My Own Bad Rerun

I knew there wasn't a game on on Monday night, but sometimes I will reflexively turn on SNY anyway just to see if they're re-running an "interesting" game. By "Interesting," I mean something other than the 4 games they seem to be running ad infinitum as part of their "10 Years of SNY" crotch-grabbing-fest. They are:

1) The Pujols-Delgado-Beltran game from 2006, which I was at and remember fondly.
2) That game against the Cubs in 2007 where Jason Vargas started and the Mets rallied for 5 in the 9th despite using a B-lineup.
3) R.A. Dickey's 20th win in 2012.
4) The game against the Yankees in 2013 where Lucas Duda beat The Great Rivera.

Sometimes, I've noticed other games, but usually it's one of those 4. Over and over again. Because, when you really think about it, how many other "great" games have the Mets played in the last 10 years? I could pick a few, but SNY seems to feel otherwise, because when I put on SNY on Monday, I was horrified to see that they actually absconded to show a game from 2009. I'm still trying to wipe 2009 from my memory completely, but I can't seem to escape it, and SNY did me no favors by reminding me about it.

But, quite honestly, if SNY can mail it in and dig up crap from 2009, well, so can I. Here's what I wrote about the game they were showing:

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Dangerous Game

The Mets went 5-5 on their last Road Trip, something that most fans seem to consider a hearty accomplishment considering all the injuries they've been experiencing. This is, perhaps. true, but if you consider that had the Mets hit at all after their 3rd game in San Francisco, they likely could have gone 9-1 on the trip. Examine:

Monday, the Mets lose to the Dodgers 3-2 in an 11 inning game noticed more for the 5 errors they committed than the 11 hits that generated only 2 runs. Ryan Church's baserunning gaffe gets most of the blame.

Tuesday, the Mets lose 5-3 in LA, mustering only 6 hits. They nurse a lead into the middle innings before the Dodgers rally against Maine. Once behind, the Mets manage only to hit into double plays.

Wednesday, the Mets lose 2-1 in LA, on 7 hits. Once again, the Mets can get guys on, and then only seem to be able to hit into a bunch of Double Plays. Their pitching keeps the game tied, Livan Hernandez has perhaps his best outing of the season, but LA wins on a few singles in the 8th.

That brought us to Boston. My initial feeling was that the Mets would go in and the Red Sox would feed them their lunch. Friday was, in my opinion, their best chance to do anything, with Santana on the mound. With Reyes back on the shelf, and the lower part of the lineup being littered with names like Ramon E. Martinez, I wasn't hopeful. But the Mets came out and basically dinked and dunked Matsuzaka to death in the 5th inning, making him throw too many pitches and eventually giving themselves enough of a lead that the game was safe in the hands of Santana, Putz and Rodriguez, and enough of a lead that it didn't matter that the Mets once again played one of their idiot games, making 3 errors and doing everything possible to keep the Red Sox in the game. An ugly victory, no doubt, that was predicated on some luck, just as much as it was the skill of Santana.

Saturday, the Mets managed to luck out again, in a game that played out somewhat similar to the final game in LA and that appeared to be just as frustrating for the Mets. After the first inning, Pelfrey and Beckett went to work setting down just about everyone in sight over the next 7 innings. For Pelfrey, who continues to improve despite not getting any recognition, it was another solid outing that would be forgotten by game's end. For the Mets in general, it was shaping up like a forgettable game. Against the backdrop of a major Arts Festival, I was in my office with a radio, fading in and out of the game in bits and pieces. As the 9th inning began, I left my office. Of course, I missed all the excitement. It was not quite 5 minutes later when the text messages started pouring in about Santos' HR, which sparked not only controversy, but for the Mets, victory. Once again, the Mets pulled out a game they appeared destined to lose, based on the skill of their pitching and a little luck on offense.

Sunday, the Mets once again managed to eke out their daily quota of 5 (and no more than 5) runs in their attempt to sweep, but their pitching, which had been the primary reason they'd been in all of these games in the first place, had what was for them their first and basically only bad game of the road trip. Redding got a lead and couldn't hold it, Green and Takahashi got the Mets behind, and Stokes got banged around in a 12-5 rout that basically gave you a very frightening look at what the Mets are looking at on days they don't pitch.

The pitching staff has been leading the way for the Mets, whether anyone wants to realize it or not. But if they continue to get such poor support, how long will the team be able to last? Will the pitchers be able to hold up, or will they leave the offense out to dry? It's a scary proposition the Mets are playing right now, as Reyes continues to languish on the Bench with a supposed "Day to Day" injury, Delgado is on the shelf and their replacements and the people around them can only generate sporadic offensive outbursts. The Mets haven't scored more than 5 runs in a game since the 3rd game in San Francisco, and one of those instances wasn't enough to get them a victory. Last night, again, the magic number was 5 runs. Maine was up to the task, but the latter part of the game seemed to drag on forever as the Mets bullpen continually got into and out of jams, and the offense continued to leave men on base. I feel somewhat nervous about the Mets chances with this lineup. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Do any of us need to be reminded that the Omir Santos era ever happened? I don't think so. We've suffered enough. We don't need to be reminded of 2009. SNY, find another game. Any one of these will suffice. 

2009 Mets: A Season In Futility, Part II

We continue with our 2009 Mets Report Card. Now, the pitchers.

Mike Pelfrey - C
I named Mike Pelfrey one of my 5 Key Mets before the season assuming that he was probably going to build on his very successful season in 2008. I figured he was a prime candidate to break out and be the rock solid #2 starter behind Johan Santana. Wrong. I should have known something was wrong when, in the first game at Citi Field, Pelfrey was so cranked up he fell off the mound mid-windup, and followed that up by allowing 3 runs after 2 were out. Pelfrey had a good stretch during May and June when he was pitching well, but not winning and not getting much press, but he wasn't dominating like he did during a similar stretch in 2008. Then, in the 2nd half, he just fell flat. There was an occasional good start followed by a start when he would get hammered. He seemed to lose confidence in his pitches and he wasn't setting himself up the way he was in '08. There were the "Yips." There were the balks. There was muttering the pitch he was throwing. Put it all together and Pelfrey had basically undone all the good vibes he'd built up during the '08 season. Now, we're right back where we started with him. Talented, great potential, total fucking headcase. And no real way to tell whether or not he'll ever recapture his form from '08. It's possible that this regression was caused by Pelfrey's inning load in '08, and rather than breaking down, he just pitched poorly, and perhaps he'll rebound in 2010. But sometimes, he just looked so out of sorts that it's hard to know whether this just got too in his head. Next year will probably tell us the story. By the time next year is over, we'll know what we have.

Johan Santana - A-
Pitched hurt and it showed when his unconscious start fizzled out into inconsistency and even the occasional alarming bombing. Probably could have pitched through the bone chips, but given that the season was in the toilet and it wasn't worth risking further damage, so it's just as well that he sat out after August and had the surgery. It's a far better end result than that constant fear that he needed Tommy John surgery. He'll be fine by Spring Training, the same old Johan we know and love.

Livan Hernandez - C-
Started out by eating innings, ended up getting eaten. Was about what we expected him to be, which was a C- pitcher and the predictable 5th starter. There was talk about trading him to a contender, but after he got hammered for 8 runs and 13 hits in 4 straight outings, there was no chance anyone was going to take him, and so what happened? The Mets cut him and he ended up going back from whence he came, the only team worse than the Mets: The Washington Nationals. A perfect marriage.

