Where's Kernan?

Where's Kernan?

Front-office moves that can fix the Mets

August 18, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

K-Rod is the tip of the iceberg. A sea of change is coming to the Mets. Ownership is not changing. The Wilpons are here for the duration.The next move they make, though, is critical to their survival... Read on

K-Rod is the tip of the iceberg. A sea of change is coming to the Mets. Ownership is not changing. The Wilpons are here for the duration.
	 
The next move they make, though, is critical to their survival as owners because if the Next Move doesn’t work, fans will be at the point of no return. If the Mets continue to go backward, even if the fans bother to show up at Citi Field, it will be with bags over their heads.
	 
Then the Wilpons are done as owners. That's why the Next Move is so important for Fred and Jeff, especially Jeff.
	 
This is where the Mets find themselves this day. They have a manager, Jerry Manuel, who is confused on the bench and changes day to day, inning to inning with his thinking. Everyone knew that except the people in charge.
	 
Omar Minaya was given plenty of warnings that his system was not working but because he is such a nice guy, he did not take those warnings to heart and make the changes he needed to make to survive as GM.
	 
That’s how the Tony Bernazard situation developed. That’s how the Manuel situation developed. Then all of a sudden you have the Family Room turned into a mixed martial arts cage. That’s what happens when there is no accountability and no toughness on top.
	 
What the Wilpons need to do is put a layer of leadership between themselves and the next GM. Red Sox senior adviser/baseball projects Jeremy Kapstein would be a perfect choice for such a role. He is a veteran baseball man who knows the game inside and out and knows how to inspire.
	 
That is a lost art these days. Such a move is up to the Wilpons but it would establish a strong chain of command, something the organization lacks.
	 
As for GM, the Mets would do well to raid the Yankees organization. Special adviser Kevin Towers is just waiting for another GM job. He was the dumpster-diving GM of the Padres, building that team into what it is today, a first-place squad in the NL West, before getting fired when new bosses took over the club. Imagine what Towers could do with some big money behind him.
	 
Damon Oppenheimer is the Yankees VP of amateur scouting. He is ready to be a GM. The Mets could hire Towers as GM and make Oppenheimer his right-hand man. They get to pick the next manager.
	 
That’s all you have to do Jeff to turn your Mets around.

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In-N-Out with the Yankees

July 05, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

SOMEWHERE IN NAPA, Calif. – I just found heaven on earth.I’m eating an In-N-Out double cheeseburger with onions. That’s not the best part. The best part is that I’m eating my double-cheese with fries... Read on

SOMEWHERE IN NAPA, Calif. – I just found heaven on earth.
	 
I’m eating an In-N-Out double cheeseburger with onions. That’s not the best part. The best part is that I’m eating my double-cheese with fries and extra-large lemonade in Napa.
	 
You gotta love the palm trees on the In-N-Out cups. There’s a beautiful breeze and to my right are some of the vineyards that surround this how green is my valley.
	 
The bluest of skies makes the green even more sick.
	 
On July 4th, they had a big parade in downtown Napa and, of course, fireworks later. San Francisco put on a spectacular fireworks display as well. Cali is still a great place despite all the budget problems.

Flying out here I was seated next to a family from France. Nine of them were coming here to discover this part of America. They were also going to van it to Las Vegas, LA, Yosemite National Park and San Diego. They were taking three weeks to make the trip they had been planning for six months and they were so excited to discover America on their own that way.
	 
How many Americans take three weeks with their family to look at this beautiful country?
	 
I didn’t ask if they were stopping at Wally World, too.
	 
The Yankees are out here to play Oakland and then Seattle so this is one of the better trips of the season for getting on a plane. It sure beats the Cleveland-Detroit doubleheader. I’ll keep in touch daily and if you have any favorite spots in the SF-area and Seattle let me know.
	 
You never know. Maybe there is an In-N-Out Burger nearby.

