Say WHAT?

I don’t know how it works for you. I usually don’t watch the entire pre-game, the game and the entire post-game. Sometimes I’ll watch the whole pre- or post-game but usually they’re on as background noise.

Such was the case yesterday. Johnny and Phil are up there. I’m playing tug toy with the dogs, my wife is asking me a million questions about this or that, the phone is ringing. Just a typical afternoon around our joint.

I’m semi paying attention because they’re talking about the catching situation and how well Flores is playing. Phil is talking about when the DynamicDudDuo returns and it sure sounded like he then said, “What are they going to do?”

The room stopped. My wife stopped talking. The dogs dropped their toy and looked at me with a “What him just say?” vibe. I stood there stunned.

This is not a knock on Phil Wood. I enjoy it when he’s on and I’m listening. His nostalgia segments are good. He usually adds something. If I misheard him yesterday, then I fall on my sword right now and apologize for the rest of this.

But, assuming I heard correctly: You MUST be joking. What are they going to do? Does that really need an answer?

If at any point in the foreseeable future a healthy Jesus Flores is not the No. 1 catcher, it is going to get ugly. I’m going to march into the offices, throw down my season-ticket-holder card and demand answers. No one with a brain can really think there’s another option. It may be an accident by the Mets that they got him and it is an accident of injury that he got to prove himself ready but he has clearly done that. This is not open for debate. No, he is not the finished product. He still must play. Regularly. In the majors.

So what they’re going to do is eat those big contracts and move on.

I would love to be the fly on the wall when JimBow has to explain the DynamicDudDuo and the $6.25 million to El Jefe Lerner. I’m told many times over the Lerners run a very efficient operation and I’m sure they’ll want some answers.

El Jefe: “What’s up with this? I’m stroking huge checks twice a month to two guys who haven’t played much and haven’t done anything when they have played. They couldn’t throw me out. They couldn’t throw you out on your Segway. In fact, the biggest contribution either of them has had is blabbing to the world about Zimmerman being hurt.”

What JimBow ought to say: “My bad. Flores is further along than we thought.” (I could live with that. Mistakes are made. It isn’t an exact science. Deal with it and move on).

Somehow, I don’t see JimBow sacking up and admitting $6.25 million worth of errors. I don’t know what else he could say but I’ll hazard some guesses:

“They’ve both been on All-Star teams!” (So have Don Sutton and Ray Knight and I wouldn’t want either of them playing right now).

“Paulie told me he’d taking me trolling for chicks.” (LoDuca may have some game but I don’t see it in JimBow even with a proven wingman).

“Estrada got into it with Ned Yost, in the dugout, on camera, in the middle of a game. Character is overrated. We need some nasty around here, someone to keep Manny on his toes.”

“Uncle Stan told me to sign them.”

Actually, I don’t much care what he says as long as it isn’t, “Jesus, head back to Columbus and continue developing.” My wife has fallen in love with Flo, too, and I should probably let her handle things if that happens. Or maybe not. Her reaction might be uglier than mine.