"Hey .500 is doable !"
Okay here we stand on August 18th 2011. The Mets are in third place with a record of 60-63 . We have known for a while now that our Mets are no longer in contention for either surpassing the Phillies for the division, nor the Braves for the Wild Card. Anybody who still thinks there is a chance – well your straight jacket is waiting for you at Bellevue.
But that is not to say that all hope is lost. There are still 39 games left to play in the season and the biggest moral victory for both this team and it’s fan base would be for the Mets to finish at or above .500. Last year under Jerry Manuel the Mets finished at 79-83, just 3 games under .500. This years squad led by Terry Collins is in my opinion a bit better than Jerry’s team. Yes the pitching ( both the starting rotation and the bullpen) have hit a rough patch, and yes there are times when it seems like the defense is non existent. But this team is a hell of a lot more resilient than the one that was fielded last season.
I am not saying that the task at hand is not going to be an easy one. The Mets have to go 22-17 in their last 39 games in order to finish .500. To finish the season. The Mets will be facing some pretty stiff competition against the likes of the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds along with our division rivals ( Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Nationals) . But still 22 more wins for this team is not a pie in the sky fantasy. Collins is a motivator. and the fact that this team has not just laid down and died is a testament to his managing. This team has a lot more fight left in them, and I feel they will go down swinging.
But for this to happen guys like Gee, Duda, Niese and Pelfrey have to step up. Pagan has to tighten up his outfield defense as well as be a bit more patient at the plate. Josh Thole also needs to become a better defender – and call a better game from behind the plate.
There are many people that consider anything short of a playoff appearance a failure. I see the Mets reaching ( and possible surpassing .500) a moral victory, and a building block for future seasons.
And with that said….. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes :
Mets third base coach from ’97-’99, Bruce Benedict is 56 (1955). He also managed the Norfolk Tides during their ’96 campaign.
One time Mets first round draft pick (1981), outfielder, Terry Blocker is 52 (1959). Blocker played briefly for the Mets during the ’85 season, and was traded in November of ’87 to the Atlanta Braves for relief pitcher, Kevin Brown.
Current AAA Buffalo Bison pitcher , Pat Misch is 30 (1981). Pat has played in parts of three seasons with the Mets. His Mets record as it stands so far is 4-8 with a E.R.A of 4.43.
The New York Mets purchased the contract of middle reliever, Dave Eilers from the Milwaukee Braves on August 18, 1965.Eilers spent 2 seasons with the Mets, and compiled a record of 2-2 with a 4.44 E.R.A in 34 games.
The New York Mets traded outfielder, Brett Butler to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league outfield prospects, Scott Hunter and Dwight Maness on August 18, 1995. Brett was one of the brightest spots of the ’95 team. He had batted .311 with25 RBIs in the 90 games he played with the Mets. He requested the Mets trade him back to the Dodgers so that he could finish his career there and the Mets obliged. Neither Hunter nor Manass ever broke the bigs with the Mets.
Mo Vaughn had to buy three airline seats for his return trip the New York City Last night. They were all for his significant GIRTH !!!
32 comments
Anonymous
8/18/2011-11:08am at 11:08 am (UTC -4)
I would like to see them at .500. Symbolic mostly, sure, but still psychologically a plus going into next year, for the team and the fans.
Besides, 80 just seems so much more than 79!
MetsFan4Decades
8/18/2011-12:52pm at 12:52 pm (UTC -4)
Hey, I think the Mets are the only ones who actually have had no problem beating the Brewers, right? LOL.
I’d really like to see the Mets beat up on the Marlins too. They just really got on my nerves this year.
Just because we’re out of the race doesn’t mean we can’t finish strong. We get Reyes back (and I’m hearing possibly next Tuesday?), the SP goes deep (’cause this BP is beyond inconsistent), Duda coming around, etc. etc. – just maybe we can win more games than we lose.
39 games left to play……where the heck did the season go?
And why is it the winter without baseball seems so much longer than the summer with baseball?
Anonymous
8/18/2011-12:57pm at 12:57 pm (UTC -4)
Moral victories of achieving .500 is pretty meaningless, at least to me. At this point, I want to start seeing the kids come up, see Duda back in RF, see the waiver wire people move along (Harris, Pagan, etc. I know Bay ain’t going anywhere) and overall, just be entertained. Yes, I’d like to see them win out every last game, but I’m enjoying the team play and, while I don’t know the right way to properly describe it, it seems like there is a sense of optimism about. Not based on record, but based on the team being so very young, it’s like the know they are going to be getting better and better. Again, just a thing that I’m starting to see, so I could be delusional, but if that is the case, leave me alone to my delusions, as I do enjoy it.
