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I don't want you. Do you understand? I just don't.

Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 09:13 AM

This thread belongs to discussion of the active alienation of Ramon Castro. Adam Rubin's blog takes a hard look at it. <blockquote>Jerry Manuel's affable personality gives him a lot of admirers, but Wednesday's late-game managing really dumbfounded me. Manuel had an explanation for why he dispatched Omir Santos to pinch-hit for Ramon Castro with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth. Namely, that Santos has a shorter, more compact swing, which would make him more suited to catching up to Matt Lindstrom's blazing fastball. You could poke holes in the manager's logic simply by noting that Marlins starter Josh Johnson is a hard thrower, too, but I'm taking a different angle: It's plainly obvious Manuel wants to keep Santos, and not Castro, when Brian Schneider is activated from the DL at some point in a week or so. But the front office keeps saying the plan is to option Santos to the minors. I've learned in seven years as the beat writer that managers don't have as much juice as they'd like to think in this organization as far as personnel decisions. And if Manuel is going to be "stuck" with Castro, he's essentially burned a bridge with him that may be beyond repair (if starting Santos four straight games beforehand hadn't done that already). This maneuever beffudled me in the same way all the jabs at Ryan Church during spring training did. I don't quite understand what it achieves. That said, Manuel has a motive aside from trying to win the game Wednesday and thinking Santos is a better choice than Castro to come through. It may simply be to get Castro outta here, by trade or designation for assignment and release. Manuel is far more sophisticated than Willie Randolph or Art Howe in terms of how his words and actions will create a ripple effect that achieves an objective. Look, front-office officials aren't huge fans of Castro, either, and he'll likely not be re-signed after the season. Randolph, too, once snidely said of Castro when I asked if he could be a No. 1 catcher: "If he wants to be." I pressed by asking what Randolph meant, and he replied: "You know what I mean."</blockquote>

metirish Apr 30 2009 10:07 AM

Reads like Manuel is not that good at man management , look I don't feel bad here for Castro , he's had ample chances to stake a claim at the job full time but seems like he'd rather not . Having said that I would like to think that the only motive Manuel had was winning the game, but it seems not to be the case.

Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 10:22 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 30 2009 07:37 PM

Whoever got a gamewinning hit wasn't going anywhere when Schneider came back. He can tell me otherwise and tell himself otherwise, but Jerry deliberately took that opportunity away from the guy he didn't want and gave it to the guy he did.

attgig Apr 30 2009 03:43 PM

what killed me MOST about this decision is that it gave lindstrom time to regroup himself. He was struggling bad in the 9th inning, and by calling omir to come back from the bullpen, it gave lindstrom to throw some warmup pitches and get back at pitching with a clearer head. horrible horrible call. I'd rather have castillo pinch hitting if he was on the bench and could've gone to the batter's box in an instant.

Edgy DC Apr 30 2009 05:31 PM

With a day off following the game, I'd kind of be surprised if Castro ever plays again.

Frayed Knot Apr 30 2009 05:56 PM

I don't think it'll be that drastic. Jerry might shirley be signaling to Omar that he prefers Omir but that doesn't mean the org has to listen and decent backups are just too hard to find to be relying on the not-so-young and oft-injured Schneider coupled with the un-tested Santos with 140 games still remaining. I still think Santos goes down when Schneider gets back (assuming that's sometime soon) until maybe a later-season trade changes things.

Frayed Knot May 01 2009 07:06 AM

Neither Castro or Santos going anywhere anytime soon as [url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05012009/sports/mets/schneider_catches_bad_break_on_road_back_167125.htm:13iqze91]the NYPost declares[/url:13iqze91] that Schneider now adds a strained calf to his bad back and his return will be delayed.

Nymr83 May 01 2009 07:11 AM

a reprieve for Castro or Santos! lets see what what you can do boys!

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 01 2009 08:27 AM

Rubin had this news 2 days ago but the Poist is getting credit. Weird

Edgy DC May 01 2009 08:35 AM

How has nobody stuck a mic in Castro's face and asked "How does it feel to be treated like dogshit? It looks real painful, am I right?"

Edgy DC May 02 2009 03:42 PM

I love you. I'm sorry. I just do.

Met Hunter May 02 2009 04:02 PM

Nice 420 bomb to dead center Ramon. Shake Jerry's hand on the way back into the dugout?

Benjamin Grimm May 02 2009 04:24 PM

="Met Hunter":30n4s2p0]Nice 420 bomb to dead center Ramon. Shake Jerry's hand on the way back into the dugout?[/quote:30n4s2p0] There was some kind of touching of hands. Might have been a "fist bump."