When things are going well you find ways to win ballgames that weren’t really in the planned playbook. A ball drops in the outfield that wasn’t roped by the Mets hitter, an asleep-at-the-wheel pitcher or catcher who allows a runner to get an extraordinary jump advancing to the next base, or an overly generous umpire giving your pitchers every borderline call. These things just seem to fall from out of the sky and winning teams somehow make things happen when they do.
Of course, the flip side is when you’re in a slump every 107 mph scorcher off a Mets hitter’s bat goes straight into a fielder’s glove, a pitcher throws a nasty pitch right down the middle of the plate that the umpire calls for a ball, or a middle infielder makes an acrobatic play to turn two only to have the 2nd base umpire rule that the receiver of the toss wasn’t on the bag and you only turn one.
It’s still a week into a rain-filled schedule but the pitching other than Sean Manaea and Edwin Diaz appears not quite ready for prime time, the hitting other than Starling Marte and Francisco Alvarez seems not quite ready for the Little League All Star Game, and the overall competitive attitude and execution focus is desperately in need of a dangerous level of 5-hour ENERGY consumption.
Thus far we hear a lot of the usual chatter from the hitting coach condemning the execution of the entire team’s offensive game. We’ve heard about rookie manager Carlos Mendoza looking to shuffle the thus far ineffective lineup construction to put the more productive hitters in the middle where they might help set up big innings.
Right now it appears to be a case of thinking back to the evolution of playing skills that taught these eventual major leaguers how to make the most of their natural talents.
When was the last time you saw fundamentals like hitting behind the runner, a hit and run or multiple runners executing attempted stolen bases at the same time? It seems nowadays that the hitters are taught to swing with all their might for the fences at the expense of any other offensive approach.
Of course, the pitchers also need to work on their approach to the game as well. Knowing that the offensive side is struggling, they need not to put extra pressure on themselves to strike out every hitter or keeping all hitters off base.
For now reach deep into your personal reserve of patience and understand that what rolls downhill must also go uphill eventually. Right now we’re merely waiting for that climb to begin.
9 comments:
The Yankees were very fortunate, opening in Houston with their dome, and Arizona had a great weather time of the year. Metz weather has been, to be kind, brutal. The scary thing for them is their facing Cincinnati, which is four and two,, by four games against the Braves. So they’re not out of the woods yet by a long shot
Be optimistic, Lindor and McNeil may actually get a hit or too.
Ray, check out my statistical comments in my impromptu 9:00 AM article.
I still like the improvements I've seen in Baty, both at bat and in the field, and in Pete's new approach at the plate (using the whole field instead of going fishing for HR.
Pitching-wise, our team ERA is near the best in the league, and the pen has for the most part been solid.
The Cavalry is due Sunday or Monday, and hopefully JDM will kickstart the offense.
Bill, I reserve judgment on Severino. He was BAD in start # 1. I hope it is not his current level of effectiveness.
Bill I have long felt that too many holes in a line up can be contagious. When JD gets here to replace DJ, assuming he comes out hitting, then the whole line up will get a big boost.
Yes, he was, but he showed in ST that his velocity is back and he's healthy.
I agree that judgment should be reserved, not just on him.
Between Nimmo, McNeil and Lindor, they have combined fir 3 H (one each).
Which one will get his 2nd before the others? I'll put my money on Lindor.
Absolutely! As slumps progress, everyone has a tendency to press. And with warmer weather, the bats should heat up.
The Mets don't have a leader. What they have is overpaid players and another at 1B that wants to be overpaid. For me right now, they are not even worth watching.
Sorry to be so negative but I have seem this playbook way too many times over the years.
What player on the Mets compares to say..Freddie Freeman?. That's a leader.
How did the Braves and Dodgers got to be so good?. An elite farm system and people that know how to prepare prospects to become major leaguers. Up until the Mets do that, they can throw money at the problem but as 2023 showed, that doesn't often work.
The Mets need to find players that are leaders, grinders like they once had in Hernandez, Backman, Strawberry, Carter,etc. Those guys would find ways to win while this team seems to find ways to lose.
Anyway, happy Friday.
So many years of the same just wears you out.
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