In politics, campaigning can be exciting and seemingly never-ending.
But then the votes happen, the results come in (in Florida in one day, in California in a month sometimes) and all that anticipation turns into outcomes and results.
Baseball in Queens, NY is veering close to “outcomes and results” time.
Do you remember that rocking commercial that played over and over during the 2015 Mets playoffs?
FINAL COUNTDOWN.
Click and enjoy.
Let’s start with the good stuff.
We already have some final countdown results in Mets minor leaguer playoff games, with Brooklyn and St Lucie all in post-season action, and Binghamton in the playoffs next week.
Binghamton’s Jon Santucci and Will Watson on Tuesday combined for a 2 hit, 12 K shutout, simply superbly by simply superb pitchers. Nick Morabito walked it off in the 9th, 1-0.
Thru Wednesday’s action, Brooklyn won its playoff game 1, by a score of 4-3. Six pitchers were used. Colin Houck smacked a HR and had 3 RBIs. Matt Rudick a hit and walk and 2 runs scored.
St Lucie’s Tuesday game was rained out. Made up on Wednesday,
Syracuse on Tuesday had HRs from Jett and Clifford, with Ryan up to 28 HRs and 91 RBIs.
Dom Hamel’s last 3 relief outings? 7 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, no runs. Hmmm…
OK, fun’s over…The New York Mets heading into Wednesday…
The Mets at their peak on June 11 (45-24) were 5.5 games ahead of Philadelphia for the division lead, and 8.5 games ahead of the team that was just outside a Wild Card spot on that date…
…the Milwaukee Brewers, who since then, through Monday, had gone 52-23 to surge to the best record in the MLB, 12.5 games AHEAD of the Mets.
The Mets and Philly currently? Well, the Mets lost the first two games. Zero chance of a division title. Playoff Wild Card picture getting worse by the day.
Collapses are, unfortunately, a treasured Mets tradition.
I’ve told the Mets personally that this Reality Time, Circa 2025, there are no mail-in ballots allowed, so they cannot mail it in this year.
APPORTIONING BLAME
The Mets’ extended swoon means someone is royally screwing up.
Two that some blame that I don’t blame are McNeil and Nimmo.
Jeff has veered towards more power and lower average.We have to remember McNeil is older, likely a step slower, and balls he barely beat out into base hits 5 years ago he doesn’t now. He used to beat out a ton of infield hits. He knows that. The answer is more power.
And, on his K to Duran on Monday, on 102 high in the zone, after a couple of huge dropping breaking balls, I simply say Duran won that at bat. Jeff has a mere 45 Ks in 410 plate appearances, an exceptional rate in K-crazy 2025 baseball. He (the contact guy) just got beat by raw heat.
Nimmo? 50 extra base hits and 80 RBIs? I can’t complain. Recently, he got robbed several times, including on a great leaping snatch at the wall, or he’d be hitting around .270. He was hitting .218 on May 27. I say he’s done fine.
The pitching however has absolutely disintegrated. 90% of the blame goes to them. The first few months, the Mets were tops in team ERA. They are now 15th. So, after the early dazzling pitching, they must be bottom 3 in ERA over the past 75 games. Hard to win that way.
Then, there were complete MIA efforts from Winker and Siri this year. The former physically crumbled, the latter was a dumb get from the get-go.
WE NEEDED THEIR BENCH. THEY INSTEAD PROVIDED STENCH.
Politics can be compared to sports, in general, and baseball, in particular.
ReplyDeleteI am a conservative/moderate independent with a long democratic history.
The race for mayor in Boston was yesterday and the ultra liberal progressive major got 72% of the vote.
72%
This takes any doubt away about how the people of Boston want their city run.
Let's introduce this process to the Mets. Give a vote to all season ticket holders for who runs their beloved team. Nominate up to four choices.
Wouldn't that be a hoot.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteTime to hold those individuals whose job requires evaluating both the Mets players and trade/free agent signings to do a hell of a lot better job of evaluating those players. Our trades the past two years have been poor in giving up good players and getting back players who have not performed well. Our drafts have been much better with a strong emphasis on pitching and infielders. Coach them up and put them in the majors when they are ready. We have three rookie pitchers who have been outstanding. Lets get some hitters to back them up in 2026. I am ready for some youth to put us in the World Series. Mack and I " ain't " getting any younger.
Problem is that 2026 will look a lot like this year with most of the same faces.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, young man
DeleteAcuña
ReplyDeleteWe know he plays an excellent defense at second base
We know in 2024 he produced a decent BA because he played more than he sat
We know he is young and team controlled
WHY CAN'T THE METS JUST PLAY HIM AT SECOND FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON SO THEY COULD SEE IF HE’S WORTH CONSIDERING FOR PLAYING SECOND THERE IN 2026?
Carlos Mendoza also told the team not to mail it in. He wants them to fight to the end. He knows his job may depend on it, since there are very few reasons that a stellar roster does not perform. He would be one of the few.
ReplyDeletePaul, I don't think he is safe anymore
DeleteNor are his coaches
I like what Binghamton did yesterday, piggy back to starters to cover the 9 innings. This is something we need to look at with our Veterans only capable of giving 4 or 5 innings most nites.
ReplyDeleteMendoza needs to go if he cant get these guys fired up!
Two
ReplyDeleteThey gotta Start Fighting, not Keep Fighting. If what we’ve been watching is “fighting” we are totally screwed!
DeleteThank you, gentlemen. I am so grieved at the assassination of the great Charlie Kirk. He truly felt like the son I never had. This all projects from the politics of destruction. Charlie could have been a future president. He accomplished so much, and was just 31. Heartbroken.
ReplyDeleteIt’s tragic he was killed but this fella you loved like a son made a career of promoting and monetizing hate. For instance, he attacked MLK as “awful”labeled the Civil Rights Act as follows:”The Civil Rights Act … created a beast, and that beast has now turned into an anti-white weapon.” He also attacked gays and foreigners in the most incendiary fashion. He repeated the hateful lie that Haitians were eating cats and dogs.
ReplyDeleteI come to this site to read your writing and enjoy your wit but let’s leave politics out of it.