Last night around, I don’t know, maybe 1 or 2 in the morning I saw the final score of the Mets game.
I slept with a smile.
This morning as I cruise the local websites and check out the standings I can’t help to notice the New York Metropolitans are right where they should be….smack in the middle of the N.L East.
Now I’m searching for the right word to describe them….unpredictable? over achieving? mediocre? pretender?
No, if the Wilpons allow Sandy Alderson to do what he can to improve this team then the word to describe the Mets is simple…..poised.
Remarkable isn’t it? Last week the Mets took a beating from the Yankees in their own house and then drop two to the worst team in the league and yet when the dust settled the Mets are still 3 1/2 games out. When you really consider it, all the Yankees did was hurt the pride of the Met fans….The Mets themselves are right back where they started from…..and for all I know, could remain there.
But now let me ask…if the Mets were to make at the Trade Deadline and maybe pick up a bat or an arm.
Who will be the Beast of the East?
This mornings standings have the Nats sitting on the top with a 43-31 record. I like them but do they have what it takes? I wasn’t impressed at all when they were spanked by the Yankees a couple of weeks ago. Even though the Yankees were hot, if the Nats were somewhat for real, they should’ve won at least once. But again? Are the Nats for real?
Atlanta sits in a second place tie (3.5 games out). I really want to see what Atlanta is going to do at the Trade Deadline…like the Mets, I think that might determine their fate. I have a strong feeling they are going to fade…I don’t know why yet.
I really hate the Marlins and the Phillies and when they both lose, it makes me want to open up a bottle of champagne. However, these two teams are the ones I see getting hot at one point and making a run—as much as I want to stick a fork in both of them…a big fork. But let’s see the reality here, Philedephia’s Chase Utley is already back and Howard is hitting in A ball.(and even though their pitching stinks, you just can’t count them out just yet). The Miami’s Mercenaries have the potential to win, the question remains, however, will Ozzie get them to?
And let’s not forget our Mets.
So I’ll raise the question to you, which team, judging on what you’ve seen so far, will rule the East?
12 comments
Paul Festa
6/29/2012-1:46pm at 1:46 pm (UTC -4)
The Nationals don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. I’m definitely concerned about them.
Mr North Jersey
6/29/2012-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t know if I would use the word scare but 2 teams I don’t look past are the Cardinals and the Nats.
Stickguy
6/29/2012-2:42pm at 2:42 pm (UTC -4)
slight correction: Howard is in A ball (lakewood, they play PSL). 1 game, looked really rusty, and was not running smoothly at all. He is going to take some time.
But, until proven otherwise, the team that makes me nervous is the Phils. Conditioned reflex maybe, but I still worry that they will get a couple of guys back/hot, and will suddenly go on a late run. I hope not of course, but they still scare me.
Nats? don’t think they will fade away, but certainly will (have?) come back to the pack. And remember, by sometime in August or so they are committed to shutting Strasburg down for the year.
I agree that the Braves likely don’t have the horses for a run. Marlins? overrated, but still could make some noise.
bottom line, if nothing horrible happens (injury wise) and they get a few mild reinforcements, then yes, the Mets can stay right in the mix. They are not over achieving, they were just underrated for how things turned out.
Gonzo Will
6/29/2012-4:24pm at 4:24 pm (UTC -4)
You are correct Stickguy! Howard is in A ball. I did also hear the same rumor regarding Strasburg.. They shut him down, it’s a weaker Nats team.
Stickguy
6/29/2012-5:05pm at 5:05 pm (UTC -4)
wow. the Yankees just claimed Schwinden.
No, they aren’t desperate!
gategem
6/29/2012-9:48pm at 9:48 pm (UTC -4)
Before tonight’s game the Yankees were playing .613 ball with a five game lead in their division. Yeah, they’re desperate. The Mets should be so desperate.
They’re probably just need to fill a spot in the minors.
Stick
6/29/2012-11:00pm at 11:00 pm (UTC -4)
desperate for pitching.
and based on how their call up went tonight, they might be right to be.
gategem
6/30/2012-1:43am at 1:43 am (UTC -4)
When you live in an area that’s dominated by the Yankees you get to know more about the team than you want to. You face the same with the Phillies and know more about them than any one of us with the possible exception of SRT. The Yankees have some great arms in the minors but Cashman is trying to build the right way from the bottom up while he keeps the major league franchise stocked with high priced talent. He doesn’t want to trade them or rush them. Eventually those kids will be on the big club (e.g. Nova) or if he’s forced to (since a year without making the playoffs causes mass suicide among Yankees fans) Cashman will use them reluctantly for trade bait.
srt
6/29/2012-9:51pm at 9:51 pm (UTC -4)
Ha! I knew that spin the other night that ‘we’ll be fine’, was damage control.
Getting tired of hearing the beat writers also saying they’ll be fine b/c of their awesome lineup and BP. I see just how ‘fine’ they were tonight. How long did their rookie make it before giving up 6 runs? 2.1 innings is all.
Their BP might not stay so awesome of those pitchers can’t make it through 5.
hahahaha – As Met fans, been there, done that, wore the tee shirt.
srt
6/29/2012-9:45pm at 9:45 pm (UTC -4)
The Mets.
Oh wait, you mean besides the Mets?
Right now, the Nationals. The Dodgers ever get healthy, it’ll be them.
What NL team do I hate the most?
Hands down, it’s the Phils. Followed by the Marlins. Third would be the Braves.
Something tells me though, very shortly the Braves and maybe even the Marlins will be replaced by Harper and the Nats. I know he’s a great talent but he gets on my nerves.
gategem
6/29/2012-10:01pm at 10:01 pm (UTC -4)
Right now the NL reminds me of the Sally League. I don’t recall when I’ve seen such a mediocre league. Perhaps it will all shake out in the second half. But right now the Mets have as good as chance as anybody since the league sucks. Right now I don’t fear any of the other teams in the NL East.
The Phillies have had a nice run that actually rates above what the Mets had in the mid to late 1980’s. Perhaps they’ll have a bounce back season next year but it appears that with this set of players the Phillies run is over.
Perhaps it will take a year for the Marlins to shake out the bugs and next year they’ll be formidable. In the meantime they remind of some of the Mets teams that were composed of high priced free agents that didn’t come together.
oleosmirf
6/29/2012-10:31pm at 10:31 pm (UTC -4)
I will never rule out the Phillies. They still have the talent to with division…