So Paul Lo Duca is mad at the Mets. So big deal. I feel so sorry for him having to go to the Nationals for 5 million dollars for one year. Gees, life can be tough. The Mets former catcher is upset that the Mets never contacted him over the winter, never offered him a new contract. Lo Duca really did want to come back to the Mets. He loved the energy of
Lo Duca was a media favorite because the feisty catcher never was short for words. He spoke from the hip never offering the patent clichés attributed to most athletes. Maybe, in part, it was his lip that contributed for not being considered this season. Lo Duca’s temper also caused much concern with the Mets brass. Far too often Lo Duca got tossed out of the game, often over called strikes. As a catcher, you would think Paul would have a better sense of working the home plate umpire. It’s never a good thing to get into the face of someone you are depending on to give your pitcher the proper call.
In a crucial game down the stretch last season, Lo Duca, while at bat, got thrown out over a called pitch. His replacement, Mike DiFelice dropped a foul pop having just come into the game. Ultimately that play caused the Mets to lose the contest. You can’t say Lo Duca would have caught the ball. But when your star catcher gets thrown out in a crucial game because he lost focus of what was most important, it had to cause Mets officials to scratch their head. And it wasn’t the first time.
There was also the off field stuff the Mets didn’t like. His relationships with young women and his horse racing involvement was the kind of publicity the Mets simply do not like. There is even some speculation that the Mets settled for Lo Duca back in 2006 when ownership decided not to spend the money on free agent catchers. The point is apparently there was never a love affair between the Mets and Paul Lo Duca. The same cannot be said of his teammates and the fans. Paul was a fan favorite. Although combative, he left it all out on the field. His teammates also appreciated his fiery approach.
This off season, the Mets really wanted Jorge Posada but never really stood a chance with him returning to the Yankees. Then there was the Yorvit Torrealba fiasco. The Mets were close to signing him then backed off after a physical. The Mets then traded Guillermo Mota to
Whatever the reason, it was clear the Mets wanted Lo Duca out. I’m sure his remarks last season about the Latin players did not endear him to Mets management either. However, Lo Duca’s was a good hitter who is no longer in the lineup. This could be a problem for the Mets especially if Carlos Delgado is truly becoming an over the hill player. Schneider is a superior defensive catcher than Lo Duca and will help the pitchers tremendously. But his bat is not what Lo Duca’s was and that’s where Paul will be missed.
Look, stuff like this happens in sports. Ballplayers, like the rest of us, have personalities. Some get along with each other and management and some don’t. There will be times this season when we will miss Lo Duca. There will be other times when we are glad he’s no longer here. The truth is what we really root for is the laundry. Lo Duca no longer wears a Mets uniform. Schneider does and if he ever gets over his tight ham string, we will root hard for him. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s why I do not feel at all sorry for Lo Duca this morning. Good luck to him, better luck to our guy.
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