Tim Redding - D+
Redding pretty much put up the same numbers as Livan, but unlike Livan, no good ever seemed to come from him pitching, so he gets a D+. Redding usually had nice outings against Philly, but not against anyone else.

Bobby Parnell - C
Good stuff, annoyingly inconsistent. Which made him a perfect fit for this team. Ended up getting jobbed in as a starter. That didn't go well, even if he had one good start. Better suited in a setup role if he can find some consistency.

John Maine - C+
Maine is officially at a crossroads. Counted on to shoulder the load as the #3 starter at worst, and counted on to show us that he was fully healthy, Maine instead broke down again and missed a huge chunk of the season. This is now two years in a row that Maine has gone into the season with high expectations and fallen flat. So, he's On Notice. I am officially concerned that John Maine, while he has very good stuff and clearly knows how to pitch, does not have the durability to get through an entire Major League season with sustained success. He needs to come out of the gate with the same fire that he showed in 2007, put guys away, minimize damage, go deep into games and come away with wins. Otherwise, he's just another guy who the Mets have sold high to us based on a successful 3/4 of a season and a couple of nice playoff outings in 2006.

Brian Stokes - B
The line says he pitched tolerably well. So I guess he did. Looks like Zach Braff.

Nelson Figueroa - C
I'm giving Figueroa this high of a grade because I saw him make 3 starts this season. On August 3rd (the infamous TERRIBLE!!! game), I quite literally thought his career as a Major Leaguer was over. He got lit up in such an embarrassing fashion that I figured there was no way in hell he would ever take the mound again. Yet, there he was, 2 days later, pitching well. And on September 20th, there he was, making an admirably good start against the Braves, losing only because his offense failed to generate any support for him. And by season's end, October 4th, Figueroa was putting the season to bed by hurling his first Major League Shutout against the Astros. This is one case where he didn't give up, and the Mets didn't give up on him. He's not at all someone to build around, but if nothing else, he's a nice story that can be taken away from this mess.

Sean Green - F
High point of the season came on Opening Day, when he led the New Bullpen Parade and the Mets won. Followed that up by turning into the second coming of the man he was traded for, Aaron Heilman. Dude even had a similar looking windup and a slider that constantly moved low and outside and usually resulted in a Wild Pitch or a hit batsman or a bases-loaded walk.

Francisco Rodriguez - B
He didn't pitch especially well down the stretch, but given that his primary motivation is to come in in late and close situations and shut the door, and given that that just didn't happen very much for the Mets, I'm willing to let it pass just a little bit. But far too often, he came into games where the Mets trailed by a run (mainly because he hadn't gotten an actual save opportunity in God knows how long) and ended up putting the Mets in a deeper hole. Then, there were the two walk-off Grand Slams he allowed. I'm inclined to think he will be better next year, with more consistent work and more consistent opportunities to do what he does best. Then again, there's no guarantee that he'll get those opportunities.

Oliver Perez - F
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pedro Feliciano - B+
People felt I was overly harsh on him last season. So this season, I'm being nice and giving him a high grade because he pitched the whole season, pitched well, got the key outs when there were key outs to be had, and didn't get hurt.

Pat Misch - C
Pitched tolerably well as a starter, sort of in that Parnell mode. Mixed in a good start amongst several bad ones. Perfectly mediocre, back of the rotation/middle of the bullpen lefty.

Fernando Nieve - B
Pitched surprisingly well, far better than anyone would have expected, over several starts, beginning with the surprise outing of the season against the Yankees. So, in typical 2009 Mets fashion, he got hurt running the bases and was done for the season. Surprised? Yeah, me neither.

Elmer Dessens
I laughed every time he took the mound, only to keep myself from crying.

J.J. Putz - C-
Lived up to his name, mainly because he was hurt and somehow was either told he could pitch through it, or decided he could pitch through it. Also because he was a closer in the 8th inning setup guy role that somehow entered to a closer's fanfare, complete with the AC/DC blaring and the vertigo-inducing video display.

Ken Takahashi - F
Can be lumped in with other Japanese Flops such as Takashi Kashiwada, Satoru Komiyama and that other guy who got suspended for using steroids before he ever got to pitch with the team. I can say this based solely on one game, one pitch to Raul Ibanez that basically started the team on the downward spiral. Yusaku Iriki, that's his name. Just another dunce who shouldn't be brought back.

Jon Niese
Too bad he got hurt. He was starting to find himself at the Major League level. Definitely like his stuff and the upside he brings, and would much rather see him in the 2010 rotation than, say, Tim Redding, or Jose Contreras, or Jon Garland or whatever aging loser Omar picks off the scrap heap.

Lance Broadway
Acquired in the Castro trade and led to too many stupid "Broadway pitching on Broadway!" jokes.

Tobi Stoner
With a name like that, all I could think was that he would have been a better fit with the Tony Tarasco-era Mets.

Casey Fossum
When you're throwing Casey Fossum out there at some point during the season, chances are your record is going to end up in the neighborhood of 70-92.

Jon Switzer
I never actually saw him and I don't know who he is, and judging by the numbers he put up, it's probably better that way.

Darren O'Day
Wasn't good in his week plus with the Mets and got shipped off to Texas, where he made his debut with the team under the assumed name of Kason Gabbard.

Billy Wagner
Just give him kudos for coming back and chalking up 2 Ks in his return. Not much more could have been asked.

MANAGER
Jerry Manuel - C-
I'm somewhat willing to give Manuel the benefit of the doubt based on the fact that he had to deal with the injuries and the pieces he was given. But once again, his in-game strategies left quite a bit to be desired, and as the losses mounted, and the team continued to look lifeless, we basically just got treated to Jerry Manuel's nightly chortle. Thing is, many of us failed to find this as funny as he did, or at least found it funny for different reasons. It's one thing to say that Manuel was limited because of all the injuries. But the Mets were barely staying afloat while the guys were healthy. And there's no excuse for how lifeless and hopeless the Mets looked at the end of the season when, given ample opportunity to be the spoiler, the Mets just lay down and died. Where was the motivation? Who was supposed to do the motivating? Who's to say that Willie Randolph did a worse job than Manuel did? Manuel will be back. Fine. I'll give him a full season with the healthy team he was supposed to have, plus or minus whoever is brought in. Let's see what happens. I'm pretty sure that if, and this is a very big IF, the Mets turn this thing around and are a winning team in 2010, it won't be because of Jerry Manuel. It'll be because they have the talent and the chemistry to do it themselves.

GM
Omar Minaya - D
On an even hotter seat than Manuel, and there's a good chance that the only reason he still has a job at all is because he got a contract extension at the end of 2008. I've made my complaints about Omar many times before. He's reactionary, rather than a forward thinker. He makes moves with an eye on the present and not the future. He's built a team that was built to win 3 years ago and didn't make any sort of contingency plan in case of injury, and this was exploited to the point of embarrassment in 2009. He's got a lot to do to convince us, now, that he's capable of the task. 3 years ago, he was on top of the world. He responded by standing pat with a team that had holes to begin with, and managed to make trades that appeared to be for cosmetic purposes only, just to let people know he was awake and alive. Yes, there was the occasional splash, and Omar Minaya made a great trade to get Johan Santana in here, and Jeff Francoeur was similarly a good move. But those also weren't moves that required a great deal of thought. Those were no-brainer deals. Any GM could have gone out there and done that. If Omar wants to get his mojo back, he's going to have to pull off some deals that will shock the hell out of all of us. And I'm not totally sold that he's got that in him.

