Holiday Blues for Mets Fans

More people commit suicide during the holidays than any other time of year. Why? Usually it has to do with depression and a lack of hope while others are enjoying the fruits of the season.

I'm far from suicidal, but that's the feeling I'm getting as a Mets fan. Where is the hope? Where is the anticipation of things to come? It's gone.

Reyes has one foot out the door. Management is preparing itself for a midseason fire sale. And after 4 straight seasons of utter depravity, there appears to be no end in sight. The highlight of the Mets off season this year, I guarantee will be the fact that they are moving the walls in at Citi Field. That's it.

I'm not saying the Mets need to go out and sign pricey free agents or make trades to be contenders this year. I realize this is a rebuilding process, but the Mets need a new marketing team because there is absolutely nothing coming out to make Mets fans even feel like there's something good to come out of the 2012 season.

Ah, I'm just ranting, but the Mets have to do a better job of trying to instill some sort of hope for the Mets fan base for the sake of their own sanity as well as ticket sales.

Right now do you have any reason to be a season ticket package?

Like the Economy, Mets Are Poised for a Double Dip

There is no aid coming to the Mets in the near future. The economy may avoid a double dip recession if certain programs are eliminated or added and possibly if there's change at the top. But for the Mets the hope of change and a revival are looking less likely.

The thought of Jose Reyes leaving the Mets was an improbability just a few months ago. Now, it seems almost certain, and even worse he could likely remain in the NL East with the likes of Florida or Washington. Reyes is guaranteed to haunt the Mets and their fans for years to come if that happens.

So let's say Reyes leaves. What's that mean? It means David Wright is less likely to stay around and management may officially begin to rebuild. That leaves Johan Santana hanging as the Mets mid-season trade bait if he proves to be healthy.

And so by July of 2012 the Mets will be completely void of stars and any real identity. Tejada, Ike & Duda are all fun players to watch but hardly the players that will fill the seats. On top of that who on earth is going to pitch?

The core of the Mets will be officially dismantled. This all starts if Reyes leaves. The last 3 seasons of pitiful baseball are certain to continue for another three if these departures come true and the Mets look to save money instead of adding talent.

But what if Reyes stays? That's a totally different story. Looks like one found in fairy tales.

When Will Moneyball Payoff for the Mets?

Inspired by Brad Pitt (kidding...kind of...) I picked up a copy of the book Moneyball on my iPad to finally see what it was all about. Turns out it's about the Mets. Ok, it's about the Oakland A's and Billy Beane, but the rest of the characters reads like a resume of the Mets front office. You've got Sandy Alderson in there, Paul DePodesta, JP Ricciardi and others.

The book details what truly is a remarkable change in the game of baseball and an account of how looking at things differently can pay off in a big way when others refuse to change. So this got me wondering. If many of the Moneyball brains are now in charge of the Mets, when do we see the payoff?

The takeaway I found from the book was the A's ability to identify talent to fill immediate holes left by talented players departure. The A's were able to fill holes left by Giambi, Isringhausen and Damon in one offseason by grabbing the right guys off the scrap heap and rely on previous draft picks turning into viable major leaguers.

So if there ever was an offseason where the Mets needed this All Star front office to earn their paycheck, it's this one. We have holes left by a departing KRod, Beltran and potentially Reyes that needs to be addressed. I'd even argue we have holes left by players still on the team who just aren't performing up to expectations like Pelfrey & Bay.

The Mets need a Moneyball moment. The Mets have a larger payroll than the A's did so there's no reason why Alderson & Co. can't improve on the miracle A's of 2002. Mets fans desperately want it and tickets sales drastically need it.