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Wish you were here: San Juan perfect setting for Mets-Marlins series

June 29, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

SAN JUAN -- If you are a Mets fan with nothing to do tomorrow, you might want to fly down for the final game of the San Juan Series 2010 against the Marlins. Imagine the poor Mets fans who decided to visit Baltimore or Cleveland instead. This was a trip you had to be on.
	 
This series is one of the unknown great baseball getaways with tickets ranging from $13 to $100. Getting here, of course, was the pricey part, but for a fan, this is the perfect mini-baseball vacation. After all, this is the rumcapital.com of the world, so it can’t be bad.

Rum and ocean and Old San Juan by day and baseball at night. And did I mention the casinos. I’m not a casino guy, but I do know someone who did the Cha-Cha last night in the casino, winning a few bucks. The beaches are clean, although I learned this morning that you do have to watch out for big, big sting rays, not the little ones floating around in the Tropicana Field tank. I stepped on one about 30 yards out into the ocean; luckily I didn’t get the barb, just a scare and a sore left foot.
	 
San Juan has proven to be a perfect host for the event; the people have gone out of their way to be accommodating and gracious. The restaurants are terrific, if you have the time, and Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a blast. This park is more of a ballpark than a stadium. It seats 18,000. Every seat is a good seat and the food is decent ballpark food with a pina colada twist. It feels much like a minor league park circa 1981.
	 
The fans are incredibly enthusiastic.
	 
“They have such a passion for the game,’’ Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told me. “This is really fun.’’
	 
Yes it is. Wish you were here.

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Kernan: Yankees, Red Sox headed in different directions

May 10, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

I am taking the train home from Boston now and it’s the only way to travel. It gives me a chance to think about what the three-game series against the Red Sox really means for the Yankees.
	 
First of all, these are teams heading in different directions. The years of relying on only statistical analysis for the Red Sox is beginning to cause trouble for GM Theo Epstein and his minions.
	 
All this nonsense about Run Prevention is just a way to cover up the fact that the Red Sox are not what they used to be. When they won their championships they were fueled by big-game pitchers and a frightening offense that was pretty much left over from the previous administration.
	 
There was no talk of Run Prevention, just scoring more runs than the Yankees.
	 
David Ortiz arrived to help carry that Manny Ramirez-led offense, but Epstein was really not a Big Papi fan. If you remember, he signed Jeremy Giambi to play first base. Then Ortiz soared.
	 
Big Papi is much older now and a close friend of his told me that the lack of support from upper management has gotten into his head, combine that with declining skills and he is not the same DH he once was -- but the Yankees right now are in a similar DH boat because Nick Johnson is not the hitter the Yankees hoped he would be this season and is now injured.
	 
***
	 
The days of Jorge Posada becoming a regular DH are right around the corner.
	 
***
	 
If the Yankees don’t get the excellent starting pitching, though, Boston can still be trouble. It’s a team that feasts on the fastball if that fastball is not located in the proper place, witness Papi’s double against A.J. Burnett. That was the big problem for Burnett in Sunday night’s 9-3 loss after the Yankees crushed the Red Sox the first two games. Burnett gets a bit too amped up for the Boston series and it shows. I addressed that in today’s column.
	 
Those numbers against the Red Sox do tell an interesting story. Burnett is simply too tense to let his immense talent come through the pitching door against the Red Sox, but that should smooth out over time.
	 
The Yankees will stay ahead of the Red Sox because they have more coming from their farm system and they spent the money needed to land Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and Burnett. It's really that simple.
	 
***
	 
What’s interesting is the Damon Factor. Will the Yankees have enough talent to overcome the loss of Big Game Johnny when it comes to the postseason?
	 
The Yankees open a series tonight against the Tigers and Damon in Detroit. Damon supplied energy and was the spokesman for the team, handling a vital job in New York just as he did in Boston. It’s interesting to note that I talked to five different Yankees Sunday about young catcher Francisco Cervelli and they all said the same thing. His energy level is off the charts and that helps fire up the other players. That’s what Damon did for the Yankees, too.
	 
