Tom Brennan - LOSSES AND WINS
Most times, we baseball fans think "wins and losses."
In 2017, with the Mets, it is Losses first, then Wins.
First, we've lost an awful lot of player time to injuries. Starting with David Wright, who actually DH'd for St Lucie August 22, followed by a rain out and then sitting out both ends of a double header on August 24. For Wright, before that this year, it's been all DL City. Maybe the 22nd was a mirage, or the result of the eclipse - I am not sure.
Lots of other players, too, with lots of times lost to injuries. Lou Gehrig just told me he's really puzzled about that. Heck, I saw the movie Hacksaw Ridge the other night, and the soldiers reminded me of the Mets' current triage situation.
But it's not just players losing time to injuries - the teams are (mostly) losing in bunches.
The Mets, of course, are way under .500.
Thru Thursday, though, how's everyone else doing? Ugh!
Brooklyn's 15-46 record has a loss-win % (.246) that is worse than the 1962 Mets' .250. 'Nuff said.
Las Vegas is 27 games under .500.
St Lucie is 14 under .500.
Kingsport is actually only 5 under .500 at 27-32.
The Gulf Coast Mets? 14 under .500 in just 48 games.
Columbia relied on great early season pitching to for a while climb well above .500, but has slid back to 65-63 as the great pitching went bye-bye.
Binghamton, thanks to great relief pitching, solid starting pitching, good defense and decent hitting, is the gem of the organization this year at 76-52 - except for the 2 DSL squads, that have a better combined record of 91-47.
I typically don't count the DSL teams as minor league teams, more like pre-minors teams, given the very young age of most of their players and the level of ball being below rookie league ball. But these two DSL teams pitch, hit and defend far better than your normal DSL teams, so I have to give credit where credit is due.
Usually, players going from the DSL to rookie league ball experience a rude awakening.
In this upside down year, however, it is interesting to see a player interestingly named Wilmer Reyes who, at age 19, was far from the best hitter (.242) on the Mets' DSL teams but nonetheless got promoted to the Gulf Coast League recently. And shockingly goes 12 for his first 24, making rookie league ball look mighty easy.
Back to Losses and Wins - we can only hope the Mets' organization is getting its Losses out of the way in 2017 and plans on Wins in 2018 - lots of them.
13 comments:
Good morning Thomas.
I will return to the site tomorrow morning with my Morning Report. Thanks for you, Peter, Reese, Chris, and Gary for keeping the ship afloat during my family health hiatus.
What a God awful season with a God awful pipeline. The Brooklyn win loss reason speaks volumes to the recent Sandy drafts.
I give him one kudo... the Latin teams, which so far have also Kingsport, look very talented, especially in relief pitchers and quality spray bats. Year away, and could implode, but a hell of a lot better than previous DSL teams.
I'm 70 and been a fan since 62' and although there have been more bad years than I care to remember I can't remember a more disappointing one. In 1970 the club coming off the miracle disappointed but I was young and expected more not knowing of course the misery that was to follow. The gut punch of the Seaver trade and the terrible teams that took us to the rebirth under Cashen and the best run we've ever seen because although 88' was another gut punch we were not only a very good team but fun to watch during those years cause we had swagger. Then we get to the 90's which started off awful but then took us to that 97 to 2000 run and unfortunately a loss to the Evil Empire but another fun team and one you wanted to root for but another gut punch for me when they offered Olerud a contract he could refuse and did and signed Todd friggin Zeile ...ugh... and who know how that WS might have changed with the most underrated player we've ever had leave. We then move ahead to the addition of the dynamic duo of Reyes/Wright and hope again springs eternal and takes us to the 2006-7 and 8 clubs which again were winning and fun and thinking we could really build a solid foundation for years to come.....except no dice as the Citi-field "error" begins with what seems to be a great new park but who the hell was responsible for the outfield dimensions which took the power alley of our favorite third basemen and turned him into Mr. long fly ball out to right center. Now I assume they did that so we could watch Mr. Reyes run around the bases and become Mr. Excitement but sorry I'll take 30 plus HR's and 100 plus RBI from Mr. Wright over a few more triple's from Jose and lets not forget our next gut punch in form of one Mr. Bernie Madoff. Now is there anyone here who also wondered why our dear owners were the ONLY sports team owners that I know of to get completely screwed by this devious manipulator AND WERE AS FAR AS I KNOW STILL PAYING FOR IT!. End Part 1
Mack and Gary, with every disaster comes opportunity:
For instance, the Mets are trying new marketing promotions...Tommy John Surgery night and Spinal Stenosis night - bring a doctor's note and you and your nurse can get in free. When the Mets play, they put on a real baseball clinic, don't you agree. We are playing IV league baseball.
