5/7/12

New York Mets: Foresight is 20/20



When fans talk about the Mets, usually one thing comes to mind lately: youth. With the exception of David Wright, none of the starting fielders played on this team the last time they made a playoff push. It's a different team entirely.

Many think they are not built to win with their personnel as it currently is. Many think that they have to wait until the talent in their farm system has matured at the MLB level to see the fruits of the struggles from recent times properly harvested.

While names like Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Jeurys Familia are on the way in a few years, this current band of Metropolitans are not going down without a proper fight. They may seem inexperienced and young, but this is a team that believes in itself even when no one else does. That may go a long way.

When those highly-touted names do finally arrive in Queens, it will be they who are young and inexperienced. It is this year's current batch of youngsters that will be heavily relied upon to help in their acclamation to the league.

Therefore, it is important to remember that with every win, every loss, every big strikeout, every botched double-play attempt, these kids are learning how to become better and more successful. That can and will only prove to better serve the most revered rookies on the cusp of emerging down the road.

In the meantime, this group of over-matched newcomers will remain naive enough to believe that they can compete in the league this year and next year. They will continue to play with grit, determination and heart.

They will leave everything on the field and hope that it pays off. They have a quiet patience and a growing confidence that matches their esteemed coach, Terry Collins. They have taken on his personality.

This team that has  been assembled for the sole purpose of saving the Wilpons money may, in the long run, make the Wiplons money as they continue to win and continue to compete unnoticed outside of New York.

They will continue to prove the naysayers wrong and be a team that no one saw coming. Then, everyone will claim that they believed all along. But the players in the dugout will know the truth.

Years from now when we are talking about our Harveys' and Wheelers' we will all claim the youth from this season as a crucial part of their success.

Then, and only then, will we know what GM Sandy Alderson really was trying to accomplish. We see struggling youth, but he and the Mets see success being forged through adversity. Perhaps we ought to follow his lead.

1 comment:

Mack Ade said...

First of all, welcome back Frank for your weekly (more!!!) post.

I've been a GM for bigger creeps than Jeff Wilpon.

Sandy Alderson has no agenda. He's just trying to turn around a team with operating money restrictions.

Welcome to the two thousand and tens!

Regarding "prospects", there are only three names penciled in and all are due to pedigree... 2013: Harvey... 2014: Wheeler... 2015: Fulmer... everything else is up in the air.