Halftime!

This season started in somewhat disjointed fashion for the Mets, who had already suffered through a pair of close-but-not-quite-good-enough finishes the previous two seasons. The prevailing thought was that whatever problems had reared their heads, be it character, bullpen or otherwise, had been sufficiently addressed and the Mets would rightly resume their position in October Baseball. If we, as fans, weren't already a bunch of basket cases, we soon would be. That promise, so far, appears to have been nothing but idle talk.

It's not so much the mounting injuries that have been the issue for the Mets thus far, it's a combination of a few issues, some of which don't even pertain to the Mets.

1. There was no way of knowing that three players who combined to miss less than 10 games in 2008 would miss significant amounts of time in 2009.
2. There was no solid contingency plan within the organization to compensate for an injury to any of those particular players.
3. The team's system was not properly stocked with attractive-enough prospects that could be dealt for a replacement to one of the injured regulars.
4. According to an article by Adam Rubin in today's Daily News, there appears to be a dangerous discrepancy between the doctor-recommended advice given to the Mets and the treatment given to players by the team's medical staff.
5. The poor play of several divisional rivals has given the Front Office a rather convenient excuse to not do anything, hiding behind the guise of "Hey, we're only 4 games back!" (this excuse becomes less palatable when the Phillies win 9 of 10 and open up a larger lead)

Basically, you can look at it this way: Unless some major changes happen within the coming months, the Mets are screwed well beyond 2009. You can already toss this season down the toilet. The reality is that while the Mets would like us to believe that there's still a shot for them (Primarily for the purpose of filling the seats at Citi Field), they're not going anywhere in 2009, and any move that they make now is going to be so reactionary that there's a good chance it could hurt the Mets beyond this season (Omar seems to be fond of these deals, while the Nady for R. Hernandez/Perez deal, Bannister for Burgos and the Castillo trade weren't terrible moves, they also weren't necessary moves, which is part of his problem). In reality, the Mets should be selling off this year, and rebuilding for 2010. It might not be good for attendance, and it might not be what Freddie, Jeffy and Omar want to do, but for the good of the future of the team, they have to seriously consider sacrificing this season.

That said, let's examine just how bad it's been:

What's gone Right: Sadly, not much.

1. Citi Field has been as good as advertised, despite lengthy lines at Shake Shack. Food great, Seats good (I have yet to watch from an "obstructed" seat), general look of the ballpark beautiful.
2. David Wright has finally learned how to hit, even if he slips into idiot mode from time to time. It's come at the cost of his power stroke, which has drawn the ire of a lot of fans, but I think he's better served hitting .340 with 15 HRs than .280 with 35 HRs. This will become evident in the long run.
3. Daniel Murphy has shown signs of being a decent-fielding 1Bman.
4. Johan in April.
5. Francisco Rodriguez (except when he walked Rivera)
   

What's gone Wrong: Just about everything else.

1. Injuries to key players, and then injuries to the guys replacing them.
2. Sudden and inexplicable loss of fundamentals.
3. Too many games like This One.
4. Too many games where the Mets not only lose, but embarrass themselves in the process.
5. Lack of ability to generate much, or sometimes any offense for days at a time.
6. Inconsistency of pitchers such as Pelfrey and Livan Hernandez.
7. Oliver Perez.
8. Daniel Murphy's complete and total inability to play the Outfield.
9. Fernando Tatis' carriage turning back into a pumpkin.
10. Days where Jeremy Reed was the #5 hitter in the lineup.
11. Jerry Manuel's constant chuckling.

Bad contracts, injuries, questionable medical advice and failing farm system have crippled Mets [NY Daily News]