The Yankees keep winning series. They are seven games ahead of the Red Sox in the loss column. They still trail Tampa, but what was once a three-team race in the AL East is now just a two-team battle.
	 
These Amtrak trips to Boston and back will not be quite as interesting unless the Red Sox get it together. No matter what, though, the scenery is still worth the trip.

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KERNAN: Mets more dangerous with Reyes batting leadoff

May 03, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

These are dangerous times for the Mets. The Phillies own them psychologically. As a result, they own the NL East. Now comes word that Mike Pelfrey has some tightness in his shoulder and had an MRI exam.
	 
First things first, the Mets need to be more intimidating from the start. Though it’s a good idea to have a switch-hitter in the No. 3 spot, Jose Reyes is not yet ready for that role, and with the emergence of Ike Davis, Jerry Manuel needs to slip Reyes back into the much more comfortable leadoff position.
	 
Reyes is at home there and he is most dangerous in that role. The bottom line is that without Carlos Beltran, the Mets are a bat short. Bat Reyes leadoff, move David Wright back to three and put Davis fifth behind Jason Bay.
	 
Reyes was 1-for-13 against the Phillies batting third. Considering his spring training woes, Reyes has too much on his plate to be making this kind of adjustment in-season. In his nine games batting third he is hitting .187, and has one extra base hit, a double.
	 
A No. 3 hitter has to have pop and Reyes may be trying too hard to create power in that position, especially when the competition is the Phillies, instead of creating runs as a leadoff hitter. Essentially, he’s trying too hard -- and it shows. He’s not being patient at the plate.
	 
The Mets need to work with their strengths when it comes to battling the Phillies. They have to approach every game as if it is Game 7 of the NLCS. They were feeling pretty good about themselves heading into the weekend and smashed the Phillies on Friday night, a Phillies team that had just returned from the West Coast.
	 
Then the Phillies beat up Pelfrey and Johan Santana.
	 
Pelfrey has some tightness in his shoulder. Considering that, it would not be a bad idea to push him back or skip his next start. Shoulder tightness comes with the territory, but Pelfrey needs to be handled with extra care.
	 
Combine that with the fact that Santana’s velocity is disturbingly down and the Mets have some pitching issues that have to be watched closely.
	 
It didn’t help Sunday night that Manuel decided to give Davis and Angel Pagan the night off on a nationally televised game. He should have found another day to rest Davis and get Fernando Tatis a start. After playing so many home games in spacious Citi Field, no player wants to “rest’’ at cozy Citizens Bank Park. That was a mistake by Manuel.
	 
Manuel and his players have to learn that when you play the Phillies you can never take your foot off the pedal. If you put up three runs in the first with Wright’s home run, do whatever you can to add a run in the second. In their ballpark, the Phillies are much like the Red Sox used to be in Fenway: They know they can keep chipping away; no lead is out of reach.
	 
That is one reason the Phillies are such a strong team: Their confidence level is sky high. As Santana said after the loss, “They got a pretty good team over there. You make mistakes, they make you pay.’’
	 
Going into Monday, the Phillies are third in the majors in runs scored with 144, the Mets are 18th with 110 runs. The Phillies are 10th in home runs (26). The Mets are 22nd (20). The Phillies are eighth in on base percentage at .345, the Mets are 21st with a .320 mark.
	 
The Mets have to pick up the pieces against the Reds. That meant Oliver Perez has to make an actual contribution to the team. With Pelfrey and Santana failing in successive starts, the pressure was on Perez against the underwhelming 12-13 Reds.
	 
The Mets will not get another shot at the Phillies for three weeks, right after they play three against the Yankees. These are dangerous times.

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Mets should play series like it's September

April 29, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

For the first time since the Mets have been collapsing to the Phillies, they have a first baseman who can play defense and offense: Ike Davis. The Mets are 9-1 with Davis in the lineup, a statistic that will be put to the test over the weekend in Philadelphia.
	 
The Mets can’t fall back on the old excuse it’s early in the season. The Mets need to approach the three-game series that begins Friday night with this mindset: It’s September, not early in the season.
	 
