8/15/17

Peter Hyatt - Optimism for the 2018 New York Mets


A scenario for Spring 2018 to consider as Hope Springs Eternal. 

Spring Training, 2018 was set to begin on February 20th, but the New York Mets pitchers, led by Jacob DeGrom, had all been there two weeks earlier, focusing upon fundamentals and conditioning.  

DeGrom and Wheeler, two fierce competitors, joined Steven Matz in the off season in strengthening and flexibility training, but were careful to limit the work, eat well, and got plenty of rest. 

Dominic Smith showed up 15 pounds lighter, with no dangerous rapid weight loss.  The additional paycheck from 2017 gave him the ability to circumvent late night fast food and hire a cook. He will never be lean without sacrificing strength due to his genetics, but showed up in great shape. 

Amed Rosario was another early show.  He was like a little kid Christmas morning; he just could not stay home in bed.  

He carefully added 5 lbs of muscle to his still immature 6' 1" frame and is even stronger.  He worked on his backhand, but also did wind sprints to increase his explosiveness out of the box and for base stealing. 

Michael Conforto arrived, rested, in shape and ready to pick up where he left off.  

Tomas Nido, catching prospect who spent the last few games slugging in Vegas, came hungry to make the team. 

Jeureys Familia arrived too, looking to reclaim his closer spot.  

Addition by subtraction, some of the "distractions" have been shipped out, left unsigned, or will start the season on the DL.  There is a fresh wind blowing in Florida that the eager players can sense.  

But the best of all was not the commitment to health showed by the bruised, battered and DL'd New York Mets who came early and ready for the 2018 season.  

Best of all was the grizzled dead panned face of their new manager.  


***** ******* was hired to reclaim the club house, bring his old school Marine-like discipline, and give back the Mets the team first, self sacrificing, fight in the trenches for each other mentality that had been so sorely lacking.  

The earliest arrivals were told to expect nothing short of eating, drinking, and sleeping baseball for the next 8 months, and that celebrations would be held off until October.  

Fun, he told them, is winning.  

The squad loved it.  

Hope Springs Eternal. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

No Hodges out there!
How about Chip Hale with a David Wright as a bench coach?

Lets go get Stanton, they are willing to take less on prospects if the other team takes on all money owing.
As long Conforto DeGrom Syndergaard and Rosaio aren't part of the deal!
It will be worth it
Think of the OF the Mets could have?

Here's to dreaming

Statement Analysis Blog said...

Dreaming is fun.

Curtis Granderson, someone I would love to retain after retirement, may go to Miami.

David Wright would need to be given authority. He is very fond of Terry Collins, but I hear he loathes the lack of leadership authority, via Alderson and/or ownership. (It is tough to discern here).

Rosario is electrifying and Dom Smith may prove to be another "Steady Eddie" with good hands and good bat at 1B, allowing us to turn our attention elsewhere.

We must remove the cancer and the enabling of cancer for the 2018 Mets.

I think often of what Yoenis Cespdes could accomplish under strong leadership should he yield. Oakland may not share the same warm fuzzies in memory that Cespedes claims. If a strong manager were to take over and dictate terms to him, he could produce as he ages.

Could Wilmer Flores become a specialist at 2B and be an offensive force? Yet, we've done nothing to facilitate this.

I cringe when I see Jose Reyes rush over to Amed Rosario to teach him how to dance and be flamboyant in front of the camera. Sports psychologists talk about the "burn" factor; that is as if someone hits a home run, but does not celebrate much, giving the impression that he is capable of so much more and is actually a bit dissatisfied. This becomes magnified when said player is not interested in celebrating a lost game or a lost season.

Recall the lovable losing Mets clashing in 1967 with young Tom Seaver. He found nothing funny or lovable about losing.

I want to see Rosario guided the way Jay Bruce helped Conforto.

Reyes is the same guy who took himself out of a game to preserve his batting title.

Let Rosario learn from Curtis Granderson, David Wright and company, rather than painting stripes on his face and dancing like an arthritic.

Reese Kaplan said...

Nothing will change unless they start with Alderson. If he goes, then the likelihood of a new manager (needed for the past 6+ years) increase dramatically. If he stays, then Collins likely gets another extension for reasons no rational person can explain.

Tom Brennan said...

2018 - I thought that was the sum of Sandy's and Terry's combined ages! Only a guy who is 60+ like myself can make jokes like that!

I think Matz will be all right next year. I think the injuries will stop and a 15 win season awaits.

And if there is ANY silver lining this season, it is Flexen and Montero getting a much greater opportunity in 2017 to show what they can/can't do. I probably should throw Gsellman in there too. And of course Sewald, who has been mostly very good. In an injury-free season, it would have been a lot different for those 4 this year.