Dom’s lateness validates maturity concerns

PORT ST. LUCIE — All winter Dom Smith talked about how determined he was to prove his dedication to being a professional, and the 20 pounds he dropped seemed to be proof he had learned from the poor first impression he made on the Mets last summer.

So then he shows up late on the first game day of spring training?

When he knows his only chance to beat out Adrian Gonzalez this spring is to impress the heck out of Mickey Callaway and Sandy Alderson on and off the field?

As always with the Mets, you can’t make it up.

I’ll say this: it’s hard not to like Smith. He’s a personable kid, and after spending an hour or so with him one day this offseason, I came away convinced he had his head on straight, that he was ready to make good on his talent.

But now you have to have serious reservations about him. Being late for an 8:45 team meeting on such a significant day is an awfully ominous sign, especially because it’s not the first time, according to a source.

Smith arrived late to the ballpark at least once during his two-month stint with the Mets in August and September last season, the source said, and was aired out in private by a veteran pitcher.

To have it happen this early in camp, when he was penciled in to start at first base, is practically unfathomable.

Even Callaway admitted, “It’s a little shocking. He’s trying to win a job. It’s unfortunate.”

Callaway did the right thing by scratching Smith from the lineup. In fact, because he’s new on the job it was vital for him set a tone, letting players know that such unprofessionalism won’t be tolerated.

After all, the manager said that in his first team meeting to start spring training, he was emphatic about the need to be on time. “It’s the first thing we said in our meeting to the team about expectations,” he said.

In some ways it might be the perfect opportunity for Callaway to let players know he’s not just talk. Indeed, after Friday’s game the manager said he hadn’t decided if the young first baseman would play on Saturday.

Smith, to his credit, said he got what he deserved.

“That’s the way it should be,” he said. “He shouldn’t give me a pass. That’s what he has been preaching since Day One, accountability for yourself and your actions. “That’s the only way the team will be great. It’s something that won’t be an issue or a problem going forward.” Ok, that sounds good, but it’s hard to give Smith the benefit of the doubt at this point. There was no indication of any significant reason for him being late. It wasn’t until a reporter wondered if his alarm clock had failed to go off that he haltingly said, yes, that was the issue. For that matter, it took two sessions with reporters for Smith to own up to being late. A s always with the Mets, apparently there was much discussion internally about how to handle the situation. After noticing that Smith had been scratched from the original lineup card and replaced by Peter Alonso, reporters approached the first baseman and he played dumb, offering no explanation. About a half-hour later reporters were directed to Smith’s locker again, after two PR people had huddled with him, and he admitted to being late.

So there was more drama than necessary, but at least the Mets made the right call by deciding not to try and cover up the truth, as they’ve been known to do in such situations in the past.

It would have been a disastrous way for Callaway to start his tenure as well. Instead, by forcing Smith to answer for himself to reporters, even if it took a couple of tries, he sent the right message.

So now the question is whether Smith matures and becomes the player the Mets envisioned when they made him their first-round draft pick in 2013, or his immaturity and poor decision-making derail his career.

For what it’s worth, he said all the right things after finally admitting to being late, and seemed sincere about it.

“I’m disappointed in myself and with myself more than anything else,” he said.

Nevertheless, Smith insisted it was nothing more than “a small, minor speed bump” for him, and at age 22 he still has plenty of time to prove that. ut something like this only validates the Mets’ concerns about him, as well as their decision to sign Gonzalez this winter. Hitting .198 after his call-up last season left him no margin for this type of error, that’s for sure.

Some scouts still believe he’ll become a productive major-league hitter, but even if that’s the case, a mistake like this is reason to believe Smith needs to grow up some before that can happen.

B