Saturday, April 30, 2011

Should It Be Wright Instead of Reyes?

One thing the Mets will not be lacking this season is talk of trading Jose Reyes. Well into July, Mets fans, bloggers, and rumor hounds alike will be speculating whether the Mets will trade their speedy shortstop for prospects or sign him to an extension.

Reyes is not making it easy as he's on a hitting tare and looks like the youthful, exuberant player we've missed the last three seasons. Reyes has been a fan favorite ever since he was brought up, but injuries and inconsistence at the plate have been his downfall.

But should we be talking about trading Reyes or should we talk about trading David Wright?

David Wright is my favorite current player on the Mets. I've had high hopes for him since he made his way up from the minors, but it might be time to part ways.

Wright is the definition of streaky. Currently he's batting in the .230's and goes through stretches where he either can't be kept off base or can't seem to connect with the ball at the plate. Wright will be a consistent 25 home run/100 RBI guy. He's young enough to be attractive to other teams, and he might just need a break from the Big Apple.

The losing seasons of the last few years has played more of a toll on David Wright than anyone else. He's been the one player that wasn't hurt for extended periods and found himself playing on a field of fools that was managed by a jester. Losing has eaten away at him and he misses the protection he had in the lineup back in 2006, 2007 & 2008 when he had his best years.

Wright is signed to a deal that last well beyond this year and Reyes is the one who needs to have an immediate decision made if the Mets are to get anything in return, but it's time to ask ourselves is Wright the right man for the Mets.

I don't want it to be so.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Waiting for May

April has been an abysmal month. Bad weather. Unwatchable baseball. Horrible NCAA championship game. The list could go on and on.

But here at the end of the month, the Mets are trying to let a little sunshine break through the clouds. A 4 game win streak has Mets fans excited for the moment. And so comes a 6 game road trip to Washington and Philadelphia.

It's hard to say a road trip in April can make or break a season. It won't. But what it will do is determine Mets fans attitude and interest in this team for yet another month. The Mets don't have to sweep the Nationals or the Phillies. They could go 3-3 and Mets fans would still have some good feelings about the team as the calendar turns.

What you don't want to see is a free fall as soon as the team leaves Flushing. Losing 3 or 4 straight would send this team back into depression and the fan base along with them. You wonder if this team's starting rotation is just a bunch of slow starters working out the kinks or if every positive we saw from these arms last year turned out to be a fluke. I hope it's the former, but wouldn't be shocked if it's the latter either.

The Nationals are not the doormat they used to be and obviously Philly is the cream of the National League East. Whether you want to believe it or not, this April road trip has a lot of significance.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Mets Version of Shock and Awe

You want shock? How about seeing Jason Bay actually playing a game for the Mets?

You want awe? How about a Mets starting pitcher lasting until the 7th inning?

You want shock? What about an offensive explosion leading to 9 runs in one game?

You want awe? How about seeing the bullpen not blow a lead?

Thursday night was the Mets version of shock and awe. Sure it came in desperation as the Mets spiral their way to obscurity before Easter even hops onto the calendar, but a 9 run output and solid starting pitching performance is something for any Mets fan to treasure. Because you don't know when you'll see it again.

When you look at the Mets lineup on paper with Jason Bay in the middle of it, it does make a difference. The output on the field is another story, but if Bay can stay healthy you should see that help Davis & Pagan as they'll be batting in more comfortable spots in the lineup with the backup support that they need.

The Astros are not a good baseball team so I can't put too much into the Mets finally winning a game. The DBacks come to town tonight and we'll see if last night was an apparition or if the Mets are finally going to play decent baseball.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

April Statistics the 2011 Mets Lead the League In

Here are just a few of the stats the 2011 Mets currently lead the league in:

  1. Blown leads
  2. Blown saves
  3. Times thrown out stealing home
  4. Times thrown out stealing 3rd base
  5. Attempted fan suicides
  6. Unwatchableness
  7. Starting rotation ERA
  8. Bullpen ERA
  9. Walking the lead off batter of an inning
  10. Despicably played games
  11. Despicably played innings
  12. Runners left in scoring position
  13. Failed sacrifice bunts
  14. Angry fan blog posts
  15. Hopelessness

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Link: Apathy or April?

...great post and echoes my sentiments so far this season.

...i love the last paragraph. click the link below for a good read.
Apathy or April? « Kiner's Korner & The Kult of Mets Personalities

Mets Have Collapsitosis

Ever since 2007, the Mets have been plagued with a horribly daunting disease. It's called collapsitosis. The symptoms are fairly obvious. It's a repeated inability to hold, maintain or control a lead no matter how great or small.

While front office personnel, management and players have changed, the disease has remained constant. I've been looking for this stat all week, but have yet to find it. I want to see what the Mets record is the last 3 years when they have scored first. I'm willing to bet that they rank in the bottom 10 teams in all of baseball when it comes to their record when they have the lead first.

I'm not sure what can be done about collapsitosis. It's a disease that plagues the psyche as well as the body. No lead is safe until the Mets can figure out how to gain that killer instinct to win games. You can blame the BLOWpen (as I do), but the starting pitching, the lack of clutch hitting and horrendous support from the bench are all at fault.

When will it be fixed you ask? I've been asking the same thing since 2007.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Citi Field: Home of the 410 Foot Out

...great t-shirt. came across it at howbouthosemets.com. fantastic job guys. really creative selection of shirts. check them out.

