from the nypost.com:



Franco: 'No leadership there'

MILWAUKEE -- Longtime Mets closer John Franco blasted his struggling former team in a radio interview this week, saying there is no leadership in the clubhouse and "too much individuality."

Franco, who became the Mets' all-time saves leader during his 1990-2004 stint, was a guest instructor with the team during spring training this year. He might not be invited back after his withering criticism in an interview Tuesday with Sirius XM radio.

Franco refused to accept that injuries -- the Mets have nine players on the DL -- are totally responsible for the club's slide into third place in the NL East.

"You know, there's still something missing there," Franco said. " I don't know what it is the last couple of years. Watching them almost every day, there's no leadership there. Nobody wants to step forward and be a leader. Something is missing, and it's hard to put your finger on it.

"They got some great, talented players -- [Jose] Reyes and [David] Wright and [Carlos] Beltran, now [Johan] Santana's there -- but I just can't put my finger on it. It seems like, to me, they're not having fun, even when they were winning.

"Playing in New York, the pressure cooker here, so I'm sure there's a lot of pressure on them, but they need to relax a little bit and look like they're having fun. It kind of looks like they're not having fun and everybody's on their own page."

Franco, who was selected a captain during his stint with the Mets, admitted that he approached Wright in spring training about performing the same role or providing more vocal leadership but was rebuffed.

"I tried talking to him and tell him to come forward and be that guy, but I think David feels that being that he's such a young player and you have the [Carlos] Delgados and [Gary] Sheffields and veteran guys like that, he's afraid that they'll look at him like, 'Be quiet and sit down,''' Franco said.

Franco said he saw Jerry Manuel's emphasis on fundamentals up-close during spring training, which is why Franco is incredulous at their repeated mental mistakes.

"Every day you go in the meeting room and [fundamentals] are what they talk about," Franco said of Manuel and his coaches. "[The players] go out on the field and do it. But once the game starts, I think they have maybe too much individuality, where guys are worried about their own stats instead of worrying about getting the guy over, not stealing third base with two outs, which is really meaningless."

Former big-league manager Kevin Kennedy, one of the show's hosts, told Franco that he thought the Mets were more a collection of individuals and not a team. Franco did not disagree.

"And if they don't win, guys pack their bags and they go home for winter and they say, 'OK, I get my paycheck and that's it,''' Franco said. "So something's not right there, and hopefully they'll get it right soon because otherwise it's going to be a long summer.

"Thank God the Phillies aren't playing as well, otherwise they would be a lot further back than they are right now."


Age has nothing to do with leadership,Mr. Wright....It has everything to do with the desire to lead knowing the outcome will be better with you at the helm...but,desire is the key word..and the way david keeps backing off from this role,and the excuses he gives,telle me everything i need to know.

BTW.Mr.Franco is spot on..

I think Franco isn't around the team anywhere near enough to credibly say what he has. Ron Darling has that credibility, Franco doesn't and, IMO, should shut up. The ever growing toxicity of hostility amongst Mets fans and out-of-line media might serve to dissuade any free agent of sound mind to sign here, let alone resigning our own players.

Tol..
You give Kudos to Darling in another thread for telling the truth...and yet you blast Franco??

In his words,he approached Wright during ST and his advise fell on deaf ears...
You and I are are not anywhere around this team at all either,yet,if I am not mistaken,we both agree,in different posts,the mets are sadly lacking a leader....Am I wrong??

To be fair...read david's response:

ILWAUKEE -- David Wright is tired of having his leadership questioned, and he isn't about to take flak from John Franco.

The Mets third baseman fired back Wednesday at the former closer, who ripped Wright and his teammates for their lack of leadership, mental errors and selfish play in a radio interview Tuesday.

Here was Wright's response after Wednesday's game:

"With all due respect to Johnnie, he doesn't know what's going on in this clubhouse. I don't feel the need to have to defend myself as a leader. If these guys in here respect me and think of me as a leader, that's what I need. I don't worry myself about outside people saying what they're going to say, because it doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is these 24 guys in here and that coaching staff. Whatever anyone else wants to say, they can say whatever. But what's important to me is what these guys think."

Manager Jerry Manuel laughed when told about Franco's remarks. He said he didn't agree with Franco's assertion that the team lacks clubhouse leaders, and cited shortstop Alex Cora as an example.

