I hope Jeff Wilpon enjoyed the exercise in futility that was on display last night. Honestly I wonder if he got himself extremely wasted on mint juleps while his team layed down and played dead like a old bloodhound. Once again the offense couldn’t cash in with runners in scoring position, wasting some prime opportunities to take a early lead. The passable Pat Misch showed us why he is a fringe big league ballplayer. He has showed us that his stuff is good against mediocre hitters – but horrible against the likes of the division leading Atlanta Braves. The rest of the bullpen – with the exception of Ryota Irisgashi were nearly as bad ! I wasn’t surprised but thrilled when Oliver Perez gave up a second pitch fastball to Brian McCann for a blast that everyone knew was a sure thing off the bat. Just before that Gary , Keith and Ron alerted to us to the fact that “The Sultan Of Suckitude” felt like he was being treated “unfairly”. Treated unfairly ? Oh Ollie Ollie Ollie, I think when you gave yourself that Mohawk and the beginning of the season you might of given yourself a frontal lobotomy !! If anything it is you that have treated us Mets fans unfairly ! You should have swallowed your pride and tried to straighten out both your mechanics as well as your head when everyone from ownership to The Cowbell Man begged you to take a minor league assignment. But no you stayed, leaving our roster short by one player. And this is quite ironic since when the Mets first bowed out of the Alex Rodriguez sweepstakes in ’00, they cited that they didn’t want a 24 plus 1 environment. Well I guess things have changed since then because Oliver only comes into games when either the moon is full or when the game is already conceded.
Well here we are back into baseball obscurity, a after thought and a foot note in time. Yes, while the Yankees are now thirty one games over .500 , our Mets are languishing and a game below . As I mentioned earlier Jeff Wilpon was in Atlanta last night to meet with Jerry Manuel, and to watch last nights game. I have a sneaky suspicion that he was there to give Manuel his pink slip ,but that like Art Howe in ’04 he would be allowed to finish up the season. All I can say is that the end is almost here – so start drinking heavilly !
” Drinking makes the pain go away !”
And with that said….. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!
Celebrating Birthdays today are:
One of the better Mets pitchers from ’64-’65, Tracy Stallard (1937)
One of the better outfiielders from the early ’80′s, Claudell Washington is 56 (1954) .
Pitcher,Hideo Nomo is 42 (1968) . He was phenom when he first came to the majors with the Dodgers, but by the time he became a Met, his skills had drastically eroded.
Reserve outfielder from ’92,Pat Howell is also 42(1968).
New York Mets purchased pitcher, Bill Graham from the Detroit Tigers on August 31, 1967.
New York Mets traded catcher, Jerry Grote to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitchers, Dan Smith and Randy Rogers on August 31, 1977. This was the cherry on top for what had become a nightmare of a season. With the trading of both Tom Seaver and Dave Kingman earlier in the season, Jerry was the next logical player to be shown the door.
New York Mets traded pitcher,Pete Harnisch to the Milwaukee Brewers for Donny Moore on August 31, 1997.Pete was a good pitcher with the Mets, but between his contracting Lyme’s Disease and his run ins with Bobby Valentine, his tenure with the Mets was bound to be short lived.
New York Mets sold utilityman, Tim Spehr to the Kansas City Royals on August 31, 1998.
Mo Vaughn refused to go to last nights game. Instead he decided to hang out at a Sonic Drive in !
And just remember folks, there just about a month left before Jerry Manuel gets shown the door !!
23 comments
metsfan4decades
8/31/2010-6:56am at 6:56 am (UTC -4)
There is definitely a problem with the mindset of this team.
Anyone been watching Barajas this past week? I believe he’s got 3 HRs and some other RBI hits.
It’s not all the talent level (the likes of Francoeur, Tejada, Castillo, Perez, etc. aside). It’s the same type of defeatist attitude we saw late Sep in 07. It’s almost like they expect to lose.
Omar on down…..I know I sound like a broken record but I truly feel the only way to totally wipe the malaise away is to replace from Omar on down…..
rustyjr
8/31/2010-7:33am at 7:33 am (UTC -4)
No argument here – but like I stated – I believe Jerry has already been fired but is finishing up the season -I just hope Omar is gone also oh and Jeff declines to address the media before the game ? I can’t wait to hear him on fatcesas show the week after the season ends
Dirtysanchez
8/31/2010-8:48am at 8:48 am (UTC -4)
GKR said that the mets have scored 3 runs or less 60% of the time after the all star break. Mind you, thats AFTER the return of beltran and castillo.
