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Wright's Wrehab

Frayed Knot Jan 14 2015 07:06 AM

It appears to lack the magic "best shape of my life" quote, but Kernan at the Post checks out what David, as well as several other Mets, are up to lately.

Centerfield Jan 14 2015 01:39 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

On this day, Lucas Duda, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell, Travis d’Arnaud, Jeurys Familia and Rafael Montero, among others (including the Indians’ Michael Brantley), went through the session with music from the likes of Naughty By Nature. Maybe we can finally retire "TCOB" as the after-win song. You down wit OBP? Yeah you know me!

Zvon Jan 14 2015 02:43 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Nice Post article. It pumped me up a lil bit. It said a slew of Mets were doing the workout but no mention of Grandy.

dgwphotography Jan 16 2015 11:36 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Centerfield wrote: On this day, Lucas Duda, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell, Travis d’Arnaud, Jeurys Familia and Rafael Montero, among others (including the Indians’ Michael Brantley), went through the session with music from the likes of Naughty By Nature. Maybe we can finally retire "TCOB" as the after-win song. You down wit OBP? Yeah you know me! Please God, make this so. I am so sick of TCOB - this team has made me hate that song.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 16 2015 12:43 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

And of course this turned into Coupons-clipping, right? Think an agent told me they asked $1,000 from minor leaguers.RT @SaltyGary: is it true players are paying for this out of their own pockets? They're pushing envelope of what's permissible in terms of sponsored offseason workouts. Almost seems like there's penalty for not attending

Ceetar Jan 16 2015 02:23 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

[url]http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/01/mets-charge-players-workouts-1000-dollars-mlb Basically, Barwis runs a respected program that many players, including the Mets, have gone to in the past (like last year, when they also paid for it) Previously this program was in Michigan. The Mets, noting that they were using Barwis anyway, figured why not hire him and bring him to PSL? I hear players prefer to spend winters in Florida than Michigan and a few of them have houses down there anyway. Oh, and there's some evidence that the Mets may be splitting the cost with the players. This isn't a Mets program, Barwis is a consultant running his own thing, he pays rent to the Mets to use PSL. I don't really know what the precise arrangement is between them. so yeah, make a prized program more accessible and maybe even help pay for it? Seems decently proactive to me.

Zvon Jan 16 2015 03:29 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

They're pushing envelope of what's permissible in terms of sponsored offseason workouts. Almost seems like there's penalty for not attending WTF does that mean? It almost seems like Rubin is an idiot. In the article opening the thread Jeff Wilpon says: "They believe in this program. It’s very satisfying to see the buy-in because I didn’t push this."

Edgy MD Jan 16 2015 08:44 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

This is the pile-on scandal of the day in the Metsophere. Suddenly everybody forgot Ian Desmond. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE, MISERABLE MET FANS!

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2015 10:37 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Look, Ma: No Madoff: ____________________ Player-funded workouts are latest P.R. debacle for the Mets By Howard Megdal 7:20 a.m. | Jan. 16, 2015 It probably seemed like a good idea on paper. But the latest P.R. initiative by the Mets is not going to end well. The Mets haven't had what you would call an active offseason. They signed Michael Cuddyer, a mid-grade free agent, but have done almost nothing since. (An MLB agent pointed out to me that they haven't signed a pitcher at any level all winter.) So with the fans and writers alike grumbling about the team's failure to add a shortstop, or another lefty reliever, both things the front office has made clear were areas in need of upgrade, thanks to ownership's financial limitations, it was time to change the subject. Accordingly, the Mets gave the Post's Kevin Kernan access to their off-season workouts in Port St. Lucie. Kernan, who has been critical of the Mets in the past, excels at writing the craft piece, and this one focused on David Wright's recovery from a shoulder injury that greatly curtailed his 2014. The story pointed out that the workouts, supervised by an outside trainer named Mike Barwis, had expanded significantly from last season, when a handful of Mets, such as Lucas Duda, trained with Barwis in Michigan. Barwis first came to the attention of Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon back in 2007 when Barwis was working with the University of Michigan football team, and Wilpon was attending a practice at the school his father attended, according to a story of last year's Mets workouts with Barwis that ran in the New York Times. This time, the group met at the team's spring training headquarters in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Not only the players were on hand. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told Kernan the workouts are for players "to reach their full potentiality," which certainly makes it sound like the workouts—which must be voluntary or run afoul of the collective bargaining agreement with the major league players attending—will be used by the organization to measure player effort. Remember that participation in last season's workout by Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores came up repeatedly during the season, with front office members citing their participation as cause for better play and more opportunities. And Jeff Wilpon, largely out of sight this winter, was there too, telling Kernan he's "very excited for the season and this just adds to it. We have another six weeks before the team reports, and these guys are already down here working. Mike is doing this for the entire organization." So Barwis was running these workouts, but not gratis. How grateful are the Mets players? “We’re all paying to do this," Wright said. "To see the dedication of all the guys throughout the organization is pretty impressive." How much are they paying? Adam Rubin said an agent told him $1000 from their minor leaguers, a number I've since confirmed is what each player is paying. I reached out to the Mets on the subject, and a spokesperson responded to my questions by urging me to "Check out [Andy] Martino's column," referring to the ownership-friendly baseball writer for the Daily News. "It's a very accurate depiction of this." Martino wrote in his column that the Mets told him Barwis pays the Mets to rent the space, and the $1000 apiece from each player goes to Barwis, not the Mets. (One presumes Barwis pays the rent to the Mets out of his operating income, which in this case comes from the players.) And here's where we run into a problem of perception, and one of potential rule violations. The P.R. bump the Mets were hoping a big "best shape of their lives" piece would provide got shoved aside quickly by media outlets covering the embarrassing idea that the Mets were charging their own players $1000 to attend pseudo-voluntary workouts at the team's own complex. I spoke to a number of industry professionals, both on the team and agent side of things, and here's what I found out: Teams routinely split the cost of, say, housing with players who come in early for voluntary workouts. No one had heard of a team charging players for the workouts themselves. No one had heard of a team doing it on this scale in terms of number of players, with the greater number of participants increasing the pressure to attend the so-called voluntary workout. Garrett Broshuis is a former minor leaguer and attorney currently suing Major League Baseball over unfair working conditions and low pay for minor leaguers. His entire case revolves around the premise that this is systemic, a problem for all 30 teams. He's been collecting minor league horror stories for this case for the past several years. "It's not uncommon at all for teams to open up spring training early, and say you can work out here," Broshuis told me in a Thursday phone interview. "It's also not uncommon to make players pay for accomodations. I know a lot of guys who sleep on someone's couch." But what about charging players $1000 for the privilege? "This seems a lot more uncommon," Broshuis replied, saying he'd never heard of something like this. "'Deplorable' is the word I'd use." The Mets, by opening this up to players throughout the organization, and having their decision-makers present, are taking the voluntary part out of an activity taking place during time the players aren't paid. Worse yet, for minor leaguers who generally make very little money at all, coming up with $1000, plus housing, during the period of the offseason they're usually earning money at various jobs just to afford playing baseball is an enormous hardship. "Also, what if a senior sign wanted to go?" another MLB agent said, referring to the drafted college seniors who are usually given signing bonuses of around $1000 and are usually eager to prove their worth to a new organization. "He has to forfeit his signing bonus to attend?" As for the major leaguers, paying for the right to attend the workout is less of a financial hardship than it is a possible violation of the collective bargaining agreement they have, thanks to the advantage of a working union. (The minor leaguers are unrepresented by anyone.) Multiple people in baseball I spoke to described this workout as a potential violation. "Paying for workouts has got to be a CBA issue, right?" one agent said. "There are rules in place for 40-man [roster] guys." Issues raised ran the gamut from the length of the workouts (no more than seven days in a row permitted) to who can attend (only members of the 40-man roster) to the issue of just how voluntary they are. I reached out to Greg Bouris, spokesperson for the Major League Baseball Players Association, who said, "We are aware of this and we're looking into it." So in an effort to gin up excitement for the team, the Mets replaced the more traditional winter pastime of other teams, the acquisition of new players, with the more cost-effective one of showing the players already under contract working out early, possibly in violation of league rules. Which makes sense, apparently, only to the Mets. "I know everybody wanted Sandy to do this or do that to get something," Jeff Wilpon said in Kernan's piece, "but keeping your strength is important as well." http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/m ... bacle-mets

