GOING OUT ON A LIMB
Yep, that's what I'm going to do.
After sixty-four games, the Mets stand at a record of 31-33. They are in tied for third place with the Braves and are six and a half games out of first (behind the Phillies).
They are actually worse off in the wild card standings. They are seven and a half games behind the wild card leading Cardinals (who just lost Albert Pujlos for three plus weeks). There are
four teams ahead of them in the Wild card standing and two other teams tied with them.
To be fair, however, four of those teams (The Astros, Marlins, Pirates and The Cards) are not going to be around all season and another (the Braves) lost their best overall pitcher for the season and lost another starter (Tom Glavine) for a few weeks.
In any case, I'm going to make a baseless prediction.
The Mets are making the Playoffs.
The Mets themselves have no shown me really anything to give me this feeling... it's just a feeling.
I think this team has a huge hot streak in them. I won;t claim to know when... but this prediction comes with the feeling that they will rip off a streak in which they will win something along the lines of 21 of 30 games.
A team with Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Santana, Maine and Pedro is not an under .500 team.
Despite the fact I honestly do not think Willie Randolph is the right man for the Mets manager's job, I think this team will put in together enough to make a run and make the post season.
Mark your books. You get to come back here in October and make fun of me if I'm wrong, but somehow... for some bizarre reason... I don't think I am.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
I DON'T GET IT
...I really don't. a 5 -1 lead over the Diamondbacks turns into a 9 - 5 loss. The Mets looked in total control over the first 4 innings or so. Yet Willie did it again and pulled Maine after the 5th instead of just letting the guy throw more than 100 pitches. The friggin guy is young and strong. I understand his pitch counts have been kind of high lately, but the guy can survive the occasional 125 pitch game.
Maine was a little wild, but looked solid enough that he should have still pitched the 6th. Vargas didn't look terrible, but wasn't on his game and gave up a big two-out hit to tie the game.
And the Mets, who were hitting the cover off the ball in the first three innings just plain stopped hitting after Owens left the game.
This team is bizarre. I do not know how to classify them. They should be like... eight games over .500. Instead they are three games under and in another tail-spin.
At this point, with all of the under-achieving, the team needs a change.
Something... the manager, the coaches or onoe of the higher profile players needs to be sent packing.
Something needs to shick this team in. It's become late. Time to act before it's TOO late.
...I really don't. a 5 -1 lead over the Diamondbacks turns into a 9 - 5 loss. The Mets looked in total control over the first 4 innings or so. Yet Willie did it again and pulled Maine after the 5th instead of just letting the guy throw more than 100 pitches. The friggin guy is young and strong. I understand his pitch counts have been kind of high lately, but the guy can survive the occasional 125 pitch game.
Maine was a little wild, but looked solid enough that he should have still pitched the 6th. Vargas didn't look terrible, but wasn't on his game and gave up a big two-out hit to tie the game.
And the Mets, who were hitting the cover off the ball in the first three innings just plain stopped hitting after Owens left the game.
This team is bizarre. I do not know how to classify them. They should be like... eight games over .500. Instead they are three games under and in another tail-spin.
At this point, with all of the under-achieving, the team needs a change.
Something... the manager, the coaches or onoe of the higher profile players needs to be sent packing.
Something needs to shick this team in. It's become late. Time to act before it's TOO late.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
STRANGE DAYS
The Mets are a weird team. It's hard to really define them so far this year... but despite all of their flaws (Delgado, Hielman, Perez, injuries, Willie, etc) they are only 3.5 games out of first and actually are looking pretty decent the last week.
There are a lot of things that look positive for them... Beltran starting to turn it on, the team's record in games started by Santana and Maine, the hitting and play of Reyes, Wright and Church, The continued success of Wagner, Sanchez and Shoenwiez... plus the fact that they had a stretch of 5-12 (with only the Yankee series being a good one) and are no more than 3.5 games out. Their run scored/runs given up diffiental is actually that of a much better team than their record shows and that is a good sign because it means that odds are thier record will adjust to those numbers and winning streaks are coming.
I think this team has under-achieved BIG time. I also think they have a big time hot streak in them.
I have my doubts about Willie Randolph. I think I prefer the (almost frienzied) antics of a Bobby V type manager. I'm NOT saying I want Booby V back. I liked him a lot, but I also reconize that he was always looking to put his stamp on a game and that bit the Mets at times. I'm NOT blaming the issues this year (and last) all on Willie.. but... I have my doubts about him.
I'm actually more concerned about the Braves than I am about the Phillies or Marlins. The Marlins are NOT for real. Sorry... but I do NOT believe it. Remember the Nationals' first year in Washington? Remember they were in 1st place going into the weekend of the All-Star break? Remember they finished FOURTH that year? That's the Marlins this year. The Phillies have an EXCELLENT offense... Utley is a total stud and Burrell looks very good this year so far. Howard and Rollins, while I do not think they will equal their massive numbers of last year, are at the tops of their positions hitting wise and with some decent personel surrounding them, I doubt the Phillies will have any major scoring droughts this year. However, their pitching is... well... it's bad. Simpley put... right now that really only have one guy in their starting five that is really a guy to worry about (Cole Hamels) and he's not only an injury risk.... he's also having a tad of an uneven stretch. However he's a gamer and as long as he's on the mound, he'll give the Phils a chance to win... but he's it. Their other "big" pitcher is Brett Myers who has NOT been very good at all this year. In fact, he seems to be having a simular problem that Oliver Perez is having, although Perez seems to be a little bit of a better big-game pitcher being able to beat the Phillies, Braves and Yankees. The bullpen HAS been good (Lidge looks reborn so far) but I don't know how long that will last with the derth of quailty starters.
