At 4 p.m. yesterday, the two relievers were telling each other, and a few amused teammates, tales of woe about the reception they had received in the parking lot after Wednesday night’s loss.
John Franco and Armando Benitez were both berated by fans as they got in their cars and drove away from Shea after the Mets lost their second straight to the last-place Phillies, 10-5. With the game tied in the ninth, Franco had walked in Philadelphia’s go-ahead run and Benitez had given up an ensuing grand slam.
While Franco and Benitez continued a light-hearted competition about whose taunters were more persistent and insulting in the parking lot, there was a hint of irritation evident.
“No one likes to be booed or fail at their job,” explained Franco for the umpteenth time in his Mets career. “It’s just that when we fail, it’s witnessed by five million people and it’s in the papers. It gets blown up.”
Franco is a pro, both at handling the fans’ fickleness as well as the media’s questions about it. He said yesterday it’s a “no-win situation” to blame the fans for their behavior, so he declined to talk very much about his disappointment. He did say that during the season he insulated himself from both his detractors as well as his supporters.
“To be honest, I just try to stay in my own world,” he explained, adding he doesn’t even talk to neighbors or family about his emotions.
But while the sensitive Benitez wouldn’t lash out at those who boo him, he isn’t quite as saavy as his elder statesman teammate Franco.
Benitez says he understands how the fans pay their tickets and expect to win, but, he says, “They only seem to see the bad.”
Don’t they congratulate him when he does well?
“Not really,” he said. “They don’t say, ‘Oh, you are a great pitcher, you have done great,’ it’s just they say something when you’ve done something bad. But I am frustrated, too.
“They don’t like to lose. I don’t like to lose. But sometimes you have pain, or a bad day and sometimes you make a good pitch and they hit it. They don’t know and it is frustrating.”
Benitez says only his teammates seem to understand that he is “human.”
To his credit, Benitez’ was most irate that fans get on Franco.
“Why do they say trade this man?” Benitez said. “How many saves does he have? Who has done more than him? Only one man [Lee Smith]. Why do they do this to this man? They are dumb.”
Franco was asked if Benitez is finally learning what it is like to be a closer here in demanding New York City.
“Well, he’s learning,” said Franco. “But he’s only had, like, two bad games here. But I guess he can see what it has been like for me. You have to handle it mentally.”
Franco and Benitez don’t quite understand why the fans forget recent good outings. Benitez had pitched 17 scoreless innings before giving up a home run on Tuesday. Franco had a 1-2-3 inning Tuesday and had gotten the Mets out of several jams on the recent road trip.
“I guess it’s just bad timing,” Franco said, referring to the Mets’ return home and the Braves looming for next week. “You just have to go back out there the next time and hope for the best.”