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1/3/17

Tom Brennan - MY FAVORITE 3 METS' STORIES IN 2016



Tom Brennan - MY FAVORITE 3 METS' STORIES IN 2016
I love underdogs.  Love to see guys surpass expectations.  Rooting for the Mets for 55 years, you better love the underdog.  So, my 3 favorite Mets' stories of 2016?

ROB GSELLMAN - after a tumultuous pitching time in Las Vegas (48.2 IP, 5.73 ERA, 1-5 record), Rob came to the Mets late in the season and only did the following: 44.2 IP, 4-2, 2.42, 42 Ks.  That's a lot of high quality 4's and 2's, wouldn't you say?  He edged the next guy out due to the Jake deGrom hairdo.
SETH LUGO - after a tumultuous pitching time in Las Vegas (73.1 IP, 6.50 ERA, 3-4 record) , Seth came to the Mets late in the season and only did the following: 5-1, 2.68, 50.1 IP.  You go, Lugo.

TJ RIVERA - after watching Eric Campbell, Danny Muno, Matt Reynolds, Kevin Plawecki, Ty Kelly, and Matt den Dekker called up to the Mets before him, all of whom hit somewhere from mediocre to miserable, the best hitter in the bunch finally got called up to the Mets after winning the AAA batting title and did NOT do weakly or miserably, instead hitting a robust .333 with a .476 slug % in 105 at bats with the Queens squad.  More contact than contact paper.

I consider the fact that the Mets even made the playoff Wild Card in 2016 a good year, given the slew of injuries to key players - these 3 had a MAJOR hand in the Mets getting there - so they are my co-MVPs of 2016.
Of course, I loved Thor's pitching, and the tape measure shots of Thor, Cespedes, and...yes...Bartolo Colon, but I love my underdogs who defy expectations.  

May there be more of them in 2017. 
And may your 2017 be merry and bright.
on

11 comments:

  1. Mack AdeJanuary 3, 2017 at 9:10 AM

    Tom -

    I think you chose the right three, especially since no one in baseball had any of these guys either playing at this level, no less succeeding at it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tom BrennanJanuary 3, 2017 at 9:23 AM

    Mack, on New years Eve I wrote about a possible late 2017 MVP - many may have missed it, so I'll reprise it here:

    Tom Brennan - WHAT ABOUT DAVE ROSEBOOM FOR METS' LOOGY?

    People wonder who our LOOGY will be next year in the Mets' pen in Queens.

    Jerry Blevins? Boone Logan? Both costly. Both aging a bit.

    May I suggest, as an alternative: DAVE ROSEBOOM?

    Lefty Dave put up spectacular numbers in AA last year:
    52 games, 1.87 ERA, 14 of 15 saves.

    Lefties crushed him - oh, sorry, it was the other way around, with them hitting just .141 (11 for 78, with 30 Ks) against the Boomer. Can you say SWISH?

    Knowing how much Sandy and Terry love experience, and love not having guys skip AAA, I have to say that nevertheless, Roseboom earned real consideration - he rocked AA last year, and at minimum wage, far cheaper than Blevins and Logan, maybe he and Edgin duke it out, or both make the opening day 2017 pen.

    If he makes it, there may be a rose boom to help the Trump economy in 2017.

    ReplyDelete
  3. bgreg98180January 3, 2017 at 10:03 AM

    Would the return of Reyes receive some consideration?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mack AdeJanuary 3, 2017 at 10:14 AM

    Bob -

    We forget about Reyes, who was a VERY positive presence in both the clubhouse and the dugout.

    How was your Christmas, Bob?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. bgreg98180January 3, 2017 at 12:03 PM

      Wonderful.
      Thank you.

      I hope you and your family enjoyed a great holiday season as well.

      Delete
  5. Tom BrennanJanuary 3, 2017 at 10:25 AM

    Hey Bob - Reyes missed out on my 2016 Rookie Bonus Points - I used a proprietary secret points formula not hacked by Russians that is allocated only to rookies - otherwise Reyes would have merited strong Tom Brennan MVP consideration!

    Actually, Jose did just as I expected - GREAT! So he wasn't an underdog either.

    One team's misfortune was our great (and inexpensive) fortune. Glad to have him for 2017...let's win Jose a World Series. We need that smile in the winning World Series locker room.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mack AdeJanuary 3, 2017 at 10:52 AM

    Tom - Bob

    Which brings up a debatable point (I know Kaplan will get in on this one...)

    What if Reyes and Wright 'party like it's 1999'?

    What if they both have banner years without injuries.

    What is our chances then?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. bgreg98180January 3, 2017 at 12:02 PM

      Astronomically improved chances.

      The odds on this occurring though are equally astronomical.

      If anybody likes to bet the long shot though......it would be a heck of a payoff, I would imagine.

      Delete
  7. Reese KaplanJanuary 3, 2017 at 11:11 AM

    If by some miracle David Wright can walk, talk, chew gum, swing a bat and bend down to field grounders that he throws sidearm to first base and hits say 20 HRs and 75 RBIs over 125 games he will have wildly exceeded most people's expectations of him (including the Mets' own Ron Darling).

    If Reyes is playing like it's 1999 then that means either Neil Walker or Asdrubal Cabrera are spending the season on the DL.

    In a weird way you have to hope Jose Reyes fights for 200 ABs. That means the regulars are healthy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Tom BrennanJanuary 3, 2017 at 11:35 AM

    I'd be shocked if (healthy starters or not) Reyes does not get 400 ABs (assuming he himself stays healthy). If he stays healthy, one could make a case that he is better than Walker, Cabrera and Wright for 2017 going in.

    Wright - miracles can happen, but can anyone think of a guy with this serious a chronic injury, at his age, having played just 75 games the past 2 years, that somehow comes back at his age and has a big year? I'm drawing a blank, but maybe there is a first time for everything.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Reese KaplanJanuary 4, 2017 at 5:47 PM

    Didn't Beltran have "arthritic knees" when the Mets traded him at age 34? He's 40 and still playing.

    ReplyDelete