We’re going to play a game.
The rules:
1. Post a comment explaining (can be short or long) one positive thing that happened to the New York Mets this season. Can be on the field or off the field.
2. You cannot post the same positive occurrence that anyone has posted previously.
3. You may only post one positive occurrence at a time (please wait a few minutes before posting another).
4. Please refrain from post anything sarcastic or negative in this thread..you’ll ruin it for us all!
Let’s see how long we can make this list! I’ll begin.
-R.A Dickey coming out of the shadows to post a sub-3 ERA with overall numbers relative to Cy-Young candidates. Dickey could be a solid mainstay in this rotation from 2011 and beyond.
49 comments
kingman 26
9/29/2010-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
Mike Pelfrey–despite a month-long blip–showed that he indeed can very possibly be a tough, dependable, successful number 2 starter for this team for years.
He is homegrown, clearly wants to be here and stay here, and is healthy and tough.
He can be a leader of the New Core which could be he, Thole, Ike, and others.
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
RA Dickey
Enough said.
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
Well dang, Prismo….I didn’t see your +. Sorry……
Prismo
9/29/2010-12:26pm at 12:26 pm (UTC -4)
It’s okay. He was good enough to count twice.
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
DWright returning healthy from the beaning last year and improving at least his power numbers. Now just have to work on the Ks and OBP.
Prismo
9/29/2010-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
The return of his power was great. The K’s need some work, but his overall production is more than acceptable for a 3B.
Wright, Reyes, and Ike could easily combine for 70+ home runs next season. That’s not too shabby for 3/4 of an infield, imo.
stickguy
9/29/2010-1:57pm at 1:57 pm (UTC -4)
I think the Ks and OBP were impacted the most by the rest of hte lineup. Not so much the concept of “protection”, but from trying to make up for the general lack of power/production elsewhere.
If the full team was around him, and he did not have to worry about hitting as many HRs or driving in every run (iow, trusting the guys in the chain behind him), maybe he settles back into his former groove of gap hitting, getting on, being patient, etc.
Hey, armchair psychology is fun!
rustyjr
9/29/2010-12:28pm at 12:28 pm (UTC -4)
Garry Matthews Jr – kidding kidding
The emergence of Ike davis
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-12:45pm at 12:45 pm (UTC -4)
Rusty…that should have read: ‘GMJ finally being released by the Mets’.
hahaha
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-12:47pm at 12:47 pm (UTC -4)
remember that GMJ and Pagan began this season in a platoon? thank god gmj was set free because Angel was probably the Mets most consistent (if not best at times) every day player this season.
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-12:40pm at 12:40 pm (UTC -4)
Angel Pagan improved his game drastically. And by that I am referring more to his intelligence in base running and defense than his hitting.
TRS86
9/29/2010-12:43pm at 12:43 pm (UTC -4)
Wanny, how do you think he went about doing this? I know you can study the game and work hard but I have to wonder if last year was learning to deal with being an everyday player more than it was the fact that he was unintelligent.
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-12:46pm at 12:46 pm (UTC -4)
Sometimes the best way to learn is to make mistakes. So experience, as I think you are referring to, probably played a big part.
Perhaps also the comfort of knowing he’s a major leaguer for good now has helped him from trying to do “too much” as they say.
But if I knew the real answer, I’d lobby for Jerry’s job. (I might anyway!)
TRS86
9/29/2010-1:01pm at 1:01 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks, as a coach I was really asking your input on that because it is something that I have to do a lot of on my level.
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-1:10pm at 1:10 pm (UTC -4)
Had this discussion regarding Pagan with my Dad the other day.
His take on it is similar to what you’re saying. The consistency of playing every day, finally knowing he was going to be a starter everyday, probably went a long way towards it being settled in his mind and not ‘over playing’ trying to prove himself to the club.
Prismo
9/29/2010-12:46pm at 12:46 pm (UTC -4)
Wow great point regarding his base-running. Remember how much everyone was killing him in the offseason and ST for this? Now..has it been brought up at all during the season? Pretty much been a non-factor.