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2015 10:46 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

"Wanna see what the Mets new post-game smorgasbord buffet's gonna look like from now on"?

Frayed Knot Jan 17 2015 06:58 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

It would seem to me that players would be required to pay for workouts during times that they're NOT on club time in order to be compliant with the CBA. Players working out in the off-season and in the company of trainers -- whether just on an individual basis at a local gym or via some larger operation like that sports institute in Arizona that was all the rage for a while -- is nothing new and those costs are certainly on the players. A situation where the club pays is where things seem to start to move into the realm of those "voluntary" workouts and mini-camps that the NFL has all the time in which the players are officially not required to attend only to have coaches and/or mgmt publicly criticize, question the effort of, and threaten the playing time for the ones who aren't there, even when the player in question is making it quite clear that he's getting the work in elsewhere. IOW, the line between when the players are on their own vs when they are on the clock should be as distinct as possible. This arrangement does get a bit murky in that it has the feel of something sponsored by the club as it uses their facilities ... BUT - unless the cost is outrageously higher than what one could get on his own - or there's some kind of kickback arrangement where the trainer's money winds up in the club's coffers - and there's pressure being put on by the team, particularly towards the younger players, to use THIS workout rather then one, say, near their off-season home or simply a different one of their choosing ... then I don't quite get the outrage here.

Edgy MD Jan 17 2015 07:24 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Frayed Knot wrote: It would seem to me that players would be required to pay for workouts during times that they're NOT on club time in order to be compliant with the CBA. That's the way I saw it. But I don't know.

Mets Guy in Michigan Jan 17 2015 08:24 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Howard's getting loopier and loopier. The Mets haven't had what you would call an active offseason. They signed Michael Cuddyer, a mid-grade free agent, but have done almost nothing since. (An MLB agent pointed out to me that they haven't signed a pitcher at any level all winter.) Why would they sign a pitcher when the one thing they have in abundance, outside of players with names starting with lower-case ds, is pitchers? I reached out to the Mets on the subject, and a spokesperson responded to my questions by urging me to "Check out [Andy] Martino's column," referring to the ownership-friendly baseball writer for the Daily News. "It's a very accurate depiction of this." Tracky is an "ownership friendly" baseball writer? Does that make Howard an ownership-hostile baseball writer? I love it when writers turn on each other. This is from Mets Blog: However, according to reporter Mike Vorkunov, the program is 100 percent voluntary and run completely by Barwis, who rents the space from the St. Lucie Mets (Bergen Record, Jan. 15). Indians OF Michael Branetly is attending the clinic, which is open to the public and not affiliated with the Mets The team told Vorkunov that, while each player is paying $1,000 to participate, the money goes to Barwis Methods, which is only a consultant for the organization, an independent contractor and not an employee. “It’s a good deal, they pay for his food, supplements, a hotel room, and it is a good value for the camp,” the father of a Mets minor-leaguer attending the clinic said (MetsMerized, Jan. 15). “Typically, a trainer would cost us $300 to $1,000 dollars a month. I believe we are getting bang for our buck.” So the $1,000 includes food and the hotel? That's not bad.