Return of the Mets BLOWpen

The Guillermo Mota Pitching Academy must have been very busy this off season training the current Mets bullpen on the finer points of blowing a game. After two years of sub-par baseball, the state of the Mets bullpen has been overlooked because of the all-round bad play. But now with the team producing offensively, the BLOWpen has returned in devastating fashion.

I was dead wrong. I thought the fresh set of arms that I saw in spring training looked like a decent options to bridge the gap between the starting pitching and KRod in the 9th. I thought Parnell would build on his late season success in 2010 and be the setup man we wanted him to be. I couldn't have been more wrong.

The cast of characters in the Mets BLOWpen is very early finding ways to ruin perfectly enjoyable baseball. Overthrowing catchers who are standing 4 feet away, walking the leadoff man whenever possible, and giving up monstrous home runs are just par for the course in this early Mets season.

I know this is April, but this is actually the easiest month for the Mets when you look at who they are playing and the amount of home games they have. They should walk out of April with a winning record. But alas there are already 3 games in which the Mets should have a win if the BLOWpen could have just held on a little longer. I'd even settle for the BLOWpen only giving up 1 run instead of the bushel full of runs they like add on in the 6th, 7th, 8th & 9th innings. Not to mention the 11th inning.

A BLOWpen is not something that can be fixed this early. There's no trade that can be made and very rarely is there a young arm in the farm system that can come up and make an impact. This is something you hope the Mets can just suffer through and pray for improvement.

Get your Tums out. It's going to be a long season, and eventually these offensive comebacks will fade away because why bother coming back when you know a 3 run home run will be given up the following inning anyway.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Ride the Mets Roller Coaster

The season is barely a week old, but I'm already expecting a very bumpy ride this season. It appears that this Mets team is going to take us on quite a ride. Lots of bumps. Lots of drops. But also some thrills mixed in.

After winning three straight games, the Mets have now lost three straight in fairly embarrassing fashion. Walks are plaguing the pitching. Untimely hitting abounds and there's a general lack of clutchness.

Welcome to the 2011 Mets. I expect we'll see much of this throughout the year. Hot streaks followed by frigid slumps. This is a young team with a lot of new pieces. It will take at least the month of April for Terry Collins to figure out exactly what he's got out there, for players who were injured last year to get comfortable playing every day and for the new guys to find their niche in New York.

I'm excited about this season. Much more so than I thought I'd be. There's a scrappiness here that I like, but as I've preached countless times before it's the pitching that will ultimately decide the Mets fate.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Philadelphia Inquirer: Mets are a national punch line

...wow. just wow. the malevolence towards the Mets from this author is just oozing with every sentence. he makes some valid points about how the Mets have been horrible of late and the rivalry with the Phillies hasn't been much of one because of it.

...but the irony is he's writing this after the Mets have just put up 15 runs against his beloved Phils.

...the thing you have to think about it can you imagine a writer from the NY Times, the NY Post or even the Star Ledger writing something similar????

...nope. in any case, you really should read this. be sure to watch the video as well.
Mets are a national punch line | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/07/2011

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Mets Love Some Cole Hamels

The most feared pitching staff in all of the National League has one small bit of kryptonite in it. No it's not Joe Blanton. Ok, maybe it is so there's two small bits of kryptonite. Joe Blanton and Cole Hamels inability to beat the Mets.

The World Series MVP has only 2 career wins against the Mets and he proved this last night in a 7-1 rout of the Phils where the Mets scored 6 runs in the 3rd inning.

Nothing should be taken away from Chris Young who's deceptively slow fastball and even slower changeup was baffling the likes of Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino all night. It's only Young's first start as a Met so I'll reserve issuing him into Mets saintdom until he gets a few more starts under his belt.

Of all the Mets, David Wright appeared to enjoy Mr. Hamels the most. After a first inning strikeout, Wright couldn't be kept off base and seemed to score or drive in a run every time he was at bat.

While it's always fun to watch the Mets beat the Phils, there's still 2 games left to go. Winning one of the remaining two games in Philly would be a magical occurrence. It would mean back to back road series wins to start the season. That's almost unfathomable...or is it?

Monday, April 4, 2011

Link: Willie Harris has good start with Mets

...good article on Willie Harris.

...it's only 3 games but I like Harris. he's one of those intangible guys a la Endy Chavez that the Mets haven't had in a while.

...he's got speed, plays good defense and can lay down a bunt when required. i don't expect him to bat .300 and knock in 70 runs, but i think he'll be one of the best signings for the Mets especially if Bay and Beltran can stay healthy and Harris comes off the bench.

Willie Harris has good start with Mets - NYPOST.com

Friday, April 1, 2011

8 Truths About Baseball Fans On Facebook

...i came across this post on AllFacebook.com and it's an interesting look at according to Facebook what the baseball fan looks like.

...the most painful point is that they come to the conclusion that Phillies' fans are the most loyal, and it's not surprise that the Yankees are the most liked (also pronounced "band wagon")

...in any case it's an interesting, quick read. click the link below for the full article.
8 Truths About Baseball Fans On Facebook

Terry Collins Email to Mets Fans

Received this email this morning from Terry Collins:


With our 2011 opener tonight in Florida, I want to make this pledge to Mets fans: our team will play the game the right way. We will always hustle on the bases, run balls down in the outfield and never take anything for granted, no matter the score of the game. We had a great Spring Training. From day one my message has been look ahead, not backward, and not to worry about what the people outside the clubhouse are saying. If we pitch and play defense like I know we can, we will surprise a lot of people, a lot of people. … It’s been 12 years since I have started a season as a major league manager. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be leading the New York Mets and am very excited about the season ahead. Thanks for your support and see you at Citi Field.


Let's go Mets!