SAVAGE VIEWS – Not Ready for Prime Time
October 8,
2022
This article
was supposed to be written at least five days ago. Been recovering from a nasty head cold that
sapped my energy, but here goes.
Before the
season began, I wrote that the Braves are a far better team than the Mets. Top to bottom their lineup is superior. At best, we would finish the season a distant
second. Coming out on top would be a
pipe dream.
So here we
are, tied with the Braves with a 101-win season. Mets fans are dancing in the streets. We have exceeded pre-season expectations. Jeff McNeil has won a batting title, Alonso
has not only hit 40 homers but driven in 131 runs and Lindor has had an
exceptional season.
In reality,
it has been a disappointing season. For
all of those exploits, we are still no better than number two to the
Braves. Our key players continually came
up short in key situations. Prior to
the Braves series I told my son that I would pick Max Fried to prevail over
deGrom every day. My thought process was
that as good as deGrom is, Fried is better against the Mets.
Also, I view
Swanson as more of a clutch hitter than Lindor and that was proven in the
Braves three game sweep.
The Division
was ours for the taking. We failed to
take advantage of the relatively easy September schedule. Had deGrom and Scherzer been ordinary over
the last six weeks, we would have run away with the Division. Turns out we won only about half the games they
pitched. Instead of a bye, we were
forced into a wild-card playoff.
Going into
game one versus the Padres with Darvish on the mound, our only chance was for
Scherzer to match zeros. That did not
happen as mighty Max melted down and allowed four homers. Makes you wonder if he is suffering from
physical malady.
Under normal
circumstances, we could expect deGrom to pitch well enough to force a game
three. But we have no idea what to
expect given his recent below par performances.
Looking
back, some blame can be placed on the front office for a number of curious
moves. The failure to address the lack
of left-hand options in the pen – we could have resigned Brad Hand as one option. Not retaining Brandon Drury left us scrambling
for a right-hand bench player.
The deal for
Ruff never made any sense. At the very
least, JD plus three prospects should have netted us Wilmer Flores. And someone needs to explain the me why
Vogelbach is entrenched in the five position while McNeil spent the majority of
the year in the seventh or eighth spot.
And now that Marte is back, why is he batting behind Vogelbach.
The
consensus opinion is that manager Bucky is a genius. I guess he deserve some credit for a 101win
season, but I questioned a lot of his moves during the season.
The “Not
Ready for Prime Time Players” on SNL peaked early and failed to replicate their
early success. Unfortunately, our team
is also moving in the wrong direction. We can only hope for a successful game three.
Ray
The Mets finished with 101 wins. The 2nd most in their history. They also finished with the third best record in baseball. They improved dramatically over last year. Its hard to call that anything but successful. They lost the season series to the Braves 10-9...the Braves also had the advantage 10-9 for home/road games. It was that close.
ReplyDeleteThe defending champion Braves ended up with the top 2 rookies in the National League (Strider, Harris) yet we still ended up with the same record.
I would say the Ruf trade was a disaster but Eppler should be graded on the whole picture. Their handling of Vientos/Alvarez was also a little puzzling. However you can't discount that the offseason moves reshaped the team culture and performance. I think even if some of the main guys leave that will have a lasting effect.
The Padres are a good team. Not as good as the Mets but a team good enough to potentially beat the Mets in a 3 game series. I still like the Mets chances but the season itsnt a failure if they didnt. The post season is full of good teams. Those that get hot go furthest. The more times you get to the show the better your chances over time.
Ray, I know you are the self-proclaimed pessimist in the group, but Dallas is right. A lot of things went right for the Mets and their fans this year. Overall it was a fun year. Over 162 games, the Mets never lost more than 3 straight. The are a resilient bunch. Yes, some of the moves made (Ruf) didn't make much sense to many of us, but we'd be jumping for joy if he had played like the 2H2015 Cespedes for two and a half months. 20-20 hindsight is a handicap for all fans. Ifor one don't have the emotional stamina to take this season and throw away all the good that we saw. The playoffs are kind of a crapshoot as a hot bat or arm can take you a long way. The Phillies shocked by beating the Cards two straight in St. Louis. Can their pitching stay hot? The Mets could do the same in LA if they get there. Ultimately, playoffs like this are cruel. Of the 312 players to start them, 286 will end the season disappointed. Let's celebrate what the Mets have done this year better than 60 of the last 61 years, winning 101 games (and counting). I am encouraged by the ownership wanting to be on this level.
ReplyDeleteHey,we’re in it. We have a chance to win it all.
ReplyDeleteLet's face reality. We were badly outplayed in the last two important series. Future not looking bright right now.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a good follow up article here someplace
ReplyDelete