STADIUM
Citi Field - B
I give it a B for now, and an A- for the future. It's got its flaws, and I know it's got no shortage of critics. But I like Citi Field. It's a very aesthetically pleasing park to look at, I never sat in an obstructed seat (because I sat in the same seat 14 of 16 games), the food was OUTSTANDING, and the bathrooms were nice. No, it's not perfect. The staircases instead of ramps and escalators are problematic. The lack of Mets representation is somewhat appalling (and from what I've been told, is the fault of Jeff Wilpon, the Boy-King, who for some bizarre reason believed that Shea Stadium was cursed, despite the fact that the Mets won 2 World Series Championships there), but the organization is supposedly fixing this (that is, if you can believe what the organization says). And, look, there's not much you or I or anyone else can do. Citi Field is here to stay. Hopefully, we'll create some new, good memories and great times there with the Mets in the future and erase the bad taste of this season. I want to remember the energy of Opening Night, Citi Field full and rocking. Not late in the season, with a tepid crowd of 8,000. It's not the stadium's fault that the team stunk its first year.

So, that about wraps it up. The Mets have a lot of holes and not a lot of means with which to fix them, if they're going to make the trades to do it. The big things are:
1) #2 Starting Pitcher
2) 1st Baseman
3) Left Fielder

Maybe a Right Fielder if you're not sold on Francoeur. But if you really want to dig a little deeper, we can list the following:
4) Rebuild Farm System
5) Better US Amateur Scouting
6) More motivated coaches

Failing all that, we have to start hacking the head. If the team doesn't improve, you're going to hear the grumblings get even louder.
7) New Manager
8) New General Manager
9) New Ownership/Upper Front Office

Nobody will ever know how much the Wilpons were taken for by Madoff. Nobody will know what really goes on behind the scenes with them and Minaya and Dave Howard. If the Mets win, who the hell cares? If the Mets win, everything's wonderful and everyone's doing a great job. But when the Mets lose, and when the Mets lose in manners that make you scratch your heads, manners that are frustrating, mystifying and embarrassing, we blame everyone. It starts with the players, and works its way to the top. And this year, everyone in the organization was well worthy of all the blame heaped on them.

Now, they have to fix it. I don't have the energy to offer all the solutions. None of us do. All I can do is wish them luck.

2009 Mets: A Season In Futility, Part I

It's no great secret that the 2009 Mets suffered through a totally miserable season. It was disappointing, but in a different way than the two seasons before it. This season started with the same promise as 2008 and 2007. But the early optimism gave way early on to several problems, beginning with the same clutch failures that haunted the Mets down the stretch in '07 and '08, and then was compounded with a rash of major injuries to many of the players that were counted on to carry the load over the course of the season. Mets players logged over 1,450 days on the DL in 2009, by far and away the most in the majors. But it was the result of those injuries that was most alarming.

It's very easy to call out the Mets for a major disconnect between team staff, medical staff and players, and this was one of several embarrassments the club suffered during the season. But what was most galling for me was the relative lack of concern showed by the team's front office. For the powers that be, this season was about one thing and one thing only: Showcasing their shimmering new palace that a large chunk of fans didn't seem to like very much. Players come and go, but Citi Field stands above all. So, as key player after key player found themselves out for a majority of the season, the Mets had no adequate replacement, and made no effort whatsoever to acquire an adequate replacement. The Mets became an utter laughingstock. Uncompetitive, Uninspiring and Uninteresting. The end of the season was met with relief, the kind of feeling I'd never experienced in all my years rooting for the team. The trepidation of the past two seasons was a joy compared to this.

The Mets used 53 players in all during the 2009 season. Most of them were unremarkable. When you use 53 players in a season, it generally means things aren't going well. It also means that I have to split my Final Report card into 2 parts. Today, we'll review the position players. Tomorrow, we'll review the Pitchers, the Manager, the GM and everything else. This is going to be as painful for me to write as it probably is for you all to read.

CATCHERS
Omir Santos - B-
Santos was, for a while, one of those unsung welcome rays of sunlight for the Mets. Called up to replace an injured Ramon Castro, Santos came up with several clutch hits, most notably his Replay HR against Jonathan Papelbon in better times. But as the season wore on, Santos came back to earth and eventually, he found himself lost in a 3-catcher shuffle. He stopped hitting, and he rarely, if ever, took a walk. Clearly, he's worth having around. I don't, however, think he's the answer as a starting Catcher.

Brian Schneider - F
One of my problems with Schneider being the everyday catcher for the Mets was the fact that, last season, he had a serious inability to hit at certain moments. This problem dogged him just about all season, as Schneider found himself on the interstate for most of the year. Only a late hot streak (which I guess you could have expected would happen once the season was in the tank) managed to get his average up to a mediocre .218. This was, I suppose, his contract push. It got to the point where every time he started a game, I threw up my arms. There just wasn't any good reason for him to play. It's not that Santos was light years better, but, this is Brian Schneider, perhaps the most boring player on a boring team. Free Agent, won't return if Omar knows what's good for him.

Ramon Castro - D-
It really surprises me how many supporters Castro has out there. It's ridiculous. Castro can hit, but as I've said many times over, he's just not durable enough to be an everyday player. This season played out predictably. He got hurt again, Santos played well, he got shipped out of town and the highlight of his season in Chicago was catching a perfect game from Mark Buehrle. He's a guy that people want to play every day, but he doesn't seem to want to play more than 2 days a week. Nice clubhouse presence, I guess. Nice moments in his 3+ years with the Mets, I guess. But it's mostly fleeting. Won't be missed. You'll see.

Josh Thole - B+
I really liked what he showed in his late-season callup. Won't hit for power, but has great bat control and can put together a good At-Bat that actually ends with a hit and sometimes even a run. What concerns me is that his hot start at the plate was all too reminiscent of Daniel Murphy in 2008, and that did not translate to long-term success. Remains to be seen, but I wouldn't have a problem giving Thole the everyday job at the start of 2010, assuming an established veteran is not brought in (and there are larger concerns for the Mets than Catcher, believe me).

INFIELDERS
David Wright - C+
I don't know if anyone has an adequate explanation as to why David Wright all of a sudden stopped hitting for power. At the beginning of the season, you figured it was a pretty safe bet that Wright would chalk up a .310 average, 30 HRs and 110 RBIs, without question. We instead got a .307 average, 10 HRs and 71 RBIs that he struggled to get, even before taking a Matt Cain fastball to the head in August. The drop in power is one thing. You can chalk that up to him having little to no lineup protection most of the season, I guess (or am I just kidding myself into thinking that). More alarming were his 140 strikeouts, by far and away his career high. All of a sudden, David Wright became a predictable out. You threw him a slider on the first pitch, he'd swing and miss, come inside with a fastball and he'd foul it off to the right side, and then throw the dinky slider again and watch him wave at it. Bad, bad, bad. Wright has a leadership desire and a bulldog facade, but inside, I have the feeling that he's just an insecure mess. He tries so hard and it makes him crazy when he doesn't succeed. He wears every failure on his face and sometimes I think it snowballs out of control. I don't know if it's quite so cut and dry as to say he needs more practice (Practice?). There's some other problem there that needs to be fixed if we're going to get the David Wright we were used to back in 2010.

