Mets-Marlins takes cellar stage
Red Sox-Yankees can’t touch this as Mickey and friends take cartoon show south New Mets brass ‘very impressed’ with Mickey. OK, let’s talk again Sunday.
The heat is on. Mickey Callaway is clearly feeling the pressure. How else could you explain his odd decisions and defensive comments after Wednesday night’s meltdown?
Whether the former pitching coach was slow to realize that Jeurys Familia didn’t have it or just neglected to get a reliever up behind him because the former closer had thrown 28 pitches the night before, Callaway’s fingerprints were all over the Mets’ latest bullpen loss.
Now, the Mets’ rookie manager takes a team that has lost 11 straight series and 20 of their last 25 games into a no-win situation in Miami.
The Marlins began the season pretty much waving the white flag, selling off their big players and beginning a major rebuild. The Mets began the season this spring with Callaway talking about the Mets doing something special this year. A bunch of key injuries, bad losses and lots of drama later, the Mets skipper is just trying to keep his club ahead of the Marlins and out off the division cellar.
After the Mets blew a three-run lead Wednesday, they had 32 wins, tied with the Fish for the fewest in the National League.
After the abrupt departure of general manager Sandy Alderson for health reasons this week, Callaway has lost one of his biggest supporters in the organization. Now, he is in a position of having to prove himself to a leadership group that didn’t hire him. Before Wednesday’s debacle, John Ricco, part of the Mets’ new threeman GM committee, gave Callaway an endorsement.
“I am very impressed,” Ricco said. “I am talking to Mickey every day, all the time and trying to keep him in a positive frame of mind. It’s tough as a rookie manager, coming to this city and struggling. We got off to a good start and have not played as well, but he brings the same level of energy and creativeness to [his job] every day. He’s an upbeat, positive guy. He knows that this is just the beginning and good things are coming. He knows we’re taking baby steps toward building the organization he is looking to build.”
Privately, team officials, however, say they are very aware of what is happening.
They are preaching patience with Callaway and trying to help him through this. They are adamant that he is not currently on the hot seat.
Callaway signed a three-year deal before the season and there is every indication that the Mets will honor it.
But Callaway will certainly begin 2019 under intense scrutiny at this point, two industry sources said Thursday.
Let’s be clear, Callaway was handed a less-than seaworthy ship to begin with.
As I pointed out after the nowinfamous lineup card/batting out of order embarrassment in Cincinnati last month, the problems that caused this Mets tailspin are the same issues that torpedoed the 2017 season. The Mets have the third-biggest injury impacted WAR in the big leagues with Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce and Noah Syndergaard among those on the disabled list. Their farm system is basically barren. The roster is built around older, streaky power hitters. They have no speed. The defense is poor, to be kind. The bullpen is unreliable and therefore Callaway’s most trusted options are obviously getting overused early.
And even Wednesday night’s meltdown goes deeper than just Callaway.
The Mets have plans to trade Familia, who is a free agent after the season. So what was he doing in the game at all?
The Mets need to showcase Familia in the best possible light at this point, and having him pitch the night after throwing 12⁄3 innings does anything but increase his stock. That’s something the front office should make clear before the game.
But Callaway, who came in preaching accountability, clearly felt the pressure to try and win Wednesday night. It’s not going to get any easier this weekend in Miami as the Mets battle to hold off the indignity of officially becoming the worst team in the league.
Callaway may not be on the hot seat, but it’s definitely starting to feel warmer around here.