Skipper’s Lack of Consistency Could Actually Be a Strength With Versatile Roster
Yes. An MVP usually nine out of ten times refers to a player. This year, though, Terry Collins may be the most important person in the Mets dugout. In years past, it was enough for the Mets to just show up. As long as the team did not mutiny, and all wore the same thing during the game, Terry was sufficient. He managed a club last year that for two months had the linchpin presence of John Mayberry Jr., Eric Campbell, and Michael Cuddyer in the crux of the lineup. The club hung around, tread enough water to be close when reinforcements arrived and the walking wounded were bandaged. In 2016, however, hanging around will not be sufficient.
138. 138 is the number of lineups that Terry Collins ran out in 2015. Considering there are 162 games, and the most times a lineup was ever repeated was FIVE (one time), this is an astonishing number. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, The average MLB team used 128 different starting lineup combinations in 2015. For those wondering, Houston had the most with 151. For those still wondering, the pitcher spot was omitted in these figures at NL parks. A dynamic (constantly changing) lineup has become common place in the MLB.
Managing ‘by the book’, has become a bit of an archaic practice. At the very least, with the introduction of Sabermetrics, the proverbial book has a different call number (for you Dewey Decimal fans). This may actually be a good thing for Terry. Who, if we have learned anything from the sixth year skipper, is consistently inconsistent.
A perceived strict left/right alternating lineup preference was cited as the reason the aging David Wright was put in the two hole Sunday night instead of Michael Conforto. I buy the reasoning, but not the track record. The Mets had Lefties hitting back to back in the first 6 slots in the order on 43 occasions in 2015 (26% of games). Batting a player like Conforto in the two hole could be beneficial but presents the problem of going back to back with Granderson, another lefty. How did Collins’ choice work out Sunday? Wright took an 0-fer, striking out twice. He made the 2nd out in the ninth inning with the tying runner at 3rd when a fly ball would have extended the game.
With the acquisitions made by the front office in the off season, the word versatility has been thrown around a great deal. The club can now send out a distinctly different lineup on a daily basis when anyone is in need of rest. Players that can play multiple positions on the infield, Campbell, Flores, Cabrera can also Collins’ job easier (or harder).
A crowded outfield with the late winter retention of slugger Yoenis Cespedes is also a strength, or a weakness…? Terry Collins spoke on multiple occasions this spring of Yo playing Center field for a majority of the season, with the possibility of a late game replacement for defense with the rejuvenated Juan Lagares. “I think now coming into spring training, telling him ‘You are going to play center field,’ we can do a better job getting him ready and he will have a chance to feel more comfortable in center field.”
The result here? Cespedes gets a start in LEFT FIELD on opening day after patrolling center most of spring. Yo ended up dropping the first out needlessly extending Harvey and leading to the first run of the game, a one run decision. Collins could have put him in center, or made the even more sensible choice of DH’ing the former AL player, shoring up the outfield defense with Conforto, an above average defender with an above average arm, in left and Lagares in center in spacious KC.
Ultimately, We can second guess every move Terry Collins makes and “what if” his choices to death. The fact remains, his task this year is daunting. Managing this club defensively and offensively will be a challenge. All the while, Collins must monitor the workload of a young pitching staff and patch it with a suddenly suspect bullpen.
Time to earn that money skip, consistently or inconsistently. Whichever you want, or don’t want.
P.S. I was front row for Terry’s humble fan champagne shower in September (see below) and it endeared him to me for about a week-but he has to be great this year for the Mets to be successful.
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