The Mets have dropped two more series since last week. Is it still possible to be optimistic? Just in case you think I’m crazy, here’s a positive post from Mike Silva that reinforces some of what I’ve been saying.
Of course it is. For starters, Jacobs can no longer bat 4th or 5th, since he’s been designated for assignment. This already makes the lineup better, even if Manuel countered with batting Cattalanotto cleanup last night. The big news is that the Mets are talking about bringing up Ike Davis this week today. While it’s hard to believe this doesn’t make the offense better, what’s really going to make the offense better is when Jose Reyes and Jason Bay and Pagan and Castillo break out of their mini-slumps and start hitting around their career numbers again.Â
The offense has been the main culprit. Maine hasn’t been good in the rotation, but if the lineup was clicking, or Manuel and HoJo thought about preaching patience a little bit against Wainwright, they could’ve won that game, or some of the other games where the pitching was only okay. Let’s see how Maine does with hopefully a little more arm strength off throwing 115 pitches last night. Jose Reyes looks like he’s about ready to get going, and Jason Bay is said to be streaky anyway. Angel Pagan has started to pick it up off his slower start when he was platooning, and if Jerry gets him in their almost everyday and stops burying him down in the lineup, maybe he can drive in a couple more runs on this homestand.Â
However, the biggest problem seems to be (besides the manager) that the team isn’t clicking as a unit. This is just bad luck, and it’s why even championship teams occasionally go 4-8 during a long season. The pressure put on this team was rediculous; For all that underdog talk with the silly prediction around the league, everyone still seems to have expected the Mets to have to get off to a fast start. Well they didn’t. This doesn’t make the season over. A winning home stand puts them right back into the fight. Break it down however you want to, but if players play to their capabilities there is no reason why the Mets can’t have a winning record over the next 10 games. They just need to go out and do it, and allow Omar to fix the 1B situation and evaluate what else needs to be done.
69 comments
udontmesswthejohan
4/19/2010-12:53pm at 12:53 pm (UTC -4)
“This is just bad luck, and it’s why even championship teams occasionally go 4-8 during a long season.”
Yes, it’s really bad luck when you score 2 runs in 20 innings and you get those two runs off of positions players throwing 75 MPH and both runs come on sac flies.
Kingman 26
4/19/2010-12:53pm at 12:53 pm (UTC -4)
Luck has less than nothing to do with losing 2 of 3 in all 4 series, at home and on the road, with good pitching and bad pitching.
This team has a manager who has somehow gotten much worse than he was even last year.
This team has an offensive disease which I have no idea how to mollify, let alone cure.
Bringing up Davis is an outstanding first step.
Firing the outrageously incompetent manager hopefully will happen soon.
metsfan4decades
4/19/2010-1:06pm at 1:06 pm (UTC -4)
With the talent on this team, I’m convinced this team isn’t as bad as the record indicates. It makes no sense to me right now. Most of the offense is not producing. I don’t know if it’s just incredibly bad luck with slow starts, the team not clicking as a whole, or the constant tinkering with this line up by the manager.
Part of the problem is the black holes. Good start by saying bye bye to Jacobs. Next should be GMJ and Cat. We’ll be getting a real first baseman at 1st as soon as tonight or tomorrow apparently.
I have no idea what it’s going to take to start winning some ball games but I wish they do it soon….
gipperpdx
4/19/2010-3:22pm at 3:22 pm (UTC -4)
My problem with the optimistic posts like this is all the “coulda, woulda, shoulda,” stuff. All of those are TRUE, but that is the case for every bad team – they are close, but don’t get it done because of x, y, z. A team is as good or as bad as its record, and the Mets ARE this bad. No reason for optimism yet, though I remain positive that 2011 will be better!
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-3:26pm at 3:26 pm (UTC -4)
Wasn’t it the fabulous Dennis Green who said something along the lines of “they are what we thought they were!”
stickguy
4/19/2010-3:31pm at 3:31 pm (UTC -4)
Bill Parcells said “you are what your record says you are”. That what you are thinking of?
trs86
4/19/2010-3:38pm at 3:38 pm (UTC -4)
Yup against the Bears I think.
ceetar
4/19/2010-3:29pm at 3:29 pm (UTC -4)
just give the title to the Rays then? don’t play it out, they’re going to set the major league record for wins.
stickguy
4/19/2010-1:22pm at 1:22 pm (UTC -4)
playing more bad teams is going to help. LOok what it did for the phillies to start the seson!
ANd yes, I know the Mets had a little less success against the Nats (who are actually at .500 so far).
but based on what they did to Philly, maybe the Fish are for real (at least to start). ANd the rockies and Cards are both almost concensus picks to make the post season.
O, they picked a bad time for a collective team slump. And while I don’t think they will suddenly morph into the 1975 Reds overnight, no way the talent level on the team can fall off this bad and stay there. I hope.
