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The Mets Are Only 1/2 Game Out of First Place "Because..." / The Mets Are Only 1/2 Game Out of) First Place "In Spite of..."
Okay- while I've been taking it a bit "easier" this week, healing from oral surgery and complications, I've had a chance to catch up on all of my reading, particularly regarding a.) Willie's supposed "lame-duck" status; b.) feedback regarding the recent episode of Costas Now on HBO and, in particular, their take on blogging, c.) the many injuries this season - the first in what will come to be referred to as "post-HGH", and d.) the fact that while the Mets are in first place in the NL East, we don't really "deserve" to be there. Let's take on each of these topics, albeit briefly, before we get to the "title" of today's posting:
a.) Willie's supposed "lame-duck" status: In today's NY Sun, Tim Marchman bluntly expressed his thoughts via the title to his column - "It's Time To Fire Willie Randolph" - and as you will recall, from reading here, I expressed the opposite opinion, in my post entitled "It's NOT Willie's Time To Go." I can't say that I disagree with the majority of Marchman's opinions:Under his leadership, the Mets failed to play up to the level of their talent in 2005, did so again last year, and are doing so once again this year. Correlation may not imply causation, and it may not be precisely the manager's fault when his men are alternately listless, inattentive, and perplexed. When a manager is relentlessly inept at identifying his own best talent, though, and has over a period of several years proven himself completely incapable of seizing advantages during a game — when he's displayed no feel for strategy or for tactics — he has to be able to inspire his men to play at their best, or better, if he's to serve any purpose at all.
In theory, I cannot dispute anything that Marchman has said; in fact, I offered similar thoughts in my above-mentioned post. However, and this is a BIG however, if you fire Willie, you have to REPLACE him, and the talent pool is not so deep at this moment to pull his replacement from. Furthermore, most in-season managerial changes do NOT result in World Series victories- at least this side of the Bob Lemon fluke with the Yankees some 30 years ago. Jerry Manual, the Mets' bench coach, is cut from similar cloth as Willie; Buck Showalter is a control freak and would only guarantee that a more military-like atmosphere would reign over the clubhouse, not necessarily to great results; Bobby Valentine is encamped (and happy) in Japan, and surely wouldn't walk out on his team in the middle of their season, IF he even wanted to come back here; and Ken Oberkfell has languished in AAA, never in consideration for a big league job. In fact, the man that I think would have had the best chance to replace Willie isn't in the organization anymore, and seems to have been exiled to Siberia- one Gary Carter! And without additional experience, even Carter isn't, in my opinion, ready to take over the reigns of the major league club.
Finally, even if Davey Johnson returned, at this point, unless Delgado finds a fountain of youth, Beltran becomes more consistent, Reyes finds his "smile" and Perez, Maine and Pelfrey find some consistency, it won't matter where Willie bats Ryan Church in the line-up, because the reality is, our team won't be going anywhere and why bring a new manager into such a potentially messy situation?
So, Willie, I think you deserve the opportunity to finish the season and be evaluated on the entire 4-year run you've had with the team. That doesn't mean I am excusing the many questionable decisions you've made; it just means that I think you deserve one last chance to bring this team to the "promised land."
b.) Feedback regarding the recent episode of Costas Now on HBO and, in particular, their take on blogging.
Again, a few weeks ago, I posted my thoughts on blogging here and to this post, all I'd like to add is that Matt Cerrone over at Metsblog added some excellent commentary to this hot-button issue at his post, which can be found here. I am a blogger, happy to be a blogger, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Buzz Bissinger, reminds me of so many friends and family members of older generations who refuse to embrace things such as "new music" and "technology" and instead think that the way they've been doing things is the "better" or "more pure" way to do it. I am a voracious reader, and although I've discussed the many baseball books I've read, I don't feel the need to discuss the many merits of Dostoyevsky or Fitzgerald on this website, as that's NOT what you've come here to read; furthermore, I don't feel the need to recreate last nights' game, a la one of the "classic" sports journalists, like a Red Smith, as in today's world, I can live in Los Angeles, Jonathan can live in Florida, and John can live in New York and all three of us can read the same newspapers, watch the same games, and the distance is mitigated by the internet and technology such that everything exists at the same time regardless of distance and time zones. AND I am NOT saying that I could EVER compare myself to someone like Red Smith, as that's NEVER been my intent- I am here, hopefully, to entertain, inform or create discussion about something that we all love (or loathe, it seems, depending on the day) our New York Mets! Bissinger is a great writer, and he's obviously gone to great pains to accurately research whatever topic he writes about; it's a shame that he has dismissed bloggers because of his belief that every blog is laden with things like inaccuracies, foul language, catering to the lowest denominator and distorting the truth for sensationalistic intent; like anything else, there are blogs that do, indeed, operate with all of the above-named intentions; however, dismissing all of us, and our right to post, and his (and everyone's) right not to read what we post, seems to be at cross-purposes with someone who seeks "truth" in what he writes.