Patrick
8/18/2011-2:58pm at 2:58 pm (UTC -4)
Why would you want to simply move Pagan on as if there is a treasure trove of CF’s waiting to take his place?
Pagan is an ample bridge to understanding if the Mets have a real CF in waiting among the currently done for the season Kirk Niuewenhius, and the guys they have at AA currently.
What kids do you want to see? The ones ready are already all here.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-3:20pm at 3:20 pm (UTC -4)
I’m not saying kick Pagan to the curb for nothing, but if he could be moved for something worth wild, I’d do it, for sure. I’d honestly like the Mets to take a flier on Ankiel to play CF next year, but if no offers were to be found, rolling with Pagan next year wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Now, as to the kids, yes some are certainly here. Satin could be up as well. It help this team out next year if they had anyone who could man 1B at the moment other than Duda. He needs to see time in the OF.
Anyway, my point was start prepping for next year. Move the Hairstons and Harrises and Capuanos and let the kids get some playing time and seasoning. See if there is a taker on Pagan and his escalating salary. Can’t hurt asking on all fronts, and I am sure Sandy is doing just that..
TRS86
8/18/2011-3:43pm at 3:43 pm (UTC -4)
Why would you go from Pagan to Ankiel? Salary or not that is a downgrade.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-3:51pm at 3:51 pm (UTC -4)
Pagan doesn’t impress me, what can I say?
TRS86
8/18/2011-4:20pm at 4:20 pm (UTC -4)
There is a difference in impress and depress. The thought of Ankiel patrolling CF with his awful bat depresses me.
Patrick
8/18/2011-3:46pm at 3:46 pm (UTC -4)
A flier on Ankiel. Rick Ankiel? Surely you jest?
Satin is not a kid, he is the same age as Daniel Murphy who has already played nearly two full season off major league baseball. Duda will play some outfield regardless.
There is NO ONE to replace Capuano so that is a terrible idea. Hairston was claimed and pulled back as I belief Harris was also. So there was no match with the claiming teams.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-3:58pm at 3:58 pm (UTC -4)
Separate humble opinions, i guess. Could be Ankiel, could be another viable replacement.
Thanks for the info on the H’s (Hairston/Harris). Did not know that.
Patrick
8/18/2011-4:13pm at 4:13 pm (UTC -4)
Ankiel is definitely not a viable replacement. I am not a huge fan of Pagan, but there is no reason to be quick to usher him out, especially for the Nationals sloppy seconds.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-4:09pm at 4:09 pm (UTC -4)
Per MLBTR –
Last week, we heard that several Mets players cleared waivers, including Jason Bay, Chris Capuano, Angel Pagan, D.J. Carrasco and Willie Harris. Those players can be traded freely, as can the others on this list, which has a running tally of the guys who have cleared waivers this month.
So, Harris is free to roam.
Patrick
8/18/2011-4:14pm at 4:14 pm (UTC -4)
yes was wrong, saw this morning something about three guys being pulled back, thought it was Harris but not.
Either way, the Mets are not getting anything valuable for Willie Harris, so all they do in that scenario is expend energy and resources for a player likely to be dumped from the system in a year.
SaltyGary
8/18/2011-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
I’ve said this here in past years to no fan fare, but why root for a record that really has no meaning? If the team has 3 more losses then they leap five teams in the draft order. Not suggesting that they purposely tank but if it’s about building for the future, a bad record ain’t so bad.
Patrick
8/18/2011-3:11pm at 3:11 pm (UTC -4)
This is actually an interesting scenario year for the Mets. Lets just say for example the Mets did NOT have Ike Davis and were inclined to get in on Prince Fielder, they could actually sign Fielder and likely NOT lose their first round pick. Right now they are settled in the 2nd fifteen group of teams overall.
So they could actually sign Fielder, lose Reyes have two first round picks, a supplemental and then lose their 2nd round pick to the Brewers.
Ceetar
8/18/2011-6:50pm at 6:50 pm (UTC -4)
I’m not overly concerned with position, but I’d like them to finish above .500 because it would plant the seed in the media of them being good next year and on the upswing and would taper some of the negativity.
More important than drafting 12th instead of 16th or something is having that first round pick protected though. I don’t know if the Mets match up with a type A free agent, but Sandy’s all about flexibility.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-7:21pm at 7:21 pm (UTC -4)
they need to win to appease the media?