I would actually be more worried if they were hitting the crap out of the ball, and the pitching was horrendous. That they might not have a solution for!
It really is amazing what a few guys getting hot an do for a team. A nice little 3 game winning streak can be enough to turn a season around.
Feel pretty good about having Neise and Pelf in the next 2 games, and cautiously optomistic Ollie will continue to improve. So the pitching isn’t worrying me this series.
So, sweep the cubs, get Davis settled in, and see what happens.
Or get swept and fire Jerry, which is certainy a possibility.
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-1:23pm at 1:23 pm (UTC -4)
I think now is a fantastic moment in the Mets season to be optimistic about the offense. It has to improve according to almost every natural law, because with the exception of RF which is playing above expectation, every position in the lineup is performing below expectation (perhaps 3B is “at” expectation despite the low BA), especially 1B which will now be improved even if Davis somehow sucks because it was intolerably bad before.
Through 12 games
C – .184/.189/.327
1B – .167/.245/.271
2B – .229/.328/.250
3B – .244/.466/.512
SS – .154/.250/.231
LF – .250/.345/.313
CF – .245/.339/.286
RF – .356/.436/.667
trs86
4/19/2010-1:28pm at 1:28 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed.
stickguy
4/19/2010-1:29pm at 1:29 pm (UTC -4)
except for 3B and RF, those numbers are just flat out depressing.
but hell yeah, the ’62 Mets couldn’t do that bad over an entire season.
If the pitching holds up, they certainly can go on a hot streak (say like last May) if a few of these guys get hot together.
Imagine how much better the offense looks if just Reyes and Bay get hot, and Davis is any kind of improvement.
darknova306
4/19/2010-1:33pm at 1:33 pm (UTC -4)
Wow. That’s extremely telling.
metsfan4decades
4/19/2010-1:35pm at 1:35 pm (UTC -4)
+1
ceetar
4/19/2010-1:51pm at 1:51 pm (UTC -4)
Exactly why this doom and gloom is unwarranted. They came really close to winning a bunch of those games, where they just needed one or two more hits. even their RISP is well below what’s average.
trs86
4/19/2010-1:27pm at 1:27 pm (UTC -4)
Damn you John Lackey. I now officially hope your arm falls off and I have to cut you from my fantasy team. Ask Dirty how long it takes to make up for a crappy start. Lackey 3.1 innings 8 friggin earned runs. Seriously?
stickguy
4/19/2010-1:31pm at 1:31 pm (UTC -4)
sounds like the Met’s #2. Numbers would fit right in.
But, you are doing better than me. I have John Maine on my team.
dirtysanchez
4/19/2010-1:34pm at 1:34 pm (UTC -4)
oh great NOW your pitching blows it lol….you dont recover…just hope the other guy has a similar start…thanks jake peavy
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-1:36pm at 1:36 pm (UTC -4)
At least you didn’t overpay him.
trs86
4/19/2010-1:40pm at 1:40 pm (UTC -4)
True, I picked him late too.
trs86
4/19/2010-2:03pm at 2:03 pm (UTC -4)
At least I had his counter-part Neimann, but to show you what one bad start can do…
Neimann good start. 7 innings 2 runs. Lackey 8 runs in 3.1 innings. Team ERA 8.71.
stickguy
4/19/2010-1:33pm at 1:33 pm (UTC -4)
also, FWIW, the dynasty known as the Red Sox are also 4-8 so far. And unless they make a huge comeback from the beat down they are currently recieving, they are dropping to 4-9.
Wonder if they (or more accurately, their fans) have written off the season as hopeless too?
gategem
4/19/2010-1:42pm at 1:42 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, the Mets and RedSox have identical talent.
Actually considering the talent level of both the Rays and Yankees, barring injury, it’s possible the RedSox may not catch either team.
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-1:48pm at 1:48 pm (UTC -4)
While I personally believe that much of the Rays talent is more theoretical than actual I am nonetheless inclined to agree, if for no other reason than that the Red Sox just don’t have a lot of theoretical talent. Without a productive David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez/Jason Bay, there’s just not a lot of production in that lineup. Their’s and the Mariners’ seasons may be telling about where to draw a line of compromise on run production versus run prevention.
gategem
4/19/2010-1:38pm at 1:38 pm (UTC -4)
Of course the Mets are not this bad. Right now they are on target to win 54 games and we all know there’s no chance of that coming to pass. I projected the Mets to be a .500 team and I am optimistic that they will accomplish this feat.