They should make this a dry run to see if they will collapse again against the Phillies. The Phillies had been in first place for 135 straight days before the Mets moved to the top of the charts of the NL East after their doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers and the Phillies' loss to the Giants on Tuesday.
	 
We’ll see how long the Mets can stay in first place this time around. This is the weekend the Mets need to put some serious payback on the Phils, who just completed a 4-5 road trip that took them to the West Coast.
	 
The Phillies are in a slump and they know it. Then again, the Mets may be just what the Phillies need this weekend to get them going. The Phillies have shown they always have a way of rising to the occasion against the Mets.
	 
In the Battle of Manuels, Charlie knows how quickly everything can change, telling reporters, “This is a game where you think you are playing real good and everything and then you drop your guard for awhile and all of a sudden you hit rock bottom.
	 
“This is a game you stay with every day. That’s what happens in this game. Here lately, we haven’t played good baseball, every phase of the game you can think of.”
	 
The Phillies have an excuse because they miss their sparkplug: Jimmy Rollins has been out with a strained calf.
	 
Last year it was the Mets who had to deal with a shortstop with a strained calf, you’ll remember. That shortstop is now hitting third, Jose Reyes. The Mets know this is a huge series and you can expect them to play that way.
	 
The Phillies have played a major league-high 15 road games while the Mets have spent most of the season at windy and chilly Citi Field. The weather is going to be warm and Citizens Bank Park will be hot with Phillies fans.
	 
This will be a great test for the Mets. Can they ace it with their new look in the field and the batting order?

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FRIDAY FUN: A-Rod’s gaffe and 10 great notes from around the majors

April 23, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

I’m all for unwritten rules being broken.Hey, at least A-Rod did not try to slap the baseball out of Dallas Braden's hand or yell "Ha!'' as he ran across the mound yesterday, breaking the unwritten... Read on

I’m all for unwritten rules being broken.
	 
Hey, at least A-Rod did not try to slap the baseball out of Dallas Braden's hand or yell "Ha!'' as he ran across the mound yesterday, breaking the unwritten rule of a base-runner running across the sacred pitching mound and stepping on the rubber.
	 
Pitchers are too touchy anyway and this just proves it again. Alex Rodriguez is just like a little kid who is in his own world and does what he feels like doing on the ballfield. At least he was hustling to third on Robinson Cano’s foul ball.
	 
Here are ten great notes from A-Round the Major Leagues directly via my BBWAA buddies, who are on top of the action in their towns, with some of my side comments tossed into the mix.
	 
RED SOX: Boston has allowed a ridiculous 38 out of 39 stolen bases so far this
	 
season. The Rangers have been successful running 34 consecutive times against the Sox and stole 14 bases in a three-game series. It’s a pathetic situation for the 6-10 Sox who do not always do the little things right any more.
	 
PIRATES: So, how is that rebuilding going in Pittsburgh? The Pirates were humiliated Thursday afternoon at PNC Park, getting drubbed 20-0 by Milwaukee for the most lopsided loss in the franchise's 124-year history. The previous worst margin of defeat was 18 runs, set in an 18-0 loss to Philadelphia in 1910 and matched in 19-1 loss to Cincinnati in 1955. The embarrassing loss concluded a series sweep in which the Brewers outscored the Pirates by a tidy sum of 36-1. Pirates are dead last with a 7.23 ERA.
	 
ANGELS: Ex-Yankee Bobby Abreu is hitting only .222 but he did steal his 350th career base the other night. That makes him the only active player with 350 steals and 250 home runs (he has 268) and one of only six with the 350-250 combo in MLB history. The others you might have heard of – Rickey Henderson, Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds, Joe Morgan and Craig Biggio.
	 
TIGERS: My early MVP candidate not named Robinson Cano is Miguel Cabrera. All four of Cabrera’s homers this season have wiped out a one-run Tigers deficit. Two have come in the ninth inning against an accomplished closer. Leading off the ninth against Angels left-hander Brian Fuentes, Cabrera made like A-Rod in the ALCS and crushed a 1-2 pitch way over the fence in left-center. Cabrera has a league-high 18 RBIs and is already on the way to his seventh 100-RBI season in as many full years in the big leagues.
	 
