What John Franco said pretty much hit the nail on the head. Though I think he was a bit foolish in the way he went about it, he was right.
But yesterday, when the Mets went out and won the game (twice) after being down 5-0, was something rarely seen by Mets fans.
The bullpen took over in only the third inning and allowed only one run until the ninth inning. After Francisco Rodriguez blew his save, he asked to come out for the 10th inning when the Mets took the lead. Gutsy, because Bobby Parnell was the only pitcher left in the bullpen.
K-Rod ended up throwing more pitches than he ever has in a major league baseball game. After blowing the save, he came right back out for the 10th inning put the Pirates down 1-2-3 to earn a rare win.
Is that enough “leadership” for Mr. Franco?
When the team, by his own hand, is put back in a hole after looking to win the game in nine, he trotted right back out to the mound to slam the door (successfully, this time).
“I'm the kind of guy that if I make a mess, I clean it up,” Rodriguez told reporters after the game. “I felt really frustrated that I didn't get the job done in the ninth, then we score and I go back out there in the 10th.”
That sounds like a leader to me.