New York Sports

What Does The Future Hold For Jose Reyes?

 

Click Here to listen to Sandy Alderson's comments on Met shortstop Jose Reyes:

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I remember coming to my first spring training here in Port St Lucie in the late 80's as a twenty-something reporter and much has changed in Port St Lucie--more hotels, more homes, less swamp land--but once again we are still trying to figure out how good the Mets will be this season.

In those days, there was talk about reclaiming a title and today there is just talk of the organization surviving amid a potential financial scandal.  Still, the 2011 Mets have talent-more than you might think--and with a few breaks they might be an exciting team to watch despite all of the off-the field nonsense.  One of those talented players, Jose Reyes, was the topic of conversation today even before he arrived.

He is entering the final year of his contract and some may suggest his final year as a Met.  Reyes has experienced a plethora of down time in the last few years whether it has leg miseries or a malfunctioning thyroid. General Manager Sandy Alderson shot down theories that he is lukewarm about Reyes because his philosophy generally shoots down the theroy that speed is a huge part of the game. "Speed is only one part of what he does and thats makes him a dynamic player.  People who say I do not value that type of player are reading things incorrectly."

The quandry that the new GM has is a simple one--If Reyes is performing well and he wants to sign him, it will cost more than it would now and money could be a factor come July when the Madoff legal war could heat up.  If he can not sign him, can he trade him if the team is playing well and Jose is the healthy and vibrant shortstop he was in 2008?  Ironically, it might be easier for the public to swallow trading Reyes if he is not performing but of course you will never get fair market value in that scenario.

Now I am no money expert and do not know how the Madoff mess could inhibit the ability to spend, and any beat reporter that tells you he knows is either lying or should be in a much more lucrative profession.  But I do know this--if I were starting a baseball team Jose Reyes would be on my short list of players I'd want to play shortstop for me.  I think players with his talent and passion are hard to find.  Is he the perfect player? of course not--he makes mistakes but Jose has that "secret sauce" that I personally like in players--he is not afraid to take a base and more importantly, not afraid to let the world see what is on his mind.

Take a long hard look at what the Mets do when he scores a run--they win close to 75% of the time and that's got to mean something. This might be the first tough decision of Sandy Alderson's regime and he must think it through carefully.  Could you imagine if Reyes walked to free agency and went across the river to the Yankees with Jeter moving to the outfield.  That might be too much for the Met fan base to swallow and a bad first misstep for the new head man in charge.

Rex Ryan Blazing A Trail To Super Bowl Glory

 

When the playoffs began just a few short weeks ago, many experts felt the road to the Super Bowl was filled with land mines for the New York Jets.  After all, they were a #6 seed and beyond that, their road to the first Sunday in February went through Indy, New England, and likely Pittsburgh which meant Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Ben Roethlisberger.  It could be argued no team in recent memory had to go through that tough a journey--all on the road.  The fact that the Jets had became a hated team that talked far too much made the detractors of the team relish the chance to see them go up in flames.

But that very thing brought this team together and Rex Ryan used it as a motivating factor to "build the impossible dream."  Don't get me wrong--Ryan did not only use words--he devised unique game plans that quite frankly, parked his "blitz first" mentality at the door knowing his defense needed a different strategy against both the Colts and the hated Patriots.  It's the mark of a great coach to be flexible enough to change philosophies in order to win.  Pat Riley did it with the Knicks as his philosophy changed dramatically from his "Showtime" Laker teams when he came to The Big Apple.  His Knicks were "lunch pail players" that were physical and mostly about defense and rebounding, aside from Patrick Ewing's offensive prowess.  But he did it because it was the shortest road to winning and that is the biggest strength of Rex Ryan.

I know he's cocky and brash and will mix it up with anyone but make no mistake--he is a tireless worker and an innovative game planner.  And the adjustments he makes at halftime round out his resume as a complete coach.  But the real value in Rex is he has an impeccable sense of what his team needs.  Last week, he needed to be brash because of the history with the Patriots but this week, he's been humble and my sense is that's because this game will be more about bulk than syle.  So, expect the Jets to build a more aggressive defensive game plan with complex blitz packages designed to confuse a Steeler offensive line that is hurting.

The Jets are breathing hard on their first Super Bowl appearance since 1969 and moments before kickoff I am sure Jet fans will think about the tarp that was missing in Miami in 1982, the second half meltdown in Denver, or last year succumbing to the arm and brain of Peyton Manning.  But I suspect those thoughts will be long gone later in the night as Rex Ryan may finally deliver to Jet fans what so many coaches failed to do--a trip to the greatest of all sport spectacles--a Super Bowl.

And that will make Rex Ryan's name reasonate in this town much in the same way the names Davey Johnson, Mike Keenan, and Bill Parcells did when they satisfied long-suffering fans of their teams.  It would be rarified air for a coach who would deserve every inch of praise that he would receive.