"I think when a guy plays with a torn ligament in his thumb and does all the things he has to do, that's leadership," Manuel said

Well,do we have "A" leader or not?????

IMHO, we still may be lacking in that department..

quote:

Originally posted by Tolerance:
I think Franco isn't around the team anywhere near enough to credibly say what he has. Ron Darling has that credibility, Franco doesn't and, IMO, should shut up. The ever growing toxicity of hostility amongst Mets fans and out-of-line media might serve to dissuade any free agent of sound mind to sign here, let alone resigning our own players.

Tolerance. That's three post's in a row I agree with you. Somethings wrong with this picture, that we're on the same page. Is it me or is it you?

Franco is not in the clubhouse, so he doesn't know what's going on. Talk about selfish. That was Franco when he and Leiter talked Duquette into trading Kazmire. That's thinking team first right?

I will agree with Franco that Delgado is certainly not that leader we needed, and is one that goes home to his family in the winter and counts his money. You don't have to be in the clubhouse to see that. He never wanted to be here in the first place. Hopefully we will never have to see him on the field or spread his poison in the clubhouse again.
Believe it or not even with all their money, MOST players like to hear the cheers. Delgado could care less.

Franco was about as selfish as they come as a player in NY. His opinion of himself as a leader far outweighed the reality while he was here. Plus, he was an ahole to the fans. He has no clue what is going on in this clubhouse. What is his involvement in baseball these days?

what does franco know about 'fun'??

he made the mets trade kazmir because he played his music too loud.

quote:

Originally posted by nysalsa4ever:
Franco was about as selfish as they come as a player in NY. His opinion of himself as a leader far outweighed the reality while he was here. Plus, he was an ahole to the fans. He has no clue what is going on in this clubhouse. What is his involvement in baseball these days?

Wow! What hypocrisy we seem to have here.

First, Franco is blasted by you all because "he isn't around the team to know..." But then, you all start throwing comments about Franco that you can't possibly back because you have never spent even a day with the guy.

Metsfan: You might be interested in knowing that Al Leiter personally refuted that story just yesterday. As HE was a principle in the story, I would expect he'd know better than you.

Salsa: Selfish? In what way? The guy was a HUGE fan favorite when he was here. Why wasn't this an issue then? Oh, and his involvement included being IN THE CLUBHOUSE most of spring.

Tol: What has happened to you? You used to be rational. What did Franco say that was so wrong? You don't have to be in the clubhouse to see many of the very observations he made. Are you suggesting that fans should applaud this mess that Omar put together? Heck, go back and read the threads on this board. Many of his thoughts have been written here ad-nauseum.

quote:

Originally posted by hodges69:
Tol..
You give Kudos to Darling in another thread for telling the truth...and yet you blast Franco??

In his words,he approached Wright during ST and his advise fell on deaf ears...
You and I are are not anywhere around this team at all either,yet,if I am not mistaken,we both agree,in different posts,the mets are sadly lacking a leader....Am I wrong??

My comments regarding leadership center on the manager and not on any specific players. How does Franco know what's going on inside that clubhouse with specific individuals that warrants he makes a slew of disparaging public comments that are readily disproven even via our own eyes - not long ago, David Wright givng a verbal spanking in the dugout to Pelfrey between innnigs.

Darling is however around the club on consistent basis and his comments did not single out specific individual players regarding leadership but spoke of many of the things that we fans readily see.

Franco owes David Wright a public apology. Big time.

quote:

Originally posted by brooklynmet:

quote:

Originally posted by Tolerance:
I think Franco isn't around the team anywhere near enough to credibly say what he has. Ron Darling has that credibility, Franco doesn't and, IMO, should shut up. The ever growing toxicity of hostility amongst Mets fans and out-of-line media might serve to dissuade any free agent of sound mind to sign here, let alone resigning our own players.

Tolerance. That's three post's in a row I agree with you. Somethings wrong with this picture, that we're on the same page. Is it me or is it you?

Franco is not in the clubhouse, so he doesn't know what's going on. Talk about selfish. That was Franco when he and Leiter talked Duquette into trading Kazmire. That's thinking team first right?

I will agree with Franco that Delgado is certainly not that leader we needed, and is one that goes home to his family in the winter and counts his money. You don't have to be in the clubhouse to see that. He never wanted to be here in the first place. Hopefully we will never have to see him on the field or spread his poison in the clubhouse again.
Believe it or not even with all their money, MOST players like to hear the cheers. Delgado could care less.

