So a team that had no business being that good in the first half is finally regressing to where most fans thought they would be. As Mets fans we are used to the pain, the failures and all the lip talk. It’s a part of why we root for them. We are not the type of fans that want to win every season, even though we say we do. We love to get kicked in the teeth, then get hugged immediately afterwards and told its OK everything will be different next year. What we want to hear is “We as a team will change”. Well, of course the more things change the more they stay the same.
One of the things I feel fans are struggling with is trying to determine what scenario is better, having an underachieving team somehow contend with all these glaring issues that get exposed almost every game and then suddenly fall apart, or having the team just be as bad as we thought all year. It probably depends on what type of fan you are.
The anti-Sandy crew
Here is a compilation of some comments from 3 different posters on different blogs that mashes perfectly into a paragraph expressing this crew’s stance: “This guy is turning out to be the biggest BULLSHIT artist to ever be Mets GM and you have to be a fool to buy a ticket to support this team as long as this quitter is in charge. At this point, if the GM of this franchise doesn’t care, why should we? Like I’ve been saying all along, he’s a compulsive liar. If this news shocks you it means you’re a sap, smarten up”. These guys wanted the team to be bad all year and it pained them to see any success.
The anti-Wilpon crew
I am going to paraphrase the rest of these…“The Wilpon’s know nothing about baseball and they destroyed the viability of the team with poor financial and roster decisions. They are liars and have no desire to spend any money. Send a message and boycott the team”. In their heart they wanted the team to get better but they are just fine with the losing.
The “Realistic” crew
“Between poor decisions by Omar at the end of his tenure, followed by the Madoff scandal, the team was severely handcuffed and unable to invest in the team until these issues are cleared up. Now that the Madoff mess is behind us, it is time for the team to start re-investing in the club and begin to move forward. I will wait until next off-season before I make any judgments against the front office. Now that the handcuffs are off, let’s see what they do”. Excited by the first half and not surprised at all by the second half start. This group may start to turn negative against the club as a whole.
The pro-Sandy crew
A picture can say a thousand words:
For me I am mostly in the “Realistic” crew with a little disdain towards the Wilpon’s. Hey one size can’t fit all. I never thought they were going to do well, so the beginning of the season has been a great surprise. It’s awesome to see David back to form, holy crap the team finally got a no-hitter, and Mr. Dickey has been an amazing baseball story not just a Mets story. So I am not saying these things to suggest I am ready to quit on the season, I just am trying to get some positives out of it. I am really bummed right now. They didn’t pull the wool over my eyes by any means, the defense is atrocious, Sandy’s off-season moves failed so the bullpen is atrocious and now with injures to the rotation, the team is in a unrecoverable position. With all these setbacks, now is not the time to quit. Improvements can still be made, and should be made. You can make moves that improve the pen without hurting what the goal of this season has always been, “let’s get to 2013 and beyond”. Things like the bullpen and catcher can be improved upon. Not for the goal of trying to get back into the wild card chase (but hey if that’s possible go for it) but for the goal to get better. The pen is destroying the team and all internal options have been exhausted, let’s not let it destroy the rest of the season. Make a move and try to cap the bleeding. Last month I said I believe the front office will make a move or two and if they don’t I will start becoming upset with their approach. I am going to hold myself to that statement. It’s go time, no more excuses. If no trades are made then the franchise will be in danger of having more and more fans succumb to the disease that is the “lunatic fringe’. I want to stay positive, I want to be proud of this team, I WANT TO LIVE and not turn into those haters that want nothing more than see the team fail just to say “I told you so”. Now let’s go Sandy and LETS GO METS.
36 comments
Dirtysanchez
7/24/2012-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
I think whats happening is alot of fans bought into the Mets playing over their heads. Many fans did not have high expectations going into the season, thinking this team was going to be a whole hell of a lot worse than what we have seen so far. I trust Sandy and therefore I doubt anything major happens at the deadline. Mets just need to play hard so we can see what we have for next year and beyond. Washington is doing that with steve(yes i do think they will shut him down). This year has been tough but look on the bright side….the Marlins are sellers in their inaugural season..
srt
7/24/2012-11:26am at 11:26 am (UTC -4)
The Marlins – haha. Loria is just crazy. Talk about reactionary. I don’t know who he has making decisions but maybe they ought to sleep on some of them before they actually pull the trigger. So far, not too much is going their way.
