WEDNESDAY’S WEEKLY WILLIE WATCH

Willie, Willie, Willie.

Let’s look back at the week Willie had.

Last Wednesday evening Willie threw John Maine out there against the Nats and sat back and get a strong pitched game to go along with a 4 run 5th inning and this one was never in doubt. Ryan Church batted second and had 2 hits and a HR and the week was off to a good start.

On Thursday we went 14, and I give Willie credit with this one, everything he did worked out well, as the bullpen was solid, he got a few clutch hits and the Mets were 8-6 for the year and 2-0 for Willie’s week.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday we went into Philly and any manager is going to look smart when Santana and Perez were as dominating as they were and Ryan Howard is swinging and missing all weekend and Jimmy Rollins gets 2 ABs (don’t get all excited Corby, those are AT BATS, not abs). For the second time this year though, Willie pulled Ollie after 5 2/3 scoreless innings having not given up a run, but the bullpen was strong again as 6 relievers got the final 19 outs and Willie and the Mets were 4-0 for the week.

Sunday was a game that, although we were down 4-0 and never had the lead, still feels like it got away from us. Castillo failed at getting down a bunt (I know it’s not Willie’s fault that this flawed player is our second baseman for the next four years, and Wednesdays are not the time and place to address this, but his short comings need to be looked into soon) and Chase Utely may the second best player in the NL (behind David Wright) but taking 2 out of 3 is a sussussful series in my books. Doing it against Philly on the road is even that much more of a bonus.

Now we go to Monday and Wrigley field. In a tight game Willie goes to Aaron Heilman in the 8th, and after a Reyes error and a hit batter it’s suddenly 7-1 and we now have lost 2 games in a row. I can’t have this. Maine pitched well, and so did Zambrano, and I know the Cubbies are hot, but I can’t have this. Raul Casanova can’t hit, he’s done as far as I’m concerned and I’d rather see Joey Appio manning 2B and batting second than Jose Castillo these days. I understand Willie has to get Heilman on track, but HE MUST keep him out of close games until Heilman can get 3 outs in an inning without giving up some runs.

The Mets are 8-1 this year when Church and Pagan bat 2nd and 2-8 when Castillo bats 2nd. Every time I look at the line-up I continue to Carlos Delgado in the 5th slot. Willie needs to STOP treating all the veterans like they can do no wrong; he needs to make everyone accountable regardless of how long they have been in the league. Whatever success these players had with Toronto or Minnesota or with the Middletown Elks are meaningless to me.

I’m generally very easy going with managers and coaches (the exceptions being Rich Kotite and Jeff Torborg), but Willie’s rope is getting short. I don’t see him doing anything to fire this team up, I don’t see him motivating these players, and while I know Willie can’t control someone getting a clutch hit, or making a key play, he can hold them accountable for failure, and this is something he does not do. I can't have this, I just can't have this. It's unacceptable.

The week started off 4-0, and ended 0-3.

4-3 for the week and 10-9 for the season.

4 out of every 7 gives us 93 wins for the year, which isn’t bad, and quite possibly would get them at least a wild card, but unlike last year, Willie can’t keep doing the same things over and over again, and just hope things just get better. The rope is getting short, and Willie is not getting the job done.

WILLIE’S CURRENT SCORE = 59