I can barely bring myself to pay attention anymore. I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m sure there are other Met fans out there who have decided to get on with their lives and not concern themselves any further with the goings-on in Queens, as evidenced by the acres of empty green plastic at Citi Field. The mornings have gotten colder, it’s dark out when I wake up, the summer is ebbing. Oh, I’m still following – don’t get me wrong: I’m a fanboy, after all – but I can’t get excited for a win or terribly upset by a loss at this point. Results are greeted by a semi-interested shrug. Would I like to see R.A. Dickey reach 20 wins? Of course I would, but I’ll pay it the same heed I paid the Mets’ last 20-game winner, Frank Viola in an also-pennantless 1990 campaign. Would I like to see David Wright lead the league in WAR? Of course I would, but it’ll get the same “that’s nice” response I gave to the Mets’ sole (so far) batting champion, Jose Reyes last year. Would I like to see Matt Harvey establish himself as a viable Major League starting pitcher? Of course I would, but I’m looking out of the corner of my eye, as I did Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey and Aaron Heilman. Other than those three line-items, there’s little else to keep me riveted.

For the Mets themselves, it seems summer was over right after the Fourth of July. The “pluck,” the “grittiness,” the “resilience” all seems to have departed just before Dickey, Wright and Terry Collins boarded their flight to Kansas City for the All-Star Game. Heading into that game, they really looked like a team on the come. They had rarely been out of any game, they had recently staged a couple of brave comebacks against the Phillies & Cubs, their run differential had finally caught up with their actual record. Yes, the bullpen was a point of concern, but most of us fans were convinced that Sandy Alderson and the rest of the wonder boys in the front office would foment a remedy forthwith. It was going to be a nice long summer.

Instead, the team came back from the break looking listless, almost bored. It looked as if they knew the jig was up as soon as they fell behind 5-0 in the third in Atlanta on Friday the 13th . The mirror was shattered that weekend, the smoke dispersed a few nights later in Washington. It was about then that the front office – rightly — decided that a bullpen piece or a righty-hitting catcher would not be the move that would put this team over the top. There was little use in tinkering with a structure that was never viable in the first place. What a pity that all the goodwill and momentum that had been built up in the first half could be burned away like an ant under a magnifying glass. It looks for all the world like they’re right behind us fans, giving-up-wise. Collins has to take a bit of a hit for this, as much as he took the credit for keeping them all focused during the good times.

In any case, a wakeup call is in order if the Mets want to avoid making 2013 another very quick, very lonely summer.

Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley

10 comments on “Have the Mets Given Up?

  • Brian

    My question to you is do you remember the 1990 season at all? It was pennantless but Frank Viola won hia 19 th game on Sept 15 and at the time the Mets were a half game behind Pittsburgh. Not the same kind of meaningless ball in the slightest. Granted, he won 20 on the last day of the season, but lost 3 tough decisions while the.Mets.were still fighting for a division.

  • Charlie Hangley

    Fair point, and I guess I should have said “pay it the same heed I paid to Frank Viola by the time he won his 20th in an exciting, but ultimately pennantless 1990 campaign.”

  • David Groveman

    Sometimes… it’s good to be the Minor League guy.

  • Rick

    I knew that in time I’d be reading an article about how the Mets exceeded all expectations up to the break and then crashed, just like they’re known to do. I’ve been a fan most of my life and the last few years I’ve been taking veral jabs from my friends and all those who know I’m a Mets fan but recently all of the heckling has turned from funny and joking based humor to a very serious and sad overtone. No one fears the Mets anymore and with all of the humiliating news about this once proud organization that floods the sporting world, its getting harder to face anyone and admit that we are Mets fans and back up our claim with one good reason why, other than maybe brain damage.
    How can it not be so painfully obvious that the Wilpons have to sell and get some new blood who can attract better and future talent? and yet they’re still allowed to stay in power all in thanks to their “buddy” relationship with “Bud”, the commish? They’re killing not only this team but all of us as well. All of the bad choices they’ve made and endorsed, signing aged and declining talent for millions and millions in recent years, horrible trades, etc. I hoped that once I saw the immediate transformation of the Dodgers from wanna be’s to an elite team, that we were to follow but………..
    We have a few decent players to build with and I’m happy to see no one on the roster is close to being an AARP member anymore but we need to sign some free agents this off season, and just as important, we need someone with money and a brain to step in and takeover. Please tell me this is possible

  • steevy

    I don’t agree that Alderson couldn’t have made things better by getting a Shoppach earlier and another reliever.

  • steevy

    Ike batting third??TC is just throwing crap against the wall now.

  • steevy

    Thole has regressed to the point that I don’t want him to play anymore,start Shoppach!Whether it’s the concussion or something else,I don’t know but Thole is useless.

  • steevy

    Fire Alderson and the entire coaching staff.Cut Bay.Bring Duda back up.Wally Backman as the new manager.Shoppach catching every day.

  • Mike Koehler

    I’ll admit that I haven’t followed them closely in the past few weeks. Why bother if it all culminates in another one for the L column five times out of six?

    Would trading for Shoppach and a reliever before the break have guaranteed us a playoff berth? No way, but it would have showed that Alderson and the Wilpons have faith in their players and coaching staff. Instead, the feeling I get is that everyone in the front office is happy collecting a paycheck and shrugging their shoulders to see if the magic lasts a little longer next year.

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