Ceetar Jan 17 2015 09:36 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

'supplements'

d'Kong76 Jan 17 2015 09:54 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

batmagadanleadoff wrote: "Wanna see what the Mets new post-game smorgasbord buffet's gonna look like from now on"? This made me laugh

Ceetar Jan 17 2015 12:22 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I believe there was a line in Moneyball about the As having vending machines or something right? See? A double tie-in!

Edgy MD Jan 17 2015 12:35 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Howard's getting loopier and loopier. The Mets haven't had what you would call an active offseason. They signed Michael Cuddyer, a mid-grade free agent, but have done almost nothing since. (An MLB agent pointed out to me that they haven't signed a pitcher at any level all winter.) Why would they sign a pitcher when the one thing they have in abundance, outside of players with names starting with lower-case ds, is pitchers? They've signed several pitchers --- to minor league deals (how about some Buddy Carlyle up in you, MLB agent?), because their major league staff is close to set. And you know, if Tracky is "owner-friendly," is the word of an MLB agent somehow bias-free? Off season isn't over yet, but I certainly didn't go in hoping the Mets would spill open the purse on pitching.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 03 2015 11:42 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

There might be something to the Mets players pay to work out thing if the NYT is reporting on it about a month after the story first broke: the money quote: Asked why the Mets had not subsidized the entire program so that players would not have to pay Barwis at all, Alderson said the club felt that would be counterproductive. “We didn’t cover all the costs because we want the players themselves to be invested in their careers and in their off-season development,” Alderson said. “We want them to have something at risk as far as their commitment is concerned. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/sport ... .html?_r=0

Edgy MD Feb 03 2015 11:51 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Skin in the game. But given a month to get their angle, that quote is about the only new thing the Times has.

d'Kong76 Feb 03 2015 11:56 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Before buying that it's another 'Mets are being cheap again' I'd have to know what the policy of teams like the Yanks, Dodgers, and Red Sox is. My guess is the players don't have a problem with paying some of it out of their pockets or the union would probably complain on their behalf?

batmagadanleadoff Feb 08 2015 11:10 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

The New York Times prints a letter from one of its readers; reader believes that Mets pay to train program might cause its player to tank games. The Cost of Paying to Train To the Sports Editor: I am amazed to learn that Mets players must pay a fee if they wish to take advantage of the team’s off-season workout facility. (“Raising Fitness Levels and Eyebrows,” Feb. 3.) In the textile mills of Lowell, Mass., at the onset of the Industrial Revolution, women paid for the thread they used. The system gave way to worker protests, and ultimately provided a justification for establishing labor unions. One can only imagine the outcome of the Mets’ pay-to-train system. Team productivity during the regular season is one possible outcome. Another is resentment that will diminish the compulsion to play winning ball games. MICHAEL H. EBNER, Lake Forest, Ill. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/sport ... .html?_r=0

Edgy MD Feb 09 2015 06:07 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Rockford, Illinois is experimenting with changing their tagline from "The Forest City" to "The Midwest Capitol of Specious Analogies."

Vic Sage Feb 09 2015 08:20 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

batmagadanleadoff wrote: There might be something to the Mets players pay to work out thing if the NYT is reporting on it about a month after the story first broke: the money quote: Asked why the Mets had not subsidized the entire program so that players would not have to pay Barwis at all, Alderson said the club felt that would be counterproductive. “We didn’t cover all the costs because we want the players themselves to be invested in their careers and in their off-season development,” Alderson said. “We want them to have something at risk as far as their commitment is concerned. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/sport ... .html?_r=0 I have no problem with Barwis charging the players and I agree that his fee shouldn't be the Mets expense, BUT I don't think the Mets should be charging him rent (because then the money from the players is flowing to them), and i don't think anyone from management should have access to the program in any way (as would be true if players stayed home and worked out), to ensure its "voluntariness." By doing it the way they're doing it, they've certainly left themselves open to reasonable skepticism and eye-rolling, from its fanbase, from the player & agent community, from the union, and from the media. But what REALLY ticks me off is Sandy's quote above about wanting the players to have skin in the game, as it were, when its literally the player's skin in the game already. The notion that they don't have "something at risk" or any incentive to improve conditioning and rehab injury when their physicality is their LIVING is just so condescending and insulting that, if i were a player, i would specifically NOT go to this camp just because he said that. And if i were the kind of moron who needed further incentive, laying out a $1000 when the major-league minimum is $500+k isn't going to do it. And minor-league players desperate to get to "the show" are doing everything they can to do so, but $1000 cost might actually PREVENT them from attending. This was just stupid on so many levels.

Ceetar Feb 09 2015 08:33 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

worth noting that it's not just Mets players attending this camp.

d'Kong76 Feb 09 2015 10:47 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I think way too much is being made of this. I would have an easier time not thinking it's just another thing to negatively write about the Mets if we KNEW FOR SURE that other big market teams don't operate their various training situations differently.

Edgy MD Feb 09 2015 11:07 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

And since dozens (or more) of outlets have covered this story, and apparently 0% have seriously pursued the (very obvious) angle of investigating the practices of other teams and comparing them to those of the Mets, I'm happy to go with "just another thing to negatively write about the Mets."

d'Kong76 Feb 09 2015 11:13 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: we KNEW FOR SURE that other big market teams [s]don't[/s] operate their various training situations differently.

d'Kong76 Feb 09 2015 11:23 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Hmmm, guess the strike-through thingy is busted.

