CHICAGO — Mets fans trudging toward the exits at Wrigley Field after Sunday’s gut-wrenching walk-off loss to the Cubs didn’t hide their displeasure with manager Carlos Mendoza.
“F—ing fire Mendoza!" one fan barked toward Mets beat reporters outside the visiting clubhouse minutes after Nico Hoerner’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.
“If Mendoza is still the manager tomorrow morning, I’m done being a fan,” another yelled in the concourse.
Seeing reporters begin to enter the clubhouse, one more distraught fan called out: “We suck! Report that!”
That’s what happens during an 11-game losing streak that has sunk the Mets to 7-15.
As Mendoza wrapped up his postgame press conference, addressing his decision not to walk Hoerner with two bases open in the 10th inning, and New York’s reeling lineup, the manager was asked about his job security.
“I know questions like this are going to come up,” Mendoza said. “I’m spending my energy to continue to manage, continue to lead, continue to coach, continue to support. That’s what I’m doing right now.”
While Mendoza might not have the support of this team’s fed-up fan base, or at least a large chunk of it, it’s a different story inside the Mets’ locker room.
Multiple veterans spoke strongly in favor of the skipper after Sunday’s 2-1 loss, taking the blame for the way this group has devastatingly underperformed to begin this season.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “This is not on him. He’s made sure everybody here is prepared, every coach here is prepared and we have the information. It comes down on us.”
Lindor continued: “Mendy is our guy, he’s our leader, he’s in control and he’s done a tremendous job. We just haven’t executed. It would be unfair to put everything on him, because at the end of the day, he has gotten the ship in the right direction. The people are paddling, we gotta paddle and execute.”
Closer Devin Williams, who blew a one-run lead in the ninth inning on an RBI double from ex-Met Michael Conforto, was similarly adamant.
“It’s absolutely on us [as players],” Williams said. “He doesn’t swing a bat and he doesn’t throw a baseball. We’ve been in a lot of these games. It’s been close. Him or somebody else is not affecting that. If we’re not getting the job done, somebody else isn’t going to just magically flip a switch and we’re going to get it done. He’s putting guys in good positions. We’re not performing.”
Whether it’s on Mendoza or not, the noise surrounding his job security is only going to get louder as this losing streak persists.
What the Mets’ higher-ups need to decide is whether they want to send a message with Mendoza or stick it out, trusting that the third-year manager is the right person to bring out the best in this team.
Judging by the comments made by president of baseball operations David Stearns made on Friday in Chicago, Mendoza is safe. But that can certainly change.
“I think Mendy is doing a really good job,” Stearns said. “I think he’s putting our players in a position to succeed. He’s enormously consistent.”
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