Daniel Murphy - C
Daniel Murphy, whether it was deserved or not, ended up being the poster boy for the Mets failures in 2009. After his hot arrival in 2008, he was counted on to carry the load for the Mets in the #2 spot in the order, be that guy to grind out key hits, move runners up or even drive them in if necessary. He had the skill. He had the polish. He had a really cold streak down the stretch that everyone conveniently forgot. We wanted to believe he was more than an overglorified bench player, and whatever the organization sold us, we absolutely ate up. I pointed out, when I named Murphy one of my five key Mets, that there was a lot that could go wrong with Murphy. And a lot did. He proved himself incapable of fielding his position in the outfield, and only got a shot at 1st Base because Delgado was injured. He didn't hit like we thought he would, at least for most of the first chunk of the season, and ended up stuck with a batting average of .248 for about 3 months straight. He showed some spark late in the season, but ultimately only hit .266 for the season, and his 12 HRs embarrassingly led the team. I suppose he'll get another shot to succeed, but I have the feeling that he's not going to be the answer for this team at any particular position.

Luis Castillo - B+
I would have given him an A- were it not for this particular incident, that seemed to typify the Mets season. But in all seriousness, Castillo needs to be given a lot of credit for getting himself back together and having what was for him a respectable season. He knew he was awful in 2008, so he went out and made sure it didn't happen again. We were all skeptical, and we knew we were stuck with his contract, but at least he went out there every day (at least when he wasn't spraining his ankle walking down the dugout steps), and played respectably well, even when nobody else around him was.

Fernando Tatis - F
Chris Woodward was decent in 2005 and was brought back in 2006 and was awful. Moises Alou had a great stretch run in 2007 and parlayed that into returning to play about 10 games in 2008. Marlon Anderson had a great season in 2007, was retained for 2008 and was terrible. Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2009 "One Year Wonder that should have been let go" winner, Fernando Tatis!

Alex Cora - C-
Should not have been playing as much as he did when he ended up getting injured, and should not have been playing much after that. Supposedly a good clubhouse presence, but I refuse to believe that that should be reason enough for bringing him back for 2010. There are better non-tendered guys you can find to fill out your bench with.

Jose Reyes - B-
All of a sudden now Reyes has turned back into the brittle kid he was when he first came up. I'm inclined to think that this was just a freak injury that was mismanaged into something worse. Or maybe that's just my hope. But once Reyes went down, and once it became apparent that he wasn't coming back for the remainder of the season, no matter how hard he may have tried (and I believe he tried as hard as he could), the Mets were screwed. I'm beginning to get a little tired of people questioning his character. Yes, he often leaves you scratching your head and I think his excitement and zeal for the game more often than not gets in the way of his logic on the field. But when he plays, and when he plays well, the Mets play well. Simple as that. But if I'm wrong, and I may very well be wrong, this may finally be the season that Reyes plays himself out of New York, and other teams can stop hating us because of him.

Anderson Hernandez - C
The major midseason move to bolster an injury-riddled infield. Somehow managed to hit more than he did in his first go-around with the Mets, which isn't saying much because he didn't hit at all back then.

Carlos Delgado - B-
Out of all the injuries, this one bothered me the most because I think Delgado was just beginning to hit his stride when he went down. I was sort of looking forward to a season of Carlos Delgado laying a full-scale assault on everyone sitting in the Pepsi Porch, which probably would have happened. It was tough to say what would have happened, given how up and down he was in 2008, but considering how hot he was at the end of the season, and considering he was presumed to be healthy at the outset in 2009, there was no reason to think he would have had a major dropoff. Or that he would have been submarined by a major injury. If this is it for him with the Mets, I tip my cap to him and thank him for 2006 and the stretch run in '08.

Wilson Valdez - D+
Crappy useless retread.

Ramon Martinez - F
Did not use the excellent Speedy Gonzalez music during his at bats this year and also did not provide the same unexpected spark he did during those final desperate games last season. The latter wasn't exactly a surprise. Defensively lived up to his middle initial of E.

Nick Evans - C
Evans got off to a lousy start in AAA ball after a great spring where he got cut on the last day, but when he was recalled in June, he hit, and he made his hits count. But for some reason the Mets organization has decided that they don't like Nick Evans, and so they've decided to just let him sit and rot on the bench as opposed to letting him play, because he's more than likely better than half the garbage they trotted out there for most of the 2nd half of the season. I don't see how, exactly, this is his fault, but so be it. They liked him enough to bat him 5th in the last game of the season in 2008, but not enough to give him any kind of a shot the following season. I don't understand it.

Angel Berroa - D
Useless retread crap.

Argenis Reyes
I thought the Mets had cut him in the offseason. Then he appeared at some point and I realized I was mistaken.

Marlon Anderson
Quite literally was only kept aboard as roster filler for the first 4 games of the season before Livan Hernandez was activated. I don't know where or if he resurfaced, which is to say he did nothing noteworthy this season.

Andy Green
Walked in his first Met plate appearance and this was somehow the impetus for a standing ovation. Yes, things were that bad.

OUTFIELDERS
Angel Pagan - B
He looked good quite a bit of the time, and he also looked rather clueless quite a bit of the time as well. He also looked good at the outset last season, but it's easy to forget that he had come back to earth by time he got injured in May. I don't know if this translates to long-term success. I don't even know if this will translate to short-term success. But he does bring something to the team, which is more than I can say for a lot of the players they used over the course of the season. I have the feeling that, similar to Murphy, he will be exposed if he's used every day. But he could be one of those guys in the Endy Chavez vein, that is to say he'll provide a spark off the bench and plays solid defense (I believe he does play solid defense, right?). Should be back, but I don't want to hear everyone get up in arms when he's not named a starter.

Carlos Beltran - B
If only because missing 2 months wiped out what was shaping up to be an outstanding season for him. This was the year he was playing like we expected him to play every year. His numbers were great when he got hurt, and he hadn't even hit one of his ridiculous hot streaks yet. By time he returned, and he should be applauded for returning (which is a good indicator of how bad things had gotten), things were too far gone and there was too little protection for him to make much difference.

Jeff Francoeur - B
There's plenty to complain about as far as Francoeur is concerned, chief of which is the fact that he swings from his ass and doesn't walk at all. His defense is somewhat middling, and is all based on the reputation of his cannon of an arm which is only sporadically accurate. But on the other side, the change of scenery obviously worked for him because he played light years better with the Mets than he had with Atlanta. Far as the trade, it was more or less a no-brainer. I don't recall Church doing anything remarkable with Atlanta and at least Francoeur has some meager degree of upside. His down-home, Southern Boy personality somehow managed to jive in New York, and he fit right in in the clubhouse and appeared to assume a bit of a leadership role with the team. A very affable, likable guy who will probably be back, although I don't know if it's necessarily wise to consider him one of the team's new cornerstones. With hesitation, I'll give him a full season to see what he can do here, but if he's not good, I have no problem with letting him go.

Gary Sheffield - A
Gets an A because he girded up his 40-year old legs and played respectably well when he was healthy, and also to the best of my knowledge was a model citizen for most of the season except for a spat with Omar over a contract, and he diffused the situation himself before it got out of hand. Showed some glimpses of his former self at times, didn't embarrass himself at any point (at least not that I can remember), and even provided the first historical moment in Citi Field with his 500th career HR in April. Wants to come back. Wants to be a Met. I don't know, however, if the organization wants to bring him back and for that matter I don't know if he should be brought back at age 41.

