Point, Counterpoint: Is Jose Reyes' Batting Title Tainted?

Jose Reyes Wins NL Batting Title

After a drama-filled day, New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes won the National League batting title Wednesday, the first in franchise history. Reyes finished the year with a .337 average, while his closest competitor, Ryan Braun, finished with a .332 mark. Braun went 0-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, while Reyes went 1-for-1 against the Cincinnati Reds.

The team released this statement from Reyes:

"I just want to say I’m humbled and honored to win the batting title. It means so much to my family and my country, the Dominican Republic. I have been through a lot over the past few years so this really means a lot to me. It’s also very special to be the first Mets player to win a batting title. There have been so many great players throughout our history. I want to thank Terry Collins, my coaches and all my teammates and of course all the Mets fans who have always supported me and been behind me 100 percent."

This batting title will certainly leave a bitter taste in baseball fans’ and Mets fans’ mouths as the 28-year-old bunted for a single in the first inning and then was lifted — upon his request — in order to preserve his lead. His decision to remove himself from the game was a controversial one. General baseball followers felt he should earn it by playing out the rest of the game, while Mets fans wanted to see their homegrown (and a fan favorite) talent play longer in what could’ve been his last game in a Mets uniform.

Regardless of what transpired during the final day of the season (and whether he won), Reyes’ season was spectacular. He finishes the year with a .337/.384/.493 line with seven home runs, 44 RBI, 101 runs and 39 stolen bases.

Mets' Jose Reyes Asked To Leave Game After Single To Protect NL Batting Title Lead

The 3-0 New York Mets' victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field was a sidenote to what occurred with (essentially now) free agent star shortstop Jose Reyes in the first inning of the game.

Facing a 1-0 count, Reyes decided to drop down a bunt for a base hit, which effectively padded his narrow lead -- .337057 to .334525 -- for the National League batting title over Ryan Braun. But in a shocking move, Reyes was pulled from the game for Justin Turner by manager Terry Collins. Or at least at the time, that's what we all thought.

In what could very well be his last game as a Met, the electric 28-year-old played just over a half-inning because he requested to be taken out of the game if he singled in his first at bat. Fans booed, some SNY announcers frowned the move and Twitter was abuzz with comments effectively likening the Mets to cowards and that this would create another public relations nightmare for a team that seems out of touch with its fans and the media.

Reyes told the media after the game that he understands how much the fans wanted to see him play, but winning the NL batting title is very important to him. It would be the franchise's first NL batting champion.

"I said, 'If I go 1-for-1, take me out of the game,'" Reyes said as quoted by ESPN NY's Adam Rubin. "And I did that. If I went 0-for-1, maybe I'm still in the game until I get a hit. ... I wanted to stay in the game, but (Mets fans) have to understand, too, what's going on. They have to feel happy about it if I win the batting title. I do that for the team, for the fans too, because they've been supporting me all the way through. I've (had) throughout my career a lot of ups and downs here with a lot of injuries. One thing I do all the time is give 100 percent on the field."

The thing is, Braun could still claim the title if he smacks at least three hits in no more than four at-bats Wednesday night against the Pirates, so for Reyes, this will either be a spot-on decision, or a very premature one.

But what does his closest competitor think about the whole thing? Braun had a very classy response:

"I respect whatever decision he decided to make, and ultimately he left the door open for me," Braun told MLB.com. "I know it's not impossible. I've gotten three hits in a game plenty of times. It's still attainable, still a possibility. If he had stayed in the game and gotten multiple hits, it would not have been a possibility at all. I respect whatever decision he decided to make, and I'm not really here to judge him."

Following the game, an emotional Collins spoke about the respect he cultivated with his players this season, and he did not want to put it at risk by not complying with Reyes' request.

"I understand," Collins said. "I heard some comments in the stands. I don't blame them. People pay a good price to come to these games. You've got to understand that I ask these players to do a lot. We worked hard to get their respect this year, and they deserve ours."

While it may appear to be a weak request on Reyes' part, this is not the first time a player has left a game to protect his batting-race title. Dave Schoenfield of ESPN has a blog with few of the names he came up with off the bat: Ken Griffey Sr. in 1976, Bill Madlock in 1983, Willie Wilson in 1982, Bill Mueller in 2003, Terry Pendleton in 1991 and Tim Raines in 1986.

And Reyes has no regrets about that choice:

"I don't care what people say. Last year I played seven innings, and in the seventh inning I came out of the game -- the last game. I don't care what people think. I was happy. I discussed it with Terry early."

Altogether, while Mets fans should be disappointed if Reyes bolts town this offseason this is not the moment they should remember him for.

New York Mets Pull Jose Reyes To Help Him Win Batting Title

For a franchise that seems to botch everything, just add this one to the list.  One of the few interesting things the New York Mets have had the second half of the season has been Jose Reyes' attempt to win the NL batting title, as he has traded the lead with Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers countless times.

With the players neck-and-neck going into Wednesday's 162nd game of the season, may the best man win...  right?  Not when you are dealing with the Mets.