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-1:39pm at 1:39 pm (UTC -4)
Ha ha ha. Caller just says to Mike “I think the Mets need Jesus in their lives” and Mike responds “Why would Jesus choose the Mets over any other team? That’s my problem with that.”
trs86
4/19/2010-1:42pm at 1:42 pm (UTC -4)
Should have protected him in the draft.
ceetar
4/19/2010-1:52pm at 1:52 pm (UTC -4)
Is that a veiled anti-semetic comment about Davis?
gategem
4/19/2010-1:54pm at 1:54 pm (UTC -4)
Didn’t some commentator say the same thing about Tiger Woods.
trs86
4/19/2010-1:39pm at 1:39 pm (UTC -4)
Something we need to remember is sample size. Obviously we hear about it all the time in regards to individual player stats but it applies to team stats and wins as well.
Obviously there are a lot of things wrong right now, however many of those things by law of averages will just fix themselves? These next comments will lead to comments like “if my grandma had balls” but think about how many games this group was in the position to win. Take last night for example, could have easily won the game even with the pitching matchup. I am sure you can think of others. No they normally would not win all of those games yet is it that unreasonable to think that they could have won 3 of them? Just 3 wins and suddenly the Mets are 7-5 and are 1 game back tied with Atlanta and .5 games out of the wild card.
Winning last night would have put us 2 games under .500 instead of 4, big difference. So while I am cautiously optimistic and realize it will take a lot of good consistent play, the season is far from over and we are not a 54 win team.
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-1:43pm at 1:43 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll respectfully leave your grandma out of this. I think you’re comment about natural law is most appropriate.
Please forgive the fantasy baseball analogy, but years ago when I first started playing that I asked a trusted friend for advice on roster moves and his response was a cliche that stuck with me and mostly proves true with baseball players: “water seeks it’s own level.”
gategem
4/19/2010-1:51pm at 1:51 pm (UTC -4)
Generally speaking even bad teams play a number of games that they could have won but didn’t. What you’re reciting is the bad teams lament. And let’s not forget to add that they battled.
ceetar
4/19/2010-1:54pm at 1:54 pm (UTC -4)
they did battle. IT’S A BIG DEAL.
Keep putting the guys on base, and the natural talent (And don’t be fooled, we’ve got a lot of it) of the hitters WILL drive in more runs with RISP. So yes, keep battling, keep putting those guys on base, and they’ll start to come in.
trs86
4/19/2010-2:08pm at 2:08 pm (UTC -4)
Yup, Mets in 2008 were 3rd in the league in runs scored yet managed a .253 BA with RISP and a .216 BA with the bases loaded. How is that possible? Because they along with the 1st and 2nd place team were the only ones in the NL with an OPS+ over 100.
ceetar
4/19/2010-2:28pm at 2:28 pm (UTC -4)
I thought the Mets were tied for most runs scored in 2008?
trs86
4/19/2010-2:30pm at 2:30 pm (UTC -4)
Tied Phillies trailed Cubs so in reality they finished 2nd.
trs86
4/19/2010-1:55pm at 1:55 pm (UTC -4)
Gategem, bad teams do not have the talent we do. Bad teams do not have a history of being competitive until an epic injury filled season. I guess it’s a difference of opinion if you honestly think this is a bad team. I for one don’t think we are that far off from each other. You say you expect .500. I expect about 88-92 wins. Being off by 6-8 wins for an entire season does not mean we have completely different views of the team.
gategem
4/19/2010-3:15pm at 3:15 pm (UTC -4)
I didn’t day the Mets were a bad team. I believe, as presently constructed, they’re a mediocre (.500) team . But using the argument about losing close games to prove that they are a good team or are very close to being one is fallacious because over the years I’ve seen many a bad team use the same argument. It’s the nature of the beast. Bad teams do not get blown out game after game. Most games seem to turn on one or two plays. The bad teams lose a preponderous of these games, while the mediocre teams win and lose approximately an equal share and the good teams find ways to win the majority of these games.
I don’t take a half full or half empty approach. Basically if it’s an 8oz glass then I will tell you that there is 4oz of liquid in the glass. I look at baseball the same way.
trs86
4/19/2010-3:37pm at 3:37 pm (UTC -4)
Not disagreeing with that premise just saying that the Mets are not a bad team so that does not apply.
Mr North Jersey
4/19/2010-1:57pm at 1:57 pm (UTC -4)
Francesa says his Mets lineup would be
1.Reyes/Pagan
2.Pagan/Reyes
3.Wright
4.Bay
5.Davis
6.Frenchy
7.Barajas
8.Castillo/Cora
9. Pitcher
trs86
4/19/2010-2:01pm at 2:01 pm (UTC -4)
Hmmm, tend to agree. I had Ike 7th, however with a hot Frenchy behind Ike perhaps he gets better pitches than in front of Barajas. Could make a case for sliding Bay down I guess.
Mr North Jersey
4/19/2010-2:05pm at 2:05 pm (UTC -4)
OK that’s it who are you and what did you do with TRS?
