Alex Merricks, released by the Mets last week, is the latest to speak out about Mets’ minor leaguers being “scared to death” of Tony Bernazard, detailing an angry, obscenity-filled tirade from the Mets’ Vice President of Player Development in a phone interview with NYBD this weekend.

NYBD first profiled Merricks last November, a former Minnesota Twins farmhand, just after he signed with the Mets. On Saturday, a day after he was given his release, Alex spoke to NYBD, detailing his frustrating tenure with the Mets; one he characterized as chaotic, lacking communication, and dominated by “a culture of fear.”

Merricks, a 25 year old lefty, had major control issues with the Twins organization, but showed enough improvement in independent ball for the Mets to sign him to a three-year minor league deal. After a successful spring training (6 innings, 2 runs), Merricks was preparing to report to either Class A St. Lucie or Savannah.

According to Merricks, despite hitting low to mid nineties on the radar gun (thanks to this program), and great response from coaches, he was assigned to extended spring training, which surprised Merricks. (Extended spring training is usually reserved for players that are injured and or need major developmental work.)

Just a few days into extended spring, Merricks hurt his ankle, setting him back two weeks. Instead of bemoaning his situation, he worked hard to get back on the field. He even credited the Mets’ training staff for helping him get back so quickly. According to Merricks, he displayed even greater velocity and command than before the injury.

Nevertheless, for the next two months, Alex Merricks pitched sparingly in extended spring games—mostly, throwing bullpen sessions. The coaching staff remained positive and supportive, continually telling him that he was “in the team’s plans.” But the 25-year-old lefty with a live arm couldn’t seem to get on the radar screen. A frustrated Merricks knew that he needed to pitch in order to progress.

As time went on, he began to feel asking for his release was his best option. When he asked a teammate whether he should ask for his release, Merricks said his teammate responded, “You do that and they will punish you.” Merricks said he was told of players being kept in the organization, but buried and not given playing time. The thought of going through different variations of extended spring training for three years was not something he was looking forward to.

Alex Merricks did wind up asking for his release in a conversation with Cyclones’ manager Pedro Lopez on the morning of June 12. At this point, only Brooklyn hadn’t finalized its roster. Merricks wanted to pitch, feeling that maybe independent ball was his best option. Merricks said Lopez told him he would pass the request on to Tony Bernazard.
The night before, Alex and two teammates had attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Orlando. Merricks, a huge Lakers fan, knew that if the game ended late he would break curfew and incur a $250 fine. After all, Orlando was two hours away from Port St. Lucie. But Merricks said breaking curfew, and the resulting fine, was “common practice” with the Mets.  Merricks took full responsibility for the evening with the coaching staff, and his conversation with Pedro Lopez had been friendly.

Later that day, Merricks and the two teammates were brought into the office to have a conference call with Bernazard. Merricks knew he was wrong, but didn’t think it was an egregious offense. What happened totally blindsided him. He was told by Bernazard that “He f***ed the New York Mets, now the New York Mets are going to f*** you!” Merricks was suspended for 30 days without pay and fined $500.

During the next month, Merricks said he tried to reach out to the organization, but no phone calls were returned. Meanwhile, the other two players who went to the game were brought back after two weeks. Asked if he was surprised by this, Merricks said, “No, because they just don’t seem to have it together administratively.” Even after 30 days, he was unable to find out where the Mets wanted him to go.

He said that, although the conference call was his first experience with Bernazard, many of his teammates talked of fearing his presence. “Everyone is on egg shells because they don’t want to be on the receiving end of his tirades,” Merricks said. Merricks was certain that Bernazard would make him an example and put him in baseball purgatory.

Last week, still unable to get an answer to multiple calls about his future with the Mets nearly 40 days into his 30-day suspension, he saw the report on ESPN about Bernazard challenging the Binghamton Mets to a fight.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Merricks said. “As a matter of fact, before they gave the name, I knew it would be him.”

Two days later, Adam Wogan, the Mets director of minor league operations, finally called him and granted Merricks his release. When he asked what took so long, Merricks said he never received a clear answer.

Merricks said he has no hard feelings for the Mets, and spoke highly throughout the interview about about the coaches, training staff, and players. He believes the Mets’ system has talent, but the atmosphere is not conducive to success.

Merricks believes the root of the Mets’ developmental problems are Tony Bernazard and the culture of fear he has created. As Merricks explained the fact that some Binghamton players and coaches denied the Bernazard incident is more a product of them being “scared to death of the guy. Would you come out and say something?”

Alex Merricks wants to continue playing baseball, but knows that 2009 is probably lost. Still, he is 25, left-handed, and throws hard, so he can probably find a place to pitch. He is contemplating independent ball.

“I still believes that I will make the majors,” Merricks said. “One day I know the Mets will see me pitch and regret what happened.”

And while the future of any pitching prospect is difficult to predict, one thing is certain: Merricks said Tony Bernazard has given him additional motivation to excel with another team.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Adam Wogan, Alex Merricks, Binghamton Mets, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Pedro Lopez, Tony Bernazard