Terry Collins Throws Sandy Alderson Under the Bus

Forgive me for taking a while to realize it — in my old age, I’m not as quick as I once was. After reading Terry Collins‘ post-game comments, it became plain as day: Collins is blaming Sandy Alderson for the Mets’ recent woes.

All quotes lifted from Adam Rubin’s blog on ESPN:

“We’re going to have a little get-together tomorrow,” Collins said. “But who do you want me to yell at — the nine rookies? Huh? The veterans that play as hard as any veteran in this league, that play the game the right way? There’s nobody to yell at. It’s about going out there and getting the job done. They’re major league players. Have some confidence. If there was a lack of hustle, lack of preparation, then there’s something to yell about. But that’s not out there. We’re just not executing the way we should be. We should be able to at this level.”

So, rookies are exempt from criticism because, you know, they’re rookies. There are nine of them, as Collins points out. That’s more than one-third of the roster that is blameless. Who’s fault is it that there are nine rookies on Terry’s watch? That would be whomever promoted those rookies — i.e., the front office / Sandy Alderson.

Further, Collins explains that the team is hustling and prepared, but not executing “the way we should be.” This seems like an oxymoron of sorts, because generally, if one isn’t executing it’s due to preparation — or lack of talent. Methinks Terry is referring to the latter, based on other comments made that we’ll get to shortly. B

But first, on the Mets’ lack of hitting …

“We’ve tried a lot of things. We hit early today. We hit in the cages. We hit before the games. We hit after the games. We’ve got scouting reports that won’t quit. We’ve got to go execute. … You just hope you start to see a better application of what they’re being told — what [hitting coach] Kevin [Long] bring up. You start seeing balls out of the zone that are swung at, that’s the part that gets to be tough. In this league, you’ve got to make pitchers throw strikes, because if you don’t, they aren’t going to throw any.”

Gee whiz, it sounds like Collins and the coaching staff has tried everything, and exhausted every single resource available to them to jump-start the offense. If there isn’t any more they can do, then what’s left? What’s the problem? Could it be a lack of offensive talent on the roster?

“This team is pretty much built on some power. We’ve got to get out of our heads the home run right now. We’ve got to get contact inside and start applying that a little bit more — using the field to hit. A lot of our fly balls are routine fly balls. We’re not driving anything. We’re not using the field. We’re getting ourselves out.”

Oh dear. Before, Collins was merely hinting at the issue; the bus’ diesel engine was merely warming up. With this, the bus was placed into gear and began rolling. This team is pretty much built on power. Who “built” the team on power? Not Terry Collins, that’s for sure. And now, since the plan of an offense built on power is not working, Collins recommends that the players begin playing “small ball” of sorts — couldn’t this be considered disobeying orders? Can you foresee a clash between Collins and his boss (or bosses) — the people who built this team on power?

Then there is this little nugget, in reference to the second bunt in four days flubbed by Ruben Tejada, as relayed by The New York Post:

“It was a real good bunt, but one thing when you’re playing third, we’ve got to get an out there,” Collins said, noting Tejada’s limited experience at third base. “Jon had to go a long way. Ruben, when he saw Jon, he thought he was going to get a play at third and we didn’t make the right judgment. It’s nobody’s fault. We’re playing some guys where they don’t belong.”

Why are the Mets “playing some guys where they don’t belong”? For example, why is Wilmer Flores playing shortstop instead of 3B? Tejada 3B instead of shortstop? Why don’t the Mets have sufficient depth to cover injuries that have occurred? Again, this is a not-so-veiled attack on the makeup of the team, of how it was assembled. Who assembled it? Not Collins.

While that bus is lurching forward, Collins might want to grind it back into reverse, before his boss recognizes these comments as insubordination — which in some troops, is a fireable offense.

What do you think? Are the Mets 21-31 over the last 52 games because the roster wasn’t properly built and/or maintained? Does Collins have a gripe? Will his not-so-secret pleas to Sandy Alderson fall on deaf ears — or result in termination? Post your thoughts in the comments.