Last night’s 11-1 spanking of the Phillies marked the 81st game of the Mets season. As we all know this means that Mets baseball is half way through the ’12 season, and the Mets record stands at a respectable 44-37.
I am sure that if you polled most Mets fans ( including myself) the consensus would be the Mets win total at this period of time would be in the mid 30′s.
So this led me to ponder some things about this team.
Ruben Tejada is the biggest surprise of all. Yes he hasn’t made us entirely forget about a once dread locked shortstop who now makes his residence in South Beach, but Tejada has proven that he isn’t exactly the second coming of Frank Taveras either. He is patient at the plate, and aggressive in the field.
I was in Tampa for the first games of the Mets/Rays series last month, and thanks to the great folks at the Media Relations department, I was able to be on the field for batting practice ( video coming soon). The one thing I can say after meeting Jon Rauch ( and shaking his hand) – He’s a giant.
I think that Terry Collins deserves the bulk of the credit for the success of this team so far. He is a quietly confident manager, and the team has latched on to the way he carries himself.
I am ecstatic over the “overnight success” of R.A Dickey.
I feel that just like Tommy John before him, Johan Santana is the poster boy for the kind of surgery that he has successfully returned from. Also much kudos for pitching the Mets first ever no-hitter !!!
Like I said before the season started – just because your buy almost every top notch free agent available on the market – it will not ensure a winning season – I’m looking at you Miami !!!
And lastly, It gives me great pleasure to see Charlie Manuel and his Phillies channel their inner ’10 Jerry Manuel’s Mets ( trying to tread water until their stars come back from the disabled list).
And with that said… HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes:
Shortstop from ’83-’84, José Oquendo is 49 (1963) . Jose has been a fixture as the Cardinals third base coach for nearly a decade.
The New York Mets sold the contract of middle reliever, Butch Metzger to the Philadelphia Phillies on July 4, 1978.
The New York Mets signed free agent pitcher, Miguel Batista on July 4, 2011. Miguel has been a useful addition to the Mets pitching squad. He has proved to be effective in the role of a spot starter/middle reliever.
I predict Mo Vaughn will set a new worlds record by downing 200 hot dogs at today’s Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. I also predict that a Hazmat unit will have to be summoned after the contest in order to treat the crowd to exposure to his deadly, noxious gas !!!!
13 comments
NJstuckinTX
7/4/2012-10:55am at 10:55 am (UTC -4)
Tejada is definitelyy a nice surprise. Quite the difference from Tejada to the Q.
Love the spanking of the Phils. A sweep would be spectacular. Now for Terry to not start Turner…
And BP help, ASAP.
srt
7/4/2012-11:39am at 11:39 am (UTC -4)
Well said, Rusty. Don’t know where this team I going but I’m enjoying the heck out o watching them try and get there.
Happy 4th of July, all.
Mr North Jersey
7/4/2012-12:31pm at 12:31 pm (UTC -4)
Rusty’s did you and Rauch get to talk about each other’s tattoos?
rustyjr
7/4/2012-1:06pm at 1:06 pm (UTC -4)
Lol no – I was in dress casual cloths
Hazmet
7/5/2012-9:10am at 9:10 am (UTC -4)
Random Thoughts in Hazville 7/5:
1) Why would we even consider having RA Dickey start more frequently in the second half given the rotation is not the problem? How about this: GATE $$, GATE $$, GATE $$. If they do indeed go about what I consider an absurd idea I’ll be watching to see how many of these starts occur at home since the buzz they are trying to build is “RA Dickey starts have become must see events for the Mets”.
If this is the reason they would jeopardize upsetting the routine of a Pitcher who is on the all time roll of his career it would be absolutely ridiculous.
2) When do we get to the part of the season when Duda starts hitting? He’s hitting .217 since June 1st but even more alarming to me is he only has 20 extra base hits on the season which is near the bottom for all RF’s in the NL. Every time I trash Duda he breaks out so hopefully this has the desired effect. He’s actually on track for what I projected him for the year at 23 HR’s and 85ish RBI’s so I shouldn’t be that surprised.