Edgy MD Feb 09 2015 11:35 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

[crossout:2tqgt2ar]Use the "CROSSOUT" button.[/crossout:2tqgt2ar]

d'Kong76 Feb 09 2015 01:19 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Never noticed that button, I'm new here! [crossout:q5439fok]Fifty bucks to the first person to respond to this.[/crossout:q5439fok]

batmagadanleadoff Feb 22 2015 11:32 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

[fimg=303]http://a1.nyt.com/assets/article/20150220-202250/images/foundation/logos/nyt-logo-185x26.svg[/fimg] David Wright Aims to Raise His Production, Along With His Number of Games Played By TIM ROHAN FEB. 22, 2015 PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — David Wright has learned a few tricks over the years to help him stay healthy for an entire season. He takes fewer swings during warm-ups now and fields fewer ground balls at third base. He is also more mindful not to overwork his body while training during the season. Essentially, he has tried to eliminate taking unnecessary risks. He has vowed, for instance, not to slide headfirst this season. In June, Wright slid headfirst into second base and jammed his right shoulder. He was not the same player the rest of the year. By the time the Mets shut him down in September, he had career lows in home runs (eight), on-base percentage (.324) and slugging percentage (.374). On Sunday morning, Wright, 32, met with the news media at the Mets’ complex for the first time this spring training. He said his shoulder was fine. He seemed to be more aware of his physical limitations, having played at least 135 games just once in the last four seasons as a result of back, shoulder and hamstring injuries. “That’s something that I’m starting to realize a little more, that a well-timed off day can do wonders over the course of the season,” Wright said. Manager Terry Collins, who said he would limit Wright to about 150 games in an effort to keep him healthy, believes that a healthy Wright will benefit the rest of the lineup by taking pressure off other hitters. Wright spent the off-season strengthening his shoulder and arrived in Florida in January, a month earlier than usual, to work out with Mike Barwis, the Mets’ strength and conditioning adviser. He also spent time with Kevin Long, the team’s new hitting coach, in Arizona and in Florida, and at times over the off-season, Long called Wright with insight on how to improve his swing. Last year, Wright hid the extent of his shoulder injury for some time, and he declined to blame the injury for the drop in his home run total. Even after he had the shoulder tested and treated and was playing in pain, he seemed reluctant to talk about it. “One thing about David, he’s never going to make an excuse, ever,” Collins said. “He never has, never will. But I think a lot of it had to do with that. He just couldn’t get the bat through the zone with the speed you need to have to hit for power. “I’m not worried about power with David Wright. I know David Wright does what he does offensively where you’re looking up and he’s hitting .320 or .318. He’s going to hit some home runs because he’s making better contact.” Photo Wright meeting with reporters at the Mets’ complex. He said he was learning that “a well-timed off day can do wonders.” Credit Brett Carlsen for The New York Times In recent seasons, as the Mets have tried to create a foundation built mainly on young players, especially pitchers, Wright has seemed aware that he is approaching the end of his prime. When he signed an eight-year contract extension in 2012, the Mets essentially promised to build a contender around him. Now, finally, that kind of team seems to be coming into focus. “It’s been a little longer than I hoped for, obviously,” Wright said. But he has high hopes for this season and said this was the best pitching staff he had played behind. He could not say the same about the Mets’ lineup. No matter who is pitching, the team very likely will be a contender only if Wright is healthy. “My track record — obviously, I expect to do certain things on the baseball field, and when I don’t do them, I’m pretty harsh on myself; I’m upset with myself,” Wright said. “I think it continues to drive and motivate me. “ When that stops happening, when I don’t expect to play at a high level, then it’s time to start thinking about doing something else.” INSIDE PITCH Even though the Mets have long indicated that Wilmer Flores will be their starting shortstop, Terry Collins said that there would be an open competition between Flores and Ruben Tejada. More than anything, it seemed to be a ploy to motivate Tejada, whose inconsistent play created an opportunity for Flores last season. “I’m not going to say that Wilmer Flores won’t be the shortstop,” Collins said. “I’m not saying that. All I’m saying is, I’m giving this other guy a chance.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/sport ... .html?_r=0

themetfairy Mar 11 2015 08:13 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

He looked so happy this past weekend - thrilled to be back on the field.

MFS62 Mar 12 2015 06:34 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Looks like David's favorite song is "Its All About the Base". And if it isn't , it soon will be if he keeps adding size to his tush. O.E. - After looking at the Spring Training pictures MF has posted (BTW- great job, MF - thanks), it appears that many of the Mets are sporting larger posteriors. Maybe its the cut of the uniforms. Later

themetfairy Mar 12 2015 07:22 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Thanks 62 :)

