I dunno about you, I love a mystery.
Except Mets Mysteries.
Let's look at the new mystery novel:
Mets Shortstops Are Missing, or Honey, Who Shrunk the Shortstops.
They are largely missing, either in playing time or in performance.
MLB - Amed Rosario - actually hitting well enough, but 9 errors in 32 games? That is a rookie ball shortstop's rate. Mysterious.
Jed Lowrie - missing since early February, but at least last year's 99 RBI Iron Man has played some minor league games. The mystery is will he continue healthily or will the chapter be entitled "Return to Sick Bay." And Tony Stark is suing him over Iron Man trademark infringement.
Todd Frazier - the 3B played some shortstop during his rehab stint, but the mystery is: can he hit as well as a former Mets aging shortstop named Al Weis?
Adeiny Hechavarria - the mystery is why he hit nearly .350 in AAA but it took the Mets so long to call him up. The next chapter in this mystery novel is: how much will the sure-handed Adeiny play for the Mets?
AAA
Luis Guillorme - hitting .345 in AAA - but just .167 as a Met. A mystery why there is that much of a gap.
Ruben Tejada - the Mets signed him to a minor league deal on March 24 - but he hasn't played. Somewhere, Reese Kaplan is smiling.
Gavin Cecchini - former first rounder also MIA.
AA
SS Andres Gimenez - his .250/.314/.380 is reminiscent of Ruben Tejada.
HIGH A
In St Lucie, Cody Bohanek and Luis Carpio both can play SS, and both are hitting .286 - are they really identical twins separated at birth? Stay tuned.
A
In Columbia, 18 year old Ronny Mauricio has performed nicely (.276/.315/.324), but not "WOW", so I think the mystery of whether he might be the next coming of Juan Soto is waning.
Sheveyn Newton's mystery was whether his high K rate in 2018 would make his very high Mets prospect ranking (#5 on Mets website) "a ranking too high." In 2019, he is hitting 3 for 33 with 16 Ks, so I would say, yes, he is ranked too high.
Conclusion: The next book in the series may provide more clues, but so far, the progress of most of the Met' shortstops remains a true mystery.
Perhaps one former shortstop, Jake deGrom, will get so disgusted by perpetual lack of run support, he'll scream, "I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE" and decide to become a shortstop again. Become a hitter again...after all, he must want to hit SOMETHING. I sure would. The mystery is that he hasn't...yet.
Perhaps one former shortstop, Jake deGrom, will get so disgusted by perpetual lack of run support, he'll scream, "I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE" and decide to become a shortstop again. Become a hitter again...after all, he must want to hit SOMETHING. I sure would. The mystery is that he hasn't...yet.
Yet another mystery - no reader comments!
ReplyDeleteI guess lighthearted topics when the team is spiraling down the drain don't catch folks' attention.
So...I drafted a scorched earth article for noon today.
The real mystery might be why we remain fans of a second rate franchise.
Tom, I remain a Mets fan because, to qoute John Lennon, "when it's good, it's really good".
ReplyDeleteJohn From Albany, I hear you. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBut the problem in too many seasons is they only make a "short stop" in the "really good" category and a long stop in the "I've fallen down and I can't get up" category.
But posts like yours help us to try harder to stay positive.
If I was rooting for a team I admire, I would be an Astros fan. They play fundamental baseball all throughout the organization. The Tri-City Valley Cats here in Albany are mostly from the current draft and they still are a fundamentally sound team. They must drill "fundies" like crazy with them as soon as they are drafted.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Meanwhile, Rosario fielding and hitting fundamentals were clearly not drummed in. Smith's conditioning circa 2017 was poor, what was drummed in? Success rules need to drummed in.
DeleteJohn -
ReplyDeletewe seem to have instituted a non-system of training that has reached new levels of absurdity
I have worked the clubhouses of the chain for many years. Tom will confirm this.
ALL starting lineups, names of starter pitchers for each game, and what relief pitchers to be used in said game.... come from the home office via phone... once from Omar... than from Sandy... now from Broady.
They are given the ORDERS... I repeat... ORDERS... from Jeff Wilpon
This is a Wilpon business
Did Wally B push back and that's why he is no longer around?9
ReplyDeleteJohn, I believe so, but some may know better than me about Wally.
ReplyDeleteJeff loved Wally
ReplyDeleteMany of the players loved Wally
No one else in the organization loved Wally
Who is going to replace Mickey?
ReplyDeleteReese. 👍
DeleteI'd vote for Mack Ade for our next manager. Kidding aside, if this keeps up, we'll soon find out.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest mystery to me this season is the Columbia team. Loaded with our top prospects, including Mauricio, Vienyos, Newton, Chambers, Szapucki, Woods-Richardson, and others, the team is now 9-21!!!
ReplyDeleteAre they just moved up too soon, or is the problem deeper? Is this just a Brooklyn - level squad that has been misplaced, or what?
Bill, they are hitting .199 before today, with 9 homers. I hope it is growing pains. Vientos and Mauricio are hitting about .250 between them, Chambers was out for a while, and the rest largely are just not hitting. They needed Kelenic, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI know they're playing horribly. But if the guys I listed are our "future stars", there's cause for concern. Given their reputations, I'd have expected the reverse (21-9) of their record.
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