Here is yesterday’s Billy Wagner Report with Michael Kay on 1050 ESPN Radio.

About the road trip:

“When you go .500 on a west coast trip that’s good but we could’ve easily went 4-2 on that trip. When you hit and pitch you win ball games, it goes hand in hand. I’ll tell one thing, Arizona has got a fantastic pitching staff, whoever they face in the playoffs is gonna have their hands full.”

On the aftermath of the Oliver Perez stuff and Willie Randolph’s reaction:

“Well, Willie didn’t know that I had spoke to Oliver before that. But how Willie reacted is understandable, he’s trying to protect his players. So, if he thinks it wasn’t handled right he’s gonna say something, Willie handled it correctly. He just didn’t know that I spoke to Oliver and settled it there and voiced my opinion. We had come to the conclusion that I handled it my way and he (Willie) would much rather it be handled a different way. But like he said, I’m Billy Wagner, I’m not the voice of the NY Mets and I don’t have any ownership or any command of that, but as a player I voice my opinion and that was it”

Will this incident muzzle you?

“No, I think they (the Mets) understand, that I wasn’t out there to say that I didn’t like Oliver Perez. I wasn’t trying to be critical personally. I was just saying from a player-team situation I felt we could have used a strong performance. There are times where you can’t go out and say things, you gotta handle it in house. There’s no doubt this was a situation where we were frustrated and felt like we needed a strong showing so I voiced my opinion and that’s all it was.”

Did Oliver ever say anything to you about what you said?

“Nah, no, nah, he never said anything and even though he didn’t fair too well in LA he competed. I mean he took a line drive off his stomach and honestly gave us a chance to win that game. He kept us in the game, with the opportunity to win. That’s what you want, you want to compete and he competed he went out there and gave us a great opportunity. So, after the game I get barraged by the media asking what I think and really it’s not my opinion it’s about what he did for our team. I mean he really stepped up. He could of very easily, after giving up some home runs and some runs, he could of shut it down but he went out there and competed and that’s what you really look for as a teammate. How much are you gonna give us. I know my day is coming when I’m gonna be criticized about a performance and I understand that and I can deal with that from up here from the experience of being a closer, it having been a criticized position.”

Every time Perez pitches the media is gonna ask you for a review:

“Well, that’s ok. That’s fine, we all have to be held accountable and your teammates are the best judge of how you perform and how you work. Your held at a higher standard by your teammates and you just have to be accountable.”

Do you think the fans are being ultra negative this year?

“No, I just think that’s just the nature of being a fan. I mean, when I blow a save they boo but that’s just the nature of the game. I think sometimes it can be malicious. When a guy is battling and trying to do everything he can, I mean you look at Carlos Delgado, the shift is involved and is a part of the game but I mean he hits the ball exactly where your supposed to. He’s been going up the middle and the other way. But he hits the ball hard and it’s right into the shift and a lot of times fans don’t see, he’s doing what he does. I mean if you don’t have that shift there he’s hitting .270/.280 and things are all happy go lucky. I remember in ‘06 before they really started putting that shift on him, he’s hitting .285/.290 and nobody’s saying a word. I mean the fans have to see he’s up there and he’s battling and competing. If the fans get on you to the point where everything you do is seen negatively. I mean Carlos Delgado is a great teammate. He works hard, he goes about his business as a professional. I guess its tough for me to see that type of player get that type of criticism. There are other reasons to boo, when you’re not hustling and you don’t show the effort. That’s when you boo. I mean the effort is there, he competes, he plays hard, he’s fantastic, I mean he really is. He doesn’t get his just do because of the average but you ask any pitcher, they don’t wanna go out there and have to face him. They can’t tell you how many times he hits a line drive right at somebody or a hard ground ball to a hole that the shift has taken away. I think he’s handled it a lot better than most.”

On the fans not forgetting about last year:

“I can understand that to. We should have won our division last year. I mean, the fans are
hungry, they want a championship. So do we, and until we go out there and get to the playoffs that’s not gonna be put behind us and we know that, we know that as a team we can’t let the crowd influence the way we play but we also know we won’t stop hearing about ‘07 until we play consistent baseball and get into the playoffs.”

What does Billy Wager do on an off day?

“Well, right now I’m outside with my kids (you can hear them in the background) who are waiting on me to hit ground balls and probably throw a little BP and just enjoy family.”

Do you bring it hard while throwing BP?

“They let me know when enoughs enough.”

Obviously, Billy’s trying to put the Ollie stuff behind him, he gave Ollie a lot of credit for staying in the Dodger game after getting hit in the stomach, but I get the feeling Billy was trying to take a bit of credit for Perez toughing it out and maybe he’s right.

His points about Delgado and the shift are good but only if the shift was employed often very late in Delgado’s career, Billy seems to think so, I really don’t know. But if Billy is right, that would seem to be tough, I can only assume to make an adjustment from a successful dead pull hitter to a go the other way (on the ground) type hitter has got to be hard. It makes sense, especially when your struggling to just automatically revert back to the things that got you here. I think when people say “just go the other way” or “lay down a bunt” they think it’s easy. We are talking about a guy who has had an extreme amount of success in his career and to ask him to become a different type of hitter, well, easier said than done. It takes a little more thought than “c’mon adjust”.