Geez - this is getting acary - you and I agreeing. What's this world coming to?

Franco should shut his mouth about things he doesn't know and certainly not go on-air and make accusations like he has. Apparently his spirit was hidden and hanging in the clubhouse when the rest of us were tuned into live broadcast of David Wright in the dugout giving Mike Pelfrey a tongue lashing between innings.

Plenty Mets fans soured on Franco toward the end of his career for some of the very things he demonstrated the other day - a lack of humility and making himself front and center.

quote:

Originally posted by luckysteve:
Wow! What hypocrisy we seem to have here.

First, Franco is blasted by you all because "he isn't around the team to know..." But then, you all start throwing comments about Franco that you can't possibly back because you have never spent even a day with the guy.

Metsfan: You might be interested in knowing that Al Leiter personally refuted that story just yesterday. As HE was a principle in the story, I would expect he'd know better than you.

Salsa: Selfish? In what way? The guy was a HUGE fan favorite when he was here. Why wasn't this an issue then? Oh, and his involvement included being IN THE CLUBHOUSE most of spring.

Tol: What has happened to you? You used to be rational. What did Franco say that was so wrong? You don't have to be in the clubhouse to see many of the very observations he made. Are you suggesting that fans should applaud this mess that Omar put together? Heck, go back and read the threads on this board. Many of his thoughts have been written here ad-nauseum.

I've been commenting about Franco's perceived knowledge of the inner workings of this team's leadership amongst players day in and out. It's not his place to go on a talk show and comment about something he's barely around to see, and specifically, to chew out David Wright which doesn't even gel with what we fans see on TV. We've seen David Wright go to the mound to settle down pitchers. We've seen him chew out Mike Pelfrey between innings. David Wright exhibits leadership contrary to Franco's comments.

More hot air from Franco , who ended his career here a shot closer mad at the Mets for not keeping him around yet another year even after all the chances they gave him to pitch , much more than any other team would've . In a recent interview he said he liked Dallas Green because he favored the vets and wanted a shorter spring training , to hell with the younger players needing that extra time - he must've despised the generation K pitchers . He didn't care for Kazmir either , advising his golf buddy Jeff Wilpon to dump him . Enough from the self absorbed Franco , who rightly shouldn't be anywhere around the team now or in the future !

"I've been commenting about Franco's perceived knowledge of the inner workings of this team's leadership amongst players day in and out."

Come on now! Franco isn't some stranger off the street. He has enough experience to know what he was seeing, and he spent enough time during the spring to verify his theory. Further, his theory has been espoused countless times on this very board...and we've NEVER had access to the inner workings.

"It's not his place to go on a talk show and comment about something he's barely around to see..."

What a ridicules statement. If that's the case, close down this board, because we are doing the exact same thing. Why shouldn't he offer opinions? Because YOU disagree? Rubbish. He's being honest and candid.

"...to chew out David Wright which doesn't even gel with what we fans see on TV..." So what you're saying is that what we SEE ON TV is more credible than his personal one on one experience. Let's keep something in mind, we never saw these "leadership" qualities from Wright until AFTER Delgado was gone. ISN'T THAT THE POINT FRANCO WAS MAKING???? (and the same observations have been made by DARLING and HERNANDEZ).

"We've seen David Wright go to the mound to settle down pitchers. We've seen him chew out Mike Pelfrey between innings."

Again, only post-Delgado.

I'm with Hodges on this, Franco hit it right on the head.

quote:

Originally posted by 97XBAM:
More hot air from Franco , who ended his career here a shot closer mad at the Mets for not keeping him around yet another year even after all the chances they gave him to pitch , much more than any other team would've . In a recent interview he said he liked Dallas Green because he favored the vets and wanted a shorter spring training , to hell with the younger players needing that extra time - he must've despised the generation K pitchers . He didn't care for Kazmir either , advising his golf buddy Jeff Wilpon to dump him . Enough from the self absorbed Franco , who rightly shouldn't be anywhere around the team now or in the future !

You're right! Franco is only the #4 career saves leader. We need to find players like Juan Samuel or Brett Saberhagen...maybe even Bobby Bonilla! Heck, with July 4th coming up, perhaps they can bring all three back for FIREWORKS night, and give away free bottles of CLOROX! Yeah...that's better!