Master Index of Archived Threads


Admit it ...

Frayed Knot Jun 29 2016 12:27 PM

... you can see them going winless (or at least nearly so) straight through to the All-Star break can't you? Sure, part of this screed is based on a hangover from being out-scored 16-4 over the last two nights which in turn is coming off looking like shit against the Braves. And, yeah I know, you're never as good as you look when you're going good and never as bad as you look ... blah blah blah But they did look like the considerably worse team against the Braves and they have allowed 16 runs while getting just 10 hits over the last 15 innings (with 3 GiDPs mixed in to ensure that those hits couldn't possibly do any damage) and now they do have to face a pitcher with two no-hitters and a 20-K game over the last 12 months and then follow that up with an extended series against the best team in baseball all year. The strengths of this team were HRs and pitching but they've hit 2 HRs combined in the last two series (fortunately one of them won a 1-0 game or this stretch would look even worse) and the starting pitching edge is completely AWOL (49 baserunners in 32 IP over 6 games) and has left no forwarding address. One more in Washington today (Scherzer vs Verrett) then 4 vs Cubbies, 3 vs Marlins, then 4 more vs Nats. But at least they'll be headed home after today where they play ... well pretty much the same as on the road and, right now, that's pretty fuckin' terrible.

d'Kong76 Jun 29 2016 12:34 PM Re: Admit it ...

I was going to dig up the worries here thread about an hour ago and said fuck it. I really see no bright spots and have little faith that things will get better. Our New York Mets, 2015 National League Champions. Yay.

TransMonk Jun 29 2016 12:39 PM Re: Admit it ...

I feel pretty much the same way about the team as I did at this time last season. They gave me a great surprise last year, but what are the odds of catching lightening in a bottle two years in a row?

Edgy MD Jun 29 2016 01:09 PM Re: Admit it ...

Last year's malaise didn't discourage me so much as this year. I always felt a few aces remained up their sleeves last season. This year, I feel like most of the cards have been played. It's also the approach that's maddening. They seem to be so philosophically adrift.

Lefty Specialist Jun 29 2016 01:16 PM Re: Admit it ...

Can't catch that much lightning, unfortunately. They won't lose out, but they'll be under .500 shortly. There's just no life to this offense, and they do little things wrong that cost them games. They've even stopped hitting home runs. They need a structural overhaul. But you can't tell David Wright his career is over and it's time to move on. You can't trade a Granderson unless you eat most of the contract. Lucas Duda is not the answer at first even when healthy. You can't plan on Cespedes after this year. The catching is a disaster. The rotation is fragile right now, and Wheeler's still a ways away. Jose Reyes, bless his soul, won't really fix much of this. The question is, should they be sellers if they tank and who do you sell?

MFS62 Jun 29 2016 01:33 PM Re: Admit it ... Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 29 2016 01:37 PM

They give me flashbacks to the teams of the late 70's, when I would watch to see if Kingman or someone else would hit a home run. Then I'd do something else for the next two innings, knowing it was impossible for the rest of the lineup to generate any offense. They are dull and unwatchable. They make me glad that most of their games are played while I am at work. If others feel the same way and there is a sudden decline in attendance, Sandy will be shaking things up, trading this year for "the future". Later

TransMonk Jun 29 2016 01:33 PM Re: Admit it ...

Lefty Specialist wrote: The question is, should they be sellers if they tank and who do you sell? Colon and Walker likely have value. I'm not sure I'm there yet, but unless they go on a run in the next week and a half, I could get there pretty quickly.

Ceetar Jun 29 2016 01:35 PM Re: Admit it ...

Luckily the Nationals aren't that good either. Tonight's a big swing game, but no, i don't see them losing out. They can't hit and the guys that CAN hit are nicked up and/or trying to hard. I don't know if they can/should overpay and get a top bat right now, but they need one. Duda is at least a month away, best case. Wright's not coming back this season. Maybe d'Arnaud, a slow-starter, gets going and that helps. Or Nimmo does, or Lagares, or Reyes. Or Conforto fixes his approach with some minors time. I guess that makes it look semi non-bleak. there's a little bit of depth and some non-sucky hitters floating around. There are 5 games in there against the Nationals that could really bury the Mets if things go horribly wrong, but that All Star break is going to do wonders for nicked up guys like Cespedes and Granderson.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 29 2016 01:46 PM Re: Admit it ...