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 04:20 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Lotsa David Wright articles to read today, given last night's informal presser by David on the state of David. I choose to post this one below, because the writer works it into the story that the Mets are owned by a clown and a scumbag and it's my opinion that people should be reminded that the Mets are owned by a clown and a scumbag at every turn, even if they already know that the Mets are owned by a clown and a scumbag. David Wright's Bad Back, The Mets' Bad Luck, And Business As Usual June 3, 2015 Matthew Kory Somehow Mets phenom Noah Syndergaard struck out 10 Padres on Tuesday night, walked none, and also found time to give up 10 hits and seven runs in just four innings. The Mets, being the Mets—and, more to the point, a team that gave up seven runs in four innings—lost. Thor, as Syndergaard has been nicknamed, getting hammered wasn't the worst thing that happen to the franchise yesterday. It wasn't close. "We're just not talking about playing baseball," David Wright, the team's injured, menschy cornerstone, told the media before the game. "We're talking about walking and standing and being pain free." He was addressing the newly diagnosed medical condition that might end his career. Or keep him out until next month, it's unclear. Spinal Stenosis is a narrowing of the spine that, in essence, squeezes everything—nerves, blood vessels, everything—inside the spine. Unsurprisingly, having your nerves and blood vessels constricted on a constant basis is not that comfortable, and can make it difficult to do things like stand or lie down or move without pain, let alone go first to third on a single. It's a disease typically associated with people older than Wright, who's just 32. But Wright is a Met and these things should be accounted for. I don't mean to be glib about a man's life, it's just that this is the Mets. They are owned and run by a man who hires his son to mistreat employees and drop anonymous burns of his players. They're a team based in the financial capital of the world, and they're quite possibly broke because ownership was caught up in not just a financial scandal, but the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. They're cheap, often stupid, and sometimes sexist. They're the Mets. And in this mess, you have poor, poor David Wright. Wright is by all accounts a nice and decent person who genuinely enjoys New York and the people who live there, and wants to win. For the first time in a long time, he has a chance at it: the Mets were tied for first place when the first pitch was thrown on Tuesday. Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom have been more dazzling than not, Matt Harvey is back and Lucas Duda is hitting (and we will say nothing, absolutely nothing at all about Michael Cuddyer because why trample on the already injured?) and the Mets suddenly have a young core and young pitching just in time for the very end of David Wright's peak. And then Wright discovers he has a spinal condition threatening his career that most frequently attacks people two decades his senior. If it wasn't so horrible it would be the most Mets thing since the owners decided Bernie could consistently beat the entire stock market all by his lonesome. This doesn't get any easier to do if your spine is constricted, surprisingly. — Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Beyond the fact that the Mets have the privilege of paying Wright $100 million between now and 2020, there is little certainty to find, here, beyond the fact that, as Wright himself said several times, "it sucks." If the press conference was called for Wright to discuss his condition, his prognosis, and his ETA, the answers that emerged were Spinal Stenosis, no idea, and no idea. Wright emphasized repeatedly that he hopes to return to the team soon. He also emphasized that he has no idea when that will be possible. He wants to be pain free, not put himself at further risk, and be able to help the team when he gets back. Typical monstrously selfish athlete stuff, there. The first listing under "treatment" for spinal stenosis on the National Institute of Health's website is "back surgery." Wright may be in line for such a procedure, although he stated in his presser that he'll do everything he can to avoid it. The doctors have told him that a man his age should not have the surgery. The reason behind that was left unsaid, but it's fair to wonder about possible outcomes, up to and including the possibility that surgery would be a step towards solving the problem but make it such that Wright's baseball career would be all but impossible. For now Wright is staying as positive as he can, something he took great pains to point out at the presser. He's working hard and seeing more doctors than one might think humanly possible. He's hoping to return soon. Rinse, repeat. It was not surprising, or great tabloid copy, but what else is there to say or do? There are only so many answers when there are no real answers. In the face of such uncertainty and personal danger, in the face of the end of his life as he has always known it and potentially staring down professional destruction, Wright is maybe more fully the Mets in face and in deed than ever before. He's working hard, but it may not matter. He hopes for the best in the future, but that's not up to him. The man deserves his life to be as healthy and normal as it can be. The Mets are just a baseball franchise. And yet somehow both meet in this burning bummer of a Tomorrowland, made all the sadder for what could and indeed should have been. For Wright, this is tragic. It's tragic for the Mets, too, in large part because it all feels so familiar. https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/d ... s-as-usual

Zvon Jun 03 2015 05:06 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Which one is the clown and which is the scumbag?

Ashie62 Jun 03 2015 06:37 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I thought he was headed for the Hall of fame in 2005. Not an early retirement. So it goes.

d'Kong76 Jun 03 2015 07:32 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

This guy writes for Forbes? lol "Rinse, repeat. It was not surprising, or great tabloid copy, but what else is there to say or do?" You could just shut up!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 03 2015 07:39 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

batmagadanleadoff wrote: David Wright's Bad Back, The Mets' Bad Luck, And Business As .... This guy's going for purple prose award. Jesus H.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 07:49 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: This guy writes for Forbes? lol "Rinse, repeat. It was not surprising, or great tabloid copy, but what else is there to say or do?" You could just shut up! Why should he shut up? He needs your permission to cover Wright's comments? I don't see what's so wrong with his piece. That you're bothered by something I post that's critical of the W's is no surprise. You don't feel like starting with me so you take it out on the article I post, of course barnacling in on someone's elses post.

d'Kong76 Jun 03 2015 07:53 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Has nothing to do with you.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 07:54 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: This guy writes for Forbes? lol Yeah, I know what you mean. He probably snuck in one day, disguised as a pizza deliveryperson with an actual pizza and took over a desk and a computer when nobody was looking. He's been writing for Forbes ever since. I'll bet he didn't even finish Junior High School.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 07:54 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: Has nothing to do with you. I know. And for the record, it never does or did.

d'Kong76 Jun 03 2015 07:54 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I looked for a masthead at Forbes site.... wondering if he was the nephew of someone there. He clearly didn't get the gig with talent.

d'Kong76 Jun 03 2015 07:55 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

What record, why do you have to be a constant dick with me? Just stop. Stop it NOW!!!!

