggling batting order. But nothing helps like Reyes getting on base and he can't do it much better than he did Friday night against the Diamondbacks in the Mets 7-2 win.

While we all considered the awesome trio of Micah Owings, Brandon Webb and Dan Haren, who entered this series with with a 14-1 combined record, the Mets instead skipped the scouting reports and looked for a simple philosophy - see the ball and hit it.

For Reyes, that meant find a fastball and hit it. First pitch of the night from Owings was a fastball and Reyes drilled it off the wall in right-center for a triple, starting a three-run inning. In the second inning, Owings tried another fastball and Reyes doubled to center. After grounding out, he got a changeup and was ready, singling to leftfield. And then searching for the cycle, he took the first pitch he saw - a fastball - and roped it off the center field wall. Running all the way - and with Sandy Alomar waving him around - he tried for an inside the park home run, but was easily thrown out.

Still, the message had been sent and his teammates followed.

"That's a good sign," Reyes said. "When everybody swings the bat good we're dangerous. When we start to hit like we used to this is a real good lineup. We're going to be good. We will play better than we did in April - no doubt about it. We have the talent."

No one is looking for words from Reyes - just that talent.

All is Right

For the night owls who can't wait for the morning, here's today's game story.

By STEVE POPPER

STAFF WRITER

PHOENIX – Was it the inspiration provoked by Billy Wagner’s criticism? Or was it just the sight of the hitter-friendly confines of Chase Field?

Either way, the Mets were more than happy with the results. Reeling from a one-sided loss that percolated the frustration to the surface Wednesday, the Mets rebounded to beat the Diamondbacks, 7-2 in the first game of a six-game road trip.

For one day, all was right once again. Moises Alou returned to the lineup. Jose Reyes provided the spark at the top of the order and Ryan Church remained undefeated in the second spot. And Chase Field was better than home for the Mets as they improved to 14-1 over the last 15 games here – with less booing than they hear at Shea Stadium.

And maybe Wagner’s words were taken to heart as John Maine did what Oliver Perez couldn’t two days earlier. Roughed up early and with his pitch count rising, Maine managed to fight his way through six innings and 107 pitches to get the win. Reyes was as perfect as he could be, spectacular in the field and igniting the offense by tripling on the first pitch of the night and adding three more hits, including a second triple.

If the Mets were trying to avoid overthinking, they were also trying to avoid thinking at all. With Micah Owings on the mound, bringing a 4-0 record into the game, the Mets shrugged off the Diamondbacks sparkling rotation and worried about themselves instead.

“We talked about it in our meeting,” Willie Randolph said. “We didn’t even talk about their starting staff. Do what we want to do.”

“That’s a good sign,” Reyes said. “When everybody swings the bat good we’re dangerous. When we start to hit like we used to this is a real good lineup. We’re going to be good. We will play better than we did in April – no doubt about it. We have the talent.”

It’s easy to say when everything is clicking as it did on this night. Can one game turn their fortunes and erase the problems that surfaced this week? The Mets tried to iron all of their issues before this trip began.

Wagner had said his piece – very publicly – Wednesday, criticizing the Mets’ effort in a 13-1 loss to the Pirates, and specifically pointing to the game’s starting pitcher, Oliver Perez. And when he was done, he knew that Randolph was going to say his piece, too.

Randolph met with Wagner privately and while he may have agreed with the gist of Wagner’s message, he didn’t like that Wagner had said it to the media rather than keeping it within the clubhouse.

“I just told him what I felt about it and he told me how he responded,” Randolph said. “He can respond the way he responds, whatever. I just told him that I thought that was something better kept in house, that’s all.”

It might not be that easy, though. Wagner got the message and was quiet and cryptic with most inquiries of the matter, not even admitting that the two had met, instead just saying, “Everything’s been taken care of.” But just saying it’s in the past may do as little to move past it as a critique of Perez does to change his erratic nature.

What Wagner said wasn’t wrong – about Perez or the team. And while he might not have been the best one to say it and he didn’t choose the best venue to voice it, Wagner is all too often the only one to say what is clearly the truth. Randolph has protected his team – though the struggles of last year’s collapse and through the up and down first month of the season. But even Randolph admitted over the winter that he should have changed his approach with the team in September.

David Wright is still too young and too politically correct to criticize – and to absorb the blowback that Wagner cares little is exploding back at him. But Wright is the type of player who will outlast Wagner, Perez – and likely Randolph if the Mets don’t turn things around soon – one of the real young building blocks of the franchise along with Jose Reyes.

“It’s not about having a fiery leader,” Wagner said. “It’s nothing about that. We want to take care of our own business. The lucky thing is that we’re a veteran team so you really shouldn’t have to say anything. It’s all taken care of now and we don’t have to really worry about it. Everybody knows where I come from and where our team comes from.”

But is just having a veteran team enough to solve the problems? Or is that a bit of the problem? While Wagner insisted that a veteran team shouldn’t need prodding, when he was asked if this group of veterans needed the poke, he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – say.

“That’s yet to be determined,” he said. “You don’t know how people will respond. You have to just wait and see. I can’t answer that. You’d think not. Honestly, you would think not. But that’s – I don’t think what I was saying was pointed at all the people. It was just something that I thought needed to be said and that was it.”

Moises Alou, activated before Friday’s game, expressed confidence that things will turn around. His return to the lineup certainly didn’t hurt, delivering an RBI single in his first at-bat and roping another line drive that was caught in left field..

“I mean, we need guys to play who know how to play this game,” Alou said. “It takes some guys longer. Some guys have been hot since the beginning of the season. If you look around this team and look at the kind of stats we’re going to have at the end of the season – put it this way, you know what kind of year Carlos (Beltran) is going to have, (Jose) Reyes is going to have, Billy Wagner’s going to have. Once they have those years, then this team is going to be a great team. Look at the positive side. Maybe we haven’t played the way we expect in the first month of the season and we’re in first place.”