Tom Brennan: ARMCHAIR EXPERTS NEED PATIENCE
I was at a BBQ over the weekend and cousin Bill, a big Mets fan for 53 years like me, was excoriatingWilmer Flores. "He can't hit, he can't field, he does his hop, skip and a jump to make throws and sometimes with the delay, he doesn't throw guys out. I hate him. Get rid of him."
Then I did what any understanding family member would do - I talked him down off the ledge!
A funny thing was in the process of happening as we downed tube steaks and other food types that are grilled almost as much as Mets ballplayers. Wilmer went 10 for 13 over the weekend, raising his average 30 points in the process. So sometimes we as fans get very very, very impatient, and rightly so when it seems that the team is in a death spiral.
And then out of nowhere, a player like Wilmer does what a player like Wilmer just did. Even the vilified Ruben Tejada (I'm guilty as charged) had 5 hits this weekend.
I remember back in 1969 when the Mets started poorly, won 11 in a row, then meandered for a few months until early August found them nine and a half games back of the Cubs.
And then a remarkable thing happened. The Mets won 41 out of their last 50, as the Cubs folded, and the Mets made up those nine and a half games and won the pennant running away.
They did the unbelievable, mostly with timely hitting and unbelievable pitching. And a bowlful of Lucky Charms.
The Mets have, in all likelihood, Travis d'Arnaud returning within a few weeks, which should give the offense a shot in the arm, and outstanding pitching with Matz here. With Mejia returning, there is potentially sensational, sensational pitching which, with a little hitting and a little better defense, could win a lot of games.
Some folks have been suggesting a Harvey trade, and maybe that's the right thing to do, but I sure as heck would love to see Harvey, deGrom, Matz and Syndergaard and yes, even Niese and Colon, go on a pitching roll like the one in 1969.
I think the ingredients are there pitching wise and if Travis returns and Duda ever wakes up again, this could get mighty interesting with a few weeks.
I prefer it, if we were to trade any of the core starters like Harvey, that it only be Harvey and that it wait until the offseason. I'd love to see these pitchers play out - unless of course the Mets collapse in the next few weeks.
If anyone is traded, may it be Niese or Colon. And that's all I have to say about that, as Forrest Gump might just say. Have a nice day, folks. Stay patient and don't put on the football paraphernalia just yet. If you can.
Duda is completely lost -- more so than Cuddyer (and that's saying something). Lagares is hurt. Tejada shouldn't be a major league starter even for a second division team. They're getting nothing out of the catcher's spot offensively. What does that leave? Some offensive highlights by Wilmer Flores, singles and doubles by Daniel Murphy (who should be trade bait as they stand to lose him for NOTHING at the end of the year), and solo homers by Curtis Granderson. That's six of the 9 spots in the batting order not helping the cause.
ReplyDeletePatience? For how long? We have patiently waited for help from the minors. When they had to create a 40-man roster spot did they reach down for Nimmo or Conforto or even Castellanos or Taijeron? No, they went back to the most recently 2-22 Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the minors.
We have patiently waited for them to acquire an impact bat since Carlos Beltran back in 2005. That's a decade of waiting. That seems like we've been more than generous with our patience.
Instead the team always tries the "Value" picks -- people who are too old, too injured or coming off multiple successive bad years that depress their price. They won't give a shot to younger talent who was there for just money (and no bodies nor draft picks in return) such as Yasmany Tomas (hitting .315) or Jose Abreu. Instead we get "proven" hitters like Chris Young, Jason Bay, Curtis Granderson (still not sold on him), Michael Cuddyer, etc.
Hey, Reese, I knew this would provoke a reaction. I actuallyagree with you.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that the fans not over-react to the point that everyone deserves a life sentence in Sing Sing, and for management to not panic and make another Kazmir deal disaster. So, to quell the Flores hatred, and not to have him go to another team in a deal and see him thrive.
I want to keep our elite pitchers, unless some team makes US an offer far too good to refuse.
