Ike Davis is Holding Back the Mets But He's Not To Blame

Ike Davis is an automatic out. He's the fat kid on your little league team. He gets up to the plate. Flails at a couple of pitches. Most of the time strikes out. But every once in awhile gets a hit.When that happens we all cheer. Not because we're happy for his success, but because we're surprised something good actually happened.

I like Ike Davis a lot. I had high hopes for him, but there's something wrong between his ears that needs to get worked out. His failures are painful to watch and it's not his fault. The Mets are letting him dig his own grave.

By coming out a few weeks ago and saying they aren't going to send Ike Davis to the minor leagues the Mets organization ruined more than a few games as well as potentially the season for Ike. What they did is show they have no accountability for young hitters. Ike is getting a free pass for being the worst hitter in the National League when he hasn't even been an All Star caliber player. He's only been playing in the bigs for parts of 3 seasons. He's hardly a seasoned veteran that has earned the respect to fight through it. Even Jason Bay's numbers look stellar compared to Ike. Sure he's a nice guy, great in the clubhouse and all that, but last time I checked being nice doesn't put fans in the seats or get you to the playoffs. Wins do.

The Mets are also causing the success of others to be hindered by Ike's playing time. Davis has played almost every game since the announcement that he wasn't headed to the minors. During that time frame, Scott Hairston has hit more home runs, scored more runs and gotten more hits than Ike has the entire month of May. And he's done all that for the most part coming off the bench. When Bay comes back will Kirk have to platoon instead of letting Duda play first? When did the Mets stop putting the team first in the hopes of not hurting someone's feelings.

If the organization honestly believes that Ike Davis would be totally crushed by being sent to the minors do they think that keeping him in the majors and making him suffer through every game and every at bat in total embarrassment is doing much to help his cause?

With interleague play upon us, the struggles of Davis will be even more obvious. Someone who bats merely .200 would be a 25% increase in production compared to Davis. Think about all the horrible hitters the Mets have had in their history. None of the every day players have hit for average as poorly as Davis to this point in the season.

Ike Davis needs help and the Mets aren't giving it to him. With all eyes on the Subway Series and nationally televised games this weekend, you can be sure Ike Davis will want to be out of the spotlight instead of being forced into it.

And most importantly, it's costing the Mets wins. That's too high a price for even the nicest of guys.

Defending Mets Jorts Fan

On Friday night as I jumped around in front of the TV as Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in Mets history I was shocked to see a Gary Carter jersey in the pile of Mets players mobbing Santana (image above courtesy of NY Post). As the camera zoomed out I finally saw that this was a man wearing jean shorts and he was about to get pummeled by security. I laughed at the brazen move by this die hard fan and then was a bit surprised to see he was the only one who ran out on the field during an iconic moment for Mets fan.

I was surprised and saddened to find out that this Mets fan, Rafael Diaz, spent the next two nights in jail for this moment of admitted stupidity and he actually missed his son's first birthday because of it. On top of that he has been banned from Citi Field - FOR LIFE!!! Really? Are they going to hang up his picture at every gate and have security make sure he doesn't enter? Come on. This is an unenforceable ruling, but it gets worse. Diaz could also spend a year jail and a $25,000 fine.

I understand that's the law. He broke the law and there's a penalty for it, but let's put things in perspective. It was a victim-less crime. This poor guy is probably getting sufficient punishment from his wife for getting thrown in jail and then missing their son's birthday. He'll be working this one off for way longer than the 1 year jail sentence.

But beyond that, what Diaz did is an iconic moment. Every single highlight of the Santana no hitter shown for the next 50 years will have Diaz in it. I know I won't soon forget him and it reminded me of another iconic baseball moment.

When Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record what's the first visual that comes to your mind? I'm guessing it's probably this image to the right. You may not remember who the pitcher was or where the home run was hit to, but you distinctly remember these two guys in funny looking outfits running with Hank Aaron around the bases. In fact an image of this shot is hanging up in the hall of fame. The hall of fame.

Today's game, fans and environment is much different than when Hank Aaron entered the record books, but the fan's reaction is still the same. Uncontrollable jubilation that makes you do something crazy.

Here's to you Rafael Diaz. You did what we all wanted to do. You can have one of my tickets the next time I head to Citi Field. Just wear a mustache and glasses.

Only True Mets Fans Can Understand the Significance of this Moment

You can talk about the hit that should have been. You can boast about how your team has thrown multiple no hitters. You can be impressed at the pitching prowess of Johan Santana. But unless you're a true Mets fan, you can't appreciate just how special the no-hitter last night really was.

I received tweets, texts and messages from friends who are fans of the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Brewers and a handful of other teams who all knew how excited I would be about Santana's no hitter but as I browsed my Twitter stream and Facebook feed to see other Mets fans reaction our feelings were all the same...amazement.

I honestly didn't think I'd see a no hitter in my lifetime. I certainly didn't expect it to come this season with low expectations and an uncertainty of what to expect from a Santana just coming off of surgery. If you look at last night's lineup it was littered with 8 left handed hitters and 6 of them from the Mets farm system. 2 of them were batting under .200. 1 of them just came off the DL.

Then you have Santana who's pitch count has been scrutinized more than the Dead Sea scrolls. You have Collins who was a manager no one expected or wanted. There are so many unexpected elements in place this season that to see a no hitter in this year of all years is simply surreal.

I've watched the highlights at least 15 times already and it's not old. I'm perusing every Mets blog imaginable and every post I'm reading is exactly the same although the words are different. The thread that connects us is not just that we're Mets fans, but we're appreciating the unexpectedness of this moment.

