Manager Mickey Callaway has Mets fans all a-Twitter
Mets manager Mickey Callaway looks on from the dugout against the Cardinals at Citi Field on Saturday, March 31, 2018. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Actual Twitter comments after the Mets announced new manager Mickey Callaway’s surprising lineup for Game 2 of the season on Saturday morning:
•“Man I know it’s early and don’t want to start complaining but this is crazy that Nimmo isn’t leading off or playing for that matter.”
•“I’m so tired of Calloway and his constant changing of lineups.”
•“Why can’t the Mets ever get a manager who sticks to his lineup every day what a disaster”
•“Boo”
•“BOOOOOO!!!!!”
Most people would say this is a “Welcome to New York” moment for Callaway, but that aspect of managing or playing in New York is overblown. Die-hard fans are just as passionate in Boston and Philly and Denver and Minneapolis and Miami (well, maybe not Miami). But check Kansas City Twitter after Ned Yost posts a controversial lineup and you’ll see the same knee-jerk reactions.
Social media gives fans a platform to opine in real time, and at first blush Callaway’s lineup had some gutsy calls that had him primed for a trip to the second-guessing woodshed:
•Brandon Nimmo, who reached base four times in the Mets’ 9-4 Opening Day win on Thursday, was replaced by Juan Lagares in center;
•Kevin Plawecki, who also reached base four times Thursday, was replaced by Travis d’Arnaud at catcher;
•Thursday’s cleanup hitter, Asdrubal Cabrera, was the leadoff man with Todd Frazier moving to the fourth spot.
•Once again, the pitcher was batting eighth. To be fair, no one seemed to care about that.
Most of the initial ire was about the decision to sit Nimmo in favor of Lagares. Callaway had reasons — Jacob deGrom is a flyball pitcher and Lagares is money in center; Cardinals starter Michael Wacha is a control pitcher, thus devaluing Nimmo’s ability to draw walks — but the manager placed the highest emphasis on the need to get his guys into a game. The Mets had three of the previous four days off after playing an intrasquad game in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Monday.
“I have faith in everybody on our roster and I want guys to play,” Callaway said. “I don’t want guys sitting around five, six days and not playing. So that was probably the most important factor.”
After showing off his Midas touch in the season opener, Callaway’s calls didn’t hurt one bit in Saturday’s 6-2 victory at Citi Field.
Cabrera (3-for-5, two doubles, RBI) led off the bottom of the first with a double. Later in the inning, Frazier (1-for-2, three RBIs) had a two-run double to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. D’Arnaud (1-for-3) hit the Mets’ first homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth.
Lagares (2-for-4) didn’t get a sniff of a fly ball while deGrom was in the game, but did hit a pair of singles. (Note: If the guy who spent the offseason trying to fix Lagares’ swing succeeds, maybe he should be hired to run the LIRR.)
Nimmo and Plawecki cheered from the bench.
Most important, the Mets are 2-0.
Yoenis Cespedes also homered, a golf shot to left on a low pitch in the fifth. Callaway’s best managerial decision since he got the job may not involve a lineup or pitching move, but the effort he made in the offseason to become Cespedes’ pal.
Callaway broke bread with his best hitter more than once and even visited Cespedes’ house before spring training. No word if the manager got to ride one of Cespedes’ horses, but whatever the reason Cespedes seems focused and happy and ready for a big season.
So check back again on Sunday morning about 10:30 to see what Callaway has in store for Game 3. Nimmo back? Wilmer Flores in the lineup? The first 2018 at-bat for Jose Reyes?
Whatever it is, Mets fans will hit the phone or keyboard. Maybe it will be something like this from Saturday (actual Twitter comment):
“Mickey Callaway is a genius.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