It is totally unnerving to think that Conforto might not be back until late 2018 (still TBD, I know).
Mack, it is amazing to consider that one of the best rookie hitters (drafted or independent) in 2017 is "the joke" - Tim Tebow - and he hasn't done so well lately either.
Begin Part 2. I have to start this part about 2017 and too many "gut punches" to remember them all but by far and away the most painful has to be the Conforto injury and by swinging a bat????
So now we have to not only wonder how long his rehab will be but every time he swings a bat this could reaccure ...just wonderful. Now in checking on team payrolls the Nationals who seem light years ahead of us and are spending only 10 million more on their club than ours so what conclusion would any of you make about our club now and in the future? I'm already waiting for the excuse of injuries for our poor play this year and although they're somewhat valid have you watched the first 2 games of the Nats series? Their in worse shape than we are an only because Jake was pitching did we win Friday's game against their what AA team. Is it the Sandy Alderson roster construction and hanging on too long to aging veterans, the Terry Collins management decisions or the penny pinching ways of the Wilponzies? My guess is all of the above with certainly major injuries thrown in but ALL teams have injuries and the Dodgers who have had the most injuries this year are doing kind of OK aren't they. My biggest problem with the current regime is they still haven't gotten beyond the Madoff mess it seems as ALL things come back to the dollars spent and I have NO confidence the money saved this year will be put back into the club. Now if they have finally resigned themselves to "tank" this year and maybe next year too and see how the pitching shakes out and how the youngsters perform to then really hit the Free agent market and starting with Machado spend wisely and really build a winning team for 2019 I'm good with that but please guys I'm running out of time and would REALLY like to see at least one more World series winning team ...PLEASE.
Gary -
Great comments... sure would have made a great post.
I too am 70 and, as you know, I do this 'for a living' (total 2017 revenues/donations: $0.00). I know in my heart that there is no chance this team will win a World Series in 2018 and 2018. Not enough talent in the system right now. Maybe great pitching if most of them stay healthy but that doesn't happen on this team.
I'm too old to look for another team to root for no less write about. I get pumped this time of the year because it's time for Clemson football and my New York Football Giants.
I watch for Terry and the coaches to be gone, maybe the day after the season ends. This will include the top echelon of the med team.
We'll see from there.
Funny, Gary, I posted up an article this morning that will go on Tuesday at 8 - it is an "unhappy recap" indeed.
it was surreal watching David Wright play 3B for the lucie squad last night.
really struggled at the plate including a groundout off a lefty pitcher in the first. but he made his plays defensively with his new side arm action high arching throw to first :(
Ernest -
Nice post on David.
He just can't let it go, can he?
Do you think he just wants to come back in September and play one more game at third with Jose on short?
DH in the National league anyone?
Thank you Mack
I just don't know. He looks different now including obviously physically.
He made some contact. Struck out swinging poorly. Showed he still has God given instincts with his glove.
Im sure he wanted to play for a championship Mets team and still does.
I just don't know.
Gary,
Well stated. I am not quite as long in the tooth as some of the elders on this site...too young to remember the '69 championship but have been following since 1972. I am hard pressed to find a worse season or lower point than right now. There was always some glimmer of hope...even with the Madoff crisis there was hope for new ownership. We have always been able to get over tough seasons, but the combination of terrible drafting depth, injuries that will likely leave players as shells of their former selves, and poor ownership gives all the foreshadowing of another cycle of tough times. The weakness of the system is the biggest indictment on this regime, as Alderson promised a feeder system to support sustained winning. We know some of this is luck, but with Rosario and Smith on the big team, what is left? Compounding the injury debacle is the prospect of returning players being damaged goods. I love David Wright, but how can he help this team win? The likelhood of Harvey ever dominating again is remote. Familia, who knows? Wheeler and Matz are most likely going to be mid-tier at best, unable to give 30 starts. Syndergaard is also a huge concern...4 months to get on a mound after a muscle injury and he still hasn't had TJ. Conforto, oh boy. No franchise in any sport can have this much high level talent diminished all at once and compete for titles, even those with the best ownership and management. I wish someone could put forth a solid case for 2018 that does include 10 "and if player x can just stay healthy and return to form" but i doubt I will see it.
Guys, I'm trying to find out what happened to Gregory Guerrero. Does anyone know? He hasn't played in two weeks.
Gregory has a shoulder injury
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