5/23/15

Mack Morning Report – 5-23-15 – Mid May Madness


Good morning.

I received a phone call today (Wednesday) from my brother-in-law Jim to check on my health. Jim is one of many ex-Mets fan fanatics that no longer hang on every pitch this team throws. There was a time that we would have long, detailed conversations about this team, and its system and Wednesday’s call included a question asking me what was Noah Syndergaard like. See, Jim just doesn’t live and die on this team.

My brother Bob also falls in this category. He fell so off the grid that he actually became a Yankees fan. Most of these ex-fanatics left during the transition from Omar Minaya to Sandy Alderson, coupled with the whole Bernie Madoff mess. Instead of the players, the ownership and financials became the headlines and team management was forced to replace their ex-high paid superstars with team controlled rookies.

Jim asked me if I was excited about the Mets this year. Frankly, it was the first time anyone had asked me that and, coming off the Jon Niese drubbing, well, it wasn’t an easy question to answer.

Still, I thought for a few seconds before answering and then said “hell yeah… when was the last time we were in a pennant race in the middle of May?”

This was, of course, before Bartolo Colon took the mound on Wednesday for his third bad outing in a row (9.96-ERA in his last three games). Is the lack of offense and shabby defense starting to get to the Mets pitchers or is this just a series against 
baseball's best offensive team? 

Also, is it starting to get to me, both as a fan and a writer?

We had fun watching this team in April and it definitely isn’t fun right now, but the season is far from over. We knew going in here that the three divisional winners at the end of the season were going to be the Nationals, the Dodgers, and the Cardinals.

I put up the Wild Card Race (on the right column of the site) a little early this year because I had a funny feeling that the ‘first place’ Mets were heading in that direction; however, I can tell you one thing… only the Nationals have been piling up victories past the divisions leaders.

I don't think any of us expected to see the vast difference in the Chicago Cubs. I have never seen a more talented, young infield and it's hard for me to imagine that the mash unit we call the Mets is going to finish this season with less loses than this team.

Sandy Alderson can tell reporters every day that he’s not going to look outside this organization for the answer to the current problems, but someone needs to sit him down and make sure he takes a good look at what’s going on out on the field. The team isn’t hitting. The defense is deplorable. The team management decisions are questionable at best, the bullpen is both overworked and becoming overexposed. And the rotation, is becoming questionable at the back end. Nothing seems to working right now and saying that everything will be okay when David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud return just isn’t hacking it anymore.


Lastly, I guess I've spent too much time off line lately sitting in hospital waiting rooms. When did the Mets announce they were going to a six-man rotation? Is this something Matt Harvey signed off on? Is this based on some kind of 'who's the next to go down' lottery?

Boy, I hope they know what they are doing. Having six starters does nothing for the relievers and just takes one more slot away from the 25-man bench. 

10 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Poor performane driven by anemic offense is a turn off. Feel good, Mack]

Tom Brennan said...

I did not hear anything on a six man, but if they do make the playoffs, they need to limit innings somwhere, and Harvey might prefer a 6 man to a 2 week vacation in mid-season.

Tom Brennan said...

Any word on Wright (35 games and counting), and d'Arnaud? This team is sinking without them.

Ernest Dove said...

Yup......6man rotation..........
C torres and Familia well on their way to 200 innings each Now.

Tom Brennan said...

6 man SS will be next?

Heard Eddie Coleman this AM. He speculated Wright and d'Arnaud could possibly be back before the Mets lave for a west coast swing starting Friday. Doubt it.

Mack Ade said...

Ernest -

I simply don't understand how this helps anything.

Anonymous said...

I see the 6-man rotation not as an effective way to save Harvey innings; more likely, it will just reduce his effectiveness.

The true reason for the 6 man is a direct result of 1) the terrible, unnecessary 2-year contract to Colon; 2) The inability to make a trade, or a decision, regarding Niese and Gee.

Right now, trades are not typically made. Moving Gee to the pen, today, would be a waste on multiple levels. He likely won't be effective back there and he will lose any chance of becoming attractive trade bait.

Any of those three, Gee, Niese, and Colon, could disappear today and the Mets would be better off for it -- particularly if the club rerouted the money.

Hopefully this 6-man silliness doesn't linger until the trade July 31 trade deadline.

I don't like it.

Make a decision, Sandy.

James Preller

Mack Ade said...

James -

Decisions like this one isn't made by field managers or pitching coaches. This is all front office stuff.

I keep trying to come up with some kind of logical explanation for this one, but I can't.

I know this team has 2 great starters and things go different when they are on the mound. I'm happy Syndergaard is staying up but I want him pitching every five games... you know it's just a matter of time that Harveygets a hold of a beat reporter's microphone and chimes in his opinion on chaning his 5-game routine.

Just bad baseball decision making.

David L. Whitman said...

The biggest concern right now is Wright's balky back.

bgreg98180 said...

It is time for the Met to start making plans as if Wright is not coming back this year.
Continuing to put the season on hold until his triumphant return, puts playoff hopes In peril.
Whether it is players brought up, positions played, trades made..... a stop gap approach has to change.
Something needs to be done to reflect solving the problem of the team's expected #1 offensive cog being lost.
If Alderson does not make a drastic adjustment to this season's game plan...... the team is basically throwing away yet another season.