" My Math is not fuzzy - 11+10 does equal .500 !"
Wow talk about a nail-biter of a game last night ! I have to admit that when umpire Kerwin Williams erroneously called David Wright out when he was obviously safe sliding home in the seventh inning , well lets just say I didn’t expect the Mets to end up winning the game.
With Last nights win against the Marlins, our Mets are now 70-71, one game under .500. In order for the Mets to finish at .500, they would have to go 11-10 the rest of the season. Honestly I think this is an attainable goal. This team has scratched and clawed it way to respectability this season, and I don’t think that this team will accept falling short of that mark to end this season.
When you look at the roster as it stands now, you realize that this team has either
A. played way over their heads
or
B. Played well despite losing core players such as David Wright, Jose Reyes and Ike Davis missing big chunks of the season and trading away important players such as Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez.
We must also keep in mind we haven’t our best pitcher, Johan Santana as well as this franchise being under a black cloud since the break of Spring training with the Irving Picard/Bernanrd Madoff ( and now Einhorn) fiascos.
This team is gutsy, they are hungry, and at the end of the day – yes they are mediocre. I know a lot of fans are not into moral victories, but if this team can go 11-10 – or better I think that both ownership and the front office may rethink this possible “rebuilding” campaign of lower payroll and trading away high salaried players. If you haven’t been watching this season then you wouldn’t know we are already midway throught the rebuilding process !
Look, last years team was viewed as an abject failure when they finished 79-82. They played the second half of the season as if they had taken prozac – lifeless and uninterested. This seasons team has been exciting and relevant no matter what the beat writers and radio hosts may say.
Will this team be a contender next season ? I severely doubt it, but I do feel if all breaks right they can be in contention for the Wild Card – stranger things have happened.
The first thing is that the numbers have to add up to make both ownership and Jose Reyes happy ! Because as we all know – If Jose Reyes is happy, this team wins games !
And with that said… HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes:
Mets third base coach from ’64-’67 ( and again in ’72), Warren “Sheriff” Robinson would have been 90 today (1921) . Robinson also managed a few years in the Mets minor league system.
Middle reliever from the ’89 season, Don Aase is 57 (1954). A little bit of Mets trivia. If you were to alphabetize every player who donned a Mets uniform by last name, Don would be first on the list !
Our closer of the future (?), Bobby Parnell is 27 (1984). Read my column from yesterday to see my defense of him – Good Stuff if I do say so myself !
Mo Vaughn was not only a former power hitting Major League first baseman, but he can also be used as a flotation device and garbage disposal !
15 comments
Anonymous
9/8/2011-11:07am at 11:07 am (UTC -4)
not worried about trading away high salaried players now.
there are really only 4. Wright, Reyes, Santana and Bay.
Reyes, well, he can’t be traded, and i would be shocked to see them move Wright.
Santana may never pitch again, and if he is more than Chris Young again, it would be a miracle. Plus, he is untradeable.
And most people would give bay away for a bucket of spit.
The to me, the whole rebuild or go for it argument comes down to resigning Reyes, and keeping Wright. There just is not much more gutting they could do, unless you consider non-tendering Pelf or Pagan to be earth shattering moves (I don’t!)
rustyjr
9/8/2011-11:52am at 11:52 am (UTC -4)
I think you misunderstand my premise – I believe a good finish might signal the front office to the fact that this team can be closer to being out of the woods than we thought
Anonymous
9/8/2011-12:17pm at 12:17 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t see Sandy being swayed by the finish of this ballclub one way or another. I believe that Sandy already has an excellent idea of the talent on this club and will build it according to the plan he has developed. The elephant in the room is the financial restriction due to the ongoing Wilpons financial mess.
Anonymous
9/8/2011-1:45pm at 1:45 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed. The Sandy Plan won’t be impacted by how the team finishes, record wise. Maybe it would alter slightly dependent on how Herrera & Parnel pitch, but other than that, his plan will be as it is.