Let's hope this is the end of this discussion...at least for now...
c.) The many injuries this season - the first in what will come to be referred to as "post-HGH"; rather than casting aspersions and reminding everyone that this season is basically the first in which HGH-use and amphetamine-usage has been (seemingly) curtailed, I will simply offer an insight that a close friend of mine had the other day - that both Troy Tulowitski and A-Rod have had problems with their quads, an injury that has been prevelant in professional wrestling, an industry that has been, in the past, riddled with steroid and performance-enhancing drug usage. I am implying nothing- merely suggesting that every injury is going to have someone questioning whether it is PED-related or not, which is actually the saddest thought any true fan of the game can have. We live in the PED-era, and it's going to take quite some time before people stop questioning things like injuries...we just have to wait it out and hope it dies down sooner rather than later.
d.) The fact that while the Mets are in first place in the NL East, we don't really "deserve" to be there.
Okay- this topic is the "meat" (believe it or not) of this post, and here is the gist of the title- the Mets are in first place right now, even though you and I would agree that they haven't played anywhere near their potential (boy, do I hate that word). They are in first place "in spite" of a number of things, and they are in first place "because" of a number of things...and here they are;
The Mets Are Only 1/2 Game out of First Place Because...
...Ryan Church has been a revelation in right field. His hitting, defense, even base-running, have surpassed any of our expectations. Before the season began, I predicted the following for Church:
"Church finishes up with 25 homers, 92 RBI’s and a .275 average" and "Church should surprise a lot of people this season as he puts up the best numbers of his career." (You can read this post, from February 25th, by clicking here.)
Even with those lofty expectations, Church has so far surpassed them, remaining a spark plug and clutch hitter on a team that often shows deficiencies in both areas. And do I need to say ANYTHING more about that amazing catch? Or the fact that a similar catch made a mess of Carlos Beltran and Mike Cameron years ago, but that Church's catch was one of heart-wrenching beauty? And, if he exceeds the numbers we predicted, will everyone finally give Omar his due for making a trade that was unpopular at the time, but that proved to be extremely beneficial?
"Church finishes up with 25 homers, 92 RBI’s and a .275 average" and "Church should surprise a lot of people this season as he puts up the best numbers of his career." (You can read this post, from February 25th, by clicking here.)
Even with those lofty expectations, Church has so far surpassed them, remaining a spark plug and clutch hitter on a team that often shows deficiencies in both areas. And do I need to say ANYTHING more about that amazing catch? Or the fact that a similar catch made a mess of Carlos Beltran and Mike Cameron years ago, but that Church's catch was one of heart-wrenching beauty? And, if he exceeds the numbers we predicted, will everyone finally give Omar his due for making a trade that was unpopular at the time, but that proved to be extremely beneficial?
...Brian Schneider has shown how important having a great catcher truly is! He calls a great game, has achieved an excellent rapport with his pitchers in a very short time (in light of his injuries) and has hit better than advertised, especially when anything that he adds offensively is a "gimme" at this point. Again, the trade that brought Church and Schneider gets better by the week, regardless of whatever contributions Milledge makes or doesn't make for the Nationals. Great defensive catchers are at a premium right now, as the position suffers from a dearth of talent at the present time (yes, there are a number of exceptions, a la Victor Martinez and Joe Mauer, et al, but this isn't exactly Ted Simmons struggling for All-Star votes behind Johnny Bench while Carlton Fisk does likewise behind Thurman Munson!) Church should prove to be an excellent bridge to the future, when a certain Mr. Pena eventually plies his trade with the "tools of ignorance" for, hopefully, many years to come...but no rush, as Schneider is exactly what this team needed, and needs...