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 07:57 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: What record, why do you have to be a constant dick with me? Just stop. Stop it NOW!!!! Constsant? Isn't it the other way around?

d'Kong76 Jun 03 2015 08:00 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

You're big on agendas... KC/Kong/the admin sucks... we get it. Go PM someone, get some more people to quit. lol

Edgy MD Jun 03 2015 08:02 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I don't see what's so wrong with his piece. It's embarrassingly awful. Being insulting to the Mets' owners shouldn't make up for that.

d'Kong76 Jun 03 2015 08:10 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Imagine being terrible at your job. Supremely terrible, like if your job was to photocopy legal documents but instead you set them on fire. Or if your job was to take goats out to pasture, you led them into a minefield, Monday through Friday. Or if your job was to write sports-related words on the internet and you wrote this paragraph! Just awful!

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 08:16 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Edgy MD wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: I don't see what's so wrong with his piece. It's embarrassingly awful. Being insulting to the Mets' owners shouldn't make up for that. OK. Take out the shots at the owners, which I could see how someone other than me might deem gratuitous. So now what's so terrible?

Edgy MD Jun 03 2015 08:24 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Really? Let's start with the second sentence. Take out the aside. The Mets, being the Mets... lost. The Mets, of course, began the game tied for first, lost, but remained qualified for the playoffs at the end of the day. He's writing for sports.vice.com, though, and he's not interested in facts. Just play the lolmets angle, baby, and take it right to the bank, facts be damned. It gets stupider, more pointless, and less defensible from there.

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 08:32 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I see what you mean. But I gotta admit, I like those lolmets articles. The team deserves that kind of press. These owners are repulsive.

Frayed Knot Jun 03 2015 08:35 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 03 2015 08:44 PM

batmagadanleadoff wrote: OK. Take out the shots at the owners, which I could see how someone other than me might deem gratuitous. So now what's so terrible? Take out the shots at the owners and he doesn't have an article.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 03 2015 08:44 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

It's like some teenage girl writing in a diary or a college newspaper piece. Desperately overwritten

batmagadanleadoff Jun 03 2015 09:05 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Jeez, give him some slack, He shit on the Wilpons. He should be getting medals of honor. What's the matter with everybody?

TheOldMole Jun 04 2015 07:13 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

All owners are repulsive. Every year, 29 teams, being the Cubs/Orioles/Blue Jays/Dodgers, and yes, even Yankees (who also have repulsive owners) lose. Syndergaard is a kid who, like every other young pitcher, has to learn to keep his concentration when things are going bad. That was a stupid, repulsive piece.

Centerfield Jun 04 2015 08:23 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I didn't think the article was terrible. Well, at least, not any more terrible than a lot of the garbage that is printed in other places. Wright's situation is uncertain. It sucks. Bad luck for the Mets. Bla bla bla. But then again, I agree that the Wilpons suck, so maybe I'm biased.

d'Kong76 Jun 04 2015 08:42 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I have no patience for this kind of (my-cherry-picked) crap... wasn't the worst thing that happen to the franchise yesterday. It wasn't close. But Wright is a Met and these things should be accounted for. They're the Mets. If it wasn't so horrible it would be the most Mets thing since the owners decided Bernie could consistently beat the entire stock market all by his lonesome. It's tragic for the Mets, too, in large part because it all feels so familiar.

Ceetar Jun 04 2015 09:17 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

if you want to pound the stupid Wilpons angle in the offseason, fine. But if you stretch to work it into unrelated pieces, I'm not going to read it. I legitimately don't care who owns the team right now. I don't really care about the draft, or who's doing well in single A ball. I care about the 25 man roster and the fringes beyond that. the team on the field, the actual game being played. All that ancillary stuff is to kill time when baseball's not being played. You got all you needed to know from Tweets last night. Wright's on a week to week schedule, surgery is not currently on the table. When/if he feels better, he starts doing baseball things and hopes it doesn't start hurting again. No one knows much more.

Ashie62 Jun 04 2015 07:38 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Ceets nailed it. Al the rest is shite.

Edgy MD Jun 05 2015 07:46 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: I have no patience for this kind of (my-cherry-picked) crap... wasn't the worst thing that happen to the franchise yesterday. It wasn't close. But Wright is a Met and these things should be accounted for. They're the Mets. If it wasn't so horrible it would be the most Mets thing since the owners decided Bernie could consistently beat the entire stock market all by his lonesome. It's tragic for the Mets, too, in large part because it all feels so familiar. Well done. He pretty much breaks it down to David Wright has a career threatening condition because lolMets and the Wilpons are assholes. Fake journalists are awful and we shouldn't embrace them just because they're on the correct side of an issue that happens to animate us. They do real damage.

Ashie62 Jun 13 2015 02:46 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Newsday reporting that Sandy is becoming pessimistic about David returning this season and will consider a trade for a full-time 3B. Aramis Ramirez need not apply.

MFS62 Jun 13 2015 06:59 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Well, there's this veteran third baseman that the MFYs don't seem to appreciate. Do you think ..... ? Nahhhh. Couldn't happen. But it sure would be fun. Later