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-12:49pm at 12:49 pm (UTC -4)
No one killed him more than I (at least around here). He’s certainly proven me wrong.
While I still disagree that he is a “top” player (some here have suggested recently that he is) he has certainly become a capable, reliable and versatile every day player.
TRS86
9/29/2010-1:02pm at 1:02 pm (UTC -4)
Would you give the fact that he is a top CF in the NL?
TRS86
9/29/2010-1:07pm at 1:07 pm (UTC -4)
Top being defined as top 5?
I know you will get on me for using fangraph stats but I don’t really have another way of measuring his impact both offensively and defensively.
Fangraphs rates him the 6th best offensive CF and the 3rd best defensive CF. He is also 3rd in WAR and Dollars.
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-1:12pm at 1:12 pm (UTC -4)
Fangraphs has Ike as being the best defensive 1st baseman in the league this year…and it’s not even close.
Not that he’ll win the Gold Glove for 1st base though…
TRS86
9/29/2010-1:19pm at 1:19 pm (UTC -4)
I am not big on the way fangraphs or any defensive metric measures 1B but my eyes tell me he is VERY good.
I do have a question for those saber minded people. Last season Murphy had very high defensive numbers at 1B too correct?
So my question is does having Castillo and other poor range 2B at 2B actually have the potential to increase a 1B’s defensive stats?
Ceetar
9/29/2010-1:55pm at 1:55 pm (UTC -4)
yes, it does. ..but only if they’re good enough to do so. AND, if it does, it also means that Castillo’s “suckiness” in range is irrelevant on that side. i.e. it only makes Murphy/Ike better if they actually get to the balls that are in the 2B zone, and if they can and do do so, Castillo is less needed in that regard.
Reyes also is a good fielder, and hence we don’t actually need a free-roaming 2B as much, the value to the Mets is less than when we had Delgado for instance. Although my eye suggests Tejada does go back on balls better, he’s also a little fuzzy on some of the things like turning double plays and knowing when to rush and rush well.
stickguy
9/29/2010-1:59pm at 1:59 pm (UTC -4)
those fuzzy pieces are the ones that qualify as instinctive, and that will only come from experience at the position.
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-2:16pm at 2:16 pm (UTC -4)
Does Reyes field balls on the 1B side of 2B? I haven’t seen that and, as such, I think the argument that Castillo’s range doesn’t matter is utterly ridiculous.
TRS86
9/29/2010-2:31pm at 2:31 pm (UTC -4)
I would agree that Ike’s range does not cancel out Castillo’s lack of range completely. My thoughts are that the Mets may even have to compensate their fielding position to accommodate a weak fielding 2b this the 1B gets to more balls “outside” of his range because they are in fact in his range due to positioning?
Ceetar
9/29/2010-2:38pm at 2:38 pm (UTC -4)
There’s a question I’d love to see asked of the coaches. But one that probably won’t b e answered. Do the Mets position differently at first base for Tejada than for Castillo.
I started to suspect last year that the Mets weren’t positioning themselves optimally, but it’s not something that’s easily figured out.
TRS86
9/29/2010-2:43pm at 2:43 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah this was my thoughts when I was considering how much it really matters if Beltran is in CF and Pagan in RF, IF Pagan shades into CF.
stickguy
9/29/2010-2:51pm at 2:51 pm (UTC -4)
saw something similar in a piece recently analyzing Wright’s defense. Forget all the details, but basically it concluded that he wasn’t getting to balls down the line (Ole!) because he was positioning himself further away than normal (not sure if that was relative to most 3Bs, him in prior years, or both).
So the question of course is, why? Something to do with him, or because he was trying to shade over in the SS hole to make up for lack of range there (mostly while Reyes was out, but also when he was playing all wrapped up).
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-2:59pm at 2:59 pm (UTC -4)
TRS — it matters because there’s more ground to cover in straight away CF and LCF than there is in RF even if Pagan covers some of the RCF ground.