...David Wright didn't get off to the kind of start he did in 2007. Wright is one of a handful of players (Chipper Jones, Chase Utley, etc) who can change the course of a game single-handedly, and has been, and will remain, a perennial fan favorite while doing so. Wright has matured during his short tenure with the Mets, which is saying a LOT, as he was quite wise for his years even as a rookie. He's started like an MVP-caliber player, and hopefully will end the season as an MVP-caliber player...which will mean that, come September we should still be in a pennant race.
...Johan Santana has given up perhaps more home runs then anyone thought he would, but still has an ERA of 3.12, and is 3-2 with 40.1 innings and 39 strike-outs. The amazing thing is that this has been his best April in years, so as the weather heats up, so too will his fastball and his winning percentage while his ERA gets lower! I'm not worried about Santana, and his presence on the team has meant so much to their success on the field, as well as making the team that much more exciting to watch. Even when Santana doesn't have his best "stuff" - which seems like the entire month of April, he finds a way to pitch through it and keep the team in the game. I wish Oliver Perez would watch and learn...
...Angel Pagan has been the surprise of the season-to-date! Coming back to the organization that drafted him, Pagan, having put a serious battle with colitis in the past, has been a sparkplug in the line-up and the outfield. He's hit, he's played great defense, and it's all been quite unexpected in the absence of the injured Moises Alou, and credit Omar, once again, with making a seemingly inconsequential pick-up into a major talent find! Let's hope Pagan becomes comfortable with his role as our 4th outfielder once Alou comes back (this weekend??) and retains his hot bat! He's the "feel-good" story - part one...as for part two...
...Nelson Figueroa, New York born and bred, returned to the Mets as well this year, after bouncing around the entire hemisphere, and beyond, in search of a chance to remain in the game he loves. As a starter, taking Pedro Martinez's place in the rotation, the almost 34 year old Figueroa, with all of 81 major league games under his belt, is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.08 in 7 games, four of which were starts. His ERA was bloated from some unsuccessful, stints out of the bullpen, but as a starter he's been far more successful and has earned a place on the team even when Pedro comes back. He can replace Jorge Sosa as the long-reliever/spot-starter in the bullpen, and the graduate of Brandeis University has been the "feel-good" story part two of this crazy April! (And PLEASE check out ESPN's Jayson Stark's recent post on the subject of this crazy April by clicking here.)
Billy Wagner, the future hall-of-fame reliever, has been lights out, allowing only one unearned run in 11 games, spanning 12 innings, striking out 12 and saving 6 games. His fastball has been clocked as high as 98 mph, and it's still early in the season. As important as his stellar bullpen work has been, perhaps his growing role as a leader in the clubhouse has been just as, or even more important. The almost 37-year old Wagner hasn't been afraid to call out his team, particularly Oliver Perez, for their short-comings and lack of effort, when called for. The team needs more players like Wagner, unafraid to speak his mind, while putting his money where his mouth is. He's on target for a 40 plus save season, another notch on the belt of a hall-of-fame career, and, at his age, he's far from finished, meaning the team can take their time with potential replacements like Eddie Kunz while letting them learn from a true master at his craft. Billy, you will be a hard person to replace...and let's hope we won't have to think about that for at least another few years still...
...Duaner Sanchez has made his return to the club, after an absence of 19 months, and while his pitches haven't been as "electric" as they were prior to his injury, his grit has been a great addition to the bullpen. Hitting around 91-92 mph on the gun, Sanchez is still rounding himself into pitching shape after such a long absence from the mound, and his velocity should improve by 2-3 mph by mid-season, at best guess. His return, besides stabilizing the bullpen, especially in light of Aaron Heilman's meltdown, has been one of great timing! He has become the third "feel good" story of the season...
...David Wright didn't get off to the kind of start he did in 2007. Wright is one of a handful of players (Chipper Jones, Chase Utley, etc) who can change the course of a game single-handedly, and has been, and will remain, a perennial fan favorite while doing so. Wright has matured during his short tenure with the Mets, which is saying a LOT, as he was quite wise for his years even as a rookie. He's started like an MVP-caliber player, and hopefully will end the season as an MVP-caliber player...which will mean that, come September we should still be in a pennant race.
