Earlier today on the Joe & Evan midday show on WFAN 660-AM/101.9 FM they had former Mets catcher Paul LoDuca on as a guest and he had some very interesting things to say about the Mets current catchers, Citi Field and former Mets GM Omar Minaya.
This is just some of the things had to say on the topic of his time with the Mets and Omar Minaya from the CBS New York website
“The issue that the Mets have is that after 2006 and 2007, when we all were there … they stuck their hopes in a guy that, let’s be honest, had no clue what was going on,” Lo Duca told Joe & Evan in regard to former general manager Omar Minaya. “None. The guy was an idiot. And he ended up making the franchise go backwards. Where the Mets have always made the mistake is they’ve always settled for mediocrity.
“As a Mets fan, I’m done with it. Besides ’06 and ’07, give me some other years besides 2000 … And then they go build this ballpark that’s mammoth, and your franchise player (David Wright) is a hitting star who has four home runs!”
Continuing to pile on Minaya, Lo Duca added, “How did that guy have his job for that long? Let’s be honest … The guy didn’t even know what my age was. And I never got a phone call. So I’m never gonna support that guy. Because when the collapse happened, I wasn’t part of that collapse. It was the other guys who collapsed.”
Obviously the biggest quote that stands out in the entire transcript of the interview is that LoDuca, who was acquired by the Mets when Omar Minaya was the GM from the Marlins before the 2006 season, calls Minaya an idiot.
Now my opinion is that Minaya might have been bad at his job but he certainly is not an idiot. He wouldn’t have the career he has had as an executive in baseball if he was an idiot.
I can say with near certainty that he knew as GM of the Mets what he wanted to do and how he wanted to go about doing it, he just didn’t do it well. At all.
Omar Minaya is only a part of the reason the Mets have had to take the slow and steady approach to the re-build over the past few years. I can’t honestly say it is all his fault, I blame the Wilpons a bunch for it as well.
LoDuca also touches on how Citi Field was built and that it has affected David Wright. I do believe that Wright has been affected by it and even made a joke about how the Home Run Derby at Citi Field a couple of years should be hit from second base.
As the old saying goes, many a truth is said in jest.
Of course the flip side of it is that of the four home runs he has hit this season, they have all come at home. So maybe it isn’t just the ballpark he plays in.
The final piece that I thought was more interesting from LoDuca is this quote about the current Mets catching situation.
“I could hit better left-handed than the schmucks they’ve got there now.”
Well Paul, tell us how you REALLY feel.
I mean it is not a secret anymore that Travis d’Arnaud has struggled since being called up to the majors last season and that Anthony Recker is an OK backup at best.
But d’Arnaud still hasn’t even finished his first full season in the Majors and Recker certainly has never been expected to do much more than what he has done. I believe we should just hold off on calling them “schmucks” for the time being.
LoDuca was a very solid hitter in his career and was a pretty good player overall, the PED accusations about him not withstanding.
He was a passionate player and a key piece to the Mets success in 2006 as the #2 hitter and catcher for a pitching staff that on paper was pretty underwhelming, especially in the postseason.
It is nice to see that LoDuca cares so much to say the things that he said but he probably could have gone about it a lot differently.
But you know what? Thats Captain Red Ass for ya.
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