If you have hopes theyre in dArnaud, Flores and Nimmo starting to hit. I was mentally trading Walker as soon as we traded for him, so you can add Dilson to the list. But Im considerably less certain Krusty is coming this summer. No Doodoo is the real killer. Id like to see anout refashioning the lineup with Nimmo and Dilson/Travis 1-2, it wont solve all tbe issues but length of the lineup is what seems to hurt us. When Rendon is batting 7th for them it really highlighted the differences between the lineups.

Frayed Knot Jun 29 2016 02:17 PM Re: Admit it ...

Let's see now: - the starting catcher can't stay on the field and the #2 option couldn't hit enough to hold off the #3 option who doesn't even hold the promise of being able to hit - the starting 1B can't stay on the field (and will return ???) which called for a desperate replacement pickup who is doing OK but is limited - the pair up the middle both have been at least what we thought we were getting and actually play just about every day, but neither is going to carry a team - the 3B is lost for the season and the jury is still out on his replacement and even on HIS future replacement/reclamation/platoon partner - the LF started the year out looking like a star until he suddenly became the worst hitter in baseball for two months - the CF -- at least the one playing in CF even though he should be in RF -- has been fine although has just 3 HRs in June which exposes the weaknesses everywhere else. The proper CF has been fine when he plays but HE can't stay on the field either - the RF, who ideally shouldn't be hitting leadoff but is there for a lack of better options, is hitting 30 points below his career average except when runners are on base when he's hitting 2,549 points below his career norm The pitching is still second in the league by RA/G although the ERA, K/BB, BAA are all getting worse by the month and the starters are needing too many pitches to get through early innings which shortens outings and in turn puts more pressure on the pen with predictable results. But other than that Mrs. Lincoln ...

d'Kong76 Jun 29 2016 02:33 PM Re: Admit it ...

I suppose if they get swept tonight and have a poor showing against Chicago they could think about firing Terry and bringing Walter in to finish the season for a hoot.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 29 2016 02:38 PM Re: Admit it ...

It took me a moment to figure out who "Walter" was. My first thought was this guy:

Centerfield Jun 29 2016 03:02 PM Re: Admit it ...

Edgy MD wrote: Last year's malaise didn't discourage me so much as this year. I always felt a few aces remained up their sleeves last season. This year, I feel like most of the cards have been played. It's also the approach that's maddening. They seem to be so philosophically adrift. The approach is the big thing. I get that we have had injuries, but the personnel that is here is not terrible. We should be getting much, much better results. Cespedes is a star player. Neil Walker is good. Loney has been hitting well, and Granderson, d'Arnaud, Cabrera and Flores are all serviceable. It's inexcusable that they should be near last place in runs scored. I don't know who exactly is responsible for this, but whoever it is should be shown the door (I don't know exactly that it's Kevin Long, though he seems the likely culprit.) We should be bunting against the shift, taking balls the other way, we should absolutely, positively NOT be bunting when it's 1st and 3rd with 1 out. The Mets are not getting what they should be from the guys that are here, and that is an organizational failure. As to aces up their sleeves, obviously Duda coming back would help. He adds an .800 OPS to the lineup. I think the Mets will eventually wake up and call up Dilson. He represents upside and hopefully can give us a mid .700's OPS. This will be an upgrade over Wilmer. Wilmer is at .672 for the season. He's .673 for his career and he's approaching 1000 AB's. He is what he is. In the OF, I think Conforto will straighten out and come back. I have high hopes that he can anchor the middle of this lineup. A good Conforto, who gets on base and uses all fields would make a huge difference. As for RF, I think they will mix and match with Granderson/Nimmo/Lagares. This is obviously not enough production from such a key offensive position. As for options from outside the organization, I guess they have a shot at the Cuban guy, but we don't know what he'll give us. If Toronto falls out of it, Bautista may be available at the deadline, though the price for him would be huge, you'd have to imagine. Something has to give. I wish we had a better idea of the recovery time for bone spur and thumb ligament surgery.