...Johan Santana has given up perhaps more home runs then anyone thought he would, but still has an ERA of 3.12, and is 3-2 with 40.1 innings and 39 strike-outs. The amazing thing is that this has been his best April in years, so as the weather heats up, so too will his fastball and his winning percentage while his ERA gets lower! I'm not worried about Santana, and his presence on the team has meant so much to their success on the field, as well as making the team that much more exciting to watch. Even when Santana doesn't have his best "stuff" - which seems like the entire month of April, he finds a way to pitch through it and keep the team in the game. I wish Oliver Perez would watch and learn...
...Angel Pagan has been the surprise of the season-to-date! Coming back to the organization that drafted him, Pagan, having put a serious battle with colitis in the past, has been a sparkplug in the line-up and the outfield. He's hit, he's played great defense, and it's all been quite unexpected in the absence of the injured Moises Alou, and credit Omar, once again, with making a seemingly inconsequential pick-up into a major talent find! Let's hope Pagan becomes comfortable with his role as our 4th outfielder once Alou comes back (this weekend??) and retains his hot bat! He's the "feel-good" story - part one...as for part two...
...Nelson Figueroa, New York born and bred, returned to the Mets as well this year, after bouncing around the entire hemisphere, and beyond, in search of a chance to remain in the game he loves. As a starter, taking Pedro Martinez's place in the rotation, the almost 34 year old Figueroa, with all of 81 major league games under his belt, is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.08 in 7 games, four of which were starts. His ERA was bloated from some unsuccessful, stints out of the bullpen, but as a starter he's been far more successful and has earned a place on the team even when Pedro comes back. He can replace Jorge Sosa as the long-reliever/spot-starter in the bullpen, and the graduate of Brandeis University has been the "feel-good" story part two of this crazy April! (And PLEASE check out ESPN's Jayson Stark's recent post on the subject of this crazy April by clicking here.)
Billy Wagner, the future hall-of-fame reliever, has been lights out, allowing only one unearned run in 11 games, spanning 12 innings, striking out 12 and saving 6 games. His fastball has been clocked as high as 98 mph, and it's still early in the season. As important as his stellar bullpen work has been, perhaps his growing role as a leader in the clubhouse has been just as, or even more important. The almost 37-year old Wagner hasn't been afraid to call out his team, particularly Oliver Perez, for their short-comings and lack of effort, when called for. The team needs more players like Wagner, unafraid to speak his mind, while putting his money where his mouth is. He's on target for a 40 plus save season, another notch on the belt of a hall-of-fame career, and, at his age, he's far from finished, meaning the team can take their time with potential replacements like Eddie Kunz while letting them learn from a true master at his craft. Billy, you will be a hard person to replace...and let's hope we won't have to think about that for at least another few years still...
...Duaner Sanchez has made his return to the club, after an absence of 19 months, and while his pitches haven't been as "electric" as they were prior to his injury, his grit has been a great addition to the bullpen. Hitting around 91-92 mph on the gun, Sanchez is still rounding himself into pitching shape after such a long absence from the mound, and his velocity should improve by 2-3 mph by mid-season, at best guess. His return, besides stabilizing the bullpen, especially in light of Aaron Heilman's meltdown, has been one of great timing! He has become the third "feel good" story of the season...
...and with three "feel good" stories in the bag, that brings us to...
The Mets Are Only 1/2 Game out of First Place In Spite of...
...Pedro Martinez being injured again, and being out until at least late May/early June (hopefully)...
...El Duque, Orlando Hernandez, remaining on the DL with multiple foot injuries, starting no games and spending no days on the major league roster so far, on the heals of having to change his pitching motion, one of the major components of his success...
...Aaron Heilman losing his control, composure and the movement on his fastball, which has been faster than it's been in the past (topping out at 96mph) while running an ERA of 5.51 in 16 games and 16.1 innings. It's not too late for Heilman to turn it around, but the team's confidence (as well as the fans) in Aaron has all but gone and a change of scenery might be called for at this point...
