Target Practice

By John Coppinger
Posted Friday, February 16, 2007

To paraphrase former Celtics head coach Rick Pitino: Kaz Matsui is not walking through that door, fans. Victor Zambrano is not walking through
that door and Roger Cedeno is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they’re going to get gray and old.

With no real targets for the boobirds in 2007, it’s not a small wonder that Mets fans seem desperate to grasp at anything close to a legitimate target. And look who happens to be walking through that door:

Why it’s none other than Shawn Green.

Poor guy can’t catch a break. I mean the season hasn’t even started yet and it seems to me that it seems to be a foregone conclusion that Shawn Green’s 2007 season is going to be a disaster. Yeah sure, he’s slow, he has no range, has less facial movement than Doyle Brunson with pocket aces, and if it weren’t for his hat flying around he’d show less animation than Kevin McReynolds running the forty-yard dash. But we’re talking about a 34-year-old seven hole hitter who hit .323 in the playoffs in 2006 who, after the Mets declined his option for ‘08, is now entering a potentially fruitful contract year. Yet it seems that those of us who haven’t predicted that he isn’t going to last the whole season as a starter seem to think that he isn’t even going to play baseball in 2008.

And we just started spring training!

You would think that a team that was one game away from going to the World Series last year, and shed possibly the last remaining legitimate boobird in Steve Trachsel would have earned at least the offseason without having the wolves show up at one of their doors. But alas, Shawn Green seems to be that guy. Maybe it’s because Endy Chavez, everyone’s favorite cult hero (including mine), remains on the bench. Maybe it’s because of Green’s slightly disproportionate contract to production ratio (which is a fancy-schmancy way of saying he makes a wee bit too much scratch). Or maybe it’s because his calm demeanor and non-descript aura just screams “Boo me out of town!”

Would it be too much to ask to wait until Shawn Green actually earns his boos? Well when you remember that Carlos Beltran was booed on Opening Day in 2006, yes…it’s probably too much to ask. Just like Michael Waltrip this Sunday at Daytona, Shawn Green is probably going to start the season with negative points in the deepest darkest rafters of Shea. But as we start the spring rituals of catchers blocking the plate, pitchers covering first base, and Dontrelle Willis trade rumors, it’s important for us to remember that before we arbitrarily boo Shawn Green on April 9th at Shea, remember how it used to be…and know that those days are long behind us. You know how I know that?

Steve Trachsel is not walking through that door. Braden Looper is not walking through that door. And Armando Benitez is not walking through that
door.

At least…I hope not.