" Is this Deja Vu all over again ?"
Last year around this time the Mets were limping into the All-Star Break after performing way over what was expected of them by both the sports media – as well as the fans.
So far this season we had seen almost the same thing. Terry Collin’s squad was predicted to be the laughing stock of the National League East, and after a 5-13 start it would have been a easy assumption that they would never sniff .500.
Well not only have they sniffed .500 on more than one occasion, they were as high as two games over. But in the last seven games the Mets have started to flame out a bit, going 2-5. Jose Reyes has been out for the better part of 2 weeks with a grade 1 hamstring strain , and Carlos Beltran has not seen action since Friday – being felled by a bad case of the flu.
The team has played admirably in their absence, always – unfortunately in the words of Art Howe “ battled“ in every game, but either a boneheaded play ( see Bay, Jason) or ineffective outing by a pitcher ( see Pelfrey, Mike) has doomed the Mets to being a game under .500 at this juncture of the season.
The team has already jettisonned their ” lights out ” closer, Francisco Rodriguez, and it is almost a given that Beltran will be out the door within 12 days. So will this team finish with a whimper or can they gut out the remainder of the schedule to prove that they are a team that is better than last years sub .500 record?
Well I have to hope that the Mets will be able to bounce back from this mini slump that they are mired in. Jose Reyes is expected back as soon as today, after playing a rehab game in Brooklyn yesterday. David Wright is expected back this Friday night in Miami – if all goes well in his rehab games, and Johan is in the middle of a spring training schedule to get his surgically repaired shoulder into game shape.
The question is will this be enough for a team that has teeter tottered throughout the entire season, or in the case of last season is it already too late ?
And with that said… HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes :
Mets hitting instructor from ’75-’78, Phil Cavarretta would have been 95 today (1916). He was allegedly the only person whose career spanned from the time of Babe Ruth and the early career of Hank Aaron.
Middle reliever from the ’65-’66, Gordie Richardson is 73(1938).
Reserve outfielder from ’87-’91, Mark Carreon is 48 (1963).
One of the better Mets first basemen of the ’90′s ( and now an admitted steroid cheat), David Segui is 45 (1966).
One time top outfield prospect ( and step/adopted son of Mookie), Preston Wilson is 37 (1974). He was the centerpiece in the deal that imported Mike Piazza from the Florida Marlins.
The New York Mets purchased the contract of utility infielder, Bobby Klaus from the Cincinnati Reds on July 19, 1964.
The New York Mets traded reserve outfielder ( and clubhouse cancer), Karim Garcia to the Baltimore Orioles for middle reliever, Mike DeJean on July 19, 2004.
The New York Mets traded second baseman, Jeff Keppinger to the Kansas City Royals for utility infielder, Ruben Gotay on July 19, 2006. Yeah – that worked out well !
I had spotted Mo Vaughn during my stay up in Newport Rhode Island last week. Needless to say there was not a quahog to be found after he had left town !
19 comments
Darknova306
7/19/2011-9:29am at 9:29 am (UTC -4)
They’ll finish with a whimper as the pitching staff is showing they can’t maintain the ridiculous success they had to overcome the 5-13 start.
rustyjr
7/19/2011-9:32am at 9:32 am (UTC -4)
I am still holding out hope this team can finish above .500
MetsFan4Decades
7/19/2011-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
For some reason, this season isn’t half as bad as last season for me. Maybe because my expectations were so much higher coming into ’10. That and last season truly was a ‘death march’. The more they fell, the more you knew FO changes from the GM to the coaches were going to be made. By 1 Aug last year we all knew Jerry was gone and I would have taken the sure bet Omar was as well.
This year they started fresh with a new FO, new scouts, minor league ‘players’ and new coaches save Warthen and Hale. Ollie and Castillo are gone and a few new pieces brought in. I was going to enjoy this season no matter what the record.
And you know what? I am enjoying this season. Sure, once again injuries as much as anything else did this team in. They’re a .500 ball club right now. It’s not stopping me from watching. It’s baseball, it’s my NY Mets and the winter will be long and cold.