Ryan Church - C-
I wish him well, but it clearly wasn't going to work for him here. The trade was, for the most part, my headache for your headache.

Jeremy Reed - D+
Annoyingly inoffensive.

Cory Sullivan - D+
I know he did something well at some point but I also know that after that he didn't do much of anything. El Guapo and I also couldn't identify his At-Bat music, but we decided it was a song by his band, Sandbag, or Grassfrog, or Asskick, or Dirtbag, or whatever the hell it's called.

Fernando Martinez - D+
Played like an overwhelmed rookie most of the time. Not ready yet. But also may not be as good as the organization wants us to believe. And right now, does anyone believe anything the organization tells us?

Emil Brown
Whatever.

Are you numb yet? More to come tomorrow...

The Feel-Good Finale

Yesterday's finale at Citi Field was truly a finale to be welcomed, but not so much for the obvious reason of finally putting to rest what has been a miserable, forgettable season.

More importantly, by winning their final game of the season yesterday, the Mets snapped my 8-game losing streak, and erased a lot of ill will and bad feelings in the process.

It wasn't so much that they won, but it was how they did it. They did it by manufacturing runs and riding the shoulders of Nelson Figueroa, whose first complete game shutout came a little over two months after I witnessed him absorb a beating so bad that I assumed his career as a Major Leaguer was over. That was the 3rd loss in the infamous 8-game losing streak. The streak saw the Mets lose in all sorts of mystifying ways. They lost games they were in until a late screwup. They lost games where they didn't hit. They lost games where they didn't pitch. They lost games where they neither hit nor pitched, nor looked worthy of taking the field. It stretched for over 3 months. I hadn't seen the Mets win a game since a sunny Thursday afternoon in June. But Sunday, they won. And by winning, the Mets most importantly ensured that I wouldn't have to carry around that losing streak all winter, until Opening Day 2010 on April 5th. There's not much to feel good about as we embark on the offseason, but if nothing else, I won't have to carry that around with me on top of it all.

I was in Section 516 yesterday afternoon, one of those rare games where I wasn't up on my perch in 518, to see the redemption of Nelson Figueroa finally complete its course. Yes, on August 3rd, he was TERRIBLE!!! But since then, he'd been better. The past couple of outings, he was respectable. And on Sunday, he was brilliant, even if the Astros team he blanked looked like they just wanted to get the hell out of there. But who cares about that. The day belonged to Figueroa, who wrote a happy ending to a magnificent Citi Field Finale, and on the 10th anniversary of another notable Mets pitching performance in a much higher-stakes situation.

Citi Field wasn't full by any stretch, but there were certainly more people there than I had expected to see. A crowd announced at 38,135 was probably more in the 15-20,000 range, enough people that the Shake Shack line was once again too long to attempt. My final Citi Field meal for '09 came from Blue Smoke, and perhaps it was the winning combination of the Pulled Pork Sandwich and Fries that helped to end my streak. However, superstitious as I may be, I don't know if this is going to be the meal that I continually get every time I go to Citi Field from here on out. Up in Section 516, I was sitting amongst some familiar faces, the group of gentlemen who used to inhabit UR1 at Shea, led by the guy who does his ubiquitous strikeout chant and kept everyone within earshot updated on the happenings of the more important games of the day. A friend was texting me updates from the day's NFL games. Everything was going well, and the game was moving along at a nice, brisk pace. The weather was fabulous, the crowd was into it, nobody booed anyone (other than Kaz Matsui), and in a season that seemed to be full of misery and frowns, on this afternoon, everyone appeared to leave with a smile on their face. And if that's what we can take into the offseason, well, that's good enough, I suppose.

Coming up:
2009 Mets Report Card
Divison Series Predictions
A Nod to things that happened 10 years ago

Just Make It Quick

It's my long-standing tradition to go to the last game of the season, whether the Mets were playing for their lives, or well off the pace. The last two years, well, we all know what happened. To say I was tense that morning is an understatement. Of course, things didn't end well.

Today, there's no tension. The only "tension" is my hope that the trains are running ok. I've gotten a bit of criticism from some friends and colleagues as to why I'd want to spend what is supposed to be a nice Sunday afternoon watching the Mets parade out there in a stupor one final, miserable time with about 30 other people. But I did have a discussion with a colleague on Friday afternoon, who was going to the game on Friday evening, and he pretty much summed up my feelings.

For the past 23 seasons, I have been going to baseball games. It's something I particularly enjoy doing. There have been years where the Mets have been just as bad as they were this year, and maybe even worse sometimes. But, still, I go. I make it to my 15-20 games a season, diligently. It doesn't matter how bad they are. It doesn't matter how many people laugh at me. It doesn't matter how empty the stadium is or even if it rains. Going to Mets games has been one of the things in life that I enjoy most, and I consider myself fortunate to be able to go to as many games as I do. I treat Opening Day with a great deal of anticipation, but I treat the Home Opener, should it not also be opening day, in such a way that I could probably run out to the stadium. And, on this day, the last day of the season, there's some degree of sadness. Not because the season is ending, lord knows that's not the case this year. But because this is the last time this year that I'll be getting on that 7 train and riding out to Citi Field. The next time I go there, it'll be April 5, 2010, assuming all goes well, and a new season and a new start. And hopefully a better result. So, today is the last time I'll make this voyage for 6 months. Not a long period of time, but long enough that I want to get out there one final time before the calendar turns.

I just hope it's a quick game.

Seriously?

Playing out the string like this wouldn't be so bad except that since it's the 2009 Mets playing out the string, every loss has to be as excruciating as possible.

You can't even feel good with the Mets ahead 3-0, because you know that there's about a bazillion ways that they can blow the lead and the Nationals can come back to win the game. And that's exactly what happened. I watched the first few innings on TV, got tired, turned it off and then turned it on the radio. While I was busily dodging what have become some overly irritating radio commercials (Someone needs to shoot the Ad Director for the New York Lottery), I sort of lost track of the game. I heard something involving a Home Run, and I want to say it was by Ian Desmond, assuming that there's a guy on the Nationals named Ian Desmond, but I never quite bothered to pay attention to the score. Finally, I tuned in in an un-named late inning to hear Jeff Francoeur walk to load the bases. Then there was a double play, which is what the Mets do best when the bases are loaded. I knew, then, that it was the middle of the 8th. But, again, I hadn't bothered to pay attention to the score. Until the Bottom of the 8th, when the Mets did what the Mets do best in the field in a late close game, which is make errors and piss away the game.

I thought at some point that 70 wins would be a possibility for this team, but you know what? I'm really not so sure they can get there. I'm not even convinced 68 wins is possible for this team.

Get it Over With

The Mets last night reached that ignominious 90-loss plateau with yet another September Loss in Washington where they managed to get decent pitching, but didn't hit.

Unlike in previous years, this loss didn't cause mass panic or me to start screaming and ranting and tearing my hair out.

Greg from Faith and Fear brought this up yesterday, but even before reading his column, it wasn't lost on me that yesterday was the anniversary of the Last Game at Shea. One year later and I still consider it to be one of the most depressing days of my life, between the game and the finality of it all, knowing that the Stadium I'd spent 22 years worth of my Mets fan life in was no more. But Citi Field, it's OK. It can stay. The team, on the other hand, needs some work.

