10 Reason Mr Met Can Smile: Reason 1 - Cultural Enema

Poor Mr. Met! The last 4 years there hasn't been much to smile about. But yet, smile he does. Why do you ask? Well there is always next year and even Mr. Met can't help but think about the unsurfaced talent on this roster. Over the last month of the season, I will list out 10 reasons why Mr. Met can smile about the 2011 Mets. So with that, here is the number 1 reason Mr Met should keep smiling

1) Culture change- Let's be honest, since Wainwright struck Carlos Beltran out to go to the World Series in 2006, the Mets have retained a culture of losing. Is it Omar? As big part- yes! Signing Luis Castillo (.238 0 17, 7SB in 240 at bats) and Oliver Perez (0-4, 39 walks in 44 innings) to long term contracts certainly doesn't help. How can Jason Bay go from .267 36 119 with the Red Sox to .259 6 47 with the Mets? Ballpark? Maybe, but does a ballpark play that much of a role? I blame a losing culture. Look at Adrian Beltre with Seattle. He leaves the other coast, joins the Red Sox and is in the MVP discussion? Fenway is a whiffle ball park, I get it. Mack might be able to pop a homer there, but his all around play has exceeded the numbers of his previous 5 year averages in Seattle - a team mired in their own losing culture. While we are singing the Red Sox praises. They are having the same type season the Mets had last year with injuries. Yet they are hanging with the Yankees and Rays in the toughest division in baseball. Can't call that a losing culture! It starts with the GM, and Omar Minaya can't hold Theo Epstein's jock. Let's call it as it is! When the Red Sox have holes, he fills them at the trade deadline. Omar doesn't- nuff said!

Look, Jerry Manuel I think is a good guy! But his teams have folded up early on him two years in a row. He is as much of the issue with the culture as Omar is with roster decisions and botched firings (Willie Randolph) and the other idiotic happenings (Tony Bernazard) that have gone on under Omar's watch. The Wilpon's didn't get rich being stupid. Even they know that Omar's time has come and gone! Look for John Ricco to get promoted, Omar demoted scouting. Or he might be just simply shown the door to just give the Mets culture a sorely needed enema. As for Jerry, sorry for the additional grey chin hairs! Thanks for taking one for the team! At least you got paid more than the average Joe! Look for the sparkplug Wally Backman to get the managers spot. He will come cheap, he is an 86 Met and is the fiery type the Mets have not had since Bobby Valentine left town. I am a firm believer in "where there is smoke there is fire". I believe he can get the talent to bubble up from this teamfor the simple reason he wan a world Series in New York! He is a Met, and always will be a Met. He demands respect and Met fans will be patient with him. Not to mention, Ricco and Backman can't be any worse- can they?

Till reason number 2, enjoy watching the Met kids!