After a 16-inning affair Monday night, the Mets finally saw themselves on the winning end of a marathon. It was the fourth time this season that a Mets game has gone into at least the 15th inning, the most in the majors. For a team with so little to cheer for (outside of Harvey and Wheeler Day), these games are actually a good sign.

This is a team that has had many ups and downs during the season. These long marathon games actually are a statement to the heart and will of this team. And at the end of the day wins are what matter, but it’s nice to see a team that knows it has its faults to keep fighting and put it all out there on the field.

As much as Terry Collins gets the blame for the Mets struggles, it has always been a lack of talent that has kept Collins from succeeding here in New York. A struggling bullpen/rotation and a weak lineup have always been the criticisms of Collins and the Mets. And this year is no different. But as of late, the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen.

Marlon Byrd is playing beyond the highest expectations that have been set out for him. Matt Harvey is being Matt Harvey. Jeremy Hefner has pitched ace-like over the past month. A struggling bullpen has turned into a reliable force for the Mets. Bobby Parnell is finally turning into the closer everyone thought he could be.

So what does this have to do with the extra-inning games? The extra-inning games are just another example of how this team is moving forward. They keep clawing and fighting for victories. It doesn’t always end with the perfect result, but a new mindset is being put into place as the future finally arrives in Flushing.

With the All-Star break approaching soon, Sandy Alderson has to evaluate what he has here in the 2013 New York Mets and what he can do going forward. Fans are getting antsy, so are the players. This long re-building process is like an extra-inning game. It’s long, drawn out and has its up’s and downs. But at the end of the game, there always is a bright tomorrow. And for this Mets team, it’s no different.

11 comments on “Extra inning games a telling sign for Mets

  • Metsense

    Chris, a nice analogy with the extra inning games and the rebuilding process.
    When TC didn’t have the talent, it WAS easier to give TC a pass. Now that there is some talent on the team, it is obvious that TC is not the man for the next step. Just in the last month, his decision making has been very suspect, as documented by many of the readers of this blog. I can’t agree with you in regard to TC but can agree the future is looking closer and better.LGM

    • Chris Schubert

      I don’t think TC is the answer. His decision making is very questionable (the bullpen use is one). But I think the first place you have to look is the talent that he is give. It is better than the past but is far from a level that he can be the sole place of blame.

  • Name

    “As much as Terry Collins gets the blame for the Mets struggles, it has always been a lack of talent that has kept Collins from succeeding here in New York”

    No no no no no no.
    It’s not the lack of talent that keeps him from succeeding in NY. It is the bonehead moves that he makes that prevent him from getting respect from the fans. Here are just a few.

    Rice has not been effective for 2 months now but not a hint from TC that he is in trouble. The only thing keeping him here is TC’s love of LOOGY’s.
    Letting Torres pitch 2 innings in a 5-run game yesterday
    Giving JV the 1-week audition.
    Playing Buck as much as he does.
    Proclaiming Ike not in a platoon.
    I could think of many more if i wanted to.

    Lack of talent? Maybe. But that’s not the reason to hate him.

    • Chris F

      Wecould rummage through the memory banks, but there have been piles of decisions, like Harvey staying in the other day, that we could come up with showing his lack of suitability. For the life of me, I cant recall now, but we all said some big loss was directly on his management.

      • Chris F

        By the way Im referring to the 6-4 loss to the Nats on Harvey’s gem when he wnet out after 7 with a 4-1 lead. TC went through an endless parade of relievers, but terribly pulled Aardsma who had things under control. That game alone (June 28) should have gotten him fired.

        • Chris Schubert

          If I remember that game correctly: Didn’t Aardsma get the first two outs in the inning and then TC went to Edgin or Rice to get the last out and it all went down hill from there?

          • Chris F

            exactly right.

    • Jerry Grote

      +1. Classic examples today? You’ve got the butcher in CF in the 9th. Or you can have Ike … batting 4th.

      He has the talent. Someone, sometime in the future, is going to laud him for giving playing time to the likes of Josh Satin, or “having faith” in Eric Young. And all of these details will be forgotten. Someone will actually make a saint out of our manager.

  • Jim OMalley

    It’s going to be like someone threw the switch next year when Backman is at the helm.

  • Jerry Grote

    The Pirate series will tell you plenty. Since mid-June, the Mets are scoring something like 5 runs a game (a little drunk tonight, but my math tells me its 127 runs in 25 games).

    So long as you keep wasting ABs on Kirk (take out two games, and what do you have? Bad defense AND no bat. Nice play in the 9th, bozo) and Ike (what in god’s name gave Terry the idea to bat him 4th? Was it the 4 for 17 – all singles – leading up to this game, or the .174 BA overall?), you are handicapping a limited team.

    It will work fine against the likes of Milwaukee and SF – two teams that might be legitimately worse than the Mets – but you can’t waste plate appearances against Pittsburg.

  • TexasGusCC

    I agree on the opinions given as to why Collins is inadequate to manage this team, but let me add one more: Young players need encouragement to gain confidence. When the younger players did something well (Lagares hit a game winning HR, or Valdespin did, or Recker had a good game) their reward was to sit on the bench for several games, while the vets were given every chance to “succeed”.

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