Anonymous
7/19/2011-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
I agree with MF4D that it is 100% better than last year, but the sad part might be that that’s because we are watching second tier players who largely know they are not serious MLB starters, and they are hustling for their time in the sun. It is somewhat amazing that this group is just one game under .500.
But while I was doing my best at self-delusion for a while, they are now 6-9 since the great 4-game stretch where they scored 52 in 4 games in TEX and DET and have scored 51 in those 15 games.
The next 9 with STL, FLA, and CIN are going to largely determine whether they continue the fight to be above .500.
MetsFan4Decades
7/19/2011-12:54pm at 12:54 pm (UTC -4)
I’m thinking we’re going to wind up right around .500. Seems like for every step forward, we take one or two steps back.
Of course, goes without saying I’d like to see them go on some 10 game win streak right about now.
MetsFan4Decades
7/19/2011-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
OT but I see FMart is on the DL – again.
Seriously, what are our options when Beltran is traded?
That OF is going to be Pagan, Bay and possibly Pridie/Duda rest of this year? What about next year?
Yikes!
rustyjr
7/19/2011-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
Probably stays the same since David will be back but may captain Kirk comes up or Jesus Feliciano
MetsFan4Decades
7/19/2011-12:48pm at 12:48 pm (UTC -4)
I thought Kirk was on the DL as well. Am I wrong about that?
rustyjr
7/19/2011-1:07pm at 1:07 pm (UTC -4)
Oops your right !
Anonymous
7/19/2011-1:41pm at 1:41 pm (UTC -4)
Well, if you assume that Beltran is traded and possibly Byrdak & possibly even Cap (then factoring in which 2 players to be named later in the Krod deal), I would have to figure an OF would be among them. Whether said OF would be ready for the bigs is another story…
SaltyGary
7/19/2011-1:58pm at 1:58 pm (UTC -4)
FMART=Alex Escobar
Anonymous
7/19/2011-3:39pm at 3:39 pm (UTC -4)
I think this is getting pretty close to being the truth. Did Escobar just suck or was he injury riddled as well? I can’t remember.
SaltyGary
7/19/2011-4:12pm at 4:12 pm (UTC -4)
Tons of hype and tons of injuries.
SaltyGary
7/19/2011-1:14pm at 1:14 pm (UTC -4)
2010 and 2011 are the tale of two teams. After 2009 I don’t think there were any expectations other than total disappointment. 2011 has been a breath of fresh air. New life in the club house and in the front officer with a path forward.
I’ll take a bunch of mediocre kids fighting at every at bat over a bunch of uninterested overpaid ^@*&@$#’s any day. I am still sticking to my 73 win prediction and for the first time in a while I am sure I will still be enjoying watching this team in September.
Mr North Jersey
7/19/2011-2:04pm at 2:04 pm (UTC -4)
”I’ll take a bunch of mediocre kids fighting at every at bat over a bunch of uninterested overpaid ^@*&@$#’s any day.”
- QUOTE OF THE DAY
Anonymous
7/19/2011-2:54pm at 2:54 pm (UTC -4)
+ Infinity.
MetsFan4Decades
7/19/2011-3:43pm at 3:43 pm (UTC -4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jowwMKG5kYc&feature=player_embedded
Hope this link is usable. Originally saw this on AA this morning.
It’s Bobby V’s explanation of his tenure with the ’99 season, how he came to not be fired and wound up in the dugout with his infamous disguise after being ejected. Blame it all on Robin Ventura. LOL.
SaltyGary
7/19/2011-4:24pm at 4:24 pm (UTC -4)
That was great, thanks for posting. Now did you get that pic in your post or is NJ up to some shenanigans?
MetsFan4Decades
7/19/2011-5:38pm at 5:38 pm (UTC -4)
Well, if I somehow managed to get that pic in my post, I have no idea how….LOL.
Someone – NJ? probably added it for me.