Author: Greg Pomes
This past Thursday, KinersKorner posted an interview they did with Adam Rubin, the Mets beat writer for the New York Daily News. It's an excellent interview, when you have a chance give it read. Adam Rubin of course got a little more press than he ever wanted this summer when Omar Minaya claimed that he broke the story about Tony B because Rubin wanted a job with player development. One thing Adam said in the interview with KinersKorner caught my eye and it confirmed what I suspected already. When asked about the injuries this season Rubin said:
"J.J. Putz was told by Dr. David Altchek he needed to have a bone spur
removed from his elbow. The Mets advocated a cortisone shot. Putz had
the injection, struggled for a month, then needed the procedure anyway."
Sadly I wasn't surprised by this one bit. For whatever reason the Mets did not want their players undergoing surgery that was advised by one of the best doctors in the country. I wonder how many injuries would have been less severe if the Mets had listened to their doctors. I have to wonder if this happened to Carlos Beltran as well. Would Beltran's injury healed quicker if the Mets had rested him instead of giving him a cortisone shot and forcing him to play? Would he have missed fewer games if he they had followed Dr. Altchek's advice?
This kind of disregard for the players and their bodies is inexcusable as far as I'm concerned. Your players have a job to play to the best of their abilities and as a team you have an obligation to protect your players, to look out for their well being, even if it my cost ticket sales to slow down while these guys rest on the DL. Putz will most likely be a free agent this season, the Mets did him a huge disservice by making him play hurt where he couldn't play to the best abilities and finally letting him have surgery that wound up ending his 2009 season hurting the amount of money he will get this off season.
How does a player on this team go into the 2010 season knowing that they don't have their best interest at heart? That they care more about the almighty dollar then their health and futures? What does this say to free agents deciding to come to this team? The Mets have a lot too make up for this season not just to the fans but their players as well, only time will tell if it's too late.
This kind of disregard for the players and their bodies is inexcusable as far as I'm concerned. Your players have a job to play to the best of their abilities and as a team you have an obligation to protect your players, to look out for their well being, even if it my cost ticket sales to slow down while these guys rest on the DL. Putz will most likely be a free agent this season, the Mets did him a huge disservice by making him play hurt where he couldn't play to the best abilities and finally letting him have surgery that wound up ending his 2009 season hurting the amount of money he will get this off season.
How does a player on this team go into the 2010 season knowing that they don't have their best interest at heart? That they care more about the almighty dollar then their health and futures? What does this say to free agents deciding to come to this team? The Mets have a lot too make up for this season not just to the fans but their players as well, only time will tell if it's too late.
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