BATMAN HAS GONE MISSING. WE HAVE LOOKED ALL OVER - HE’S GONE! GONE!
Boy, 2019 was really something for Batman and Robin.
Batman (Pete Alonso) hits 53 HRs and knocks in 120 AS A ROOKIE!
Talk of baseball.
Robin (Jeff McNeil) in his first full season killed it with a .318 average with 38 doubles, 23, homers and 75 RBIs.
Earlier this season, Alonso was hitting 293 on April 21.
The fan base was bleating:
“EXTEND HIM! NOW, UNCLE STEVE. PAY HIM WHATEVER HE WANTS!”
He has, though, hit just .182 since, and just 15 for 99 since late May.
Head scratcher.
He’s turned into Luke Voit Lite.
Or Darin Ruf with a little more pop.
Or Luke Ritter. Luke has 19 minors HRs in 244 ABs and is hitting .234.
Or James McCann (.186).
Take your pick.
Jeff, 2022 seems so long ago.
In early May, Jeff McNeil was hitting .304.
In late May, still at a decent .292.
At the exact same time Alonso started his 15 for 99 plunge in late May, though, Jeff joined him in the nose dive.
Slowly descending at first, but over his last 30 games, Jeff the batting champ is just .189 with a single HR, but the one HR part is no surprise…he has had an acute power outage all year, with 3 HRs and just 17 total XBH in 358 plate appearances.
A Buddy XBH pace.
Yes…He’s turned into Bud Harrelson. He’s being paid $50 million, however, NOT to be Bud Harrelson, not to be sitting half way between .200 and .300, but to be the repeat batting champ.
In 2019, the sky was 100% the limit with this dynamic duo.
They were astride the top of Mount Olympus. Mets gods.
What the heck happened?
Tell me, folks.
In Pete’s case, if that HBP is still bothering him, why did he accept the All Star nod and HR Derby rather than take a 3 day blow?
Jeff, you don’t have to live up to the contract. The money is already guaranteed. Just be the Squirrel again.
Maybe it is just the inexorable weight of being a NY Mets hitter.
Happy Sunday. But, before I go off, in search of Batman and Robin:
Last night was Saturday Night Sleazer.
The Mets fanned 17 times. They were Snelled.
And Hader fanned 2 in the 9th. Ended the venting with a 1.08 ERA.
Brother Steve reminded me that he was pleading for the Mets to get Hader last year. He was equally pleading for them to axe Vogelbach in the off season and get a real DH in JD Martinez, who currently has 62 RBIs.
In all seriousness, Eppler could use my bro as an adviser.
In all seriousness.
Billy, contact me and I’ll give you Steve’s phone number.
My brother can be very persuasive…and very right.
Right now it looks like:
ReplyDeletePete has turned into Dave Kingman
Francisco Alvarez may be the only true hitter on this team
Jeff can't stop letting his inner demons get in his way.
He also may be creating a situation where the brass would like to move past baseball's version of Don Lemon
Speaking of Lemons, Mets need to trade Marte before he falls to sleep out there
Marte woke up this off season and found out he was old. And wealthy. Every 8 games, he is owed $1 million less. Each day, financially, he is slightly less of a write off to trade.
ReplyDeleteFrancisco may turn out to be the Mets’ best home-grown hitter ever.
Marte looks like he doesn't care and Lindor looked awful yesterday.
ReplyDeleteRay, this is Tom. Baffling.
ReplyDeleteOn my way to the game. Let's hope it's a good one
ReplyDeleteEnjoy.
ReplyDeleteCum dump
ReplyDelete