NATS: Good move by the Mets not to sign the struggling Jason Marquis (0-3, 20.52) to a two-year, $15 million contract. Marquis now has elbow issues. The Nats missed on Marquis but made the right signing with Livan Hernandez. Said GM Mike Rizzo of Marquis’ troubles, “It’s hard to pitch with floating bodies in your elbow.’’ I love that quote, makes me think of “Invasion of Body Snatchers.’’
	 
DODGERS: Joe Torre went from the Bronx Bombers to the Hollywood Hitters. The Dodgers lead the big leagues in offense with a .311 batting average and 98 runs. “We’ve got a great lineup,’’ Matt Kemp told reporters.”One through eight … one through nine – we’ve got some pitchers that can hit, too.’’
	 
ASTROS: Here’s why Houston has a problem. The Astros don’t spend the money to sign draft picks. Check out how Brett Eibner is doing at Arkansas. He's playing center field and hitting .328 for the Razorbacks. Wait, he's pitching, too. He's 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA and has eight walks and 42 strikeouts in 45 innings. He's one of 50 finalists for college baseball's Golden Spikes Award, and Baseball America named him the 19th-best big league prospect in college baseball. If you'd like to guess his signing bonus, start at $1 million and work upward. Three years ago, the Astros could have had Brett Eibner for $430,000. But the deal was vetoed. Instead the Astros spent bad money on the free agent market.
	 
CUBS: Maybe Mariano Rivera should ask for a Zambrano deal. Baseball has a new highest paid reliever. It’s Carlos Zambrano, who is knocking down a cool $17.875 million this season in Year 3 of a five-year deal. BTW, Chicago baseball teams are 11-20. Now the Cubs just needs to move Alfonso Soriano back to second base.
	 
MARLINS: The Sophomore Jinx strikes again. With reigning National League Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan mired in a 7 for 54 (.130) slump to open the season, manager Fredi Gonzalez flip-flopped him with Cameron Maybin in the batting order. Maybin is now leading off. For young players, in this age of super-video, opponents make adjustments quickly.
	 
BRAVES: According to the Elias Sports Bureau via Bill Arnold: Braves phenom Jason Heyward tied Ted Williams for most RBIs posted by a big-leaguer under the age of 21 through his first 13 games; Williams had 16 in his rookie season in 1939. The kid is special.
	 
ORIOLES: The No. 1 reason why you can’t blame Dave Trembley for the Orioles problems. They don’t have enough hitters. The Orioles scored a combined four runs in their three game trip to Seattle; they were flummoxed by Doug Fister, Jason Vargas and King Felix. The Orioles have now been held to three runs or fewer in 10 of their past 12 games. They've been held to one run or fewer five times this season.
	 
Yankees pitchers should be on their “A’’ game against the Orioles beginning Tuesday when six of the next nine games come against Baltimore. There you have it; you can now impress your friends over the weekend with some sweet baseball talk.

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Kernan: Mental strain means Mets players need more rest

April 21, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

Here’s a strong suggestion for Jerry Manuel: Give your players more days off this season.Manuel gave Jose Reyes a day off and Reyes responded with his first “official’’ game of the season in Tuesday... Read on

Here’s a strong suggestion for Jerry Manuel: Give your players more days off this season.
	 
Manuel gave Jose Reyes a day off and Reyes responded with his first “official’’ game of the season in Tuesday’s 4-0 win over the Cubs. Reyes broke out with four hits, including a triple, after he was 0-for-18.
	 
Reyes’ triple in the Mets’ two-run second kick-started his season. Before the game Reyes told me he felt he was just about right. It has taken him time to get his swing back against major league pitchers. That’s why it was such a waste for the Mets to stick him on the disabled list at the start of the season. He didn’t need to hit against minor league pitchers, he needed to face major league pitching.
	 