After Reyes led off the game with a bunt single, manager Terry Collins pinch-ran Justin Turner for his shortstop to try and give him a better chance to win the batting title.

That's right, in what very well be Reyes' final game in a Mets uniform, he came out after one at-bat.  The select few that decided to waste their day at Citi Field made their dissatisfaction heard, especially when Turner made his first plate appearance in the third inning.

Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner was in the booth for the SNY broadcast and was more than happy to rip the Mets latest screw up.

"They cannot win this one," Kiner said.  "There is no argument that's going to stand up when you take a player out of the game when he's playing chicken."

There's no better example of how this sort of situation is supposed to be handled than when Ted Williams hit .400.  Entering the final day of the season Williams held an average right at .400 and could have sat out the team's doubleheader.  Instead, Williams played in both games, went 6-for-8 and finished at an astounding .406.

If Braun is unable to catch Reyes tonight (3-for-4 will do the trick), no matter where he plays next season, he should not be recognized for it and the team should stick their "Commemorative Jose Reyes Batting Champion" merchandise someplace special.

Mets Vs. Reds: Will Jose Reyes Be The NL Batting King?

(Sports Network) – Veteran right-hander Miguel Batista starts his fourth game with the New York Mets when they end the 2011 season with the finale of a three-game series against Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field.

Batista began the year with 26 appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals before coming to the Mets, who became his 11th major-league team since he debuted as a 21-year-old rookie with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992.

The 40-year-old Dominican made his first start with the Mets on Sept. 1 against Florida and followed it with two more starts before five consecutive straight relief appearances through Sept. 24.

He’s 1-0 with New York with a 3.74 earned run average in 21 2/3 innings.

In 20 career games against the Reds, Batista is 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

The Reds reply with former all-star Edinson Volquez, who’s not won since June 29. The 28-year-old Dominican won at Tampa Bay to get to 3-7 on the season, but was sent to the minors after allowing six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings at St. Louis in July 5.

He’s made three September starts and gone 0-2 with a no-decision while giving up 16 hits and 10 runs in 16 2/3 innings against Colorado, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

Vazquez is 0-1 in two starts against the Mets with a 7.71 ERA.

On Tuesday, Drew Stubbs executed a go-ahead squeeze bunt as the Reds edged the Mets, 5-4, in 13 innings.

Juan Francisco slapped a one-out triple in the right-center field gap off of Dale Thayer (0-3) to set-up Stubbs for the squeeze that went toward third base.

Francisco Cordero earned his 37th save although he walked four in the 13th. Justin Turner hit into a game-ending unassisted double play when he lined out to Todd Frazier at second.

Jay Bruce had three hits, including a two-run homer for the Reds, who have won three straight.

Sam LeCure (2-1) picked up the win with a 1-2-3 12th.

Jose Reyes (.336) continued his pursuit of the first NL batting title in Mets history by going 3-for-6 with a pair of solo home runs. He leads the Brewers’ Ryan Braun (.335), who went 1-for-2 in Tuesday’s game against the Pirates.

The Mets swept a four-game set in Cincinnati from July 25-28.

Manager Terry Collins' Contract Extended Through 2013, New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson Announces

New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson announced on Tuesday that the team has decided to exercise manager Terry Collins' option for 2013, ensuring stability within the clubhouse for at least one more year. Collins signed a two-year deal this past offseason, and this extension means that the 62-year-old's status won't be up in the air next season.

"I'm proud of the way the players have played," Collins said after the loss to the Reds, as quoted by Adam Rubin of ESPN NY. "We're not happy with the wins and losses. But we hung in there."

When Mets ownership brought in Alderson to be the general manager, he desired a manager who not only jived with his philosophies and commanded respect in the clubhouse, but also one who was comfortable with the organization's younger players.

His first year at the helm was not the best one, as the Mets will finish in fourth place in the NL East, currently with a 76-85 record, but Alderson sees promise in adding some steadiness within that part of the organization.

Alderson's statement regarding the decision says it all:

"We're very pleased with the job that Terry has done -- a tremendous work ethic, extremely knowledgeable, a great baseball man, but also knowledgeable about players in our system," Alderson said. "He communicates well. He has just done a terrific job in leading our team under sometimes difficult circumstances ...

"... One of the things I think I've mentioned from time to time is we've made every effort to change the perception of the New York Mets baseball. Terry has gone a long way toward doing that. "

Alderson also praised Collins' communication with the players and fans, and really likes the fact that the manager's tone has not changed since Day 1, despite the team's struggles.

But his most telling comment is that he wants to change the face of Mets baseball. He knows how this organization has been looked (or frowned) upon over the past decade or so (or even longer than that). You won't change the peception of a team in one season, but Alderson has certainly brought credibility to the organization in less than a year's work. Keeping Collins around means, essentially, that it's one less thing the team has to worry about over the next year. Fewer questions to answer about whether Collins will be back for 2013. There's something to be said about not having to deal with that over the course of the season and the Mets made sure it won't happen next year.

