There Are Mets Fans, and There Are Mets Fans
So I was reading Marty Noble's mailbag on Mets.com on Monday.
(http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060612&content_id=1501658&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym)
There is only word for it... painful.
Aside from an insightful comment praising Steve Phillips for acquiring Wright and Heilman through the draft and Reyes via free agency, some of the questions were outright painful.
There was the one that hinted at a possible Mark Mulder for Cliff Floyd swap. This one doesn't make sense on about 1000 levels.
1. Why would the Cardinals trade Mulder when they need him for the postseason?
2. Would they really trade him to another team in the NL playoff race?
3. Would they really trade him for a 33-year-old injured outfielder instead of prospects?
Yeah, I would make this deal and Mulder isn't even that good anymore. Also, he is apparently a huge asshole accoriding to some of my rejectors from the Oakland A's, but that is besides the point.
Would I trade a hot Valentin and Xavier Nady to the Cards for Pujols? Yeah, but they wouldn't.
Then there was the guy asking about the new stadium's capacity. He was worried that the New Shea would be too small like Fenway and not be able to seat the 27,000 Met fans that went to games before this season.
I don't mean to hate here, instead to make a point about the readers of this site and us all as Met fans.
First, you guys. To read this site everyday says something about your baseball acumen. Yes, I take pride in this site, but there are plenty of others like it on the web.
To come here and read us every day implies a curiosity in you guys as readers. You want to learn more about the Mets, even if it is from some schlub 24 year old who never got higher than a B in English writing it for you guys.
But more importantly, I have seen a lot of the dumb Met fan in us all of late, myself included.
This is the Mets fan that is forgetting that this team still is the Mets. We are forgetting that the Mets don't make the postseason and they can never hold off the Braves.
As we enter this week's crucial series against the Phillies, who with a sweep are right back in it, we need to remember one thing.
There are still 100 games ahead of us.
The Braves need to make up one game for every 10 we play to catch us.
So please enjoy what is going down. But don't take it for granted. This team is a playoff team the day there is a shiny asterix next to their name in the New York Post.
Until that day comes, the Braves are the playoff team in the National League East.
I am nervous of a letdown, but again, I almost crave one. About a month ago when the Mets lost a few games, Happy Will and co. were screaming for Heilman to start (among other prescribed changes) only to then see the Mets again turn it around.
Baseball is a game of swings. Right now we are coming off one of the brighter ones in a long time. But there will be another side to it at some point.
We all need to realize that. Just like the Mets aren't going to get Johan Santana for Alay Soler.
Plenty of time to blow this.
Old Mets? At least for a little while longer.
Proud to depress.
VCD,
SM
(http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060612&content_id=1501658&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym)
There is only word for it... painful.
Aside from an insightful comment praising Steve Phillips for acquiring Wright and Heilman through the draft and Reyes via free agency, some of the questions were outright painful.
There was the one that hinted at a possible Mark Mulder for Cliff Floyd swap. This one doesn't make sense on about 1000 levels.
1. Why would the Cardinals trade Mulder when they need him for the postseason?
2. Would they really trade him to another team in the NL playoff race?
3. Would they really trade him for a 33-year-old injured outfielder instead of prospects?
Yeah, I would make this deal and Mulder isn't even that good anymore. Also, he is apparently a huge asshole accoriding to some of my rejectors from the Oakland A's, but that is besides the point.
Would I trade a hot Valentin and Xavier Nady to the Cards for Pujols? Yeah, but they wouldn't.
Then there was the guy asking about the new stadium's capacity. He was worried that the New Shea would be too small like Fenway and not be able to seat the 27,000 Met fans that went to games before this season.
I don't mean to hate here, instead to make a point about the readers of this site and us all as Met fans.
First, you guys. To read this site everyday says something about your baseball acumen. Yes, I take pride in this site, but there are plenty of others like it on the web.
To come here and read us every day implies a curiosity in you guys as readers. You want to learn more about the Mets, even if it is from some schlub 24 year old who never got higher than a B in English writing it for you guys.
But more importantly, I have seen a lot of the dumb Met fan in us all of late, myself included.
This is the Mets fan that is forgetting that this team still is the Mets. We are forgetting that the Mets don't make the postseason and they can never hold off the Braves.