Ashie62 Jun 13 2015 07:11 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Funny, I had thought of that.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 23 2015 06:36 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Anthony DiComo, of MLB.com, provides some reason to think that things may not turn out as badly as we fear. Is Wright pain-free when walking, or is he still having trouble with everyday movement? -- @Dfitz9477 via Twitter There is still so much confusion regarding Wright's status, and for good reason. He's been out so long already, spinal stenosis is such a rare condition for a baseball player and so on and so forth. To be clear: Wright is not experiencing pain with everyday activities. To set the record a bit straighter, I recently talked to two spine experts at Manhattan's Hospital for Special Surgery. Neither doctor had examined Wright personally, but after being briefed on his condition, their consensus was that it was not necessarily something that should prematurely end Wright's career. While it is almost certain that Wright will need to manage his spinal stenosis from now until retirement, a return to his pre-2015 level of production seems possible. It is important to note that Wright is dealing with lumbar (lower back) stenosis, which tends to be far less serious than the cervical (neck) stenosis that ended New York Giants running back David Wilson's career. "You can have stenosis and be pain-free for years," said Dr. Frank Cammisa, the doctor who operated on Wilson and chief of spine service at the Hospital for Special Surgery. "If you can settle down this incident, he doesn't have to have surgery for it. Whereas in general, if you have significant stenosis in the neck, that causes problems with the function of the cord. Then you have to operate." In other words, while it's possible Wright's condition will grow worse, there's a very good chance he will be able to manage it and play pain-free for a significant period of time. Perhaps even years. "You can manage the pain," said Dr. Andrew Sama, the fellowship director of spinal surgical service at HSS. "In older patients, we do surgery. But a lot of treatment is not surgical. You can modify your activity and how you do things." The Mets say that the All-Star break is a realistic expectation for Wright's return. That may be ambitious, and Wright's medical team out in California will push that target back as much as necessary. The goal is to return without setbacks, ideally, for the rest of his career.

Edgy MD Jun 23 2015 07:18 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Good job by DiComo. Reporting!! It doesn't necessarily hurt!

Ashie62 Jun 23 2015 10:54 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Just avoid collisions David. I want him back as much as anyone, but safely.

Lefty Specialist Jun 23 2015 02:36 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I'd be holding my breath every time he dived for a ball between now and 2020. And no more stolen base attempts, please.

Ashie62 Jul 08 2015 11:32 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Haven't heard much about David of late, or d'Arnaud either.

Ceetar Jul 08 2015 11:34 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Ashie62 wrote: Haven't heard much about David of late, or d'Arnaud either. d'Arnaud wearing a brace still. Wright got some tentative good news I thought, but it's not really news until he starts actual baseball activity.

Ashie62 Jul 08 2015 11:37 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Just found most of that on Amazin Avenue dated today. "No timetable for either. If Wright can't start "baseball activities" he could have the surgery now if so desired.

d'Kong76 Jul 23 2015 08:04 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Wright to resume baseball activities next week. Seriously, does anyone care in terms of 2015? I hope the Mets don't.

Frayed Knot Jul 23 2015 08:22 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: Wright to resume baseball activities next week. Seriously, does anyone care in terms of 2015? I hope the Mets don't. Sure I care. Will it make a difference in the Mets standings? ... it might. And, either way, having him play this year is a lot better than him not being able to play this year.

d'Kong76 Jul 23 2015 09:10 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Nothing against David; but if the Mets are thinking he'll be a factor, and it affects trade-deadline decisions, I hope beyond hope they aren't going to play that card.

Edgy MD Jul 23 2015 09:35 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I'm not sure how it would effect trading — make third basemen less of a target, I guess. But I think all along they have been looking for versatility rather than a third-base-only guy. Mets with Wright are a stronger team than Mets without Wright.

d'Kong76 Jul 23 2015 09:46 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Edgy MD wrote: Mets with Wright are a stronger team than Mets without Wright. Not sure what people are expecting from a guy who hasn't played baseball since mid-April and has a mysterious injury that could be career ending. Believe what y'all wanna believe.

Edgy MD Jul 23 2015 09:51 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Not expecting much but I'm not shy about considering him a viable candidate to outplay Campbell.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 23 2015 10:02 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Fair enough, but, hell... Trump and Scott Walker are similarly viable candidates to outplay Campbell.

Edgy MD Jul 23 2015 10:40 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I consider him a viable candidate to outplay Trump and Walker. I don't think he'd be activated if he's hopeless. Listen, they have the worst offense in the league. I'm not sure what the sin is here. I just said I'm not sure how this clearance would or should affect the team's trade strategy.

d'Kong76 Jul 24 2015 06:02 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Edgy MD wrote: I'm not sure how it would effect trading Edgy MD wrote: I'm not sure how this clearance would or should affect the team's trade strategy. Boiled down, I hope they're not thinking Captain America is on his way back and they don't need to make some aggressive changes. The season is quickly going down the toilet.

Edgy MD Jul 24 2015 06:29 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I think the conflicting ideas that idea that the team is either too close not to deal for help or too lousy to bother dealing for help are certainly out there and aggressive regardless of the status of Wright. You're clearly leaning toward the latter idea, but there's certainly a very large population who seem to be ready to explode if the team isn't down with the former.

d'Kong76 Jul 24 2015 06:33 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

You should go into politics, bro.

dgwphotography Jul 24 2015 07:18 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Oh please. It's a distraction for the trade deadline, nothing more. I don't blame Anderson in this. I think he has his marching orders, and like a good Marine, he's taking a bullet for ownership.

dgwphotography Jul 24 2015 07:19 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: You should go into politics, bro. Edgy is to Met Ownership as Obama is to Isis.

MFS62 Jul 24 2015 07:36 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Edgy MD wrote: I'm not sure how it would effect trading — make third basemen less of a target, I guess. But I think all along they have been looking for versatility rather than a third-base-only guy. Mets with Wright are a stronger team than Mets without Wright. But going forward? Nobody can be sure of the long term impact of his condition. When he does come back, he could be a mere shadow of his former self. Or not. But if he were to stay out the entire year, the Mets would get a pro-rated portion of his salary from their insurance carrier. It represents several million dollars the team could use to help them obtain a good player. So, let him rest and build his strength, so when he does return next year, he will be an asset. Its a win-win. Later

d'Kong76 Jul 24 2015 07:43 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

dgwphotography wrote: Edgy is to Met Ownership as Obama is to Isis. I think we could probably come up with a more toned-down analogy!

