Wagner "I'd bench Reyes"

[knick4life1218]

July 8, 2007 -- HOUSTON - Jose Reyes is lucky he doesn't have Billy Wagner meting out his punishment.

"I think speaking only as if I was the manager - not Willie - he wouldn't play," Wagner said before last night's 5-3, 17-inning victory over Houston. "He wouldn't play the next two games - no matter how bad we need him.

"Because you're trying to build a leader, not try to build just a good ballplayer. You want leadership out there. You want a guy out there that people look at and respect because he's playing 100 percent every game.

"Nobody's going to respect him if he only shows up on certain games."

Wagner said the veteran position players should speak with Reyes if they deemed it necessary, but Randolph said that rarely happens anymore because the game has changed.

The Mets closer called Reyes the team's catalyst and stressed the 24-year-old was a great person, but he made no effort to hide his feelings on the subject.

"I love Jose to death," Wagner said. "He's a great ballplayer. But the way I was raised is you hit the ball, you run like hell. The umpires will tell you if it's fair or foul.

"When you have that type of talent and you start to play that way, you become a prima donna. And when you're a prima donna, it's not fun to be around you."

*

Randolph said that in previous generations, players would police themselves to ensure everyone played the game right.

"You hardly see that any more," Randolph said with regret. "And that's the way it should be.

"When I played the game, Thurman Munson would jump my butt if he saw anything like that - or Roy White or one of those guys.

"So yeah, you don't see much of that any more. And that's unfortunate. That's really where it should be taken care of, amongst your peers and amongst your teammates."

Randolph said Moises Alou, who is still out with a sore left quadriceps, is an old-school player who probably would feel comfortable speaking up in those situations.

Third base coach Sandy Alomar Sr. spoke with Reyes in the dugout after he was pulled on Friday. And Reyes, still angry, didn't seem totally receptive to the message, according to observers.

"I think Jose is fine," Alomar said yesterday. "Jose is the type of guy, he's just emotional sometimes. Sometimes he just loses control of his emotions. And a couple minutes later, he's the same one again, he's the same happy guy he was.

"It probably was the heat of the moment."

[Jose7]

..... Blown way out of proportion.

ibt4l

[randomhero423]

i agree with wagner. but it doesn't really matter anymore.

last night reyes didn't look like he was busting his ass either. (cohen even said it)

it's strange.

[Vertigo^]

[quote="Jose7

[Jose7]

Chew his ass out about not hustling one time?

Terrible, it would have been stupid to bench reyes.

[Vertigo^]

[quote="Jose7

[Jose7]

He made one silly mistake, you wanna sit him down for an entire game? Get real, the kid can play ball, end of discussion.

[Vertigo^]

[quote="Jose7

[Jose7]

You get a clue numbnuts.

Yeah ok, sit Reyes and then what? What the hell does that solve? I am 100% we would have lost without Reyes in the lineup.

[Vertigo^]

[quote="Jose7

[gooGD]

dumb to bench him...

good enough to chew him out in the dugout.

blown way out of proportion, by everyone. who goes around asking other players what they would do? pointless article trying to undermine the team.

[mjhp911]

I can see Billy's point, but he should not have said it publicly. This could start some friction in the clubhouse (I wanna' say between the non-Latinos and Latinos, but I don't want to go there). Keep it in-house, Billy, so STFU!

[Rocketsterps]

July 8, 2007 -- HOUSTON - Jose Reyes is lucky he doesn't have Billy Wagner meting out his punishment.

"I think speaking only as if I was the manager - not Willie - he wouldn't play," Wagner said before last night's 5-3, 17-inning victory over Houston. "He wouldn't play the next two games - no matter how bad we need him.

"Because you're trying to build a leader, not try to build just a good ballplayer. You want leadership out there. You want a guy out there that people look at and respect because he's playing 100 percent every game.

"Nobody's going to respect him if he only shows up on certain games."

Wagner said the veteran position players should speak with Reyes if they deemed it necessary, but Randolph said that rarely happens anymore because the game has changed.

The Mets closer called Reyes the team's catalyst and stressed the 24-year-old was a great person, but he made no effort to hide his feelings on the subject.

"I love Jose to death," Wagner said. "He's a great ballplayer. But the way I was raised is you hit the ball, you run like hell. The umpires will tell you if it's fair or foul.

"When you have that type of talent and you start to play that way, you become a prima donna. And when you're a prima donna, it's not fun to be around you."

*

Randolph said that in previous generations, players would police themselves to ensure everyone played the game right.

"You hardly see that any more," Randolph said with regret. "And that's the way it should be.

"When I played the game, Thurman Munson would jump my butt if he saw anything like that - or Roy White or one of those guys.

"So yeah, you don't see much of that any more. And that's unfortunate. That's really where it should be taken care of, amongst your peers and amongst your teammates."

Randolph said Moises Alou, who is still out with a sore left quadriceps, is an old-school player who probably would feel comfortable speaking up in those situations.

Third base coach Sandy Alomar Sr. spoke with Reyes in the dugout after he was pulled on Friday. And Reyes, still angry, didn't seem totally receptive to the message, according to observers.

"I think Jose is fine," Alomar said yesterday. "Jose is the type of guy, he's just emotional sometimes. Sometimes he just loses control of his emotions. And a couple minutes later, he's the same one again, he's the same happy guy he was.

"It probably was the heat of the moment."

Can sombody post the play -- I missed it.

[YungNeef]

Reyes should have been benched just like the older guys should have been benched when they failed to hustle.