Is it the right move?

It's hard to judge a manager based upon one season, and I'm a believer that they don't do much but help cultivate a personality for the team, manage the bullpen and set a batting order. But Collins did inherit a team with a lot of question marks, then had to deal with financial distractions and trades of its best hitter and closer during the year. Coaches can't make up for a lack of talent, but I think Collins did a good job creating togetherness for this team, being upfront with his players and their roles (which Jerry Manuel never really did) and keeping all the players fresh throughout the season to make them feel like a part of the club.

It's also obvious that he has a good rapport with the younger players on this team. Part of it was just these guys being given a chance, but recognizing that it was a "down" year, Collins gave players like Lucas Duda, Ruben Tejada and Nick Evans time to prove their cases, as well as giving Justin Turner a shot at second base and Bobby Parnell chances in high-leverage situations. Because of their exposure at the end of the year, the front office and Collins now have a better read about their futures.

Collins is deserving of sticking around, but if there's one thing this symbolizes for the organization, it's that with Alderson in charge, there's a top-to-bottom effort now in the organization to be on the same page with a philosophy that all agree upon. Collins is just an extension of that.

Mets-Reds Score: Stubbs' 13th-Inning Squeeze Bunt Downs Mets, But Reyes Still NL Batting Leader

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Drew Stubbs executed a go-ahead squeeze bunt as the Cincinnati Reds edged the New York Mets, 5-4, in 13 innings.

Juan Francisco slapped a one-out triple in the right-center field gap off of Dale Thayer (0-3) to set-up Stubbs for the squeeze that went toward third base.

Francisco Cordero earned his 37th save although he walked four in the 13th. Justin Turner hit into a game-ending unassisted double play when he lined out to Todd Frazier at second.

Jay Bruce had three hits, including a two-run homer for the Reds, who have won three straight.

Sam LeCure (2-1) picked up the win with a 1-2-3 12th.

Jose Reyes (.336) continued his pursuit of the first NL batting title in Mets history by going 3-for-6 with a pair of solo home runs. He leads the Brewers' Ryan Braun (.335) ,who went 1-for-2 in Tuesday's game against the Pirates.

Bruce gave the Reds a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning with a line-drive home run down the right-field line. The Mets gave Cincinnati another opportunity when they were unable to turn a double play when Joey Votto grounded to second, as Reyes bounced his throw to first.

The Mets cut Cincinnati's advantage in its half in the home first with an RBI single by David Wright.

Reyes tied the game in the third with a solo shot to right-center field, and then gave the Mets a 3-2 lead in the fifth when he circled the bases a second time in as many at-bats.

Votto belted an opposite field home run to left-center field to even the score again in the sixth.

Nick Evans laced a one-out double in the home sixth, and Josh Thole brought him home with a single up the middle to make it a 4-3 game.

Francisco tied it up in the ninth with a two-out double, which plated Dave Sappelt who came on to pinch run for Devin Mesoraco. Mesoraco slapped a single to left, and reached second when Edgar Renteria singled.

Mets At Reds: Capuano Looks To Reach .500, End Season On High Note

(Sports Network) – Right-hander Bronson Arroyo gets a final 2011 crack at a seventh double-digit win season tonight when the Cincinnati Reds visit the New York Mets in the middle test of a three-game series at Citi Field.

Arroyo, a 34-year-old native of Key West, Fla., has won 10 or more games in four of five seasons with the Reds since he was acquired from Boston in a trade for Wily Mo Pena.

He was a double-digit winner twice for the Red Sox, including a 10-9 record in 32 appearances for the 2004 World Series champions.

His 17 wins last season were a career high.

Arroyo got within a game of win No. 10 with a gem in his last start, when he tossed a six-hit shutout against the Houston Astros while walking none and striking out two in a 2-0 decision on Sept. 21.

He is 7-3 in 12 career start against the Mets with a 3.49 earned run average across 87 2/3 innings.

On Monday, Chris Heisey’s three-run home run powered the Reds to a 6-5 victory.

Logan Ondrusek (5-5) stranded two runners in the sixth inning to earn the win in relief of starter Homer Bailey, who tossed five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Francisco Cordero put two runners on with no outs in the ninth, but worked out of the jam to earn his 36th save of the year.

Tim Byrdak (2-1) allowed two hits before Josh Stinson gave up Heisey’s homer.

Jose Reyes went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored as the Mets dropped their second straight contest.

New York starts lefty Chris Capuano, who finishes off an unlikely comeback season with a chance to reach .500.

The 33-year-old was an 18-game winner with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005 and won 11 games the next season, but won just five times in 2007 and was out of the majors until returning with the Brewers to win four games in 24 appearances in 2010.

He signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Mets in January.

Capuano is 1-0 with a no-decision in his last three September starts and is 3-3 in 14 career meetings with the Reds.

The Mets swept a four-game set in Cincinnati from July 25-28.

Mets Vs. Reds: Chris Heisey's Seventh-Inning Home Run Too Much For New York