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-2:15pm at 2:15 pm (UTC -4)
For this year you can make a good argument he is. Keep in mind that Kemp and Victorino had sub par offensive seasons and that CF in NL overall is not great (especially with Beltran out most of the year).
I wouldn’t have a problem with him being the regular CFer next year so long as we got Beltran like production (2008 of course) out of another RFer.
TRS86
9/29/2010-2:16pm at 2:16 pm (UTC -4)
True we are spoiled in CF for sure and our current offense is built around getting LF numbers from CF.
wannybackstra
9/29/2010-2:21pm at 2:21 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, the Beltran of old was a pretty special offense-defense combo in CF.
stickguy
9/29/2010-2:53pm at 2:53 pm (UTC -4)
well, that’s how that defensive facotr (whatever the hell it is called!) works, it is based on the other guys play, not any set reference point.
Prismo
9/29/2010-1:09pm at 1:09 pm (UTC -4)
I would say top 5 in the NL, yes. At least this season.
TRS86
9/29/2010-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
I will choose Taka who I hope will be resigned and that money will indeed talk. Overpay the guy and get him here for what ever role we need. No we can’t promise him to start but we can promise him more money than he will get else where to start.
Prismo
9/29/2010-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
I’m gonna go outside the box a bit with this one..
-The Wilpons listened to the fans and added more Mets “stuff” to Citi Field, including the Mets Museum, which everyone seems to love.
GravediggerHebner
9/29/2010-1:04pm at 1:04 pm (UTC -4)
The Mets throwing 19 shutouts, tied for 2nd in the majors with San Diego and 1 behind Philadelphia with less than a week to go.
TRS86
9/29/2010-1:10pm at 1:10 pm (UTC -4)
Dang, when did Philly catch up? I thought the Mets lead the MLB with that stat.
GravediggerHebner
9/29/2010-1:22pm at 1:22 pm (UTC -4)
They’ve had 3 in the last 2 weeks, the Mets have had just 1 in that same period.
Both Milwaukee and the Nats have been shut out 14 times so the Mets might be able to get 1 or 2 if things break right over these last 2 series.
TRS86
9/29/2010-1:26pm at 1:26 pm (UTC -4)
Well dang.
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-1:16pm at 1:16 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll give one that’s will probably be unpopular with half of you:
Jose Reyes apparent hamstring issues from last year didn’t resurface again this year. True, he had an oblique issue IMO the Mets mismanaged, but legs appear fine.
It’s my opinion that this team is better off with Reyes right now than without him.
njstuckintx
9/29/2010-1:33pm at 1:33 pm (UTC -4)
Niese showing he is better than a back of the rotation type.
stickguy
9/29/2010-1:53pm at 1:53 pm (UTC -4)
agree 100% on this one. I would have posted it if you hadn’t.
metsfan4decades
9/29/2010-1:46pm at 1:46 pm (UTC -4)
D. Gee? Is it too early to be encouraged by his starts both in the minors and this month?
Mr North Jersey
9/29/2010-1:46pm at 1:46 pm (UTC -4)
The opening of the Mets Museum.
stickguy
9/29/2010-1:50pm at 1:50 pm (UTC -4)
really reaching for a positive (and this one won’t apply until next year), but Jerry doing enough dumb Jerry things to (hopefully) guarantee that there is a new manager and coaches next year!
stickguy
9/29/2010-1:52pm at 1:52 pm (UTC -4)
Did I wait long enough?
-My man Duda having a huge MiL season, then rebounding from a slow start in the majors to actually look like an option to consider for the future.
stickguy
9/29/2010-2:01pm at 2:01 pm (UTC -4)
THe highlight of the season (on the field) has to be the 3 game SO sweep of the Phils at Citi at the end of May.
Man, that seems like such a long time ago! Back before they became gutless, heartless disinterested losers.
Ceetar
9/29/2010-2:34pm at 2:34 pm (UTC -4)
Citi Field and how its’ really developed into a big home field advantage place, particularly before the Mets stopped playing.
It’ll be nice to have an intimidating ball park when things actually matter.