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-2:08pm at 2:08 pm (UTC -4)
In this “what have you done for me lately” world does Frenchy still qualify as “hot?” He’s 1 for his last 10.
trs86
4/19/2010-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
LOL, true I guess.
DNDJohan aka kistics
4/19/2010-2:21pm at 2:21 pm (UTC -4)
Hey that’s the best hitter in the lineup you are talking about.
ceetar
4/19/2010-2:27pm at 2:27 pm (UTC -4)
yeah, but that’s only two games.
ceetar
4/19/2010-2:05pm at 2:05 pm (UTC -4)
Francesa’s a raving lunatic.
Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Bay, Davis, Frenchy, Barajas, Pagan, Niese.
Actually, It’s hard not to be super pysched about that lineup. (rather Pagan/Barajas, but we all know about the mini-leadoff spot)
trs86
4/19/2010-2:09pm at 2:09 pm (UTC -4)
I see nothing lunatic like about that lineup. IF Jerry insist on batting Pagan 8th then Castillo is a better fit for that role.
ceetar
4/19/2010-2:25pm at 2:25 pm (UTC -4)
my comment wasn’t directed at his lineup, just him.
but I hate Castillo 8th. seems aw aste. It’s Barajas’ spot.
trs86
4/19/2010-2:29pm at 2:29 pm (UTC -4)
Just saying IF Jerry is going to bat Pagan 8th I would just as soon have Castillo there.
njstuckintx
4/19/2010-2:11pm at 2:11 pm (UTC -4)
Frenchy just can’t catch a break from anyone, eh?
stickguy
4/19/2010-2:57pm at 2:57 pm (UTC -4)
Damned, I think I agree with him too.
Banish Luis to the 8 hole, if not the corn field.
Mr North Jersey
4/19/2010-3:00pm at 3:00 pm (UTC -4)
WTF this is like Invasion Of The Body Snatchers everyone is agreeing with Mike.
So I have to ask, who are you and what did you do with StickGuy?
stickguy
4/19/2010-3:03pm at 3:03 pm (UTC -4)
Hey, even a blind squirrel finds his nuts occasionally.
Can I help it if MF finally had a rational thought?
Now we just need Jerry to try it I guess.
tkfj
4/19/2010-2:06pm at 2:06 pm (UTC -4)
Who wants to bet that Davis gets called up and doesnt start tonight ahead of the Black Hole Gang?
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
That would be as ridiculous as batting Cat 4th.
As I typed that Mike F said “maybe Jerry batting Cat 4th was his way of telling Omar he needed Ike Davis.”
Mr North Jersey
4/19/2010-2:16pm at 2:16 pm (UTC -4)
Manuel says, you want to give me sh*t! I’ll show you sh*t!
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-2:20pm at 2:20 pm (UTC -4)
Yup. Omar gave Jerry some sh*t and Jerry put that sh*t in a paper bag and set it on fire on Omar’s doorstep.
Mr North Jersey
4/19/2010-2:34pm at 2:34 pm (UTC -4)
LoL Nice…
trs86
4/19/2010-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
Most teams would not start him. Would allow him to take in his first game and relax. I hope he starts but lets not pretend that would be some god awful move.
tkfj
4/19/2010-2:14pm at 2:14 pm (UTC -4)
Yes, he can learn how not to play first base from Tatis/Catalanatto.
trs86
4/19/2010-2:21pm at 2:21 pm (UTC -4)
Who said that? Just saying the guy is most likely a big ball of nerves and some teams would give him a day to get situated maybe even a pinch hit or late game replacement.
ceetar
4/19/2010-2:26pm at 2:26 pm (UTC -4)
eh, throw him in there. I hate that attitude. He was around these guys like two weeks ago anyway. No better way to get over nerves then dive right in, catch a liner off the bat of Soriano in the first, and settle in.
trs86
4/19/2010-2:27pm at 2:27 pm (UTC -4)
I would too but just saying there is logic behind not doing it too. Just like most things, falls right in the gray area.
ceetar
4/19/2010-2:37pm at 2:37 pm (UTC -4)
stupid gray areas are what causes Manuel to keep his stupid job. boooooooo
Mr North Jersey
4/19/2010-2:19pm at 2:19 pm (UTC -4)
someone youtube’d video of Mike debating Jesus caller already LoL.
Mr North Jersey
4/19/2010-2:20pm at 2:20 pm (UTC -4)
that deserves a post brb.
GravediggerHebner
4/19/2010-2:22pm at 2:22 pm (UTC -4)
Dare I say “Jesus that was fast?”
Way to get me for not quoting him perfectly Mr. NJ
DNDJohan aka kistics
4/19/2010-2:23pm at 2:23 pm (UTC -4)
LOL!@!!@
I know he’s trying to be respectful to the callers, but just hang up already.