METS MANAGER Bobby Valentine, smart enough to define almost all of the tens of thousands of words in his handy Funk and Wagnalls dictionary (unabridged version) recently said he struggles to define "pressure."
Well, how about this for pressure? How about all the talent that's about to file into Mets camp? How about the expectations accompanying Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz and Roger Cedeno? For pressure, how about managing a mega-market team adding a former MVP at first base, a perennial top-five MVP finisher at second base, a surefire 30-homer man and a potential 50-steal man?
Valentine knows enough about pressure to know he can't let expectations get out of control before March 1. Yet even Valentine conceded this is the best collection of talent he's managed.
For pressure, how's managing a team that's already been declared playoff- worthy by its general manager and owner, within the first three days of camp, no less? Not to mention a few million New Yorkers hyped up after a winter of dealing so impressive it made everyone forget the lost summer. People bought a record 130,000 tickets yesterday, the first day of single-game sales. Fans don't expect to suffer another summer-long slump. Nor do the execs, the ones who imported the players, nor the ones paying them.
"The talent is there for a playoff-caliber club," GM Steve Phillips said. "I don't have any doubt about that." Phillips also said last year's team "underachieved," a word every manager can define and no manager wants to hear.
The reality may be that last year's version probably was overrated to begin with. But if the GM thinks it underachieved, that's what matters. The last thing a manager can do in this market is underachieve two years running.
The reality may be that the Mets overachieved in 2000, and maybe in 1999 and '98, too. But what matters now is they didn't achieve in 2001.
And they'd better achieve now.
Owner Fred Wilpon said, "I certainly expected to be in the postseason last year, and I would say the same thing this year." Wilpon did not say what will happen to Valentine if the team doesn't meet expectations two years running. He didn't have to.
Valentine got the players he wanted this winter. There are no excuses. Heading into the winter, the pressure was all on Phillips, correctly blamed for last season's debacle. But now the spotlight shifts to Valentine. Phillips got big names, big players. More specifically, he got "Valentine guys."
Burnitz, the 30-homer-hitting outfielder, has been identified as one of Valentine's picks. This is partly because Burnitz despised former Mets manager Dallas Green, endearing him to Valentine, who once humorously referred to Green as "counterfeit." Although Valentine assuredly understands Burnitz's limitations, he is more champion than critic of Burnitz.
Cedeno, the 50-steal man, is a favorite of Valentine's. Valentine is the one manager who best knew how to utilize Cedeno's vast offensive talents, and both recall Cedeno's great 1999 season fondly. It's the one in which Cedeno went from journeyman to $18-million free agent.
Vaughn, the 1995 AL MVP, is such a Valentine favorite he's practically a second son. They are two of Connecticut's biggest stars - Vaughn's from Norwalk, Valentine's from Stamford - and Valentine was stumping for Vaughn long before Vaughn had a sandwich named for him.
Alomar, an annual MVP contender, is anyone's favorite, a rare player who can win games any way you like. Valentine loves these kind of all-around players. Mets executives even tried hard for Juan Gonzalez, a longtime Valentine favorite from Texas. But alas, they couldn't get everyone.
Valentine sees the enthusiasm and expectation gathering steam like a cement mixer on a downhill plane, threatening to run him over. He's already declared the Braves the division favorite, not that that's a surprise.
"I'd love to say we're favored over Atlanta. But how can you even consider it?" Valentine said. "We've never won one division over Atlanta. So how could you tell me we're the favorites? They've got a shortstop back [Rafael Furcal] some say is their best offensive player. They've got a catcher back [Javy Lopez] some say is their best offensive player. And they got Gary Sheffield."
(Some might say Chipper Jones is the Braves' best offensive player. But you get the point.)
MetsSkinsFan i am a nice Guy till you PISS ME OFF!!!!!
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(2/19/02 1:38 am)
Re: Great Expectations Put Heat on Valentine
Bobby V eats pressure for breakfast. You can't break this guy. He is one of the best coaches in the majors, and he will show it this season.
All in all, I'd say Mets fans seem to relish the honor of winning after years of sweat; of standing by their team because it's their team, through feast and famine; of wearing their old, frayed Mets hats past all the bandwagons and Senate candidates in the crisp new hats of the easy team to root for, the soulless one, the corporate one.
Re: Great Expectations Put Heat on Valentine
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