Hey it’s the All Star Break so newspapers everywhere will give out grades…here’s my quickies on that
Mickey Callaway: F
JDG: A
Jose Reyes: A. Anyone who can convince a team to play him every day deserves an A
Dom “One RBI” Smith: F. Dude was late and has one RBI.
Amed Rosario: I for Incomplete. Was starting to think he was Tejada, then he looked pretty good, but the manager gives him three days off a week so I can’t tell
Matt Harvey: B. My man has been pretty solid since he got away from the big city and all it’s distractions. Not TDK, but looks like the 3 starter he was projected as before you guys got all nutty and filled his brain with Namathism.
Nimmo: A-. A is for All Star. He’s not one.
All other Mets? Who cares.
Ron Darling: A. Ronnie has been the MVP this year. Solid, steady and unassuming as always. Knows what he’s talking about and has gotten several PREACH RONNIE moments out of me.
Gary Sterling Cohen. B. The future Hall of Famer still has great in him but too often he does the lazy call. Gare, I am on a mission to break you of this. Here everyone, look…
IT IS HIGH TO THE TRACK
IT IS FAR TO THE WALL
IT IS GONE! ITS OUTTA HERE!
Both are schtick. Both are things announcer say when they are on autopilot. Look at any clip of Gary circa 2006 and you’ll see hungry. Too many nights this year Gare went straight to the catch phrase and he’s better than that…..so much better than he still gets a B.
Gelbs. B. I’m gonna come back to Gelbs in a second….
Wayne Randazzo. B. I thought Wayne did a really nice job and hope to hear him on the TV side in the future. My B is not a dig, rather I am saying he was Gary Cohen 2018 Good. (This was this season wasn’t it? Maybe it was last season. Anyway I like you Wayne).
Gary Apple: C. C for Average. Did fine enough work playing out of position and giving Gary Cohen two days off. I am not saying bad, just saying Average.
SNY Producer. D. SNY producer does two crazy things.
Crazy Thing #1: SportsNite promos. Hey after the game (which is in the second inning, and then there’s a post game, so basically three and a half hours now…) find out who the Jets signed! How about you just tell me? Nobody is sitting around 3.5 hours for this.
Crazy Thing #2: Miscasting Gelbs…but I will come back to Gelbs.
Keith Hernandez: F. Keith, this professor is grading you hard because you are better than the work you handed in. As I wrote the other day, I get the act, I get the schtick, I get the I Don’t Give A Fuck attitude, and I get that it makes you cuddly…until it doesn’t. The book promotion got to the “enough already” point, but hey gotta hustle I get it, but the breaking point was the lack of effort. Even on Sunday you admitted you weren’t paying attention to Gare. The other night there were several instances of you telling us you hand’t bothered to do the work. Time to try a little harder in the second half.
Which brings me back to Gelbs…
I killed Gelbs most of the season, but now my eyes have been opened.
As Keith mails it in, I increasingly notice Gelbs’ hustle. Gelbs is the one talking to players and getting to understand the WHY behind this team.
The bad Gelbs moments? I blame SNY Producer. Whether it was last year’s ripoff of You Own This Mets Jersey, or this year’s mocked How Did The Rockies Get Their Name (was it the Rockies, I don’t remember) – someone is either giving him these assignments or approving them. They’ve miscast Gelbs.
Someone is telling Gelbs to go talk to the rookie’s parents for an inning.
Stop doing that to Gelbs. The poor guy has a had a long tall shadow in Burkhardt (you know, the guy who is one Joe Buck Fl u away from calling the Super Bowl), and the bad casting doesn’t help.
He’s hustling. Let him fill the gaps Keith chooses not to.
And one final thought for the next Gary Cohen vacation. Let’s try some Youth In The Booth. I’d like a look at Wayne, Gelbs and Ron for a night. One of the 8000 interchangeable SNY update people can do the Gelbs spot that night. Wayne, Gelbs and Ron. Let’s do it.
