Tom Brennan: Succinct Thoughts on Mets Pitching; Perfect Blood Pressure; Ducks Delight

 

The Mets Pitching Is Not Making The Kid In Me Very Happy, But…

My Succinct Thoughts On NY Mets Pitching?

Simply this:

I mostly stay away from criticizing Mets pitchers 

That’s because, if the grossly underperforming 5 traitorous Queens Mets hitters who went a putrid, punchless 40 for 257 (.155) in June (Vientos, Baty, Semien, Melendez, and Mauricio) actually realized at some point that hitters are supposed to hit, and produce run-generating offense, Mets pitchers wouldn’t feel like they have to be perfect.

That said, Freddy P did suck on Wednesday, again, and (no surprise) Mets team hitting sucked, again.

Another day, another loss. Easy, like breathing.

29-47 (.381) in their last 76 games thru WED. 

Meanwhile…

The recently horrendous 121 loss Chicago White Sox are 45-40 this year.  

Despite Munetaka Murakami, the guy the Mets and Stearns didn’t want for first base but hit an insane 20 HRs in his first 200 at bats, missing the last 5 weeks due to injury. 

They lose a big bat like that, and survive. The Mets lose a bat and DIVE.

The Sox’s top 3 sluggers have 60 HRs in 222 combined games.  

SIXTY!

For perspective? That is a somewhat higher HR per game pace than Pete Alonso, the great former Mets slugger, has produced in his career.

Meanwhile, Brett Baty, beloved by David Stearns? 

A rip-roaring 3 HRs in 83 games.  

That works out to 8 HRs in 222 games.

Steve Cohen must love that Stearns talent evaluation as much as we do.

The White Sox have 20 more HRs and scored 65 more runs than the Mets.

If the Mets pitchers had that additional 20 and 65 behind them, would they pitch better? I think so. 

It is called BREATHING ROOM.

The Mets’ ERA is 13th best in baseball (4th lowest for the bullpen) , so, if they had average hitting, they should be roughly 45-40, like the White Sox.

 OK, that’s my pitch. Time for you, the reader, to swing away.

“YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE IS PERFECT”

 I read that a doctor said:

“We know that getting the blood pressure to 120/80 is ideal”.

It may be ideal - for blood pressure…but not for hitter strikeout ratios.

For that, I’d prefer 80/120.

Ryan Clifford’s strikeout ratio is 120/80. 120 Ks in 80 games. 

Putting him at risk for a major career “heart attack.”

“Well, if he is hitting well, does it really matter?” 

You have a point, “IF” he is hitting well. But he is hitting .190.

In June and July, 9 for 89, 42 Ks in 25 games.

“Oh, a player’s career is not a straight line correction.”

Trey to an extent, but when his 9 for 89 stretch started, he already had nearly 2,000 minor league plate appearances.

Cutting the K rate by 1/3 could be the beginnings of a resumption of upward progression. Easier said than done.

Progression begins with more aggression on strike 0 and strike 1.

Progression continues on choking up and protecting the plate on two strikes.

DUCKS DELIGHT

No, I didn’t run out for Chinese take out last night.

A friend of ours gave us two free tickets to the Long Island Ducks game in Central Islip. We got there a little late, after visiting a good friend in the hospital. The game itself was uneventful, but I was really surprised at the size of the crowd. 

It made sense when someone told me it was fireworks night. 

They put on a great show.

That made me think, if the Mets ever moved one of the Mets minor league teams to that park, I would be going to so many games. It is close to where I live, and it was lively and fun.

I did notice that the field dimensions were 325 down the line and 400 to dead center. Boy, did I like that too. 

Steve Cohen needs those exact dimensions at Citi Funk Field.

For one night, baseball was fun again.

Brett Baty and Ryan Clifford? They would make great LI Ducks.