Nothing Is Wrong With This Team

Last night’s debacle and subsequent team meeting has motivated many in Metland to share their opinions about what is wrong with this team.  Why should I be any different?  

It’s really quite simple.  Nothing is wrong with this team.  They are rebuilding.

“But rebuilding is not what met fans want. they want to WIN NOW. and if the team doesnt win now, then every single head should roll…” -Fan Comment from ESPN

I know many of you don’t want to hear it, but facts are facts.  The Mets are rebuilding.  Go ahead and play ostrich and bury your head in the sand if you want, see how far it gets you.  But this jibber jabber about heads rolling and not trading at the deadline is nonsense.

This mentality doesn’t make sense to me.  Fire everyone!  Then what?  How will this magically change the fact that the Mets quite simply are not talented enough to compete yet nor do they have the money or farm system for a quick fix?

Even if they did have the resources for a quick fix, would you be satisfied with mortgaging the next five years so the Mets can qualify as the second Wild Card and potentially be bounced from the playoffs in one game?

The bottom line is this sucks right now.  It is no fun watching a below average team exceed expectations for half a season and then run out of gas in the second half.

The scary thing to me is I expected the Mets to be somewhat competitive in 2013.  Now?  I’m not 100% sure.  Having to rebuild the entire bullpen…again…as well as fill all three outfield positions doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside about 2013.

Harvey’s Mental Game

Over the last few weeks there has been much debate about whether or not Matt Harvey is ready for the big leagues.  Tonight we get to find out.

I have to admit I’m concerned.  In my mind I had Harvey and Wheeler starting off the 2013 season in the rotation, having all of 2012 in the minors to fine tune their game.  I’m not going to flat-out say it is the wrong decision to hand Harvey the ball tonight.  Let’s face it, something’s got to change and maybe he’ll give this squad a boost.

In many ways, baseball is a numbers game.  My problem is I am way too lazy to analyze stats to come up with an opinion about a player’s readiness.  Particularly in the pitching area.

Instead, I focus on their confidence because on many occasions it is very easy to decipher.  All you have to do is look at a guy’s face or pay attention to his body language.

Read the following names of Mets’ pitchers and picture the look on their face when they were on the mound only.  Forget everything you know about them.  Forget about how many games they have won, their career ERA, how fast they throw, how tall they are, or how nasty their breaking pitches are.  Focus on only how they carry themselves.

Mike Pelfrey, Aaron Heilman, Frank Francisco, Manny Acosta, Armando Benitez, Jeremy Heffner, Chris Schwinden, Bobby Parnell

This group doesn’t exactly ooze machismo does it?

Now try the same exercise with the following list.

Tom Seaver, Billy Wagner, Dwight Gooden (first few years before the coke completely took over), R.A. Dickey, Johan Santana, David Cone, John Franco

You feel a little more confident in their ability to get a guy out don’t you?  Or better yet, their ability to pitch out of a jam.

Can a pitcher’s outward confidence change?  Sure.  But I argue it’s rare.

Tonight, pay attention to how Harvey reacts when someone drills one of his pitches, or when he doesn’t get a call.  It’s all about the mental game.  Right now, I’m not sure even his own catcher knows. Check out this quote from Rob Johnson

“I think mentally he’s strong enough to be there. It’s just going to be a matter of if he can compose his emotions.”

Maybe I’m being nit picky here but isn’t composing your emotions part of being mentally strong?  In my book it’s the most important thing.

The cool thing about all of this is we’ll start to figure it out with Matt Harvey tonight.

Maybe “Small Market” Isn’t Such A Bad Thing

This morning, I shared the following thought on our Facebook page,

You don’t have to be “big” or throw money around to make an impression. You just have to do it right. A Midwestern thought that perhaps those that believe money solves all issues should consider. Especially in Metsland.

I decided to do this while basking in the glow of Indianapolis (a town I frequent quite often) throwing the best Super Bowl ever.  And I’m not talking about the game itself.

Think I’m providing a biased toot of the ole’ Midwestern horn?  Fair enough.  What about Forbes Magazine?

It has always rubbed me the wrong way when some of my Mets’ Fan Brethern decide to say things like,

This is New York!  This isn’t a small market!  Moneyball won’t work.  You gotta spend money to win!

Etcetera, etcetera.

I just don’t buy it my friends.  It has always struck me as a lazy way to solve problems.

I’m not saying I want to see the Mets get down to a $39 million payroll.  That’s unrealistic.  I just prefer that they spend money wisely.  Quite possibly a tall order considering the current ownership…

Maybe It’s The Weather

I took the day off today.  No, not because I am depressed about the Mets and couldn’t drag my ass to work.  I have other things going on in life, thankfully.

Here in the fine state of Indiana, at least in my town, it is a sunny and beautiful day.  It’s crisp, but a welcome change to the gloom that we have been dished out pretty much all winter/spring.

It is the kind of day where you can’t help but feel good about almost everything.  The right music is coming up on my Ipod, everyone I encounter seems to be in a good mood, the birds are chirping….you get the point.  Life is grand.

So I started wondering.  Maybe, the 2011 Mets are just not cold/gloomy weather capable.  I mean, they played well in Spring Training and took two of three in Miami didn’t they?  After that they have been consumed by shitty weather everywhere they have played.

Who knows, maybe when the weather turns this team will start to play better.  It might be too late by then, but it can’t hurt to wonder.

Don’t worry.  There is no need to think I have completely lost it.  I’m not turning into a hippie or anything.  I realize I am clutching at straws here.

Just wondering out loud is all.  When things are going bad and you have no answers as to why, you tend to try and rationalize.  No matter how ridiculous it seems.

DDG Note:

I’ve decided not to count tonight’s game in the DDG standings.  The Mets have already disappointed us so the game is pretty much a wash.