7/4/23

Tom Brennan - Meaningful July Baseball; What “Met” is Short For

I'm a Met fan in search of Ws, but all my efforts are going to L.

Second things first:

“MET” is short for…

METIOCRITY. THE METS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS METIOCRE.

Well, not always…sometimes utterly sub-metiocre. 

Secondly:

MEANINGFUL JULY METS BASEBALL? 

Only in terms of who to sell off. Assuming there are any buyers.

Around town, a Metamorphosis is taking place. Meaning, more fans gravitate away from the Mets to the Yanks, as Steve Cohen’s magic money wand was neutered by malfunctioning Eppler radar.

(Well, they won two straight…time to pound the “I’m a METS FAN!” chest, it’s what unwavering true believers do, when they aren’t insulting those who don’t.)

BUT HEY, DON’T BE GLUM. 

HAPPY FOURTH. 

IF ANYONE ASKS YOU ABOUT YOUR PLANS, TAKE THE FIFTH.

Especially if it involves your Mets. Why?






Saying you’re a Met fan can lead to fireworks. If you shoot off any M-80’s, you are inadvertently forecasting a Mets’ 80 win campaign.


And, yes, Ronny Mo is getting outfield reps (photo credit: Richard Nelson):


A


Strangest stat line for the Mets farm today? AA’s walking Rumble Pony, Sammy Tavarez, who has walked 24 in 16 innings, while somehow allowing only 6 earned runs (1-1, 3.38). He now has 91 walks allowed in 88 totals pro innings, vs. 131 Ks and just 53 hits. 

Stranger, though, is Wyatt Olds, Boston AA pitcher, who has walked 43 and hit 12 batters in just 35 IP this year. Last year, he hit 28 batters in 111 innings. That’s 40 HBP in 146 IP in 2022 and 2023. Ouch! More like a nearsighted Wyatt Earp.

And, on the strangest hitting side of the fence, Miami’s AAA Jarar Encarnacion has a nice 16 HRs in 74 games, but 131 Ks too (nearly 2 per game), while Boston’s AA Nick Kavadas has 60 walks in 63 games - how very patient - but 99 Ks - perhaps too patient. So, on average Kavadas walks and/or Ks a crazy 2 1/2 times per game, or 60% of his plate appearances.


Meanwhile, heading back to normalcy, undrafted Grant Hartwig, who briefly made his Mets minors pro debut less than 2 years ago in 2021 with 11 innings, then has been excellent in 2022 and 2023, and quickly raced past Ronny, to beat Mauricio to the Mets, less than 2 years after he debuted.

Hartwig in fact won his first MLB game on Sunday, and has allowed 1 Mets earned run in 8.2 IP.

CONGRATS!

Morale of that story? Ask to not be drafted. You’ll get to the majors in a flash.

17 comments:

Mack Ade said...

Morning Tom

Wow

What spur did you sit on?

One of our OG best writers has crossed over to the dark side and seems to really have the spirs out for the team lately. I too have grown distant to the lack of results at the parent level and have returned to write about individual accomplishments in the minor.

I miss the old Tom.


Mack Ade said...

*spurs

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, once they reel off 10 straight wins, which we all know will happen, I’ll be back immediately.

Tom Brennan said...

I do like the Escobar and Muckenhirn deals to get Crow and Gott. Now just trade for a guy named This, and we can then say Crow Gott This.

Mack Ade said...

2B/SS/3B Greg THISsen

TP said...

Happy 4th, well done Mr. B. Hard to not be "spurry" coming off yet another June swoon, this one quite expensive. That Hartwig does have some movement on his pitches for what it's worth.

Reese Kaplan said...

M.E.T.S. -- Magic Eludes Team Storyline

Mack Ade said...

uh oh

OG's piling up on me....

Tom Brennan said...

Mack Reese is correct - you are outnumbered, but the Magic Number to clinch is always yours.

At least these days, METS meaning Mets Extensice Trauma Syndrome is not operative. Edwin aside, injuries are normal level this year.

Tom Brennan said...

TP, which happens to be my first two initials, same to you. Remember, if anyone asks you what you’re doing to celebrate the 4th, take the 5th….whatever you do, don’t admit you’re watching the Mets. The butterfly net guys may come a-knocking.

Gary Seagren said...

Happy 4th all and we've got a 2 game win streak! Can 2 games be a win streak though? Just saw Trout out with another injury and another example of all the money in the world can't buy you a championship or keep you on the field. The 2 best players on the planet and the Angels are the AL version of us. We should follow Atlanta's example but will Steve really be able to pull the bandaid off and gosh can I say this REBUILD? Were old and need to get younger because our one shot with this team expired last Oct. but what direction will Stevie take? Stay tuned.

Mack Ade said...

M.E.T.S.

ME EATING TONS o SHIT 2day

Mack Ade said...

Playing guitar and singing at development (they still call them PLANTATIONS down here) today

Getting push back on the exuberant prices Tickettron us charging.

Bruce, Taylor, and me in same biat

Tom Brennan said...

Gary, we all need to get younger 😁 Happy 4th.

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, just listened to Curtis Sliwa talking about winning pickle eating contests and finishing in the running at Coney Island hot dog eating contests. That is “your METS”

Mack Ade said...

JOEY
JOEY
JOEY!!!@@@$$^%!!!!

Albert said...

Ladies and Gents ,The Tom and Mack Show, the best show on the Internet.