The elation of mid-June has morphed into a late September photo finish.
A beauty of a comeback win against the sub .500 Nationals on Friday, followed by a horrible, non-pennant-worthy Saturday loss.
On Sunday, Manaea’s gives up 3 runs early, including a 2 run HR to very low-power Naseem a Nuñez….then, against 2 guys with ERAs in the mid to high 5 ERAs, the Mets scored just 2 runs.
Good grief.
Mack will no doubt fill us all in on Wild Card positioning daily. I ain’t looking at that positioning. In my mind, after the 2 brutal Nationals losses, either the Mets get in or don’t. If you do, Mets, I will be re-engaged.
Being in this position feels so utterly inexcusable. Yes…
Do or die time is upon us as regards to these New York Mets.
Will they fold? I wouldn’t be surprised if they do, because it’s what they’ve done so very well over the years.
Or…will they hold? We will find out this week.
Steve Cohen, sir, please realize that the Yankees almost always make the playoffs. The Mets on the other hand almost never do.
I think it all stems from a Deal With The Devil that the Mets almost had to have made in 1986:
Devil:
“You will lose this series…but I can make the ball Get By Buckner…you’ll win this series…but you’ll never win again. Many heartbreak years will follow. Torturous years. Deal??”
Someone grabbed the pen with sweating palm and signed on.
And here we are.
“TOO SMART BY HALF”
Mets’ hoity-toity wheeler-dealers seemingly are too smart by half.
Definition: to be too confident of your own intelligence in a way that annoys other people: example…He was too clever by half - always correcting the teacher or coming back with a smart answer.
Lots of deals that, in reference, show that “too smart by half” may really mean “too dumb by half”.
Two recommendations for the future:
1) Do not sign “I am Rick Peterson and I can fix this pitcher in 10 minutes” hurlers. Montas being Exhibit A.
2) NEVER sign very low average, very high strikeout Siri/Broxton types. Other teams love it when their pitchers can face that sort of whiffer. The Mets instead let HIGH CONTACT HITTERS like Jake Mangum (.300 with Tampa) and Rhylan Thomas (.327 with 78 RBIs in AAA) go, instead.
Rhylan Thomas in 2025 in AAA - more detailed - pretty darned impressive:
614 plate appearances, a microscopic 32 Ks, 7 HR, 78 RBI, 104 runs, .327, 33 of 41 in steals…yep, that 2024 trade to Seattle looks brilliant, huh?
Too dumb by 90% is more like it.
BANGHAMTON BLUES
In game 1 of the championship series, the lads got banged around, 14-5, with RJ Gordon having a bad outing, allowing 6 runs in 3.2 IP. Metoyer, McLaughlin, and Geber gave up the other 8 runs.
Best of 3, with the next game on Tuesday and the third game if needed on Wednesday.
SYRACUSE WRAPS IT UP WITH A BANG
Season ends. No playoffs. But…
The Mets’ 4 top prospects in Syracuse (Jett, Clifford, Benge, Parada) each homered in the finale. They had a tough time generally during their AAA stints, but it was wonderful getting them AAA action and challenging them.
More on them in a later article.
Jon Pintaro started and was really sharp, with 5 scoreless, 2 hits, no walks, 6 Ks, securing the win. Luke Ritter did not have a good year, hitting .225, but went 4 for 4, with a HR, his 11th.
PETE CROW ARMSTRONG
29 HRs, 88 runs, 90 RBIs. He probably goes to 30, 90, 90 against the Mets. We of course have Siri and Mullins.
Mets are 4-6 in last 10 games. Braves and Marlins are both 9-1 in last 10 games.
ReplyDeleteMets lead Marlins by 4, Atlanta by 6. Good thing the season doesn’t have 2 weeks left.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts.
ReplyDelete- I will Mack lay-out the play-off scenario. But the singing ladies are checking out the Mets schedule and not the Reds.
- Moribito and Ewing can be the Mets' Jack Mangum. But with more power and speed.
- With Brooklyn's championship and with Binghamton in the championship, a winning culture is being developed. I think the purpose of the minor league system is to develop major league players. But developing a winning culture is a great thing as well.
- I try not to look back to see what maybe could have been but at the end of July, PCA had 27 HRs and 78 RBIs. 2 and 12 since.
Steve, good thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMy point with Mangum and Thomas is the Mets have opted for several high defense, fast, extremely high strikeout back up outfielders the past 4-5 years, rather than ultra low K, contact HITERS, with speed. They would have been far better served to have retained the latter two.
Rhylan Thomas barely played for Seattle this year. No room at the inn there for him. He would have hit .240 or better with the Mets, and would have been able to MAKE CONTACTrather than fan in key situations.
Of course, it is easy to forget they did add a guy like that, named Nick Madrigal. He crashed and burned faster than a dirigible. An ominous sign for an injury-riddled season.
Hopefully with the development of Benge, Ewing and Morabito, there will be no need for the Siri, Millen’s, Taylors. (Williams @ second).
DeleteTom, the Mets are 31-44 on the road and 37-40 against teams over .500. So, tell me your prediction of this week’s games in Chicago and Miami.
ReplyDeleteGus, my prediction is: PAIN.
ReplyDeleteYou & Clubber Lang
DeleteAt game - god awful…
ReplyDelete