And like Stick, I’m so enjoying the Phillies struggles this year.
srt
7/24/2012-11:24am at 11:24 am (UTC -4)
Great read, Gary.
Put me in the column of ‘Realistic’. Probably even more so ‘pragmatic’. That comes from following this team for over 40 years….
I had them pegged for last place and about 74 wins. Anything over that exceeds my expectations coming in.
Would I rather them have played under .500 ball all season – as opposed to the good first half and what’s shaping up to be a not so good second half? In a word…..No.
I enjoyed the first half. As you said, RA Dickey, No-Han, DWright, Tejada and a couple of other feel good moments mixed in. It was fun while it lasted. I just hope the second half isn’t so damn awful the first half becomes a long distant memory.
wanny
7/24/2012-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
I’m not sure which category I fit in but everyone across each category just wants the Mets to be good as soon as possible.
With that said, I would be willing to move minor league parts to acquire young or youngish controllable MLB players who improve upon what we have. I don’t know if such deals are out there but that’s what I would be looking to do. Perhaps a relatively small deal for a Peter Bourjos who could solidify the OF defense.
Stickguy
7/24/2012-12:27pm at 12:27 pm (UTC -4)
I am pretty much with how you described yourself. Impatient realist? And the thing that has surprised, and upset, me is that the FO has been so passive. I understand $ constraints, and needing to build a foundation, etc. but they could still be making moves to help speed that along. In addition to minor plug the holes in the dike moves for this season (spend a little money).
If they do nothing but shuffle a few deck chairs this off season too, then they need to be run out of town. Largely because all the patience in the world is not going to make prospects appear that don’t exist in the system, so you have to get creative and make moves to take what you have and turn it into what you need.
if they do nothing, then expect Wright to walk, and assume the plan all along really has been to become the pirates (without the temporary winning!) and get payroll to bare bones, screw the fans or any thought of winning this decade.
SaltyGary
7/24/2012-12:41pm at 12:41 pm (UTC -4)
Right there with you buddy. I had no problem that moves weren’t made going into ASB, because no moves were made. The market just wasn’t there. Now the market is open and things can happen. He has already shown that he can swing trades, so lets get some movement happening. If the purse strings don’t start opening up during the off-season, and they pull the same passive crap I am renting a bus, picking up the “MMO Core” and will lead the charge to Citi.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-8:08pm at 8:08 pm (UTC -4)
You and your busload of deranged proteges from MMO will never come near the Parade Float.
SaltyGary
7/24/2012-12:33pm at 12:33 pm (UTC -4)
Per Jayson Starks Chat:
Gary (NH)
I know the overachieving Mets have come back down to earth, but will Sandy at least make a bullpen move to try and stop the bleeding. Something, anything?
Jayson Stark
(12:31 PM)
Only, at this point, for a guy who can help them next year. They’re now 10 games back in the loss column in the division, and fading in the wild card. So it’s not worth overpaying to do anything in the short term. Their view is, the players have essentially told them that by how they’ve played since the break.
wanny
7/24/2012-1:28pm at 1:28 pm (UTC -4)
Just a few vets who caught my eye and are rumored to be available:
Liriano worth a look for the rest of the season to see if he’s someone to bring back? Probably can be had for midlevel prospect.
Does Hanley want to play LF? Sure could use a RH bat out there going forward. Don’t even have one on the horizon in the system.
Hunter Pence is under control for 2013. Safe to say he’s an upgrade over anyone we have for any of the outfield spots. He probably costs way too much in trade value though.
Stickguy
7/24/2012-1:48pm at 1:48 pm (UTC -4)
Pence costs way too much in salary most likely. making around 10mill this year, so more in arbitration next year.
Hanly, traded and thrown into a new position? What could possibly go wrong there!
I love the idea of getting Loriano. No idea at all of his contract future, or what it will take to get him. But that could be a move for the future for sure.
