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.

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.

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

Link: Jason Bay to Return on Thursday

...i will believe it when i see it. update from our friends at 7TraintoShea.com

Jason Bay to Return on Thursday | 7TraintoShea.com

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.

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.