I really cannot find the article that billy wagner and tom glavine both told the wilpons that the attitude of this team is severely flawed. They said the mets had a losing mentality, that losing didnt bother them and that started way down in the minor leagues. I dismissed any prediction that the mets would win only a few more games than last year…but honestly im starting to think they just may not be as good as i thought they were. They are proving the critics, tom glavine and billy wagner right with what they are showing day in and day out.
kingman 26
8/31/2010-8:56am at 8:56 am (UTC -4)
+ Millions.
The team has a cancer deep within it, and massive change must come, and NOT only in the manager’s and coaches’ and GM’s offices.
Look at Ike—a few months in the bigs, he is already striking out at terrible pitches and whining and moaning every at bat as if he is Pujols getting called out on bad pitches—weak, whiny, and with a massively outsized sense of entitlement. A perfect Met.
Santana, Wright, Niese, Dickey, and MAYBE Pelf and Thole are the only untouchable major leaguers to me.
Dirtysanchez
8/31/2010-9:06am at 9:06 am (UTC -4)
I would include davis only because 1b is a VERY shallow position for us and I dont think we can afford to give him up. I think he is a victim of adjusting tooo much but I give him a pass for being a rookie. I think he has done a good job…arguing balls/strikes is kinda lame but he will learn. Maybe he just wasnt ready for a full time job up here yet…
kingman 26
8/31/2010-9:21am at 9:21 am (UTC -4)
If we could get something of serious value for Ike and sign Dunn, I am all for it.
We should have signed Dunn two years ago.
Power and OBP in ANY park.
Dirtysanchez
8/31/2010-9:24am at 9:24 am (UTC -4)
Thing is, his attitude is not much better than what the team is displaying now. Agreed they should have signed dunn for the #’s when they had the chance but if your talking about remaking the culture of this team, dunn isnt going to be that guy.
njstuckintx
8/31/2010-9:30am at 9:30 am (UTC -4)
Whooooaaaaaa…. slow them horses down. Yes, his power and OBP are very nice. And his D is a sieve. And Older. Yes, he’s not Jason Heyward yet, but let’s give our power slugging, young & cheap first baseman a little slack at the moment.
njstuckintx
8/31/2010-9:24am at 9:24 am (UTC -4)
Dirty. What does “losing mentality” mean? Are you saying the gifted and well paid players are defeatists and prefer the paycheck to the glory of winning? Are they deflated because they know they are but a few simple pieces away from something wonderful and see the FO fill in the holes with (for lack of a better term) crappola?
Oh, and what changes a defeatist mentality? Is it the FO? Ownership?
I hate whipping around the “these guys suck, they don’t want to win, etc. etc.” without trying to figure out why it is like that.
kingman 26
8/31/2010-9:40am at 9:40 am (UTC -4)
It is like that because they just have too many players who definitely do not put winning and their performance first.
How many games have been followed by Ojeda saying this same thing? By Keith and Darryl saying it? Sleepwalking? Lack of preparation?
Yes, I know other teams play cards and throw frisbees, but doing it when you are winning is a lot different than doing it during the fourth consecutive year of dramatic underachievement with a massive payroll.
I love the team too, but they are not a winning group.
njstuckintx
8/31/2010-9:43am at 9:43 am (UTC -4)
Then what is the solution? Blow up the team?
njstuckintx
8/31/2010-9:46am at 9:46 am (UTC -4)
And Kong, I’m not getting up in your grill (assuming you have a grill) on this. I’m just curious. And I’m getting tired. Tired of a crappy team. Tired of pointing fingers. Tired of Ollie and Castillo and Tejada and Frenchy and (insert scrubby name here). I guess I’d just like to see solutions (which thinking outloud to myself I have no clue why I even ask, as I should expect nothing until the head of this alterbeast is severed).
kingman 26
8/31/2010-9:57am at 9:57 am (UTC -4)
I do have a grill, and it very much enjoys filet, burgers, chicken, salmon, and especially nice ahi tuna.
“And I’m getting tired. Tired of a crappy team. Tired of pointing fingers. Tired of Ollie and Castillo and Tejada and Frenchy and (insert scrubby name here).”
I could not agree more. Really, I could not. Misch and Hessman, and yes, the Craptastic Carter, make me ill. We are a AAA team without the starting pitching.
After the team has truly gotten worse for four straight years, I honestly think anything goes other than trading Johan, Wright, and probably Dickey/Niese/Thole/Pelf/Ike/Mejia.
What do we have to lose?
I am not one of the folks who think Wright’s a choker or Beltran and Jose are soft, but one playoff appearance with this group? And a division with the Phils, Braves, and once again rising frigin Marlins?
Yeah, maybe Jose will again be the 2006 Jose, and Bay will be the 2009 Bay, and Beltran will have a great walk year, and Parnell will be ready to be a great closer, but those are all VERY big maybes.