A comment on Greg's post sort of summed up my feelings rather well. Mets fans don't like this team, and right now, this team is the only memory we have in Citi Field, and so as an extension, Mets fans tend not to like Citi Field. Had most of the team stayed healthy, and the Mets remained in contention, and this season was playing itself out like the two years prior, well, not only would we be all having one more mass coronary, but we'd also be enjoying Citi Field. The place would be full and rocking at every game this weekend, just like it would have been at every game this month. It would have been the same horrendous, piercing, dramatic feeling that we'd gone through in the playoffs in '06, and down the stretch again in '07 and '08. Every game would feel like life or death. There would be plenty of tangible things to write about. And, though I went off on one particular rant last season where I said that it wasn't fun to watch the Mets, it would be fun. This year has made me realize that. I'd rather sit through 2008, a season that I called the longest ever, one that was maddening and miserable and at times no fun to watch, a dozen times than have to be subjected to this team, that looks pale and tired and uninspired and was finished by the end of June.

I don't think "Why?" even needs to be asked.

The Mets MVP for 2009

The Ballclub would like to announce its 2009 Mets Most Valuable Player. I am stealing this from a survey I read on I believe metsblog.com (and I apologize if I'm wrong and it's from another site), but the choice was without much debate. The Ballclub's 2009 MVP is none other than Danny Meyer, the man who brought Shake Shack, Blue Smoke and the scintillating El Verano Taqueria to Citi Field. Despite the fact that the team on the field often made me want to regurgitate what he'd fed me, Mr. Meyer made sure that the food was always of high-quality and substance. Congratulations, Mr. Meyer, on a job well done!

So Long, 518!

Tuesday night was the final game on the 15-game plan I purchased before the season, and, most likely, the final game in which I'd be occupying Section 518, Row 17, Seats 3 and 4, unless by some fluke I go to a random game and purchase those seats, or if the Mets decide to jerk me around and offer me the exact same seats next year. I'd prefer to sit a little lower down, thanks.

I managed to get to 14 of the 15 games on the plan, which is about what I'd figured, even the two day games. The Mets posted a 4-10 record in those 14 games, which, combined with the loss against the Yankees in June (the only non-plan game I've attended so far this season), leaves me with a sterling 4-11 record for 2009, which includes a personal losing streak that has now stretched to 8 games, has been by far and away the worst season's worth of games I've sat through, and based on the last game on Tuesday, shows no real end in sight.

The game isn't worth talking about, since the 2009 Mets really aren't worth talking about anymore. The best you could say is that at least El Guapo and I weren't totally convinced that Nelson Figueroa's career was over after he left the mound. Surprisingly, he wasn't TERRIBLE!!! He acquitted himself quite well. His team just didn't hit. What a shock.

Citi Field was a bit more full than I would have expected on Tuesday. It was full enough that the line at Shake Shack was actually a line you'd have to wait on for a few minutes. El Guapo and I opted for Blue Smoke this time, where my recent experience with the Chipotle Chicken Wings left something to be desired. But I'm always willing to try something else, so this time I opted for the Pulled Pork Sandwich. This, much like the tacos from El Verano, was probably the highlight of the evening. This sandwich was so good that now I'm torn between whether or not to get this or tacos next season. What to do!? El Guapo agreed, though he'd had the pulled pork earlier in the season and said it was better that time. I guess all things are better earlier in the season, even the team.

Most of the regulars I'd come to know in section 518 during the season weren't there on Tuesday. I can't say I blame them. One gentleman, who usually came with his son, was usually driving in from somewhere on Long Island, and usually left early to beat traffic. Although, given the amount of people at these games of late, there's not too much traffic to beat. There was a group of rather obnoxious, fratty-looking folks at the other end of my row, each of them wearing T-shirts that read "I saw 25 losses at Citi Field and all I got was this lousy T-shirt,' and on the back, "SUCKER 09." They were cheering for the Mets, but it seemed to be in a mocking fashion, or at least that's what I took it to be. That sort of summed up the season. Sometime around the 4th inning, interspersed with the batters being announced in Spanish, Alex Anthony made a very brief statement thanking all the Weekday Plan holders for their support. Scant consolation, I have to say. A plan that I'd figured would hold a decent amount of promise, and guarantee my admission to some exciting late-season games didn't quite materialize that way, and, thusly, ended with a whimper, a 3-1 loss that was about as unexciting and uncompetitive as the 7 losses I'd seen prior to it.

I do have one more game to attend this season, the last game on October 4th. At least I know that my last game this season won't be quite as tense and cathartic as the last game of the season last year or two years ago. Or even three years ago. In fact, it might be so lethargic, I might fall asleep. Much like it appears the team has done. I talked with El Guapo briefly about tickets for 2010, and if I'd get the same plan. Amazingly, after all this, I guess I probably will. I suppose I have some amount of leverage to demand better seats, or, at least seats a little lower down and more centered, but as I said to him, the intrinsic enjoyment I get out of simply being at a Baseball game will always far outweigh the misery I endure having to watch such a lousy team.

I guess that's the only way you can look at it.

Sad Sack

The Braves did last night what they should have done tonight when I'll be one of the 60 or so people in attendance at Citi Field and score 4 runs in the 1st inning. It's happened at just about every other game I've been to this season. Hopefully I haven't incited Larry and his band of lesser men to do just that. But then, the Braves got cute and decided to score 4 more runs in the 2nd and then 3 more in the 3rd, making the game unwatchable from about the second I turned it on. After about 10 minutes, Ron and Keith were talking about Beer and Pretzels and how it's illegal in North Dakota to serve pretzels with beer (Ron, the Yale grad, knew why). That might have been more interesting than the game at that point, so I turned to the radio, where Howie and Wayne were talking about it being the 8th anniversary of a much more Proud and Inspirational night in Mets History.

Either way, I wasn't there, which I suppose was good. But, again, tonight I'll be there, for what will be the 15th and final game on the Weekday Plan. Time to say goodbye to my seats in 518 and goodbye to the fans that have sat with me at most of these games. Hopefully, the Mets will acknowledge this by not making total asses of themselves as they have in 10 of the 14 prior games I've been to this season.

Kid's Not Allright

There are articles popping up all over the place saying it, and a few of them probably state the case far better than I ever could. But in a September where trashing the Mets has been in vogue, I think the player that's becoming most trashed right now is Daniel Murphy. Whatever it is, however he was hyped to us before the season and whatever our expectations for him were, he just doesn't have it.

That's not to say that he'll never have it. Who knows. He's only 23 and players can develop over time. But he hasn't displayed anything close to the polish he showed when he first came up. His quick start quickly faded into a series of mediocre at-bats that produced mostly outs, or the occasional single. The power never showed up. He was dropped from the #2 hole in the order. He couldn't field his position, and was moved to 1st Base, where he's proven himself at best, adequate. His Batting Average appeared to be stuck at .248 for about 3 months. Only when the season had already spiraled out of control did he appear to find himself, somewhat, at the plate, raising his average to a barely respectable .260. This wasn't the same hitter we saw late last season, who was taking pitches, working counts and driving the ball the other way with some authority. This is a guy who, at best, is a bench player pushed into an everyday role. He's had his good games, and he's certainly had his moments, but for the most part, you're going to get a guy who at his absolute best is going to hit about .260 with a smattering of 2Bs and HRs, and in this offensively-challenged Mets lineup, that's just not going to cut it from a 1st Baseman, or a Left Fielder, which is a position that I'm quite sure he's not going to play again.

