Rey P. - The Tortoise and the Mets Merized

"Patience is bitter, but its fruit, sweet."  Jean-Jacques Rousseau

I just read a well written piece from Joe D over at Mets Merized ("Patience Has Its Price, But Striking Early Has Its Rewards") which -- sadly -- represents just more of the same hopeless sentiment from many Mets fans these days.

As such, I am once again left with no choice but to continue my crusade in hammering away at this Opus Dei, self-flagellating whoomp ass that many of you have become accustomed to under the Wilpon dynasty (pronounced, "die nasty").

I, thus, apologize for this brief interruption from your personal daily life to chastise Mets Merized:

1.  "the strategy of waiting the market out has proved futile."

Really?  Didn't the Mets just acquire the game's top catching prospect and the Blue Jays' best minor league arm (A raw talent that some scouts say might be better than Zack Wheeler's) -- pretty much untouchables to everyone else in baseball?  Everyone except the Mets, who waited out the GM meetings, waited out the winter meetings (and even waited out Thanksgiving fer chrissakes), until all that was left were teams still in need of Aces with no Cy Young award winners on the market.

Ooohhhh yesssss, my weary Mets compatriots... YOUR team... the Mets... played the market like a Milken milkin' junk bonds, extracting a pound of feathers from the Canadian Cyanocitta cristata for a classy knuckler who may or may not ever again have a magical year like 2012.

2.  "The top available power hitter that is still on the market is old friend, Scott Hairston."

Whoa there, Joe D... who says we need to get our power from the Outfield, and therefore overpay for the unimpressive power players left, like Hairston, Ross, etc.?  What?  Just to claim bragging rights about power in the Outfield?   It's about SCORING RUNS -- however way that may come about.

Sure, it's nice to have 30+ HR power in the outfield, but Hairston, et al are NOT 30+ HR guys!  And it's not like we don't have any power in the outfield... shoot... even Collin Cowgill hit a homer in the one ballpark that makes Citifield look like Fenway.  That must project out on some roto site somewhere to breaking Bond's single season record in NY!!!

3.  "Using ISO..."

In PECOTA, ISO is only one of five PPMs used in identifying a hitter's RA.

Riiiiiight... whatever that means.  

But, I ask you, Mets Merized... WHY ARE WE FOCUSING ON MAKING THE OUTFIELD THE BE ALL AND END ALL TO OUR OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION???  The Mets, so far, have power at 1B, 3B and C.  By comparison, the 2012 World Champion SF Giants had power at -- well -- let's take a quiz:

Question:  How many SF Giants hit more than 30 HRs last season?
Answer; NADA

Question:  How many SF Giants hit more than 25 HRs?
Answer:  Again-- ZIPPO

Question:  More than 15 HRs?
Answer:  Just one, Buster!

Question:  Ummm... can you repeat that?
Answer:  Surely (don't call me surely).... ONLY ONE SF GIANT HIT MORE THAN 15 HOME RUNS LAST YEAR -- BUSTER POSEY,

and the TOP power threat in their outfield was a roided up papi chulo with... get ready for this... 11 HOME RUNS!!!

Question:  So how the %@#$& did they win a World Series Championship???

Answer:  Taking liberty with a famous quote:  "It's the PITCHING, stupid!"

4.  "while we upgraded the catcher with a top prospect who has yet to taste the majors, it did cost the Mets their staff ace and the most elite pitcher in the organization."

Ummm... isn't that all one and the same:  R.A. Dickey?  And was Dickey really the most "elite" pitcher in their organization?  I guess it depends on how you define "elite'" but most scouts will move forward building around the pure, "elite" stuff of Harvey, Wheeler and Syndegaard.

5.  "Frank Wren, the GM of the Braves, announced to fans a near identical list of offseason objectives for the 2013 season. His mission was to add a catcher, an outfielder and another reliable bullpen arm. Before the end of November he added Gerald Laird, B.J. Upton and traded for Jordan Walden. Mission accomplished."

Last I checked, Frankie the Brave actually had to GIVE UP (i.e., overpay) money AND players in return for the guys mentioned:

Laird:  a 33 year old slap hitting backup catcher at $3 million.


Upton:  an overrated, strikeout-king wannabe (164, 161 and 169 Ks from 2010-2012) whose batting average for the past 3 seasons were .237, .243 and .246 -- all for grand price of $76 million 

Walden: trading Tommy Hanson-- Three years after welcoming him to the Major Leagues as baseball’s top pitching prospect, albeit with velocity issues of late, for a right-handed setup man who Scioscia never put back as the team closer post-injury despite the team's desperate need for one-- instead going outside the organization for Ernesto Frieri.   

7.  "I haven’t rendered a judgement yet on Alderson’s offseason – with about four weeks remaining, it’s still too early for that."

EXACTLY!!!

8.  "In the end it validates what I said back in September and that was to say that fans shouldn’t put any credence into the dog and pony show we heard on WFAN"

This comes right after No. 7 and the line "But unless he pulls a rabbit out of his hat in the next few weeks, based on Alderson’s stated goals and objectives for this offseason, his final grade for this offseason may not be a passing one."

So, in typical Mets fashion, Sandy is deemed a failure before judgment day even arrives! 

9.  "never believe anything an Ivy League lawyer says when his lips are moving."

Come on Joe... just "Ivy League" lawyers?

10.  "The reality is that the 2013 team will most likely lose more games than either the 2011 and 2012 teams."

Yowza!  Clearly, Joe D and the rest of Mets Merized have never read that great masterpiece of fine literature for our generation and the many generations to come,  "Remind Me Again Why 2013 Will Be A 'Lost' Mets Season"

11.  "They’ve lost their best pitcher, and for now, last season’s second best slugger is gone too and has yet to be replaced."

Let me tell ya something, Joe D... if all our hopes and prayers fall on Hairston as our 2d best power hitter, then we Mets fans will truly be "BAH FUNGOO!"  

The sentiment right back at me.

Until next time...

Rey P.