But that’s the problem with this whole booing thing in general. There is no thought process behind booing it’s pure emotion and immediate gratification. The player or team you root for is not coming through so BOOOO!… I’m not saying that everybody has to weigh all the pros and cons of their reactions at a ball game but if it affects the team you root for and spend your hard earned cash on, it seems to reason that if you can verbally have an effect on the players, positive or negative than you boo birds out there should give this some thought. At the same time that Wagner starts to say he doesn’t have a problem with the fan reaction he then goes into a long explanation about Delgado… No matter what they say, the effect is obvious… It is counterproductive. Be selfish, realize your hurting your team and with the media coverage, talk radio and the internet players know how every fan base reacts to their home team. SI’s Jon Heyman spoke about this exact point while talking about Mark Teixiera and where he may end up. To have a reputation as a “negative fan base” is not good no matter what the rational.

Dear Carlos Beltran,

The Mets faithful were giddy when their usually soft spoken center fielder said, “So this year, to Jimmy Rollins, we are the team to beat.”

Since then, the Mets have bumped and struggled into (going into last night) a 16-14 record.  People have said Carlos Delgado should be benched or released. For the NY Post, Joel Sherman wrote, “Delgado is to the Mets what Mike Mussina is to the Yankees: A once standout player whose current organization is hoping he can recapture just a piece of his past to survive the season competently.” Going into last night, Delgado was batting .216 with 4 HRs, 16 RBIs and a .313 OBP.

You Carlos, our soft spoken leader said this was our year.   Going into last night you were batting .221 with 2 HRs, 13 RBIs even though you had drawn 25 walks contributing to your .372 OBP.  That’s a lot of walks to begin the year, but we don’t need you to be hesitant at the plate and taking walks.  With your speed - another place and another time you could be a fantastic lead off hitter where your walks would be extremely valuable.  With Delgado struggling and Moises Alou hurt, it was you who had to produce runs.  And, you didn’t, so we only scored 112 runs in April, 25th in MLB.

So, I challenge you Carlos Beltran, step up your game. 

We probably should’ve expected Delgado to dip off by now. Come June, Delgado will be 36.  Since 2005, his stats have been going down, so we should’ve expected this sort of production from him pending him hitting some sort of renaissance (re-birth). However, you are the younger and better of the two members on this team named Carlos.  We’re not counting on Senor Delgado to produce runs for this team.  You my friend, though are still in your golden age - not that you need reminding but you are only 31 years old. 

You go to the plate and it is as if you are perfectly comfortable leaving that bat on your shoulder.  By no means am I saying you should stop drawing walks, but go up there and look to hit the ball.  Fans wonder why we’re not producing runs this year? You’re our clean up hitter and you’re batting .189 with runners in scoring position. Oh, but don’t worry, you have eight walks with runners in scoring position.  Walks aren’t scoring those runners. 

So, I challenge you Carlos Beltran, step up your game. 

Last year when Jimmy Rollins seemingly pompously predicted that the Philles would win the NL East, he backed it up.  He went out there, won the MVP and led the Phillies to the post season.  Carlos, you don’t call out your division rival and bring this sort of trash out to the plate day in and day out and expect to evade criticism.  Well here it is, I’m calling you out.  We don’t need Delgado to lead, he’s past his prime and was never as good as you.  Where is the stud that batted .435 in the postseason for the Astros, hitting eight home runs in 46 post season ABs in 2004?

As of now, you’re not that stud, but hopefully you can find him and tell him I want my all-star back.

Sincerely,

Andrew Beaton 

SI.com Jon Heyman spoke with WFAN’s Mike and the Mad Dog:

Heyman spoke about the Carlos Delgado situation and sided with Delgado saying, “I don’t blame him, they (the fans) were beating on him all year so far.” “It’s tough to just forgive and forget that fast.”

Heyman was asked what Mets ownership thinks about all this?

Heyman said they are concerned, not that the fans don’t have the right but the negativity and the booing could scare off future free agents. Heyman said he thinks the Mets will go after Mark Texeira this off season. He added that the Mets are really only counting on Fernado Martinez from their farm system and they think that this situation could interfere with signing Texeira and other potential free agents.

Exactly, Heyman came across like he heard this stuff right from the horses mouth but whether he did or not, it’s common sense. Why would anyone want to “work” in an environment that reeks of negativity when there are other choices? Last time I checked the money is pretty good no matter where they land. Cmon fellow Mets fans lets make these guys feel welcome. You know, Root, Root, Root for the home team…

Carlos Delgado spoke earlier with reporters, and Adam Rubin’s blog has the transcript containing the questions and answers people actually care about. No real details necessary, aside from the topic de jour, Delgado touches on a few other issues including last years collapse and his feelings on the fans booing their own team.

A few snippets: Delgado on being booed by your own fans:

It doesn’t feel good, it’s not a good feeling when someone is booing you. It hasn’t happened (like this) anywhere else. But I haven’t had such a bad stretch anywhere else either. I’m not happy about it, but I understand. It’s to up to us to play better.

On if his reactions had anything to do with the way the fans had treated him earlier:

You’re asking me to react what other people do, in this case 45,000 people. I’m a smart man, but I’m not that smart.

Its a good interview, though Delgado does his best to avoid certain topics (such as the God Bless America debate from years past). Head over to the News and check it out.

Former Mets top pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit has been optioned to AAA, to make room for Arizona phenom Max Scherzer.

Petit was the other top prospect dealt along with Mike Jacobs to the Marlins for Carlos Delgado following the 2005 season.  Petit was later traded in March of last year to the Diamondbacks for another Ex-Met by the name of Jorge Julio.

Petit has made it easy for the Mets to forget about him by posting 6.03 ERA thus far in his career.