But my patience ends this off-season. Assuming we keep the elite pitchers, break out the checkbook for big time young offensive free agents (plural) and go all in. Yankee style. Ride the pitching wave. Win big and draw big to pay the salaries.
In the meantime, do what you can in 2015 so that the Campbell's of the world return to where they belong - far from Queens.
Niese's value has to have spiked - if Gee gets untracked in AAA, move Jon for real offense, call up Gee to replace him.
Gee or no Gee, they can still move Niese or Colon. Remember, they're using a cockamamie six-man rotation. They would only require Gee (or Montero -- remember him?) if they moved both of them.
ReplyDeleteI believe there are two major gripes..
ReplyDelete1. The Original Construction of the team--- Great Pitching, no defense or speed or power. Low bench depth and quality. Healthy, they have flaws that completely oppose their one true strength
2. Low likelyhood of Urgency---ok...this is based on a brutal experience over several years. We fans don't believe that the Management is committed or capable of responding to BOTH Need and Opportunity.
This IS a quality playoff Pitching staff--- forget next year...3 years from now----those years may not exist--- winners respond to opportunity... do you believe they will?
I no longer ask Mets fans on this site to be patient anymore. There's been enough of that.
ReplyDeleteI still believe that the Mets had enough offense on this team this year to get to the playoffs. Then, the injuries set in.
I also believe that no other team is going to try and solve the Mets offense woes at this point. The Mets have too good of a pitching staff. Other teams are not going to help.
I no longer have any answers regarding this question other than healing the wounded and moving ahead.
It's obviously that Cuddyer was another longer term mistake.The Mets need to replace him next year with a blue chip free agent.
If they don't they lose me. I've been a fan since 1962 and running a blog since 2005. I can't continue to support a team that won't support themselves.
Mack, I agree. Tough situation right now. But...
ReplyDeleteThis has to be a no-excuses off season. If the Yanks had this elite young pitching, they'd go all out, as they did when they had a core of Jeter,Jorge,Rivera, and Bernie (continued with Cano). It is the Mets' turn. Do it right, draw a million more fans and fewer lower ticket price discounts sill repay daring actions this off season. Hopefully if Wright is damaged, he accepts it and retires to free up $ to sign another big guy.
Has anyone really been paying attention to pitching in general across the major leagues?
ReplyDeleteOffense in general is down. Pitching in general has become more dominant.
Yes, the big 4 or 5 young pitchers on the Mets are wonderful, amazing, magnificent, dominating,.....
Whatever you may want to call them.
But,
How great is it to have the best sand in the desert with no water to drink?
The best ice in the arctic, with no heat or shelter?
The build the best pitching staff with all potential number 1 starters may in the current baseball environment be a faulty philosophy for building a successful major league teaml.
Factor in the fragility of pitchers health and ignoring offense.
It is not the offense dominant steroid Era of baseball anymore.
If another teams gm is not noticing this, the Mets should happily exchange one of their young pitchers if it will bring back comparable offense that can be the core of the offense moving forward.
They Pitch...They do NOTHING Else!
ReplyDeleteFielding? Speed? Baserunning? Power??? Situational Offense???
They do NOTHING ELSE, other than Pitch...and they tell you it's part of the design!...the brilliance of their analysis!!!
They play 3 run homer ball....without HR Hitters!
They play Low Run Games... with Poor Defense!!!....and withoput even the intention of a small ball offense!!!
They are staggeringly WRONG with almost every move to construct an MLB Roster--- last year was year one of The Great Squandering---enough pitching to compete, but nothing else.
This year is year 2 of this sad charade of ineptitude!!!....This team has World Series Starters...what a waste!!!
I agree. It's baffling.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I liked Bob's ice metaphor.
Bob's arctic metaphor is excellent indeed. Sandy is ready to overpay. I guess he woke up. On another semi-related topic:
ReplyDeleteMy brother was his usual irate self when I told him his 2012 DRAFT favorite, Lucas Giolito, is Baseball America's #2 prospect. For the Nats. He sees the Cecchini selection that year as just one more bad decision. He felt it was a huge mistake on DRAFT day. He appears to be right.