Now that he has more than a week of games under his belt, he is getting there.
	 
But days off are key to this Mets team. Here’s my theory on that.
	 
It’s not easy being a Met. The mental strain is much more being a Met than being a player on any other team. The Yankees have it easy. They are surrounded by talent; the players can relax and just be themselves.
	 
No matter who you are, there is always a bigger Yankee than you in a bigger spotlight.
	 
The Mets, meanwhile, have it much worse. There is more pressure, the owner is more hands-on, the ballpark is much harder to hit in than Yankee Stadium, winning is not in the Mets’ DNA. They don't have 27 championships.
	 
Things go goofy when you are a Met. Only the Mets have 20-inning games it seems. But at least they have it against Tony LaRussa. I like Tony, but how do you intentionally walk Jeff Francoeur in a spring training game and twice send up pitchers to pinch-hit in a regular season extra inning game in two vital situations when you still have a position player on the bench?
	 
But that’s Tony.
	 
The pressure of being a Met, combined with the sad history of the team, the ownership, the organizational problems, the too-big ballpark, all add up. It’s a mental strain. That’s why Mets need more days off than other players on other teams.
	 
Every once in a while it’s a must to get nine innings off. A mental health day is just what the baseball doctor ordered. Manuel needs to keep giving an occasional day off to his players. He’s onto this but he can’t be pressured into keeping them on the field too many successive days.
	 
A day off works wonders when you are a Met.
	 
Give it a rest, Jerry.

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A little late, but Mets make right call on Davis

April 19, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

Good move, Mets. It’s only about 12 games too late, but that’s not bad for a team that has trouble making the right decisions.This morning I called for the Mets to bring up Ike Davis, and tonight he... Read on

Good move, Mets. It’s only about 12 games too late, but that’s not bad for a team that has trouble making the right decisions.
	 
This morning I called for the Mets to bring up Ike Davis, and
	 tonight he’ll be at Citi Field when the Mets host the Cubs, another cursed organization. It’s about time that the Mets started worrying about the present instead of trying to protect the future.
	 
A strange thing has happened around the Mets this year, yes, even by their standards. They are being over-protective of their players. In the process of doing so, they are taking away the athletic edge a team and a player need to succeed.
	 
Considering the Mets abysmal first-base situation, Davis should have been up here Opening Day. Just as Jose Reyes should have been with the team Opening Day. You play your best players, but you make sure to give them some space so if they do make mistakes, it’s not like the weight of the world is on their shoulders.
	 
By keeping Reyes in the minors and playing against minor league competition, they slowed his recovery because that did nothing to help him. He is struggling (.154) now because he didn’t get to see major league competition until a week too late. He should be fine in about another week, the week he lost to Port St. Lucie play while the Mets started the regular season.
	 
Davis is a much different story. Once Daniel Murphy got hurt, Davis should have been on the major league squad. No questions asked. The Mets were afraid that it would have been too much of a rush to put Davis in the majors, but as his father Ron, the ex-Yankee, told me this past winter, the kid was ready last year to come up at the end of the season.
	 
Sometimes the Mets don’t know what they have.
	 
If Davis had come up for Murphy it would have been, “he’s just filling in,’’ until Murphy is healthy. Davis would not have been the center of attention.
	 
Now, he is going to be looked at as the first base savior. Davis can handle it, no matter what, but the club did not do him any favors.
	 
Davis was batting .364 for AAA Buffalo. I think he will struggle early on against major league lefties, but that’s life, let him learn, and once he does he’ll be fine. He hit .286 against minor league lefties. That’s okay. What I really like is that Davis had nine walks in 10 games. He’s shown power (two home runs) and can play strong defense. The Yankees, by the way, are doing okay with an offensively struggling first baseman that can play strong defense.
	 
That’s the strangest thing, the Mets were willing to give a first baseman’s mitt to any veteran, yet they wouldn’t call up the real first baseman. Until today.
	 