Lefty Specialist Jun 29 2016 03:09 PM Re: Admit it ...

Y'know, the only guy Kevin Long seems to have helped with his hitting is Daniel Murphy. This team gets killed by the shift. Everybody tried to pull the ball and they're waiting. Granderson. Conforto. Plawecki. Duda. Flores. Cespedes is actually one of the better hitters at going the other way, as is Cabrera. Walker got pull-happy after hitting 10 quick homers. They need to change their approach as much as they need to change their personnel.

Ceetar Jun 29 2016 03:17 PM Re: Admit it ...

You can't shift on the other side of the wall. drive the ball.

Edgy MD Jun 29 2016 03:21 PM Re: Admit it ...

But you can shift your approach to a team that's homer dependent. Keep it away, and a good team a adjusts right back atcha and knocks singles and doubles to the other side. The philosophically adrift team chases, producing strikeouts, bouncing into the shift, popping out with runners in scoring position. If it was as easy as saying "drive the ball," they'd drive the ball. They're certainly trying to do that and it hasn't worked for several weeks.

Lefty Specialist Jun 29 2016 03:22 PM Re: Admit it ...

The problem there is that the Mets probably lead the league in solo home runs. They don't get on base.

Ceetar Jun 29 2016 03:26 PM Re: Admit it ...

Lefty Specialist wrote: The problem there is that the Mets probably lead the league in solo home runs. They don't get on base. Having Granderson lead off doesn't help.

Edgy MD Jun 29 2016 03:30 PM Re: Admit it ...

Hard to see a better option up to this point, though Lagares, Reyes, and Nimmo offer potential going forward.

d'Kong76 Jun 29 2016 03:37 PM Re: Admit it ...

Lefty Specialist wrote: They don't get on base. And when they do... well, ya know...

Edgy MD Jun 29 2016 03:39 PM Re: Admit it ...

Loney. Making Flores seem faster.

Centerfield Jun 29 2016 03:47 PM Re: Admit it ...

And look, batting average isn't everything, and it's not as important as it once was, but it's still something. And the Mets are dead fucking last. You can't be last in hitting and think you can win the World Series.

d'Kong76 Jun 29 2016 04:08 PM Re: Admit it ...

Centerfield wrote: And look, batting average isn't everything, and it's not as important as it once was, but it's still something. That's alright, they're below league average in OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+ and TB.

Edgy MD Jun 29 2016 04:50 PM Re: Admit it ...

I'm not personally concerned with the pitching, even with Bastardo. (Though I remain plussed with how Terry deploys them.) When offense fails, and you are constantly pitching in situations where giving up one run can so utterly undermine your team's chances of winning the game, you are that much more likely to give up four runs. Free your bats and your arms will follow.

Ashie62 Jun 29 2016 09:43 PM Re: Admit it ...

Maybe Guriel will be a Met.

Edgy MD Jun 30 2016 01:33 AM Re: Admit it ...

Conforto going 4-12 with all singles in AAA, but only one strikeout.

MFS62 Jun 30 2016 03:12 AM Re: Admit it ...

Stock up on barf bags, Martha. You're gonna' need a lot of them this season. Later

Frayed Knot Jul 01 2016 02:36 AM Re: Admit it ...

Well, at least the worst case scenario can no longer come true.

Mets Guy in Michigan Jul 01 2016 01:12 PM Re: Admit it ...

Edgy MD wrote: Conforto going 4-12 with all singles in AAA, but only one strikeout. Maybe this can be a short stint, getting his swing -- and confidence -- back.

Edgy MD Jul 01 2016 01:36 PM Re: Admit it ...

Having a ready-to-contribute Conforto and Nimmo on the team in the second half certainly would make the SHaMs look considerably more formidable.

Frayed Knot Jul 03 2016 03:06 AM Re: Admit it ...

Looks like my reverse psychology plan is really paying off in this series. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.