Ceetar Jul 24 2015 07:50 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I'm with Edgy on this. He's fucking David Wright. If he'd had his leg amputated he'd still be a candidate to improve the offense. I'm not getting into the conspiracy theories. it's too exhausting and people have mostly made up their minds anyway. But getting David Wright back should be irrelevant to what they do this week, trade wise. I personally would've taken Aramis Ramirez, and would take a similar type guy. What's the worst that happens? You have a pissed off mercenary? fuck 'em. He'd get plenty of time anyway, even if David Wright DID come back for September. And before we get all "The seasons slipping away" let's not forget the Nats are JUST AS INEPT as us. literally nearly identical run/game this month, were equally ineffective against Kershaw just last week. Got dominated last night too: "Through four hitless innings, Liriano racked up nine strikeouts and fielded three groundouts back to the mound himself." Liriano had just skipped a start and tired and the Nats scored 2 garbage runs in the 9th, but they didn't have a prayer at winning that game.

TransMonk Jul 24 2015 07:51 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

MFS62 wrote: But if he were to stay out the entire year, the Mets would get a pro-rated portion of his salary from their insurance carrier. It represents several million dollars the team could use to help them obtain a good player. Wright only had to be out for 60 days before the insurance funds could be claimed. That money is already back in the Mets' pocket (and from what Sandy says, won't help). My biggest takeaway from Sandy Alderson was that he told reporters at Citi Field, that the insurance money the Mets have recouped from David Wright’s deal, won’t allow them more financial flexibility in trades. The Mets received roughly $15 million dollars of the $20 million Wright was owed for 2015. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2015/07/da ... week.html/

d'Kong76 Jul 24 2015 08:00 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Ceetar wrote: But getting David Wright back should be irrelevant to what they do this week, trade wise. Right, it should be. But I ain't drinking the kool-aid that's labeled that it's not relevant. They're gonna dick us again.

MFS62 Jul 24 2015 08:04 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Fifteen million dollars won't help the Mets get financial flexibility to acquire a ballplayer? Even if that is more than what remains on the contract of a player who could become a free agent at the end of the year? Earth to Sandy. Fifteen million dollars is more than half a year's salary for (probably) every player in the majors. You can always tell a Marine. You just can't teach them too much. Later

Ceetar Jul 24 2015 08:23 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: Ceetar wrote: But getting David Wright back should be irrelevant to what they do this week, trade wise. Right, it should be. But I ain't drinking the kool-aid that's labeled that it's not relevant. They're gonna dick us again. again? I don't see how it's relevant or how it's ever been billed as such. Sandy's not an idiot. He knows at best we've got maybe 5 weeks of Wright this year and the offense sucks NOW.

Ceetar Jul 24 2015 08:25 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Also Sandy said Wright's money not relevant because he's telling you spin and lies because he doesn't tell you anything. He also said they're prepared to take on contracts. Maybe it's not relevant because they have plenty of room. or maybe he's lying about the first part. Either way, you can't point to this one part of his comments and say "THAT, THAT was truth and not spin because it fits my opinion about what's going on"

Ashie62 Jul 24 2015 11:29 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

David Wright's season and career may be slip slidin away.

dgwphotography Jul 24 2015 11:43 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

MFS62 wrote: Fifteen million dollars won't help the Mets get financial flexibility to acquire a ballplayer? Even if that is more than what remains on the contract of a player who could become a free agent at the end of the year? Earth to Sandy. Fifteen million dollars is more than half a year's salary for (probably) every player in the majors. You can always tell a Marine. You just can't teach them too much. Later That $15mil has already been sent to the creditors.

TransMonk Jul 28 2015 02:43 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Was this shirt designed specifically for David? He took grounders with the team today. More "might" and "could" quotes from Collins on his availability for the rest of the season.

Ashie62 Jul 28 2015 02:52 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Nice photo. Life will go on for the Mets with or without David. His situation reminds me of when Mattingly's back went out.

Ashie62 Aug 06 2015 05:43 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Anything new? Anyone?

Lefty Specialist Aug 06 2015 07:10 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Ashie62 wrote: Anything new? Anyone? Supposed to start rehab games on Monday. Suspiciously, they did not mention which year the Monday fell in.

Ashie62 Aug 07 2015 08:08 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

The year is running out on him. Maybe that was the plan all along.

Edgy MD Aug 07 2015 08:09 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

You're standing by your prediction that he won't return?

Ashie62 Aug 07 2015 04:21 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Edgy MD wrote: You're standing by your prediction that he won't return? Yeah,too much potential risk to the discs in the cord. I have one friend who played baseball at Penn State with spinal stenosis and lost a disk after a collision. Make him manager? I want David to be a healthy 65 year old Mets guy.

Edgy MD Aug 09 2015 05:35 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Well, apart from what you want, what's likely to happen is that he'll return in some capacity, unless he doesn't.

Ashie62 Aug 09 2015 04:46 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

I want Wright to be a healthy father and husband. On cue, he starts a rehab assignment in FL at DH tomorrow.

Edgy MD Aug 09 2015 07:08 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Yes, you've made that clear. What I was inquiring about, however, wasn't what you want, but what you predicted would occur.

d'Kong76 Aug 09 2015 07:15 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Anyway, DH'ng tomorrow down in the deep south...

Ceetar Aug 09 2015 07:52 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

d'Kong76 wrote: Anyway, DH'ng tomorrow down in the deep south... they don't have one of those in the NL...yet.

d'Kong76 Aug 09 2015 08:29 PM Re: Wright's Wrehab

Agenda ashmenda... no DL in the NL... ever!

batmagadanleadoff Aug 10 2015 09:57 AM Re: Wright's Wrehab

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