I'm not trying to dump on Murphy, and I'm sure nobody is. We all like him and want him to do well. But to this point in the season, he's fallen woefully short of his expectations, and it's all come to a head after last night's game (a mirror image of another train wreck moment the Mets have had this season) when Murphy's continued defensive failures just threw everyone over the collective edge.

Can you imagine how people would be reacting if last night's game meant something?

The Shot Heard by No One

Had this been a meaningful game, I probably would have torn away from my obligations on the hideous rock we know as Staten Island and found my way to a TV at 4pm once the game began.

Had this been a meaningful game, I might have sat down immediately after the game's conclusion and written about how this was the kind of game that embodied the spirit of the Mets, and what a great, championship-quality win it was, and lauded David Wright for his heroics.

Unfortunately, things haven't worked out that way for the Mets, who we'd figured would have been right there with the Phillies throughout the season, making this weekend's series one of those breathless affairs that I would have spent an entire weekend writing about (such as I did last season). Instead, the Phillies have spent most of the season manhandling the Mets to the tune of a 5-9 record to this point of the season, with the common theme being the Phillies basically exerting their will on a depleted Mets team by game's end.

Essentially, the current standing of both teams at the current time makes it somewhat difficult for me to get too high and mighty about the way this afternoon's game turned out.

But there are a few things for us Mets fans to hang our hats on:

It's always nice to kick the Phillies in the nuts, especially after they seem to be the ones who usually do it to us this time of the season. It's really their time of the year, September. We're usually fading into oblivion, or, in the case of this season, already there. But perhaps the shoe is now on the other foot. It's now the Big, Bad Phillies who are the Alpha Dog, and the Mets who are the Laughable Losers just trying to make some noise.

For the Phillies, well, now you know how it feels to have a bullshit bullpen that you can't rely on. This is one of those things that can snowball. Think about how the Mets played out last September. The Bullpen was pressing because of the pressure of the situation. The offense was pressing because they felt like they had to somehow constantly score enough runs to offset the deficient Bullpen. And it began to repeat itself constantly, one end or the other. Sometimes both. The end result wasn't pretty. Of course, this is all hearsay, and the 2009 Phillies aren't the 2008 Mets. They've had their crucible and proved themselves worthy, far beyond anything the Mets have accomplished. And they're really rolling unchallenged towards another playoff appearance. But, still, you can't help but feel just a little bit nervous about the way the Bullpen has performed, to the tune of 16 blown saves by 2 separate closers this season, and to the tune of blowing a 5-run lead against a team that never scores any runs.

In a completely lost season for the Mets, it's good to see that David Wright, who has performed, at best, uneven this season, come through with a pair of HRs in the 8th and 9th innings, innings which he's had a hard time with over the past year or two. And these weren't meaningless HRs, these were runs that counted, to draw the Mets close and then put them over the top.

I didn't get home until close to 6:30pm today and I didn't put the game on until about 7. I'd actually forgotten it was on. But I chimed in just in time to see Tatis reach on a single that snuck past Ryan Howard. Wright's second HR came on the next pitch. And, I have to say, for the first time in weeks, I exulted while watching the Mets. I took some smug satisfaction in making all those Maroon-faced dopes shut up. The Mets could go out and lose both games of tomorrow's Game and Game, and it wouldn't matter. Today's game has to be one of the more gratifying moments in a mostly miserable season.

Unseen

The announced attendance for last night's game was 37,312, which I can immediately tell you is total bullshit because having sat through last night's game, I'm pretty sure there were about 9-10,000 people in the ballpark, tops. Absolute tops.

What we witnessed fortunately went by moderately quick.

Even the lure of Free Hot Dogs wasn't bringing people out on this night. Nope. I went with a colleague of mine (not the infamously insane screaming colleague, a different colleague) and he was absolutely dumbfounded when we got to our seats, looked around, and saw that nobody was there. There were so few people at this game that even the line at Shake Shack was manageable. After much internal debate, I did decide to go to El Verano Taqueria for my pregame meal, and for the first time, I felt somewhat let down. The food was just fine, however the taco shells appeared to be somewhat stale. Not so that it ruined the experience, mind you, but enough to notice. I suppose we can only hope that the quality of the food is not going to begin to mimic the quality of the team. I still have 2 games left to go to this season.

The game was a blur. Much like most of the games I've attended this season. I seem to have an "Every other year" thing, where one year, every game I go to is great and the Mets win a lot, and then the next year, everything sucks. It's been like that for about 6 years now, and this year is, quite obviously, a down year. I've been to 14 games and the Mets are 4-10, including 7 losses in a row. This is unfathomable to me. I've had bad seasons (7-11 in 2005, 8-11 in 2007), but none have matched this year as far as abject suckitude. It seems like every game, the Mets are down 2-0 or 4-0 before they even come to bat, and usually it gets to about 6-0 before the Mets are cognisant that there's a game going on and maybe they should think about playing. Of course, that's what happened last night. Dan Uggla, who, like most of the Marlins I'm just totally sick of, beat out a bad throw from Wright on what could have been an inning ending DP in the first, instead of a scoreless inning, a run is in and we continue, and, as if on cue, Cody Ross hit a 3-run HR, and that was the game right there. Everyone wants to blame the Stadium, it seems, but it's not the stadium. It's the team. When you look defeated, you will be defeated, over and over again.

Then, there was the Hot Dogs. I should start by mentioning that, for the first time, I went to a game at Citi Field and there were concession stands in the Promenade Level that were closed. It was like those Halcyon Days back at Shea when the stands way out in the Upper Deck were almost always closed. But I digress. Given that the vendors at best could have expected 20,000 people at the game last night (no way in hell were 40,000 going to show up for a dopey free Hot Dog) and probably got about half that, why, then, when I went down to a concession stand in the 7th inning, was I told that I would have to wait 10 minutes for a Hot Dog? And there wasn't particularly a large amount of people around waiting for one. Fortunately, I went to another concession stand that had plenty of Hot Dogs. Only this team could hold a Free Hot Dog promotion, get a tiny crowd, and still only be marginally prepared for it. Hell, I would have just kept the coupon for the Free Hot Dog and used it at the next game had it not said "ONLY VALID SEPTEMBER 9."

I shouldn't complain, really. That Free Hot Dog was probably the high point of the game.

Great Idea!

I've been hearing Howie Rose talk about it on the radio ever since last weekend, but the Mets have been running all sorts of goofy promotions to try to drum up some kind of interest as the Mets play out the string. There have apparently been seat upgrades, and giveaways and players signing autographs, but the crowds have remained sparse (though, since most of the tickets were already sold, they're not announced as sparse, but that's a different story).

Last night, the folks at SNY had the brilliant idea to do a "Silent Sixth Inning," which I didn't watch, but I heard people making fun of on WFAN afterwards. I suppose they can do whatever the hell they want to try to generate some interest. Whether they were in the race or not, I would have been listening on the radio, where they know better than to do a "silent" anything.

But tonight, the Mets have it right. Tonight is Free Hot Dog night at Citi Field. It's not unlimited, unfortunately, but everyone coming in will get a coupon for a Free Hot Dog. Now, we're talking! And, how fortuitous that this should fall on the day of a game I happen to have tickets for. This should come in handy after I've had my tacos before the game (assuming I have tacos before the game), and I get that little strike of hunger around the 7th or 8th inning.

