In his final start of season, Jon Niese (far l.) reacts to making an out after ignoring bunt sign, but Terry Collins does not immediately yank pitcher after resulting dugout confrontation.
If Jon Niese has become the pitcher the Mets are most inclined to trade this winter, as Sandy Alderson looks to acquire a shortstop without surrendering any of his young, power arms, it’s not necessarily because he got into a dugout confrontation with Terry Collins during his final start of the season.
But it could be an intriguing footnote of sorts.
To be fair, it’s important to note that Niese has often reacted emotionally to being taken out of games by Collins, showing his displeasure in a manner the manager never considered disrespectful.
“I have zero problem with Jon Niese’s competitiveness,” Collins said by phone on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, in his final start of the season, according to multiple sources, Niese may have crossed the line.
In the third inning of that Friday night home game against the Astros, after Ruben Tejada had drawn a walk, Collins signaled for his pitcher to bunt. With the corner infielders charging, however, Niese decided to swing away and flied out, thereby angering his manager.
According to players and coaches who were there, Collins jumped Niese as he came back to the dugout:
“What the f--- was that?’’ the manager demanded.
“They were coming down my throat so I tried to slash,” Niese said.
“Next time get the bunt down like we told you,” Collins continued.
“F--- you,” Niese said to Collins. “Take me out if you don’t like it.”
The exchange was obviously heated, and while Collins on Wednesday didn’t acknowledge that Niese challenged him in quite that manner, he did admit that in his younger days as a manager, “Somebody would have had to get in the middle to break it up.”
Instead Collins said he sent Niese on his way by barking at him, “Just play the game right.”
Still, you can make the case that he could have pulled Niese to send a message, especially as the Mets were playing out the string, but Collins said he didn’t feel it was necessary.
“I know Jon like the back of my hand,” he said. “He’s so wired during a game, when you say something to him in a situation like that he snaps.
Jonathon Niese"s teammates are used to him acting like a "knucklehead" when his temper gets the best of him.
Niese!!!
If Jon Niese has become the pitcher the Mets are most inclined to trade this winter, as Sandy Alderson looks to acquire a shortstop without surrendering any of his young, power arms, it’s not necessarily because he got into a dugout confrontation with Terry Collins during his final start of the season.
But it could be an intriguing footnote of sorts.
To be fair, it’s important to note that Niese has often reacted emotionally to being taken out of games by Collins, showing his displeasure in a manner the manager never considered disrespectful.
“I have zero problem with Jon Niese’s competitiveness,” Collins said by phone on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, in his final start of the season, according to multiple sources, Niese may have crossed the line.
In the third inning of that Friday night home game against the Astros, after Ruben Tejada had drawn a walk, Collins signaled for his pitcher to bunt. With the corner infielders charging, however, Niese decided to swing away and flied out, thereby angering his manager.
According to players and coaches who were there, Collins jumped Niese as he came back to the dugout:
“What the f--- was that?’’ the manager demanded.
“They were coming down my throat so I tried to slash,” Niese said.
“Next time get the bunt down like we told you,” Collins continued.
“F--- you,” Niese said to Collins. “Take me out if you don’t like it.”
The exchange was obviously heated, and while Collins on Wednesday didn’t acknowledge that Niese challenged him in quite that manner, he did admit that in his younger days as a manager, “Somebody would have had to get in the middle to break it up.”
Instead Collins said he sent Niese on his way by barking at him, “Just play the game right.”
Still, you can make the case that he could have pulled Niese to send a message, especially as the Mets were playing out the string, but Collins said he didn’t feel it was necessary.
“I know Jon like the back of my hand,” he said. “He’s so wired during a game, when you say something to him in a situation like that he snaps.
Jonathon Niese"s teammates are used to him acting like a "knucklehead" when his temper gets the best of him.
Niese!!!
and what do you think it would take to get him?
