Rarely has manager Willie Randolph showed as much animation, enthusiasm and honesty as he did in his pre-game press conferences before Tuesday night's game. The subject was the evolution of Jose Reyes as a leadoff batter and clearly it's a topic Randolph embraces. "I can see him evolving and getting better, but he's got a long way to go."
Randolph has emphasized to Reyes that he needs to be more patient at the plate while also maintaining his aggressiveness when attacking fastballs. "It's hard. He's young and he's not used to doing some of the things I want him to do," Randolph said. "Young guys are impatient."
When asked if he thought Reyes could ever be as patient a hitter as Randolph was, the manager said with candor, "Knowing Jose the way I do, he might never be that way." But Randolph said he thought Reyes could make up for not having as many walks as he'd like his leadoff batter to get by "becoming a better hitter and a better bunter."
Randolph's conclusion: "When he gets it right, he's going to be a monster."
The monster is stirring. Reyes led off his second straight game with a double.