I watched this video from Andrew Vazzano of The Ropolitans and felt it could have been a video from any true Mets fan across the country. Enjoy this moment Mets Lifers. Appreciate it for what most Mets memorable moments are...amazing.

Why Do the Mets Hate Chris Schwinden?

I feel bad for Chris Schwinden. He's been awful. Terrible. Horrendous. Atrocious. And about 100 other adjectives. So why do the Mets insist on trotting him out to the mound again and again.

If his first few stints as a starting pitcher were any evidence, even to a blind man, it's that Schwinden is not major league ready. He might never be, but then again maybe he will someday. So why do the Mets send him down to the minors after being demolished as a starter only to bring him back up as a reliever where he'll be put in even worse situations? Makes no sense.

Now of course Schwinden is likely to be sent down again and deservedly so. But all the Mets have done with this young pitcher is completely crush his confidence and give him zero chance of success. Now that he has an ERA that's higher than the speed of his fastball, do you think the Mets will bring him up yet again? I certainly hope not.

Do you mean to tell me there was no other arm they could have brought up instead of Schwinden and allowed him to work on his pitches in the minors, possibly have some success and feel good about his future instead of thrusting him back into the eye of the storm just weeks after he completely crumbled? I don't believe it.

The Mets seem to like to mess with the heads of their minor leaguers every so often. Just ask Nick Evans.

Ruben Tejada Might Be More Valuable Than You Thought

David Wright is clearly the MVP of this team. You want to argue Santana or Dickey? That's fine. But let's stick to every day players. After Wright though, the most valuable asset the Mets have is currently on the disabled list. I'm talking about Ruben Tejada.

Tejada was having a great season before his fluke injury sidelined him for the last month, but his absence has shown just how much the Mets need him in the lineup every day.

He gives the Mets a reliable lead off hitter. I'm not suggesting Tejada is the best lead off man in the NL East or anything like that but look at how many different people have batted lead off since Tejada went out. You have Baxter, Kirk, Turner, Cedeno and others. Whenever Collins puts a new lead off man in there it messes with the rest of the lineup. When Tejada is playing you know he can bat lead off and then everyone else can fall into their normal batting slot.

The same thing happens in the field as Tejada is the linchpin of that infield. With him out, it's a carousel out there. Cedeno, Wright, Turner & Valdespin have all played short in his absence and it effects Murphy's progress at 2nd base as he doesn't have that familiar and reliable man to his right that he can develop a rythmn with on double plays and covering a runner stealing a base.

Tejada also has great plate discipline to work counts. He can be relied upon to bunt. And although he hasn't done much of it this year so far, he's one of the few options the Mets have to try and steal a base if they need it.

When you put all this together and look at the other everyday players the Mets have, outside of David Wright and possibly Daniel Murphy there isn't another Met who's as integral to the whole ball club as Ruben Tejada.

We need him back more than you might think.

A Home Stand with Implications

The Mets have played the majority of their games up to this point in the season away from  home. In fact they've played more away games than most any other team in the National League.  The amazing part is they currently sit 4 games above .500.

Think about that.

When I look at the Mets record I think about all the "almost wins" they've had where Francisco has blown the save or they tied up the game but couldn't take the lead late. There are at least 5 or 6 of those games so far that could have gone either way. Stop thinking about those games and think about this instead:

• The Mets have started 4 guys consistently over the last 3 weeks that weren't in the opening day lineup.
• They are playing without Thole & Tejada who were integral parts of the Mets great early start
• Ike Davis is hitting below .200 and yet the team is still winning
• RA Dickey is having a Cy Young year
• The majority of their wins have come against NL East teams

The Mets are in very, very good shape considering all the factors. And so here comes an 11 game home stand with serious implications. The Mets face some decent teams and if they can take advantage of playing at home, we may just see the Mets make some serious headway in the standings and put themselves in solid position for the coming months. 

Just think about this: an 8-3 home stand would put the Mets 9 games over .500. We haven't seen that in years. The Padres are a team the Mets have to sweep as the Phils & Cards follow which will be competitive series. In the past there's been a lack of dominance at home. That needs to change not just for W's but to put people in the seats as well.

The Mets are in a very good place, but there's got to be a desire for me. And it starts at Citi Field tonight.

Let's go Mets!

The Many Names of David Wright

David Wright is now a seasoned veteran. Hard to believe as he still has the same boyish looks as when he joined the club during the Willie Randolph era. Throughout his time with the Mets, Wright has been called many things. He's been deemed Mr. Wrong, Failure, Over-hyped, Under-Performing, Trade Bait, and a Non-Leader.

Those names, whether just or unjust, are all part of being the face of the Mets. While Wright cut his teeth in the league surrounded by the likes of Beltran, Delgado, Reyes, Pedro, Glavine and Wagner, he was always the center of the Mets attention. It could have been the hype surrounding him as a minor leaguer who grew up watching the Mets. It could be that he's the perfect marketing figure the Mets have lacked for so long.

Whatever it is, the 2012 version of David Wright deserves a new name. He can be called Mr. Wright, All Star, Slugger, Mr. Clutch, The New Franchise, Roy Hobbs Jr., MVP, the Slender Slugger, Baby Face Assassin, Prince of NY, Hitman, Batman, or Fantasy Phenom.

Any of those titles will do, but the one that speaks the loudest to me is "leader." The media and Mets fans alike have been focused on how can Wright be a leader in the clubhouse. Can he step into that role? Is he the type of guy that can gain the respect of his players?

Any athlete can tell you that leadership has less to do with the verbal and more to do with the performance on the field. To that point, Wright is a four star general out there this season. With his bat. With his glove. With the way he goes about business.

He doesn't need a "C" on his jersey to show that he's the captain.