...Jose Reyes has yet to break out, limiting his dominance to a 2-game stretch. He is batting a mere .250 with 6 steals, a few errors, and 13 whiffs in 104 at-bats. The malaise that overtook him last September hasn't lifted yet, and as goes Reyes, so goes the team...
...Carlos Delgado has aged overnight, in spite of his 2-home run game last Sunday, AND in spite of his refraining from taking a curtain call (which I agree with)...his defense, at best average, has been far less than that, and the mere fact that pitchers are no longer scared to see this once excellent clutch-hitter get up with the bases juiced tells you all you need to know about how the former all-stars' career is heading...and our play-off chances with it...
...Oliver Perez is back to the Jeckyl-and-Hyde days pre-2007 - and even last season he still had a number of games that made you shake your head in disgust- but in this, his "walk" year, he's been worse than anyone could imagine...only 29 innings in 6 starts, with 21 hits and 21 walks with 26 strike-outs...he's had 2 bad games but perhaps more was expected of him this season then he's capable of producing, in spite of the fact that he's a free agent after this season...and unlike John Maine, he just seems to give up instead of battling through it.
...Moises Alou, having yet to have an at-bat in the bigs this season, his return supposedly coming this weekend, his bat being more missed in light of Delgado's diminishing skills...let's not ask too much of him too quickly, but his return will be quite welcome, especially if he continues to hit where he left off last season...
...in spite of, and because of, Chipper Jones, Jimmy Rollins, John Smoltz, Mike Hampton, etc., missing significant time due to injuries early in the season...hey, the Mets have had MORE than their share of injuries, from Martinez to Schneider and everything in-between, and many star players in their division, and in the league, have suffered from a rash of injuries as well. In spite of this, and because of this, the Mets are in first place, but are tied with the surprising Marlins and the lackluster Phillies...
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place...in spite of an uneven job by the manager and coaching staff, which will remain a concern throughout the season...
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place...and they've yet to get hot, have a long winning streak, or see the majority of their players hit their stride...and this is why we remain pessimistic and optimistic at once, not able to make any conclusions as to who this team really is...and that should make sense, because, after all, we're only two days into May...and that's just TOO SOON to make any decisions about this team...we HOPE!...
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place...and it's too soon for me to get used to it, as much as I want to...but something tells me that we're due for a nice, long winning streak and some key performances from some stalled-players (think Beltran, Reyes)...let's see where we are after the coming West Coast trip...if we're still in first afterwards, perhaps I'll start to believe...until then, I remain skeptical, as you probably do, too...
Speaking of the West Coast trip, I'll be at two of the three games versus the Dodgers next week, and we'll have some interesting perspectives on both the Dodgers (and their 50 year anniversary in CA) and what it means, again, to root for your team 3000+ miles away...before that, 3 games versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, a VERY interesting series, for sure...
LET'S GO METS!!!!!!!
Editor's Note: As soon as some friends and readers saw this post, they emailed me some of their additions to the "Mets Are In First Place In Spite of..." - so here are some of the better ones:
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place In Spite of:
...the fact that Willie is the worst manager in the NL! Is he actually managing in the NL? Are you sure??
...Pedro Martinez being injured again, and being out until at least late May/early June (hopefully)...
...El Duque, Orlando Hernandez, remaining on the DL with multiple foot injuries, starting no games and spending no days on the major league roster so far, on the heals of having to change his pitching motion, one of the major components of his success...
...Aaron Heilman losing his control, composure and the movement on his fastball, which has been faster than it's been in the past (topping out at 96mph) while running an ERA of 5.51 in 16 games and 16.1 innings. It's not too late for Heilman to turn it around, but the team's confidence (as well as the fans) in Aaron has all but gone and a change of scenery might be called for at this point...
...Jose Reyes has yet to break out, limiting his dominance to a 2-game stretch. He is batting a mere .250 with 6 steals, a few errors, and 13 whiffs in 104 at-bats. The malaise that overtook him last September hasn't lifted yet, and as goes Reyes, so goes the team...
...Carlos Delgado has aged overnight, in spite of his 2-home run game last Sunday, AND in spite of his refraining from taking a curtain call (which I agree with)...his defense, at best average, has been far less than that, and the mere fact that pitchers are no longer scared to see this once excellent clutch-hitter get up with the bases juiced tells you all you need to know about how the former all-stars' career is heading...and our play-off chances with it...