Stickguy
7/24/2012-2:42pm at 2:42 pm (UTC -4)
Please, no phone calls today. Our house is draped in black bunting, and we are sitting Shiva.
Truly a dark day in history today.
SaltyGary
7/24/2012-2:57pm at 2:57 pm (UTC -4)
My condolences on the dude.
NJstuckinTX
7/24/2012-4:05pm at 4:05 pm (UTC -4)
From these ashes, a new Dude will arise.
srt
7/24/2012-6:44pm at 6:44 pm (UTC -4)
Such promise with the bat. Too bad it didn’t work out.
Have to wonder how much the confidence issue had to do with his struggles. Clearly he’s not an OF and he probably knows that. Wonder if that attributed to his problems at the plate.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-7:55pm at 7:55 pm (UTC -4)
A new Dude will arrive in left field later this summer or at the latest on opening day 2013 after Jason “Ollie” Bay takes his non-PED-enhanced utterly mediocre self to the Pacific Northwest to laugh at Omar Minaya and endorse big checks next summer.
The Dude hopefully will abide.
trs86
7/24/2012-7:57pm at 7:57 pm (UTC -4)
I know you keep saying PED’s but I just don’t see it Kong. Not yet. He hits most balls into the ground, I am not sure roids could cure that.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-8:02pm at 8:02 pm (UTC -4)
Sure it could. Much more bat speed, and his somewhat frequent fly balls used to be HR.
Hey, I have zero evidence, other than a really, REALLY good circumstantial case.
His game completely went off a cliff instantly, he has no power or plate presence, AND he gets hurt all the time and takes forever to recover.
All of this perfectly fits with years of juicing stopping instantly.
trs86
7/24/2012-8:04pm at 8:04 pm (UTC -4)
Again, what I don’t understand is now he hits the ball into the ground all the time. His flyball rate decreased dramatically. My thoughts are that he mentally couldn’t handle the dimensions of the park and playing in NY. In other words plain mentally weak.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-8:06pm at 8:06 pm (UTC -4)
Well, and again, pure speculation here, but I think lack of bat speed and strength could be totally responsible for that.
trs86
7/24/2012-8:09pm at 8:09 pm (UTC -4)
His FB% last year was 10% lower than it was his last year as a RS. Also, in 2010 his line drive percentage was actually higher, problem is how much he was hitting it into the ground. His ground ball rate this year is all the way up to 46.4% 8% higher than his career rate and 13% higher than his last year in Boston.
I can’t say it isn’t PED’s but I am unaware of how they would cause you to hit more ground balls, that has to be a change in your swing or lack of pitch recognition. I often wonder if he is damn blind the way he is squinting all the time.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-8:10pm at 8:10 pm (UTC -4)
And TRS—playing in Boston is not exactly KC or SD.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-8:12pm at 8:12 pm (UTC -4)
Hey, I think improved vision has also been attributed to PED use.
And it seems that a guy with less bat speed and less strength might hit line drives or grounders instead of really driving the ball to the outfield depths.
I always admit I have no proof; it just would perfectly explain his Met career.
And nice talking to you!
Hazmet
7/24/2012-9:17pm at 9:17 pm (UTC -4)
Gimme some PEDs, maybe the Mets will look better.
oleosmirf
7/24/2012-5:12pm at 5:12 pm (UTC -4)
I want the Mets to package two of Valdespin, Kirk and Duda and see if they can get a young, promising RH OF in return…
wanny
7/24/2012-5:37pm at 5:37 pm (UTC -4)
just read from an unreliable source (matt’s blog) that duda will be playing LF and 1B in Buffalo.
How does that prepare him to return to NY? Will he come back and platoon with Bay in LF? With Hairston and Kirk or Valdespin in RF?
Stickguy
7/24/2012-6:22pm at 6:22 pm (UTC -4)
they are preparing for the day in the near future when Bay is gone, and all those other guys can play RF.
Or until Dude gets traded.
trs86
7/24/2012-6:56pm at 6:56 pm (UTC -4)
I expect it’s two fold, get him ready for a trade as well as if he stays he will play LF because he clearly can’t play RF. Bay can play RF occasionally as well.