I just think new blood is needed. Now, no, don’t make a dumb trade for the sake of change, but explore just about anything, and try to be creative, as I also think that we are not going to see another big-money FA this winter. And with Ollie/Slappy/Beltran/Bay/etc’s 2011 salaries, we are hamstrung for next year.
Mejia, Niese, Thole, Ike–yes, a lot of serious potential there. I really would try to move Jose and/or Beltran for a couple more guys like that, and let Wright and Johan lead a team full of youthful hope, and then add a big money FA after 2011, and then we can be ready to win in 2012.
Dirtysanchez
8/31/2010-9:44am at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
what I take “losing mentality” to mean is they dont take losing personally. A loss is a loss to them…thats it.
Im sure we all had a job where we felt the upper management was a tweak or two away from making the workplace much more enjoyable and productive. As much as we may have been disapointed in what they did, we didnt have the luxury of mailing it in because that would cost us our jobs. It should be the same for these guys. Just because the FO didnt do anything to support you doesnt mean you shouldnt stay professional and try to win. Hell you have GKR talking about the mets looking as if they mail it in when they get down 3 runs or more.
I never said they suck, Im just saying Im not so sure they are as good as I thought they were and I dont see any commitment to getting better. Its not like we have not seen examples of this
How is a team that is dead LAST since the ASB in offensive production playing cards instead of extra bp?
Why is a pitcher lauging it up after a team loss and has to be TOLD to respect the loss…mind you that player was a home grown player that was laughing it up and the player that said to respect the loss was not a home grown player
Jerry Manuel aluding his team was unprepared going into the puerto rican series with the marlins…
To me, where there is smoke…theres fire.
njstuckintx
8/31/2010-9:50am at 9:50 am (UTC -4)
Well, 1 rudder steers a ship. With the rudder broken, I can’t see the ship getting pointed in the right direction. I see the rudder stuck to the left and the boat doing circle after circle after circle…
kingman 26
8/31/2010-9:59am at 9:59 am (UTC -4)
Dirty, damn well-said.
Really. I agree with all of this.
kingman 26
8/31/2010-8:58am at 8:58 am (UTC -4)
And haha at the idea that we NOW have the 24 + 1 environment!
Did you see the reaction when Ollie came back to the dugout after his inning?
NO ONE even LOOKED at him, then Slappy and Warthen finally came over.
Classic. A true outcast, and never has an athlete deserved to be ostracized more than this absolute ASS.
Dirtysanchez
8/31/2010-9:06am at 9:06 am (UTC -4)
he has nobody to blame but himself…
kingman 26
8/31/2010-9:15am at 9:15 am (UTC -4)
Agreed totally with this, and largely with your above comment about Ike too.
Prismo
8/31/2010-9:26am at 9:26 am (UTC -4)
Eh…he can blame Omar too, for signing him that ridiculous contract. If Omar had offered him 8mm a year and he accepted then pulled this debacle, the storm would be less significant.
Dirtysanchez
8/31/2010-9:48am at 9:48 am (UTC -4)
lol…would you blame someone giving you 12 million instead of 8
GravediggerHebner
8/31/2010-12:03pm at 12:03 pm (UTC -4)
Nice ARod 24 + 1 reference.
I was so excited when it looked like the Mets were going to get ARod. In hindsight I’m so happy that they didn’t. The organization is a circus as it is they don’t need that sideshow.
Last night I said something like “only the Mets could turn Oliver Perez into a sympathetic figure” and I am inclined to agree with him that he’s been treated unfairly. No one should be on a major league roster yet go completely unused for 25 consecutive games, that’s absurd. He should have been waived long ago.
stickguy
8/31/2010-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
I still get a laugh out of Glavine calling anyone out for not being “devastated” by a loss. Mr. game 162 there didn’t seem to care any more than if it was some random game in May.
and, if you believe they need a “win or die inside” attitude, then either start every player in brooklyn, or just install wally as the mets manager. Let them all chain smoke and get ulcers together!
but seriously, I have been saying this for a while, but you have to start an attitude/culture from the top. Get a serious, focused GM/head of BB ops in place, and have them go through the entire system, top to bottom.
Develop an attitude and mission statement for the organization, and make sure the manager/coaches at every level teach the basics the same way, have the same expectations, treat the players the same way, etc. As much as I hate them, the idea of “the Yankee way” is correct (but hopefully without the smug attitude!)
Other teams have this top to bottom culture. Twins, braves, Angels have always been reported to be this way. And maybe it is just coincidence, but they also tend to have good teams, and a steady supply of reinforcements coming every year.
scouting, drafting, player development. A focused culture. Getting certain types of players (not just personality, but for instance guys with some speed or a good glove). Whatever it is, settle on a profile, and go with it.