...Oliver Perez is back to the Jeckyl-and-Hyde days pre-2007 - and even last season he still had a number of games that made you shake your head in disgust- but in this, his "walk" year, he's been worse than anyone could imagine...only 29 innings in 6 starts, with 21 hits and 21 walks with 26 strike-outs...he's had 2 bad games but perhaps more was expected of him this season then he's capable of producing, in spite of the fact that he's a free agent after this season...and unlike John Maine, he just seems to give up instead of battling through it.
...Moises Alou, having yet to have an at-bat in the bigs this season, his return supposedly coming this weekend, his bat being more missed in light of Delgado's diminishing skills...let's not ask too much of him too quickly, but his return will be quite welcome, especially if he continues to hit where he left off last season...
...in spite of, and because of, Chipper Jones, Jimmy Rollins, John Smoltz, Mike Hampton, etc., missing significant time due to injuries early in the season...hey, the Mets have had MORE than their share of injuries, from Martinez to Schneider and everything in-between, and many star players in their division, and in the league, have suffered from a rash of injuries as well. In spite of this, and because of this, the Mets are in first place, but are tied with the surprising Marlins and the lackluster Phillies...
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place...in spite of an uneven job by the manager and coaching staff, which will remain a concern throughout the season...
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place...and they've yet to get hot, have a long winning streak, or see the majority of their players hit their stride...and this is why we remain pessimistic and optimistic at once, not able to make any conclusions as to who this team really is...and that should make sense, because, after all, we're only two days into May...and that's just TOO SOON to make any decisions about this team...we HOPE!...
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place...and it's too soon for me to get used to it, as much as I want to...but something tells me that we're due for a nice, long winning streak and some key performances from some stalled-players (think Beltran, Reyes)...let's see where we are after the coming West Coast trip...if we're still in first afterwards, perhaps I'll start to believe...until then, I remain skeptical, as you probably do, too...
Speaking of the West Coast trip, I'll be at two of the three games versus the Dodgers next week, and we'll have some interesting perspectives on both the Dodgers (and their 50 year anniversary in CA) and what it means, again, to root for your team 3000+ miles away...before that, 3 games versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, a VERY interesting series, for sure...
LET'S GO METS!!!!!!!
Editor's Note: As soon as some friends and readers saw this post, they emailed me some of their additions to the "Mets Are In First Place In Spite of..." - so here are some of the better ones:
The Mets Are 1/2 Game out of First Place In Spite of:
...the fact that Willie is the worst manager in the NL! Is he actually managing in the NL? Are you sure??
...Rick Peterson still functioning (if that word can be used) as their pitching coach!
...Moises Alou, O-Hern, Pedro, Castro, Wise, Castillo, Schneider, Sanchez and Delgado having serious injuries this spring or early in the season. What?? Delgado hasn't been injured?? Could've fooled me! Then why the f*%k has he looked like he aged 20 years overnight?? Offensively AND defensively- and boy, has his defense been offensive!!!
...Nelson Figueroa being their most reliable starter this side of Johan!
...Aaron Heilman turning into a batting practice pitcher!
...the fact that it turns out that Orlando Hernandez actually was born in 1942!! But don't worry- he'll still start for us 15 times a year until he turns 100!
..Jose Valentine being lost in the wilderness. Is his photo on a milk carton yet?
...the fact that our catchers were recently named Casanova and Molina - and a Molina NOT related to Benjii or Jose or Yadier!
...the fact that Hanley Ramirez almost has more homers than the entire Mets' starting infield!
...having half of their bullpen pitching ineffectively (Sosa, Heilman, Schoeneweis) and over-working some while under-working others.
...having no one on the team this side of Billy Wagner and David Wright accepting any blame from last season, let alone calling out their teammates for their lacksadasical play.
...that Carlos Beltran has 24 walks this season, because he has had no one of note, other than Church, batting behind him (I'm talking to YOU, Mr. No-Curtain-Call Delgado!!! Can you read my lips?? Wake up!!!!)
I've had some others, which I'll add tomorrow, but please feel free to add yours!!
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