Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Ryan Church is Still Angry



It’s rumored that Ryan Church and Manager Jerry Manuel did not have the best relationship while Church was with the Mets, but Tuesday’s verbal sparring just goes to show you, Ryan is not over it.

It began with a simple statement from Manuel regarding the difference between David Wright and Ryan Church’s concussions. Manuel said Wright’s injury was a “different animal,” which Church believed was a low blow targeting his toughness. Manuel later apologized saying he meant nothing ill of Ryan.

It’s not hard to see why Church would get upset after the way his health was handled last season. After suffering his second concussion in three months at the knee of Yunel Escobar the Mets allowed Church to continue playing instead of immediately placing him on the DL like they have done with David Wright. All you need to do is look at his pre- and post-concussion statistics to see that was not the right move.

“From the outside looking in, the smartest thing to do obviously was to go on [the DL]. But for me, I was trying to just get back and play. I mean, they were telling me if I would have went out there and got another one, my career would have been over. And that didn't really sink in. And it wasn't like anybody was telling me, no, don't do it, go on the DL,” Church said.

Manuel claims the reason the situation was handled poorly was because Church and the Mets were not communicating well. They guy was suffering from his second concussion in three months; I am surprised he knew his name.

"I would be trying not to throw up. Standing in the outfield, just spinning like no other. Just trying to take those deep breaths, like just trying to relax myself, don't get all panicky," Church said. "It went on and off the whole year, but mostly the bad stuff was when I first came back. It was way too soon."

Eventually the Mets placed Church on the DL and he appeared to suffer from post-concussion effects for the remainder of the season. Personally, I don’t think they needed to get constant status updates from Church to know that he should have been placed on the DL immediately after his second concussion. A med student or a really smart middle schooler taking biology could have told you that. They kept him in the lineup because he had a hot bat. But in the end, the Mets only shot themselves in the foot because Church was never able to regain his early swagger at the plate.

Now that Church is with the Braves, it appears the bad blood between he and the Mets continues to flow.
(Photo: Getty Images & AP; source)

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