Hazmet
7/24/2012-9:34pm at 9:34 pm (UTC -4)
I’ve also been speculating if Bay continues to look bad it may actually reach the point where one of two things happens: 1) they DFA him, or 2) Bay comes to the conclusion that his concussion history has reached the point of no return and he retires. He just doesn’t look right to me in a way beyond his prior struggles. Some of the pitches he’s taking are driveable to the opposite field and as Keith said yesterday he missed a helicopter slider of the middle he used to tag.
Also, if he were to be DFA’d it would be the one move by the FO that nearly all Metdom would endorse. Then they install Duda in LF. Don’t know if he’d do any better in LF but it would place him where they prefer him so get him reps in AAA first while he’s got a bum hammy and can work out his swing issues.
trs86
7/24/2012-6:57pm at 6:57 pm (UTC -4)
Sorry I want no part in overpaying for a mediocre player on a long-shot.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-7:59pm at 7:59 pm (UTC -4)
At this point, it is entirely possible that we ARE mid-market now.
What happens with Wright and Dickey will tell all.
Clearly the Wilpons have forbidden Sandy from adding any salary to improve the team, and our prospects really are mostly not that good.
So we better hope like hell that they decide to spend Johan and Bay’s expiring contracts on Wright and Dickey and that at least one of Harvey and Wheeler pans out, or this team is going to SUCK for a long, long time.
trs86
7/24/2012-8:01pm at 8:01 pm (UTC -4)
It’s just too early to tell. Who would they spend it on now that the Madoff stuff is over? There really haven’t been any salary dumps yet.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-8:05pm at 8:05 pm (UTC -4)
Well, last year Beltran and KRod were, and not re-signing Jose (which I totally agreed with) also was sort of one.
The huge payroll decrease was one big salary dump.
And you cannot convince me that the Wilpons have not totally forbidden Sandy from spending.
The Wilpons settled Madoff and took in a lot of new investor dough, but remain HUGELY in debt, with significantly reduced revenue streams across the board.
Hey, I am ready to be a sunshiner again, truly I am, but doing absolutely nothing to improve this pitching staff other than shuffling the sh*t minor league cards and rushing Harvey?
Not a pretty picture IMHO.
trs86
7/24/2012-8:12pm at 8:12 pm (UTC -4)
I was talking about guys they could bring in this year. However, come on, Beltran was far from a Salary dump. They paid most of his salary. Krod, certainly was but hell they had no choice, almost any team with that option would have done the same.
My point is this year, who could they have brought in to fix the holes we have that would have cost mostly money and not top prospects? I think this off-season if they continue to lower payroll and not make any moves or trades then you have to wonder what the plan is. I have said all along I will give this group until the end of 2013 for me to clearly see the fruits of the plan budding or I am in on chopping down the tree as well.
kingman 26
7/24/2012-8:24pm at 8:24 pm (UTC -4)
Well, I guess my thinking is that they knew they would not bring back Beltran, KRod, or Reyes, and they did not replace them dollar- or talent-wise.
Could Street have been had for money and a couple of decent prospects? Could Broxton have been purchased?
We will never know, and Detroit again gave good talent to the Marlins, as the Braves are prepared to do for Dempster.
No, I do not want to trade Wheeler.
But still, it seems as though something could/should have been done for the pen, even if it was just buying KRod back for the rest of the year, awkward as that may have been.
We shall see, but remember—we all knew the pen sucked when the team was very much in contention until the last two weeks, and nothing was done.
trs86
7/24/2012-9:01pm at 9:01 pm (UTC -4)
But would it have even mattered? If Dickey and Johan were not going to pitch like they did in the first half they could have brought in Street, Broxton and Krod and it wouldn’t have mattered.
NJStuckinTX
7/24/2012-11:26pm at 11:26 pm (UTC -4)
I still wanted them to get Street. Controllable for another year, slides FFF into the setup roll, everyone moves down a slot, etc. etc. If there is someone out there that fits that roll, Bourjos, Street, etc., I’d like to see them get that person. I bet you wouldn’t even need to trade Murph for that. Spin + 2-3 others on the 40 man, dependent on how big a target you are looking for. Maybe Murph is needed for a bigger target. Should that be the case, so be it.