TRS86
8/19/2011-12:45am at 12:45 am (UTC -4)
Just as silly as making moves to appease the fans.
Anonymous
8/19/2011-3:56am at 3:56 am (UTC -4)
not so much to appease the media, as much as build some interest in the fan base (and the media has a lot to do with that).
Taryn Cooper
8/18/2011-2:56pm at 2:56 pm (UTC -4)
I feel like a lot of people have short-term memory loss dealing with this team. “We’ve had injuries, blah blah blah” yet this team has played above and beyond trading their best hitter midseason, not having a true 1B out there (missing his bat too), missing their all-star 3B most of it and losing the all-star SS twice. We’ve come off two seasons of 4th place finishes, were people REALLY thinking they’d be able to win a Wild Card (I admit, I had hope for it), when they’re integrating culture change in the organization and needing to cleaning up messes from not just previous administration, but dating back to when Kazmir was traded (possibly earlier). This team finishes .500 this year, I’ll have better hope for next season, that’s for sure. Anything they do will be gravy.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-5:03pm at 5:03 pm (UTC -4)
Over the years I’ve observed teams complete the season on a positive note yet open the following season poorly and vice versa. It’s an incredibly long off season and the carry over effect is negligible.
Watching the club win some games is much more enjoyable then seeing them constantly lose but the main task at hand is preparing for next season. If the evaluation process results in losing games that otherwise would be won so be it. Unlike some fans that agonize over every negative event that befalls their team I possess a short term memory when it comes to entertainment. I just don’t see kicking the dog or screaming at the wife or gf over the Mets or any other form of entertainment.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-5:56pm at 5:56 pm (UTC -4)
I recall one year (late 70s/early 80s) that they had to win something like their last 7 games to stick at 99 losses on the season. And no, it did not carry over into the next season!
Anonymous
8/18/2011-5:59pm at 5:59 pm (UTC -4)
someone mentioned replacing Cap. Well, Misch is toiling away in AAA still, right? And at this point, he could give you 6 mediocre innings from a LHSP just as easily as Cap. So you could backfill that way.
Or, just give a guy like Schwinden (sp?) a taste to get his feet wet, and see if you might have something useful for next year.
I always thought it was best to give a rookie a sample the year before to get over the initial jitters. So from that standpoint, who gets called up could be of some significance.
Ceetar
8/18/2011-6:47pm at 6:47 pm (UTC -4)
Screw Misch.
Cahoon or Schwinden. Or hell, Beato.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-7:55pm at 7:55 pm (UTC -4)
that was more in response to the people wailing about “if you trade Capuano. who can replace him”?
Well, recently, Cap and Misch are pretty much the same, so easy enough to cover those starts with practically a clone.
Anonymous
8/18/2011-8:15pm at 8:15 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed. The season is shot, so throwing Misch out there, or Cahoon or others… Won’t matter, and maybe Cap brings back a serviceable BP arm controlled through next year? Considering practically all 7 BP spots could be replaced…
Anonymous
8/18/2011-8:45pm at 8:45 pm (UTC -4)
We can only hope the bullpen will be completely refurbished — including the “closer of the future” bobby parnell.
only guy i’d give a shot to come back next year is Beato. His performance hasn’t been bad for a rookie. Of course, I’d probably take Izzy back in a lesser role.
Ceetar
8/18/2011-8:59pm at 8:59 pm (UTC -4)
Carrasco and Parnell will be back. Perhaps Byrdak, who hasn’t been bad LOOGY. If they don’t actually convert Beato to a starter, you’d think he’d probably be back as well.
But I expect at least three new faces.
TRS86
8/19/2011-12:49am at 12:49 am (UTC -4)
Cap at this point brings you nothing. A team is not going to trade for a fifth starter in late August. If they wanted him they could have had him.
NJstuckinTX
8/19/2011-3:38am at 3:38 am (UTC -4)
Your telling me the Yanks and their rag tag starting pitching staff wouldn’t be interested?
Anonymous
8/19/2011-3:55am at 3:55 am (UTC -4)
more likely a team looking for some lefty BP help for the playoffs. Unless they are truly desperate for SP to even try and get there!
Adam "Prismo"
8/19/2011-12:57am at 12:57 am (UTC -4)
I’ll root for the Mets every game they play, but I don’t care so much about the final record at this point. They’ll probably finish within a few games of .500, but they won’t make the playoffs, so meh. Onto next season…