The Mets often do not make the best baseball move because they are worried about repercussions. That’s why as an organization they often leak their moves to a favorite writer or two as a trial balloon and go from there. Strange, but that’s the way they do business.
	 
Instead of making the right move and letting the chips fall where they may, they always want to gauge public opinion first. The Yankees make a move because they think it’s the best move. It may not work, but they go on their baseball instincts, right or wrong. The Mets go on something else, and it’s not working. They mean to do well, but only mess up the situation.
	 
When the Yankees called up catcher Francisco Cervelli last season his Double-A Trenton average was .190, but that didn’t matter, he was the best man for the job. He was 23, the same age as Ike Davis. Cervelli is a solid piece now to the Yankee puzzle, a young player who has an important role.
	 
The Mets need to stick Davis at first base for two weeks and see what happens. Show some baseball guts. By not having Davis up at the start of the season, they put extra pressure on the kid’s shoulders, thinking they were doing the right thing.
	 
It was the wrong decision. They fixed it.
	 
I Like Ike. You will, too.

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Mets making mess of Mejia

April 15, 2010 , ι By KEVIN KERNAN

Only the Mets could turn the magical Jenrry Mejia story into a mess the second week of the season.Like everything else with the Mets, they can’t make up their minds with Mejia, who gave up the game... Read on

Only the Mets could turn the magical Jenrry Mejia story into a mess the second week of the season.
	 
Like everything else with the Mets, they can’t make up their minds with Mejia, who gave up the game-winning home run to Chris Iannetta last night in the 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Rockies in Colorado.
	 
This was a close game that Mejia pitched in but somehow K-Rod did not. What the Mets is going on out there?
	 
Young pitchers give up home runs when they are over-amped as Mejia was last night. It happens. He’ll learn from this, but the problem is the Mets are messing with Mejia, who came to spring training as a starter.
	 
Knowing the Mets like I do, I predicted this mess early in camp before anyone really knew who Jenrry Mejia really was and before people took Jerry Manuel seriously that he was going to give Mejia a legit shot at making the team. Manuel should be praised for making a bold move, but just don’t make it too bold, Jerry.
	 
But that’s not entirely Manuel’s fault either. He’s fighting for a job and for the first time Manuel is getting an idea what it really means to be in Willie Randolph’s shoes. Every decision can backfire.
	 
Mejia needs to be worked in slowly in this new role or he should be in the minors as a starter, and somebody from the Mets should just have the courage to make that decision, especially considering the Mets lack of starting pitching. They’ve created a Jenrry Situation just like the Yankees created a Joba Situation. The difference is Joba, when right in the bullpen, is a force. Mejia is still learning.
	 
If I was in charge of the Mets, and I’m not, of course, and considering how well the bullpen is pitching, Mejia would be in Buffalo stretching out to be a starter. No questions asked.
	 
I still don’t get how Francisco Rodriguez was not used in this game. I know about all this tie game on the road stuff, but this was a special circumstance because of the Mets terrible start. In that type of game, K-Rod has to come in before 20-year-old rookie Jenrry Mejia and you live with that decision. Get two innings out of K-Rod or at least one, and then use Mejia as a last resort. K-Rod has been in those situations his entire career. If he gives up a home run, so be it. You went with your best.
	 
In case no one from the Mets realized it. High, not so great pitches, fly out of Coors Field pretty fast. That’s Rockies Baseball. That’s also Mets Baseball.
	 
In so many ways the Mets are their own worst enemy. This is just another case. Welcome to the Mets, Jenrry.

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About the Author

KEVIN KERNAN A Post writer from 1981-88 who returned in 1997, Kevin Kernan has been covering baseball since 1999. He also covered the Knicks, Nets, Giants, college basketball and boxing. An author of five books, he’s won the Excellence in Journalism Award presented by the New Jersey Sportswriters Association. A member of the Ramapo College Hall of Fame, he was presented with a Distinguished Achievement in RV Journalism Award for his RV journey to Super Bowl XLII. Columnist Archives

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