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Church rebukes Manuel for concussion remarks

Former Met says manager’s comparison to Wright ‘a low blow’

He came off the disabled list June 29, then went back on from July 8 to Aug. 22.

Why did Church keep playing? He wanted to help his club, which collapsed in September and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. When asked by the Mets whether he was OK, Church said his normal response was, “I’m good.”

He said that sort of stubborn attitude is in a ballplayer’s DNA. That’s why he didn’t go on the DL immediately after his second concussion.

“From the outside looking in, the smartest thing to do obviously was to go on. But for me, I was trying to just get back and play. I mean, they were telling me if I would have went out there and got another one, my career would have been over. And that didn’t really sink in. And it wasn’t like anybody was telling me, no, don’t do it, go on the DL,” Church said.

Church contacted Wright to offer advice and support to his former teammate soon after the All-Star third baseman was diagnosed with a concussion last weekend.

“That’s what I told him: ‘Don’t be a hero,’ ” Church said.

Wright said he appreciated the gesture and was encouraged that he hadn’t experienced many of the symptoms that troubled Church, such as nausea and sensitivity to light. Wright was placed on the 15-day DL the day after he was beaned, even though he lobbied team executives not to make the move.

Manuel acknowledged that he and Church didn’t communicate very well about the injury last season.

“We didn’t have clarity on the message that we were getting from him,” Manuel said. “I’m as much to blame as he is.”

But Church said he doesn’t fault the Mets for how they handled the situation.

“It was a whole learning process. We all went through it,” he said. “I’m just thankful that I can still play.”

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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