3) Question to Sandy; “If you’re going to berate the fans for being out voted by a city of 800,000 to get Sandoval in as the starting AS 3B then will you be leading the way in throwing your support behind our homegrown 3B by entering into contract negotiations to extent him?” – note to Sandy regarding our team: I was here before you, and I’ll be here long after you’re gone. Be careful starting this debate considering the absolute mistruths and Madoff mud this ownership has dragged our team brand through the past several years, you’re lucky anybody is watching considering this and you’re the #2 team in the city in which you reside.
srt
7/5/2012-9:55am at 9:55 am (UTC -4)
Tinkering with RA Dickey is about the stupidest idea I’ve seen yet come out of this organization in years. Just leave him alone. Every 5th day, period.
Hazmet
7/5/2012-10:06am at 10:06 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, it’s just bizarre to me. That’s why I can only think the reason would be to increase gate receipts. I don’t want to hear it’s to move Gee to the pen to bolster the pen since he needs to stay on 5 days given his injury history to his arm and that he basically pitches with less than a full set of connectivity in his arm structure. Not the type guy you want to keep getting up and down and running out there every other day.
Hope you had a great 4th.
srt
7/5/2012-10:30am at 10:30 am (UTC -4)
Had nice holiday. Hope you and yours did too.
Would have been a nicer 4th if they had beat the Phillies yesterday…..
I’m not sure this is about gate receipts. And this is for Stick to…
I saw that article first mentioned about 10 days ago. I also saw a snippet from an interview with Terry on SNY (think it was one of those pregame ones), where he said they had thought about it, but on further thought, decided not to. Said not only would it be tinkering with RA’s routine, shuffling around the rest of them to accommodate a 4 day rotation for Dickey was probably not a good idea either.
What I can’t remember is why they were thinking about doing it to begin with. Can’t be b/c the other 4 SPs weren’t getting it done b/c that’s not the case.
Stickguy
7/5/2012-10:09am at 10:09 am (UTC -4)
was there ever any details about the RA thing? I saw the (Rubin?) comment that was super vague (something about getting him more work? pitching more often? but as a consider looking into it type of deal) but nothing else, other than comment-er speculation.
Stupid idea if they are going to try and pitch him on short rest. But, if they are going to skip the #5 guy when there is an off say to keep him on normal rest, then that is fine!
but the rotation is not the problem, and I still think you have to be careful with him, since he does throw the ball hard for a NB guy. so don’t screw it up.
Stickguy
7/5/2012-10:13am at 10:13 am (UTC -4)
I know that the subset of fans that despise Sandy (call them the core for short) took this comment way too seriously (to the extent of writing long pieces outing him as a troll), but I actually took it to be more of a not so subtle dig at the voting process in general (and how SF may have basically stuffed the ballot box).
I did not really see it as someone calling met fans onto the carpet as being bad fans, not caring, etc.
maybe because it makes so little sense for Sandy to have taken to twitter just to poke his fan base int he eye? or I am the glass half full guy?
but I will say, Sandy might want to close the twitter account. nothing good ever seems to come out of it!
Hazmet
7/5/2012-10:25am at 10:25 am (UTC -4)
I was fine with what Sandy said up until the point where he brought about ” a city of 800,000 out voted a city of 8 million”. That in my book crossed into a direct confrontation of the fan base.
Agree with you on if the RA thing is factoring in off days etc so he’d still be on 5 days rest. That would make sense. Otherwise it’s just odd to consider but it keeps coming up on SNY, talk radio, and the local papers.
Hope a fine 4th was had. Let’s go for a Duda run to close out the first half, now that I trashed him lock it in.
Stickguy
7/5/2012-1:49pm at 1:49 pm (UTC -4)
hope so about Duda. I thought he was starting on his annual 2nd half binge a while back (end of May or so) but he really has been dead lately.
if he can heat up and start banging in runs it would really be a boost. Catching the ball too would be fine.
srt
7/5/2012-10:33am at 10:33 am (UTC -4)
I didn’t have a problem with that comment on Twitter either. Then again, I’m not one of those who hate Sandy right now. Nor am I a Sandy lover at the moment. Too early IMO to make a decision about this FO.
Also…the follow up comment Sandy made about the Kung Fu Panda nickname was a definite dig on the Giants fan base, not the Mets fan base.
I happen to agree with you though. Nothing good can come from the GM on twitter.