Tom Brennan - TONG…Home Field Is A Hostile Work Environment, and Some Solutions

 

WHAT TO DO…WHEN DUMB FANS BOO?

FIRST THINGS FIRST…

THE MIGHTY TONG, WHO HAS BEEN GREAT IN AAA OF LATE, RETURNS ON MONDAY…AGAINST MIAMI, ON THE ROAD. 

THE GOOD THING WITH THAT ROAD GAME SCHEDULING? 

HOME FANS CANNOT BOO HIM IN A ROAD GAME. 

IT KEEPS THE IDIOT HOME FANS FROM BOOING HIM BEFORE HE EVEN COMPLETES HIS FIRST INNING OF WORK.

ME? I WILL BE CHEERING TONG TERRIFIC. WHY? HE IS TERRIFIC IS WHY.

Continuing my regular article before you, the reader, boo me…

Don’t just simply blame David Stearns.

Blame these two things as well:

1) The boo-bird-brain fans

2) Steve Cohen

The fans? They boo at Citi Field. Their own players. Way too much.

New players like Bo Bichette get booed. Early and often.

Just like Lindor was in his year one.

Just like Soto was in his year one.

All three sputtered in their first two Mets months. Blame the boo birds.

I heard Carlos Beltran was booed in his first Shea Stadium Mets game!

The players try not to talk about it too much.

But it slips out. The players mention the pressure.

One ex-Met, Carlos Delgado, who arrived at the same time, heard the Beltran booing and asked, “what the heck am I getting myself into?”

Remember when Edwin Diaz struggled at times? Mets fans KILLED him.

The fans simply are a clear and present danger to the success of this team.

David Stearns discounted the Boo Factor when he made too many off season changes.

When things went rocky, the fans got LOUD.  Always. Counterproductively.

Second:

Steve Cohen does not get off the hook. No.

He’s been a Mets fan about as long as me - since the 1960s.

He’s seen and heard the decades of booing. I realize it is lethal.

Steve seemingly discounted that, and OK’d the departure of boo-immune veterans like Alonso and imported those who had not been exposed to the dreaded Queens “Boo-vid virus.”

That’s how Mets’ annual death spirals start. 

Then, compounding matters, Uncle Steve refuses to move in Citi fences. 

Ignoring the boo factor, leaving the fences in pitcher-friendly dimensions, and the pressure it places on new players’ shoulders increases.

So, again, and oh, so predictably, the Mets hit worse at home. The other day:

.232 this year at home, .240 on the road.  That is a real “minus 8.”

The Boo Factor, plus pitcher-favoring dimensions.

Philly? .258 at their welcoming home park, .228 on the road. A “plus 30.”

Luis Robert failed?  Did he?

Was it in part Citi Field? .202 at home, .247 on the road.

Bichette? 

.244 at Citi, but .280 on the road, away from the Boo Bird Brains.

Normal fans love success.  Normal fans cheer, encourage. 

Queens fans? 

Too many morons who boo, and shoot themselves (and the team) in the foot.

They think, “Who else can I boo? How loud? How nasty?” 

Then those losers boo the home guys, and the losers go home as losers.

How many more seasons will they help sabotage?

The two solutions? Assuming the Mets aren’t moving to Omaha.

1) Think REALLY HARD about how new players will be impacted by boos.

2) Move fences in, to give home hitters a modest home field advantage.

    - 5-7, feet closer, except 8 feet closer in center would do the trick.

The better they hit….the less the idiots in the stands presumably will boo.

I say “presumably”, because the dummies who boo are as dumb as rocks.

You don’t like this article? 

Well, BOO-HOO TO YOU.

Brett Baty, BTW, missed a home run on Saturday by a skinny little fraction of an inch, when the ball hit the top of the fence and stayed in. Brett looked baffled and frustrated.

Adopt my suggestion, and it could have been 5-7 feet long gone instead. And Brett would have been flashing a very happy smile instead.

Last suggestion: Make every home game a Gag Night giveaway.

Give each fan a Mets gag. Suggest boo-ers wear them all game long.

Other “yesterday” notes…

Lindor, Soto, Bichette, and Benge (1 thru 4) were 0-17. Thanks, fellas.

Lindor is .191 over his last 15 games, in what is shaping up into his worst ever season. He will be 33 next year. One of his at bats yesterday was grounding out on a total meatball center-of-zone pitch with the bags full. Still time for him to spruce up his stats….his season ain’t over.

Soto? He has been very cold since his return without rehab. Even superstars need a little rehab?

Thornton (3-5) was very efficient…82 pitches, 59 strikes. SFG launched 4 HRs off of him, tho’. I guess the league is figuring out he likes to be efficient and throw lots of strikes? And boy, can those major leaguers make strikes disappear.

And…of, yeah…mission accomplished…another needed loss in the hunt for a bad record, leading to an unadulterated draft pick.

And…Ryan Lambert tossed a scoreless Brooklyn rehab inning, fanning two.

And…Elian Peña hitting just .161 in Brooklyn. Whether his hitting in Brooklyn-hell-for-lefties park has been a factor in that, one can only guess. Aiden Robbins .316 in his early goings in Brooklyn.

And…Pouncing Pitre homered and had two hits, and the hot D’Andre Smith added 2 hits for Syracuse, while Ronny Mo hit his 18th in 248 AAA at bats, as he most likely wishes again he hadn’t broken his hand foolishly diving into first base right after he replaced the injured Lindor. Syracuse lost to Rochester’s NFL team 14-9.

And… Jefferson Rojas homered, his 23rd, giving him 83 RBIs.

I’ve run out of “ANDS…”

RYAN TAYMAN, A HITTING CATCHER? 

2026 9th round Ryan Tayman, after Thursday’s St Lucie game?

.315/.422/.548.

NICE!

HERE IS A TANGIBLE REASON I HATE THE 28 MAN ROSTER RULE

It used to be 40 players max in September. 

Guys got called up. Lots of them. Some perhaps their only time ever.

Nowadays, just a stingy, crappy 28 man September expansion.

Guys not already on the MLB 40 man roster?

They stay stuck in the minors, absent an emergency.

One guy getting screwed by that stingy September roster rule this year?

Brian Metoyer. 

He is that 29 year old 40th rounder.

He has overcome much adversity and is having a fine year. His best.

As such, I’d really like to see Brian Metoyer called up to pitch. 

In 10 AAA post-promotion outings, he has been superior:

 Through Friday, 4-1 and a save. 1,54 ERA. WHIP under 1.00.

And, in 11.2 AAA innings,  a terrific 21 Ks. 

I used to think he was a soft tosser, but I saw that he was up in the “mid 95s” on a few pitches on Friday night. He’s got a MLB caliber mix.

His control is greatly improved.

Make the stingy 28 man rule a 30 man instead. Give guys like this a chance.