The Braves scare me. Mostly if Smoltz can be healthy enough to be the close the rest of the year. If Soriano and Gonzoles come back healthy and can be what they were before their injuries then their bullpen looks very solid. Hudson has pitched like an ace and Jurgins he looked quite good. I DO think that Glavine's decent start will NOT continue in the 2nd half of the season, but I CAN see the Braves going out and getting another starter (Joe Blanton maybe?) and with the hitting the team has (Larry Jones, Texeria, Escobar, Francoeur, and McCann) they can score runs (although I expect a DL stint for Larry Jones any week now). However, if Smoltz CAN'T be healthy to close, and just ONE of Gonzo or Soriano cannot return to form, then my fears abide a little. We'll see.
With Pedro coming back today, and Alou back on Thursday, the Mets have two guys that can be BIG assets. If (and it is a big IF) these two guys can stay basically healthy the rest of the year (say only one more 15-day DL stint for each one) I think the Mets are ok and will win enough to make the playoffs. I would feel better if Delgado could have a second half of about .265 18 hr and 50 RBI, but I don't know if that's happening (prob not).
Even with that, the Mets have the tools to win the NL East (or at least the Wild card) and I think a playoff series starting three of Santana, Pedro and Maine is as good as just about ANYONE else.
They just have to GET there first.
The Mets are a weird team. It's hard to really define them so far this year... but despite all of their flaws (Delgado, Hielman, Perez, injuries, Willie, etc) they are only 3.5 games out of first and actually are looking pretty decent the last week.
There are a lot of things that look positive for them... Beltran starting to turn it on, the team's record in games started by Santana and Maine, the hitting and play of Reyes, Wright and Church, The continued success of Wagner, Sanchez and Shoenwiez... plus the fact that they had a stretch of 5-12 (with only the Yankee series being a good one) and are no more than 3.5 games out. Their run scored/runs given up diffiental is actually that of a much better team than their record shows and that is a good sign because it means that odds are thier record will adjust to those numbers and winning streaks are coming.
I think this team has under-achieved BIG time. I also think they have a big time hot streak in them.
I have my doubts about Willie Randolph. I think I prefer the (almost frienzied) antics of a Bobby V type manager. I'm NOT saying I want Booby V back. I liked him a lot, but I also reconize that he was always looking to put his stamp on a game and that bit the Mets at times. I'm NOT blaming the issues this year (and last) all on Willie.. but... I have my doubts about him.
I'm actually more concerned about the Braves than I am about the Phillies or Marlins. The Marlins are NOT for real. Sorry... but I do NOT believe it. Remember the Nationals' first year in Washington? Remember they were in 1st place going into the weekend of the All-Star break? Remember they finished FOURTH that year? That's the Marlins this year. The Phillies have an EXCELLENT offense... Utley is a total stud and Burrell looks very good this year so far. Howard and Rollins, while I do not think they will equal their massive numbers of last year, are at the tops of their positions hitting wise and with some decent personel surrounding them, I doubt the Phillies will have any major scoring droughts this year. However, their pitching is... well... it's bad. Simpley put... right now that really only have one guy in their starting five that is really a guy to worry about (Cole Hamels) and he's not only an injury risk.... he's also having a tad of an uneven stretch. However he's a gamer and as long as he's on the mound, he'll give the Phils a chance to win... but he's it. Their other "big" pitcher is Brett Myers who has NOT been very good at all this year. In fact, he seems to be having a simular problem that Oliver Perez is having, although Perez seems to be a little bit of a better big-game pitcher being able to beat the Phillies, Braves and Yankees. The bullpen HAS been good (Lidge looks reborn so far) but I don't know how long that will last with the derth of quailty starters.
The Braves scare me. Mostly if Smoltz can be healthy enough to be the close the rest of the year. If Soriano and Gonzoles come back healthy and can be what they were before their injuries then their bullpen looks very solid. Hudson has pitched like an ace and Jurgins he looked quite good. I DO think that Glavine's decent start will NOT continue in the 2nd half of the season, but I CAN see the Braves going out and getting another starter (Joe Blanton maybe?) and with the hitting the team has (Larry Jones, Texeria, Escobar, Francoeur, and McCann) they can score runs (although I expect a DL stint for Larry Jones any week now). However, if Smoltz CAN'T be healthy to close, and just ONE of Gonzo or Soriano cannot return to form, then my fears abide a little. We'll see.
With Pedro coming back today, and Alou back on Thursday, the Mets have two guys that can be BIG assets. If (and it is a big IF) these two guys can stay basically healthy the rest of the year (say only one more 15-day DL stint for each one) I think the Mets are ok and will win enough to make the playoffs. I would feel better if Delgado could have a second half of about .265 18 hr and 50 RBI, but I don't know if that's happening (prob not).
Even with that, the Mets have the tools to win the NL East (or at least the Wild card) and I think a playoff series starting three of Santana, Pedro and Maine is as good as just about ANYONE else.
They just have to GET there first.
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