And I still think Sandy’s going to need to push the salary in the 115 to 120 range, but we’ll see what magic he turns. Really hoping to see Reyes re-sign (as I’m sure most do). If they (hopefully) non-tender Pelf, I’d like to see them go after Jackson or Wilson. would be a couple mil more per year for better pitchers. I’m sure that Wilson will be over paid, but I’d like to see him in a Mets Uni… I think those would be moves that are good for not only 2012, but 2013+ as well. I mean, if you aren’t planning on competing in 2012, you still re-sign Reyes, but you drop Pelf and Pagan and go cheap in those realms. That cuts some $ and isn’t a complete restart for 2013.
rustyjr
9/8/2011-2:03pm at 2:03 pm (UTC -4)
Well if you read cots the Mets are allegedly at 95 million right now when not counting Ollies Castillo Beltrans or Rodriguez conteact
Anonymous
9/8/2011-12:17pm at 12:17 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t see Sandy being swayed by the finish of this ballclub one way or another. I believe that Sandy already has an excellent idea of the talent on this club and will build it according to the plan he has developed. The elephant in the room is the financial restriction due to the ongoing Wilpons financial mess.
MetsFan4Decades
9/8/2011-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
As gategem said, there’s a plan in place going forward and I don’t think where the Mets finish has much to do with it this year. I think they’re looking at individual players and player development more than the team record. We all know the payroll will be reduced, it’s just a matter of how much.
rustyjr
9/8/2011-1:31pm at 1:31 pm (UTC -4)
Hows about playing for pride ?
Mr North Jersey
9/8/2011-5:41pm at 5:41 pm (UTC -4)
Nice post Rusty. I don’t think though that what they do record wise from here on out will change any plans they may already be forming but it would be interesting to see what a 14-7 run does to their thinking process.
Anonymous
9/8/2011-7:56pm at 7:56 pm (UTC -4)
No matter what the team is doing this season it stands to reason that the front office will continue the process of reconstruction. The team has fight and yes it does have pride but it needs to continue its forward progress even if that means re adjusting and re evaluating . Having said that the team has alot of interesting if not promising pieces in Evans tejada stinson gee niese duda and shwinden. Even after cashen took the reigns in 1980 the Mets took six years to win it all as a revitalized club. Alderson is in a similar position as cashen had been and the Mets franchise is in a similar situation to the 1980 ( maybe too harsh?) Or rather the 1982 Mets had been.
metsilverman.com
9/8/2011-8:21pm at 8:21 pm (UTC -4)
Hate to be Danny Downer, but your math actually is fuzzy. Before the doubleheader, the Mets have 21 games left: 2 with ATL, 3 w CHI, 4 w WAS, 3 @ATL, 3 @StL:twitter , 3 w/ PHI, 3 w/CIN. So they need only go 11-10. Math can be relative, after all I did the Mets Complete Illustrated History on their first 50 SEASONS this year (to beat the rush) when many would count next year as 50. I prefer ’86 Mets counting math. Nice blog. Let’s get .500 and let’s go Mets!
http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Mets-Complete-Illustrated/dp/0760339600/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1315513041&sr=8-5
Mr North Jersey
9/8/2011-9:10pm at 9:10 pm (UTC -4)
Appreciate the heads up. Considering that Rusty posted this at 5:51am. I am pretty sure he fully meant to say 11-10. In any case understanding his point was if the Mets could finish .500 or better is what he really wanted the focus on.
Still thanks and welcome to RDM and congrats on the book.
rustyjr
9/8/2011-11:16pm at 11:16 pm (UTC -4)
yes I am sorry I started qwriting the column at around 4:45 this morning without the aid of caffine lol sorry
Mr North Jersey
9/8/2011-11:34pm at 11:34 pm (UTC -4)
No biggie Rusty I think everyone understood the point you wanted to make which is what was important. I did though once it was brought to light went in and changed the 9′s to 10′s.
metsilverman.com
9/9/2011-1:34am at 1:34 am (UTC -4)
No need for sorry. I have left enough uncorrectable errors in books and newspapers to fill a boxcar. And you cleaned it up fine with just the three of us even noticing. And now that they lost the first game to Atlanta, it is 11+9 anyway. Just hoping it doesn’t end up needing to be 11+8.