Tabloid Junk(ie)

Friday, I wrote a bit about all the press that has recently come out killing the Mets for the way this season has played out. Much of it was truthful. Almost all of it was justified. The Mets organization shouldn't necessarily be killed for their poor injury luck, but they can be killed for not having a proper contingency plan, and they certainly can be killed for continuing to feed into the "Win Now and Sacrifice the Future" philosophy of their General Manager.

Then, I heard the stories creeping out about how Citi Field was falling apart. Apparently, all this noise has been coming from my favorite paper of them all, the New York Post. It's no secret that I feel the Post thinks way too highly of themselves, and also seems all too happy to take a dig at the Mets whenever possible (Perhaps because the Post's #1 rival, the Daily News, is in bed with the Mets). But it seems like the Post is almost going out of their way now to turn that knife and needle the Mets, and their fans, some more. It's taken what had been a series of valid arguments about the team and basically making it complete overkill.

It started with this article on Sunday about how Citi Field has leaks and mold. As with any new building, these things happen. Someone mentioned it on WFAN and the host basically poo-poohed it, saying, "All right, can't we just leave the Mets alone?" He's right. The Mets and their fans have suffered enough indignities this year. Never mind the fact that the article is mildly misinformed, since public funds weren't put directly towards the Stadium, they were put towards infrastructure. Basically, the public funds went towards renovating the Subway and LIRR stations. It's a bit more cut and dry than, say, the deal the Yankees got for their stadium, something that has been swept under the rug and forgotten.

But the Post can't keep their mouths shut. That same day, a piece from Mike Vaccaro appeared, echoing the first story. It's a complete puff piece, no doubt, attempting to squash every issue plaguing the Mets into 4 paragraphs. Here's the link. I assure you it's not worth reading.

Yesterday, there was even more Met-bashing. This time, they've taken to the streets and tried to get some fan reaction. I wonder how hard they had to search to get these quotes. You know, assuming these quotes came from real people.

But with the story losing juice, mainly because most people just don't seem to care about it all that much, or because as with any new facility, there will be some problems at first, and it's not as though these issues aren't easily fixable with a call to a good plumber, the Post had to find another issue to pick on. So, today, it's back to the problematic medical staff.

But it's not all bad. At least Carlos Beltran is coming back. Even though he should be sitting out to preserve the final two seasons on that posh $117 million contract...

Several Depressing Truths

My insane co-worker keeps asking me what the Mets record has been since the All-Star break. He's convinced that they are truly the worst team ever. That may not be true, but given the way things have gone, it's not too farfetched. A 12-14 July that appeared barely respectable gave way to a 10-19 August that really felt a lot worse. I would have banked on the Mets having been about 3-26 in August the way things have gone. Every series goes the same way. Lose the first game, Lose the 2nd game despite hanging tough and then when everyone expects the Mets to get creamed in the 3rd game, they get a good pitching performance and win. And that's the way it's gone for the last month.

But there are far greater issues with the team that are slowly creeping out of the woodwork. You've started to see a number of different articles talking about where the team is now, and what direction they can go in. Some of my fellow bloggers have touched on it themselves, but the sad reality of the future of the Mets is starting to rise to the forefront as this miserable season winds down.

This article talks about how the Mets, whose Minor League system is starved for talent, overpaid for one of their draft picks while sacrificing another.

An article from Philly.com that seems on the surface to be rather sympathetic to the Mets plight really smacks of smugness.

This Article on Deadspin starts out with the image of that sad doofus that we saw so often in 2007 and only gets worse from there as it details everything that's gone wrong (WARNING—May cause you to throw objects or cry).

Jayson Stark at ESPN doesn't offer us any solace either.

We can only hope that Erin Arvedlund, author of the Bernie Madoff book that suggests the Wilpons will have to sell the team, is somehow prophetic. David Howard called her out on Fox Business last week, but she seems to stick by her word. Given the way the Mets have operated over the past year, I for some reason feel more inclined to believe Arvedlund. I don't think it's right or fair what happened to the Wilpons as far as Madoff is concerned, but they've proven themselves only marginally capable of running this team for a few years now. Selling, and giving the team some new blood at the top, might be for the best.

But, as the NBC article warns us, we should be careful what we wish for. The high bidder for the Mets could very well be Cablevision and James Dolan...

Late edit...Jason from Faith and Fear sums the season up in what is by far and away the most ingenious summation I've seen...MetsSloppily!

Thole or Not Thole

Whatever he is, he's not Brian Schneider and his .174 batting average, which instantly makes him OK with me.

It's now September and with the rosters expanding to 40, we can hopefully see a host of new faces around the team that might actually prove themselves worthwhile to the future of the Mets (whatever that future may hold), as opposed to retreads, has-beens and never-weres that we've been staring at for months now. I don't know who the Mets plan to call up to the Majors, but we can only hope that it'll mean less Schneider, less Tatis, less Anderson Hernandez, less Sheffield, less horrible pitchers.

Basically, now should be the time for the Mets to take stock of what they've got and see how much retooling needs to be done. I've said in the past that the 2009 Mets were built to win now, only now was 2006. I've also said that '06 was probably the fluke and '07 and '08 were the norm. We know that, when healthy, the Mets are a good team that is more than likely only good enough to fall just a little bit short. When every major contributor to the team manages to get injured, that's bad luck. The poor finishes of '07 and '08 weren't bad luck. That was the team proving what it was. And now, bit by bit, that team is starting to get broken up. Wagner was the first to go, and he'll probably be followed by Delgado. After that, we shall see. In their place, guys like Josh Thole and perhaps a Wilmer Flores or Jenry Mejia. I don't know what the plans are for this final month of the season. But my guess is we'll be seeing plenty of new faces at Citi Field.

What Game?

I know that there was a game between the Mets and the Phillies on Monday afternoon, because I was there. But for the life of me, I just can't seem to remember it.

There were people, and some balls flying around, and some of them were caught, and some of them were dropped, and there was some cheering, but I don't recall doing too much of that. There were a lot of people in red, sitting in packs throughout the stadium, like some bizarre, loathsome game of connect-the-dots. These people in red seemed to be doing most of the cheering. The people in blue, that is to say my people, just sort of sat there and stared.

Was it a dream? Or was it simply that this game was indistinguishable from the other games I'd attended on this most disastrous homestand, where the Mets appeared sunk before they even had a turn at bat.

Trouble was abound early. The stadium was only marginally full for a Monday afternoon game. I, being who I am, had taken off from work and gone with a colleague who was attending her first baseball game in 4 years. We arrived in our seats just in time to see Parnell plunk Shane Victorino. "I hope it hurt!" I yelled. This must have angered the Baseball Karma Gods because two batters later, Victorino was stealing 2nd and going to 3rd when Santos sailed his throw into Center Field, and scoring another batter later when Ryan Howard launched the first of his two moonshots. 3-0 Phillies and the Mets were basically cooked before they even came to the plate.

The rest of the game was pretty academic. Chase Utley and Gary Sheffield both kicked the ball around a little bit, the Philly fans were loud and proud, the Mets fans were quiet and not proud. A game happened. I saw it, I suppose, but for what it's worth, it's not worth talking about. The best I could come up with was that it was better than being at work.