As we enter this week's crucial series against the Phillies, who with a sweep are right back in it, we need to remember one thing.
There are still 100 games ahead of us.
The Braves need to make up one game for every 10 we play to catch us.
So please enjoy what is going down. But don't take it for granted. This team is a playoff team the day there is a shiny asterix next to their name in the New York Post.
Until that day comes, the Braves are the playoff team in the National League East.
I am nervous of a letdown, but again, I almost crave one. About a month ago when the Mets lost a few games, Happy Will and co. were screaming for Heilman to start (among other prescribed changes) only to then see the Mets again turn it around.
Baseball is a game of swings. Right now we are coming off one of the brighter ones in a long time. But there will be another side to it at some point.
We all need to realize that. Just like the Mets aren't going to get Johan Santana for Alay Soler.
Plenty of time to blow this.
Old Mets? At least for a little while longer.
Proud to depress.
VCD,
SM
posted by Sippy Momo at 10:42 AM
6 Comments:
Ironic that you've written this piece on the same day that both the New York Daily News and that other New York tabloid have devoted their back pages to the Mets being "Kings of New York" (NYDN) or to "Queens is King" (NYP).
But it's a fair point you make. There's a lot of baseball left to play, 100 games to be exact. I think it's fair to say the Phillies are better than they've played. Perhaps their pitching is really that bad and they're not much better than they've played, but I can't look at that roster and think they shouldn't be more than 3 games over .500. As for the Braves, I'm not so sure. Their bullpen (that famously unimportant part of a baseball team) is awful, and their starting pitching hasn't been much better. Right now, the Braves don't look like contenders, the Phillies do.
But all in all, there's a lot to be excited about with these Mets. The stat I love about this team is that we haven't lost 3 games in a row once this season. That implies consistency. It implies that we've got enough weapons to prevent a prolonged skid (even when we had Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez). Ultimately, it implies that we've got a great team.
None of that means the Mets won't lose 3 games in a row all year or that the Phillies or Braves won't challenge us for the NL East crown. But through 62 games, even the most hardened Mets fan has to like what he sees, and better yet, he doesn't have to wear rosy-colored glasses to see it.
stats have their place, as do world-weary SM's points, but honestly, look at this team, they are not going to win every night, but they have a great shot to win every night, and they are the best team in the nl east, which is all i care about until later in the year. the phillies can rake, but they don't have the pitching nor do they seem to have that intangible that the mets seem to have this year: balls. the braves will scare anybody with a memory, but they are not as good as us. that's all i can say. like life, nothing is certain in a long baseball season, but take pride in being a fan of a damn fine team.
Sip,
I'm not sure what you're implying with that dig at me about Heilman. The Mets needed to make changes and if they were going to keep throwing out Gonzalez and Lima Time they wouldn't be in 3rd place right now...it was killing every aspect of the team.
More to the point, from day 1 you've been hoping this team would fall. Before the season started when I told you the Mets would absolutely win the division, you laughed at it.
Let's not be so fearful. The Mets are the best current and built team in the NL. These are the golden days, stop waiting for the guillotine to fall and contributing karmically to our own jinx.
If the Mets lose the division to the Braves (or even worse, the Phillies), it's a shame because they are significantly better than both of those teams in every aspect of the game.
World Series or bust,
Happy Will
yes
act right! look at this team, we have a guy that can come in and not stink it up at each position if an injury occurs, now that KazuO is outta here. endy is our super sub OF. Marrero, Woodward, and Valentin can each play 2 spots if any of our guys pulls a muscle. however, i do think it is necessary for Wright & Reyes to get armed guards because if one of them breaks a bone...we are in deep do do. but u can say that for any of the top teams....The Mets are gonna be alright because we are deeper than ever before (triple A harbors potential replacements Bannister, Maine, Hernandez) and guys are playing with confidence ...goooooooo Willie...Im thinking on naming my 1st daughter Loduca.
im normally pretty outwardly optimistic about the mets while knowing deep down inside that the house of cards was gonna fall... certainly true in 1999 and 2000... but i honestly don't feel that pain in my gut this time around.
good job by billy wagner, doing the job for the mets and my fantasy baseball team in the 8th inning.
don't know what the vegas odds are on mets making the post-season, but i'd bet right now no questions asked. knock on wood.
endy just doubled.
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