Tom Brennan - I Simply Can’t Stand it Anymore! Topic # 1….And Ross is the Boss

THE PAIN IS MORE THAN WE FANS CAN BEAR 

It is disturbing to know that in mid-May, the Mets already are out of contention with the Atlanta Braves. 

As of Monday morning, the Mets found themselves six games under 500 while the Braves find themselves 17 games above 500. I thought, right then: there’s no chance that the Mets make that up. 

If they were fully healthy, perhaps. But the last time I looked at the injured list, I painfully concluded that they were not nearly injury free.

This brings me back to something that I find frankly disturbing, and I’ll bring it up again. 

For decades, the Pirates…sucked. 

That’s a little blunt, but it’s true. 

In the meantime, in the NL eastern division, juggernaut Atlanta, which is much further west than Pittsburgh, not to mention much further south, has blocked the Mets over and over and over and over and over again from making the playoffs. More “overs” than that, to be accurate.

And, in those seasons when the Braves are not up to their usual best, the Phillies perennially, over the last 20 years since the Howard/Utley/Rollins days, have been strong contenders and winners as well. 

Meanwhile, I look at the pathetic division that the Athletics are in. 

The As lead that division with a paltry 23–23 record. 

If they were in that division, the Mets would be trailing the As by just three games. And the Mets would be extremely much in contention for the division title.  

Mets fans that now give up on going out to see the team, because they have at best a long-shot chance at the wildcard, would instead be turning out to games because they’d be right in the middle of a division pennant race.

Frankly, as a Mets fan as well as a Mets hobbyist writer, I am so beyond sick of this. 

Are you, too?

And what is “this”? 

Watching teams in other (mostly central) divisions with lousy season records win division titles while the Mets have to bump heads with Philadelphia and Atlanta year after year after year after year, almost always coming up short. No playoffs. 40 years since winning a WS.

No joy. No fun. Thus…

Suggestionto Steve Cohen: 

I would do everything in my power, if I were you, to switch that divisional stuff around, so the Mets have a real chance of winning the division when they’re not absolutely at the top of their game. 

That would be “Baseball Equity.”

Heck, even at their best, like in 2022, when the Mets won 101 games, they didn’t win the division title. I’m sure some NL central or AL central team back then would’ve been very easy for the Mets that year to skate into a division title in.

I am SO sick of it. There’s gotta be a way to fix that. DO something.

And that’s my memo.

Except to say this:

I conducted a Survey on the subject running this by my brother Steve and my cousin Billy. 

Steve said it was brilliant. DO IT!

And cousin Billy said this:

“I would love to see the Pirates take Atlanta's place in the east. They should have done that when they pulled the Cubs out of the east! Great article but someone needs to listen”. 

Yes, “someone” needs to listen. And force the issue. Redistricting is a popular topic these days. The Mets need to be redistricted.

DYLAN ROSS

ROSS IS THE BOSS

Through Wednesday, big, bad Dylan Ross had allowed a mere 3 hits in 11.2 IP this season…and just one hit in May.

In his career, 66.2 IP, just 32 hits allowed.

A bit wild, but…who cares…

No Hit Ross could be the Boss of Queens.

But he can’t be that in Syracuse.

What is the Obstacle for Ross getting to Queens? 

Thru Wednesday, the NY Mets pen had a 3.48 ERA, tied for 9th best. Perhaps Craig Kimbrel (6.00) is in jeopardy, I initially wrote, only later to see the jeopardy was real, as he was DFA on Friday, but even he hadn’t been “goodbye” bad. This year, though, in this pen, he was not good enough.

Called up in his spot, Jonah Tong Terrific went 3 scoreless, pitching to just 9 batters, in a disappointing 2-1 Mets loss, in which Juan Soto hit a 450 foot homer, while everyone on the Mets not named Soto compiled just one hit.

Bat Nolan McLean in the clean up spot, and problem solved. He brought a rocket launcher to the plate when he used to hit in the minors.

P.S. Ross’ AAA fireballing buddy, Ryan Lambert, has been wild…12 walks in 13-IP. And 4 walks in 3.1 spring training innings. A walk an inning is simply a door-shutter to a ticket to Flushing.

A catcher named Meggers had 3 hits on Friday for St Lucie. His battery mate, Kodai Senga, threw 63 pitches, hitting 97 MPH. 

Jose Chirinos went 5.1 IP in relief of that Kodai guy, and fanned 10.

But, wait. Three hits…from a catcher?  Call that guy Meggers up.